Above Average

What does it mean to be 'above average'??

Average is often used negatively but in many ways it is simply a definition of location.

If average is just where most people are, then I guess it's easy to identify where you are for a bench mark. Also, above average could be used as a location of being above where most people are positioned (as some sort of statistic).

2 Cor 8:7

'But just as you excel in everything, in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness, and in your love for us, see that you also excel in this grace of giving.'

To be above average is to excel, but is it possible to be above average in everything?

This made me think about the world we live in and how destructive things are/can be, Much of our society you could say would lack grace towards one another and criticism is at an all time high. 

But, if we rewind back and think about the smaller community of people we do life with and ask one question: What are most people like?

If most people in my neighbourhood don't wave and say hi, then for me to wave and say hi is - above average.

If most people in our work places are constantly talking negatively about other peers, then I think its relatively easy for us to be above average.

This made me realize that there would be hundreds of daily situations that give us the opportunity to be more than most people choose to live....and this would be for no other reason than to allow God to use us to influence others for His glory. 

How we relate and respond to people around us is critical to God's story in their lives.

To excel in everything is simply the choice to live a life above average.

"It is our Responsibility to work on our Response Ability."

Spirit Led Conversations

• Are all conversations spirit led conversations?
• If someone is a Christian does that mean that everything they say is led by the Spirit?
• What if you don't actually hear the word "Jesus" in my conversation - does this mean its not spirit led?
• Is it possible that spirit led conversations can be about any topic as long as there is evidence or a trace of God's nature in the conversation?

Romans 8:5

'Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.'

If You Can See It - It's Not Faith

A lot of people would say that out of the all the 5 senses - 'Seeing' would be the most 'influential' and 'powerful' in terms of how we make decisions and go about how we pursue our lives.

Back when I was at film school, our Camera tutor, Editing tutor and Sound tutor would all tell us that 'Seeing' isn't everything'. We found out that it really didn't matter how amazing the video was, if the audio was bad, it would be perceived pretty.....umm bad...

Improvising a way to battle the wind by taping the boom mike to an umbrella ;) 

But I quickly realized, as a follower of Jesus Christ, that with Faith, the same rule applies - 'Seeing' isn't everything'...Which was something that God had always challenged me on...

In Hebrews 11:8, it says “By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going”. Can you imagine us going out and NOT KNOWING where we are going?

Welcome to the life of faith. There is only so much you can plan, discuss, strategise, and set up for, then you simply must take a step of faith and you will find out that you don't really have a clue where you are going - it really is one step at a time.

Just over 2 months ago I had the privilege to go on a all expense paid missions trip to the land of Vanuatu :) where I originally got asked to make a few videos and document the trip BUT then later also got asked to worship lead over there as well as put on workshops and help Matah Keru Church form a worship team. All I can say for now is that this took a whole heap of faith and in the end it payed off! , during that whole trip I defiantly experienced an overflow of God! .....God just wouldn't stop talking during my devotions.... (more from the trip will be shared in future posts! feel free to check out my videos www.youtube.com/mrpaunamu )

"Know your ending!!" - Nick Ward 

...quoted by one of New Zealand's top scriptwriters, who told us that if we didn't pay attention to anything he said, is to make sure when you're writing a story, is to KNOW YOUR ENDING! ....If you believe in Christ, in the end, victory is yours ;)

   

Worship That Moves The Heart Of God

Psalm 51:15-17 

¹⁵ O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise....¹⁶ You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings....¹⁷ The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

An Act Of Worship Is Not Enough

Our worship must involve a MOVE of our own hearts. 

Not just  a move but a EXPRESSION of our own hearts.

God is not after a heartless, forced act of worship. It's really about opening up and an awareness of our need of Him and His grace. 

God’s Heart Is Moved By Us

Heres an awesome analogy I read the other day that made me go whoah...

Imagine God receiving our worship, like a dad who receives a picture from his young son. A picture of a cat, that comes out looking nothing like a cat, with a use of colours that will never and have never been seen amongst the feline population. BUT when you go into that dad’s office, up on the wall, with pride of place, sits that very picture. An inaccurate, slightly tainted attempt, received as if it were fine art. 

God’s wisdom by far exceeds the wisdom of the world. He sees beauty where we do not. 
God has the best vantage points.

Where To From Here?


We must continue to move well beyond viewing worship as 20mins of singing on a Sunday morning. God wants all we are....Are we in or are we out? He is looking for worshippers who will come in spirit and in truth, people desperate to meet with Him with a willingness to sacrifice and also with a MOVE and EXPRESSION of our hearts. 


It's all about making sure God is the subject and in the focus of our worship, desperately seeking His will and His purposes.

Creative Planning Part 1

"By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail" – Benjamin Franklin

INSPIRATION

It doesn’t always come naturally. It does require effort to find inspiration, in some ways it’s about finding your happy place. I'm not too sure about the theory that you wait to be inspired to do things. The reality of the media 

industry is you can either produce the goods or you can’t. No one is going to care that whether you are inspired or not.

That being said I guess it is important to stay on top of ideas and always have a few ideas stirring in the pot. 

What I get inspired by defiantly varies, and it can be from all sorts of places. It's all about getting 'into the zone' as some might say...

"wow...." - which I kept repeating over and over after watching 'Inception'. I was a watching an interview of the Writer/Director Chris Nolan, he said he had been trying to write/put together the story for 10years!! - Defiantly a must watch :D

IDEAS ARE FOR FREE

A simple exercise that has the potential to do so much : 

Write down as many ideas as you can, it doesn’t cost you anything! Don’t worry if people say they are dumb. By gathering inspiration and ideas, you’re subconsciously building your own style of what you like and subsequently what kind of work you will eventually BE LIKE!

So make sure you jot down every single idea you have. Whatever you do, don’t judge them, just write them down, one thought could trigger another and then BOOM! you'll hopefully have something that will reel in other people's interest as well :)