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I can have it all… Really?

“I can bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan, and never let him forget he’s a man. Cause I’m a woman.” The 1980s ad for perfume is one of the audio/visual examples used for the night. It is fitting since, we, as women have been taught (at least since the sexual revolution) that we can have it all, and have it all at the same time. Tonight is about the dangers of believing that myth.

As with any Chick Chat meeting, the women have come out in droves. It is a virtual potpourri of femininity. Women of all ages and from every culture and socio economic background, and educational experience have come to get the knowledge offered by a successful panel of women which include Pastor Colleen, Shaunti Feldhahn, a bestselling author, speaker and nationally-syndicated newspaper columnist, and Valorie Burton, also an author and certified personal and executive coach. The teachings tonight come not just from their own personal experiences but also from years of study and what may be hundreds, if not thousands, of interviews with women at various stages in their lives.

Sitting in the V1 auditorium, the atmosphere is all abuzz with excitement. There is a joyous sense of relief as the panel discussion becomes clearer to the audience and we as women realize we don’t need to kill ourselves trying to gain it all in one season. We can forgive ourselves and not hold onto the guilt we feel about not being able to achieve in Corporate America while baking homemade cookies and pies for the PTA. It’s about give and take. This is the final Chick Chat of 2011.

We are reminded that it is good to have it all but we won’t have it all in one season.  Valorie tells us about the “hedonic treadmill.” She explains that on this treadmill you are chasing after what you think you need in order to be happy. Once you get it, you are happy. But that happiness is fleeting and off you go on the treadmill again chasing the next object of your happiness. She explains what scientists call “decision fatigue” – the idea that it is good to have choices but too many choices can overwhelm and depress.

How do we, as women, become successful? It all depends on your definition of success. The women in this room have differing opinions. For some it is happiness, comfort and spiritual motivation. For others it is love and support from family. Some say it is the balance between fulfillment and priorities or the success of their children.

Here is what this writer took from the meeting — satisfying your needs will make you happy, but how do you truly know what it is you want?

1) Ask questions of yourself

2) Be honest with yourself

3) Be thankful and appreciative for what you have at the moment

Remember that there are certain tradeoffs you make in order to be happy or successful. Some of us have given up on some things in order to have other things. Some of us have made mistakes that have gotten us where we are today.  Be able to forgive yourself and don’t place your measure of being a woman on what the media tells you it is.

The words of wisdom from the night are prolific and powerful.  Valorie says, “There has got to be an answer for modern women because God would not leave us with a Bible that gradually becomes obsolete.”

Pastor Colleen says, “Every created thing has a reason it was created. We are all called to do certain things. You cannot operate in ways that you were not designed.”

Shaunti broke it down as such:  “We are made in God’s image, created as women, and finally, created as you. Where those 3 things come together is your calling, what you are built for, where you thrive.”

This life is about having choices and making the right ones. Where is God leading you?

HER LIFE WORKS is a new ministry created by these three dynamic women of God. It will begin on January 20 and is designed to teach women how to apply the Bible to their daily lives. The ministry will meet and be broken down into groups of like-minded women, with entrepreneurs in one group, single moms in another group, etc.  Essentially, the ministry will help women to access one another and to navigate successfully and spiritually. Look for HER LIFE WORKS at the beginning of the year.

There’s nothing easy about courage. Most people associate it with major feats or big decisions, but courage applies even to the smallest details for some people. Often it’s courage we lack when we fail to pursue simple things that could make a big difference in our lives.

But Esther was a woman who faced life-threatening obstacles, yet she was fueled by the truth that God is in control. Despite her disadvantages, she took risks and acted in faith. Sometimes our lives are abruptly stopped in mid-motion and we land in big ditches. We want to persevere, but we feel stuck and we just don’t know how to move forward from the unfair, the unexpected or the unimaginable.

We welcomed one of our very own Victory members as a guest speaker this weekend, Valorie Burton. She brought us the life and courage of Esther and presented us with five commitments to help us overcome big challenges that seem to trap us, keep us down or hold us back from our purpose.

For starters, if we would get in the habit of proclaiming out loud what we will and won’t do, we’d find our actions would eventually line up with our words. Listen to this message for the five commitments and make them your personal declarations to get stronger and better. All of us are called to purpose like Esther. Let’s muster up her kind of courage too.

Whether you consider yourself a competitive person or not, you’ve fought to come in first place at some point in your life. Sometimes you achieved the goal, but other times you naturally lacked what was necessary to win.

It’s tough to be at a disadvantage, but Jacob is one Bible hero who dealt with his shortcomings, followed through on some hard life decisions and came out on top as a result.

Our special guest Pastor Steve Vaggalis taught this past weekend how Jacob was born second, but finished first–not because of what he had, but because of Who he had.

If you want to finish first more often, here is what Pastor Steve suggests:

• Define your priorities –Understand the difference between a pressing need and a priority.
• Live with integrity–It’s a supernatural force in your life that’s not contingent on others.
• Deal with insecurities–Jacob discovered how to work well with what he had.

Click here to get the full message from Pastor Steve on taking action in these three areas. It doesn’t matter who you are, what you don’t have, or how many times you’ve fallen short, if you can keep the things, ways and words of God sacred in your life like Jacob, you will begin to finish first.

My co-laborer in the Body of Christ Christopher Alam of Dynamis World Ministries joined us this past weekend and gave it to us straight about strengthening our faith.  Even as Christians we suffer from “seeing is believing” syndrome. We look for proof to believe instead of believing God’s word simply because it is the final authority on everything. But as Christopher said, “When it comes to faith, believing isn’t everything. You must speak it!”

If we believe that God is the ruler of all mankind, and that He is the One in control of our individual lives, what keeps us from really living our faith?  At what point do we close the door on fear and stop accepting just enough to get by? Do we even know how to truly live our faith?

Christopher gives us a sure plan of action to begin building up our faith right now through four simple steps. If you missed his message, or even if you didn’t, you’ll want to hear it again and again to help reinforce it. Put these steps into practice daily, and watch your life change! Click here to get the message.

This past weekend, while I was speaking at Destiny Church in Destin, Florida, special guest Christine Caine of Equip & Empower Ministries was blowing up our Resilient Women’s Conference, as well as our regular services here at Victory. She brought a great message, challenging us to step out in great faith for God’s Kingdom. I loved this quote of hers: “You cannot change a world you’re not in, you cannot change a world you’re the same substance of.”

If you missed it (or even if you didn’t) and want to have your faith challenged and increased, make sure you watch Christine’s message from Sunday morning here! But be careful, this word might really shake up your life! But I promise it will be in a good way!

Although it’s hard to believe, this past weekend, we celebrated Victory’s 21st anniversary. In some ways, it’s hard to believe it’s really been that long. In other ways, it’s hard to believe how far we’ve come as a church since that first meeting of six people in a little daycare center. As I look around at what Victory has become – more than 10,000 people of all ages, from more than 100 nations, attending weekly at our various services and campuses; small groups meeting all over the city; millions of dollars going out to transform our community and reach the poor and lost around the world…God has truly blessed us as a church! We’re so honored to be a part of it with you!

And, our services this week were no exception as our dear friend and executive board member, Dr. Sam Chand, brought a powerfully uplifting and challenging message. There’s no way I can do his message justice here, though I will highlight a few of his points, so I want to strongly encourage you to watch the video of this message here to get the full impact. Sam is an excellent speaker and inspired by the Holy Spirit. If you need a breakthrough in your life, you need to watch this message!

Here are a few things that really stood out to me:

• We have been given a new name, a new identity…BREAKTHROUGH…”I am Breakthrough”, not “I will breakthrough.” This is our identity – it’s who we are, not what we do.
• So many people are very close to breaking through, but they’re waiting to do something, or for someone else to do something, not realizing that breakthrough not something we do, but something we are.
• It doesn’t matter what anyone says about me. There’s a big YES over my head. No one can take my YES away from me; it never turns into a maybe, or a possibility…it’s always there, no matter how ugly life is.

Now, go watch this message. It could really change your whole outlook on life!

This past weekend, we had the joy of welcoming a great friend of ours, passionate author and speaker, John Bevere, as he shared a glimpse of where God has been leading him on his new journey to discovering an extraordinary life. His message was dynamic, convicting and founded in the truths of the Scripture as he admonished us to live out the life that we were meant to live.

A recent survey questioned a number of individuals and asked them to define grace. Of those surveyed, only 2% stated that they believed grace was God’s empowerment. This number reiterates the fact that we have begin to overlook the provision that the Lord has left for us because we don’t fully understand his purpose and intent in providing us grace. His grace was evident when we were brought to a place of repentance and reconciliation through salvation, but we must understand that it didn’t stop there!

We are all called to be extraordinary! We are to live beyond what is usual and to exceed the common measures of this day. Think back on the biblical stories in the Scripture where the Apostle Peter had to convince citizens that he was not a superhero, and the Apostle Paul had to confirm that he was not a god. Think about young Daniel and how he had distinguished himself from those around him because of the knowledge and wisdom that had been imparted to him. Imagine what an influence they had on all those that they came into contact with. They were just a few examples of so many others who were used by God in such a mighty way. How did they lead such extraordinary lives?

Well, it was by God’s grace, which is defined as God’s empowerment that gives us the ability to go beyond our own natural ability. We must understand that the primary function of the grace of God is His empowerment! What an amazing concept to take a hold of as we are called to live out our lives as Jesus did, yet many times, we have allowed ourselves to fall short of this calling, not realizing the power that He has given us to succeed.

1 John 4:17 says, “As Jesus is, so we are in this world” (NLT). Jesus influenced the leaders of His day. He challenged the normal expectations of the believer. What was it that set him apart from so many others? How did Jesus live while here on earth?

1. Jesus walked in extraordinary godliness and purity, and we have so much potential to do the same, but we must understand that holiness is not a work of the flesh, but is a product of the gift of grace, which He has given to each of us.
2. Jesus met the needs of humanity. Great power = great grace. We now live with a great expectation realized through his grace.
3. Jesus walked in extraordinary wisdom. The grace of God gave him the ability to change and impact lives.

The grace of God gives us the ability to rule this life. We were created to live an extraordinary life in the realm that what have been called to. What an awesome thought as we challenge ourselves to be more by depending on the provisions He has set for us.

This was such a stirring and relevant message, let me encourage you to watch or listen to all of John’s message online by clicking here.

This past weekend, we had the pleasure of welcoming Pastor Jeff Hidden from Victory North in Kennesaw to speak in our services. His message was dynamic, encouraging and empowering, and challenged us all to make a switch in the way we think about money from the world’s way of thinking to Kingdom Thinking. If you were there, you know what I’m talking about when I say that he took us through a major paradigm shift from anxiety to hope. If you missed it (or even if you didn’t), and you want to be encouraged and learn how to experience God’s provision, you should listen to or watch this message online today! For now, here are a few of the key things Jeff said to whet your appetite:

Read Matthew 6:31-33

There’s a world’s way of thinking about things – it’s all about going after more things, more money. God says, instead, to think about going after his kingdom first and his righteousness – then all you need will be given taken care of.

We don’t seek God in order to get the things. Rather, we seek his way of doing things, which means we will renew our minds, and begin making new decisions based on God’s kingdom. If we want to live long and prosper in kingdom success, we have to think and operate within the kingdom way of doing things. To the degree we have kingdom thinking we will have God’s kind of Kingdom success. We’ve got to start thinking different.

God wants to give us wisdom in order for us to walk in His provision and success.

If God provides wisdom and the power to obtain wealth and have good success, why do we pray for the money, or the job, or other things?

God provides for us as we grow in the wisdom and power he gives us.

We should be praying for wisdom, not the treasure.

God is not going to cancel our debts; he’s going to give us the wisdom and ability to cancel our own debt. We get into debt by not acting wisely…we get out of debt by acting wisely.

The key to living in God’s provision is listening to Jesus and following His wisdom.

Imagine it: the smell of barbecue in the air, the DJ’s got the music thumpin’, nearly 1,500 men – ranging in age from 10 to over 80 – hanging out, talking, laughing, shooting hoops, kicking soccer balls, throwing footballs, pitching fastballs, driving golf balls* and having a great time. There’s a sense of excitement in the air and the anticipation is growing…it’s just about time to eat! (And, you know the way to a man’s heart…)

Although it’s been a hot and steamy day, the sun’s heading rapidly toward the tree line, shade is growing more abundant and a welcome breeze is picking up. It’s a perfect evening for another spectacular men’s event at Victory World Church…it’s Champion’s Night 2010.

Soon, dinner is served and the guys line up for heaping plates corn on the cob, BBQ baked beans and of some of Atlanta’s best barbecue**, generously served with a smile by a squadron of Victory ladies…and don’t forget the great sweet tea (we are in the South, after all!) and some amazing peach cobbler and banana pudding for dessert.

Now, with our bellies full of great food, and our hearts full of mirth, it’s time to head into V1 for the main event – special guest speaker, three-time NBA champion, Bruce Bowen. But first, a bit more fun and the awarding of some sweet prizes! If the air was filled with excitement before, now it’s positively charged! The music is rocking the auditorium, lights are flashing, great sports moments are playing on the big screens, the stage is set like a basketball court, every seat is fill and there’s even a few guys standing along the walls.

Emcee Billy Boughey, along with 212º Pastor Rolando Gonzalez and Fusion Pastor Johnson Bowie, gets things really hopping by tossing basketballs autographed by Bruce Bowen to the most enthusiastic guys in the crowd. This is followed by an off-the-chain dance routine by the 212º dance team, then, an arm wrestling contest – this is, after all a men’s event; displays of strength are in order – and the awarding of prizes. Congratulations to:

Henderson, winner of an autographed basketball – arm wrestling
Eldridge Harris, winner of an iPod Touch – longest golf drive
Oloalu Bolu, winner of an iPod Touch – most soccer goals
Juan, winner of a Wii Console – fastest pitch
Mike Bowen, winner of an Xbox 360 – most touchdowns
Sam Dennard, winner of the Breakfast with Bruce Bowen Raffle

Having awarded these prizes, there’s still one prize left…one really, really sweet prize…the Grand Prize – a 50″ Plasma TV and PS3 bundle! For this contest, the two highest scorers in the outdoor hoops contest plus one randomly picked from the audience wildcard player are invited onstage for a shootout. Whoever makes the most free-throws in 30 seconds wins the Grand Prize. And, with 19 baskets, the winner is…Jeremy Simmons, guest of Victory member Tony Bolin. Congratulations, Jeremy!

And now for the main event…Pastor Dennis introduces our special speaker, Bruce Bowen, a man who is regarded as one of the best defenders in the NBA, was elected eight times to the NBA All-Defensive First and Second Teams and was a member of the San Antonio Spurs teams that won the NBA championships in 2003, 2005 and 2007.

As he speaks, we find out he’s also a man who loves the Lord and has a powerful testimony of overcoming tremendous odds only by the grace of God. He tells of his alcoholic father who was mostly absent and drug-addicted mother who couldn’t give him the care he needed. Bruce had a rough childhood filled with hard lessons.

He speaks of fatherhood, challenging every father in the room to connect with their kids, to be there for them, to stay aware of the fact that they’re watching and learning from everything we do, to pour into them selflessly and not take from them selfishly. He talks of learning to trust Christ to be the father he never had. He challenges us to not fear failure – it can mold us and make us better, if we let it. True failure is when we don’t try.

In closing, Bowen challenges all of us to be optimistic using his name and quirky bow tie as a memory aid – B.O.W. – Being Optimistic Wins. He’s met with a standing ovation before Pastor Dennis closes out with a brief Q & A session and then a prayer. The night’s over, but the memories will last. From start to finish, this was an awesome men’s event. What a great time!

*Inflatables by Funtastic Events Inc.

**Catering by LowCountry Barbecue

This past weekend, I invited our 212º Youth Pastor, Rolando Gonzalez, to close out our One Prayer: Unstoppable teaching series. As many of us have heard, God has really been pouring out his Spirit in the 212º services and I wanted him to share some of what’s been going on with the rest of the church. He did so with a great message about the Unstoppable Kingdom. Here are a few of his key points that we all need to hear and receive into our hearts:

• The Lord enjoys spending time with us; he wants to spend time with us.
• God has a plan and if we can get out of His way ‘great things’ will happen for His glory.
• God is a lot happier and more joyful than we usually think he is
• In his presence is joy
• A lot of the things of God are pretty simple; they start getting complex when we try to take them apart, try to explain them
• God has set things in place and in motion and nothing can stop him
• His kingdom is who he is – meaning that God is not standing away just watching, but he’s currently active in his kingdom – Jesus is involved with his kingdom
• We know that God is everywhere, but sometimes it’s like He is more in one place than others; this “more” of God is His glory or presence
• His presence is what makes the unusual usual
• We were made to function in God’s glory, in his presence
• The Holy Spirit loves to bring revelation of the Father’s love and reveal Jesus Christ to us
• When the Spirit comes, He brings the unstoppable kingdom

If you want to experience God’s amazing presence and power as a part of his unstoppable kingdom, I urge you to listen to or watch the rest of Rolando’s message and then surrender completely to the Holy Spirit. You will definitely be encouraged. And, don’t miss the powerful collection of testimonies on the video that he played during service. I’m going to include it here as well. God is on the move. As we unite together with him, we are and will be unstoppable!