Al Jennings II

Winning Group Orientation

Hey Summit members: I encourage you to be in attendance and find out what winning group leadership is all about. We're on the lookout for new leaders to start groups they are passionate about. RU in?

Something my mom used to say

I thought about something that my mom used to say.
When someone would think their child was better than someone else's child, she would say:
"Every crow thinks their child is the blackest!"
Funny how you think of things your dad or mom used to say, when in a similar situation. For example, I thought of this as I was contemplating what to say (and what not to say) when the basketball coach meets with the parents.

Define Your Work

Take the time to think and define your work.
Here's a quote from David Allen's Getting Things Done: "Many people use the inevitability of an almost infinite stream of immediately evident things to do as a way to avoid the responsibilities of defining their work and managing their total inventory. It's easy to get seduced into not-quite-so-critical stuff that is right at hand, especially if your in-basket and your personal organization are out of control. Too often "managing by wandering around" is an excuse for getting away from amorphous piles of stuff."

Judgement and human courts

1Cor. 4:3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. 4 For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord. 5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.
Sometimes people will want to judge you for whatever reason. When someone judges you, they may even base their judgement on the court of public opinion. When this happens, remember that there is only one judge and that is God. They may even try to come off as very spiritual when they judge. But don't let that fool you. It really shows immaturity on their part. You always go to the Word. The Word says that is a very small thing for someone or a human court to judge you. No human is your judge.
So consider it a small thing, when people judge you and let their criticism fall off of you like water off of a ducks back. God is your judge.

Members only read this

It's time to put the focus back where it belongs: on the winning track and winning groups. The winning track is the plan the Holy Spirit gave me to grow disciples and do the work of the ministry. I let some things slip, but God has shown me how to get things back on track (on the winning track that is :-). And I'm excited about it.
I know winning groups work. Sunday morning encounters is not enough. You will not develop spiritually where you need to be, by just coming to Summit on Sundays. We need to build up the body.
Here are some reasons why you should become active in Winning Groups:
1. It's the plan God gave me for equipping the believers to do the work of the ministry and for the building up of the body.
2. It's for your own spiritual growth and development.
3. You become focused on the needs of others.
4. And when you lead, there are personal benefits. God will reward you for seeking first the kingdom (Matt 6.33).
I believe God is going to bear witness with several people about being active in a group, getting on the winning track and leading. Are you one? What will your commitment be? Let's not think of excuses of why you can't do it; think of reasons why you can with God's help. And believe me, He'll help you when you have a desire to improve your "serve".

Mission Holy Spirit: Recovery of lost property Pt.III

Now for the rest of the story. It's kinda long, so bear with me. I went in the restaurant to look for the phone. I couldn't find it anywhere on the seat or around where I was sitting. The car that was currently parked near where I had parked, moved. I looked where the car had been. Still no phone.
I left and went to a meeting with one of my leaders, Wes Jackson. I told him the story. I asked him if he would be another set of eyes and look again through my car  (I had already looked) to see if he could find it. Nothing. But.....God......the Holy Spirit spoke to him while he was laying on the back seat and told him that the phone was in the seat at the restaurant (he didn't tell me at the time what the Spirit of God told him. But he asked if I didn't mind if he went back to the restaurant and look. I said ok.
When he went back to the restaurant, he told the manager he came to look for my phone. They told him that they had already looked for the phone and it was not there. Wes persisted because of what God told him. He asked if he could look anyway.
Listen, the Holy Spirit knew who to give these instructions to, because God knew that I wouldn't have done what Wes did. He knows our frame and everything about us (Psalm 103.14). Check this out. Wes lifted up the seat and saw something shiny. The manager is looking at him like he's crazy. People are sitting in the booth behind looking at him. Wes persists. The mgr looks at him like, yeah right, it's probably a fork or something. He asks for a tool to dismantle the seat. Now the mgr gives him a really strange look, but relents and asks the cook for a tool. He said the only thing he has is a knife! Now the cook is watching along with everybody else. Wes takes the knifes, pulls the seat apart and found my iphone!
Holy Spirit, mission accomplished! Thanks Wes, for obeying God.

Mission Holy Spirit: Recovery of lost property Pt.II

Ok, let me pick up where I left off.  Well, I took my friend home and then went back to the restaurant to look for my phone there. On my way there, I'm thinking about where my phone could be. I thought maybe I had my phone on my lap and when I got out of the car to go into the restaurant, it fell onto the ground. Negative mental pictures were running through my head, such as: seeing my phone fall off my lap onto the cold snow and a car driving over it and completely demolishing my phone. Have you ever had crazy thoughts going through your mind. They come from the enemy who delights in disturbing your peace. Don't let him do it. Cast down all negative thoughts (2Cor 10.5). Anyway, I arrive at the restaurant and looked around in the area where I parked. Nothing. There was a car that was parked in the same general area where I was parked. Oh no, did the car run over my iphone?
Ok, gotta go, but I'll be back. So please come back for the rest of the story. I don't want your eyes to get tired. You may need to get back to work anyway. Alright, I'm out like the wolves in the fur. Expect nothing but the best today!

At midnight

I got a new computer and had trouble converting my Bible software program (Accordance) to the new computer. The owner of the company is passionate about her work and her product. She is a retired physican and an Jewish believer.
I posted my problem on their web site discussion board. She posted some things to do to solve my problem, but they didn't work. I posted again, stating that the solutions didn't fix it. Now watch the favor of God.
Helen Brown (the owner) read my latest post (which I posted just after midnight); then sent me a private e-mail message, asking if it was ok to call and what was my number.
She was in Israel watching the sun come up! She called my cell and asked if I had skype (which allows you to make calls all over the world on your computer with no long distance charges). So we hung up and resumed the conversation on skype. She walks me through my problem from Israel! Problem solved, praise God!
The Lord is good and His mercy endures forever!

Mission Holy Spirit: Recovery of lost property

Oh no, I lost my iphone and had no idea where it was. It all started when I picked up a Pastor friend 2go2 breakfast. I knew I had my phone with me because I used it to call the Pastor when I was in his driveway. Anyway, we went to breakfast and had good fellowship. When I got back into my car after breakfast, I couldn't find my phone. I knew it wasn't in the car because my car is bluetooth and it picks up my phone when I'm in the car; a cool feature. But still, the car can make a mistake; or maybe I inadvertently turned the phone off, in which case, the car wouldn't have discovered the phone.
I told Carla about it and she advised me to ask the Holy Spirit to help me locate it. Brilliant! I did and He did. Has the Holy Spirit ever helped you to locate something you lost. Stay tuned for the rest of this amazing story; you don't want to miss it!