Comments for Chuck Scoggins | Web + Print + Video Design http://chuckscoggins.com/blog Wed, 18 Jan 2012 02:59:59 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Comment on Random Thoughts on Tuesday by Tim Schraeder http://chuckscoggins.com/blog/2012/01/17/random-thoughts-on-tuesday-11/comment-page-1/#comment-373 Tim Schraeder Wed, 18 Jan 2012 02:59:59 +0000 http://chuckscoggins.com/blog/?p=735#comment-373 Thanks for sharing about my coaching group. Much appreciated. Keep up the great work man! Thanks for sharing about my coaching group. Much appreciated. Keep up the great work man!

]]> Comment on Random Thoughts on Tuesday by Chuck Scoggins http://chuckscoggins.com/blog/2012/01/17/random-thoughts-on-tuesday-11/comment-page-1/#comment-372 Chuck Scoggins Tue, 17 Jan 2012 16:32:21 +0000 http://chuckscoggins.com/blog/?p=735#comment-372 Well stated, Mike. Your analysis here is exactly what I was trying to get at. In my original tweet, I was responding to someone who flippantly said, "God doesn't care who wins the next election." I think that God isn't concerned (worried, freaking out, afraid, etc) about the outcome because, as you eloquently stated, his plans cannot be thwarted - particularly by our human efforts. However, saying that he isn't worried or isn't concerned is quite a different thing than saying he doesn't care. He cares about everything! He does care about who wins. He does care about who loses. Does that mean we should claim Tebow as "God's quarterback" or Newt as "God's candidate?" I think not (if he is, God kind of failed to show up for "his team" in the last Broncos game, huh?). Is it up to us to know who God wants to win and lose and how, exactly, he'll use those circumstances? Nope. But to flippantly say he doesn't care is to be blasphemous to the other extreme. One of my favorite quotes is by John Ortberg: "God doesn't care about your spiritual life...he just cares about you." Obviously Ortberg isn't saying that God doesn't care about how we grow spiritually...he does! But, what Ortberg is getting at is how God uses every circumstance in our life - whether "spiritual" or not - to draw us closer to him. I know your heart and knew what you were getting at in your tweet...which is why I wanted to post it for everyone to think through! Thanks friend! Well stated, Mike. Your analysis here is exactly what I was trying to get at. In my original tweet, I was responding to someone who flippantly said, “God doesn’t care who wins the next election.” I think that God isn’t concerned (worried, freaking out, afraid, etc) about the outcome because, as you eloquently stated, his plans cannot be thwarted – particularly by our human efforts. However, saying that he isn’t worried or isn’t concerned is quite a different thing than saying he doesn’t care. He cares about everything! He does care about who wins. He does care about who loses. Does that mean we should claim Tebow as “God’s quarterback” or Newt as “God’s candidate?” I think not (if he is, God kind of failed to show up for “his team” in the last Broncos game, huh?). Is it up to us to know who God wants to win and lose and how, exactly, he’ll use those circumstances? Nope. But to flippantly say he doesn’t care is to be blasphemous to the other extreme.

One of my favorite quotes is by John Ortberg: “God doesn’t care about your spiritual life…he just cares about you.” Obviously Ortberg isn’t saying that God doesn’t care about how we grow spiritually…he does! But, what Ortberg is getting at is how God uses every circumstance in our life – whether “spiritual” or not – to draw us closer to him.

I know your heart and knew what you were getting at in your tweet…which is why I wanted to post it for everyone to think through! Thanks friend!

]]> Comment on Random Thoughts on Tuesday by Mike http://chuckscoggins.com/blog/2012/01/17/random-thoughts-on-tuesday-11/comment-page-1/#comment-371 Mike Tue, 17 Jan 2012 16:18:58 +0000 http://chuckscoggins.com/blog/?p=735#comment-371 A bit of an expanded take: I think what I was trying to get at - despite the lack of nuance required by a 140-character limit - isn't so much to say that God flatly doesn't "care" about elections or game outcomes, etc., but instead that thinking within that frame can sometimes lead us to trouble. You're right, of course, when you say that he uses both wins and losses (and in-betweens, for that matter) in all areas of life to continue sanctifying believers. Clearly, this is true, and in that sense he *does* care about outcomes. But where I get nervous - and I'm not saying this was what you were doing - is when we ask ourselves the natural followup question: "Ok, so if God cares about the outcome...who does God want to win?" To try to answer that question with any degree of certainty - which we all do at times, I think - is to substitute pride and possibly even blasphemy when we should approach such questions with a spirit of immense humility and grace. Plenty of verses warn us against assuming God's motives. Isaiah 55:8-9 reminds us, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD." Paul says in Romans 11, "Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!" In reality, we know next to nothing about how God intends to bring about his plan for the world. So... maybe "God's athlete" will be the next Joe Montana and maybe "God's party" will win the next election. Then again, maybe not. Material success is not necessarily a sign of God's blessing. One of my favorite verses is Genesis 50:20 where Joseph tells his malicious brothers, "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good," which reminds me that even when people I consider enemies of God prosper, I can rest assured that even evil is only a tool that God uses to accomplish his good plans. Praise God for that! :) A bit of an expanded take:

I think what I was trying to get at – despite the lack of nuance required by a 140-character limit – isn’t so much to say that God flatly doesn’t “care” about elections or game outcomes, etc., but instead that thinking within that frame can sometimes lead us to trouble.

You’re right, of course, when you say that he uses both wins and losses (and in-betweens, for that matter) in all areas of life to continue sanctifying believers. Clearly, this is true, and in that sense he *does* care about outcomes. But where I get nervous – and I’m not saying this was what you were doing – is when we ask ourselves the natural followup question: “Ok, so if God cares about the outcome…who does God want to win?”

To try to answer that question with any degree of certainty – which we all do at times, I think – is to substitute pride and possibly even blasphemy when we should approach such questions with a spirit of immense humility and grace. Plenty of verses warn us against assuming God’s motives. Isaiah 55:8-9 reminds us, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.” Paul says in Romans 11, “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!” In reality, we know next to nothing about how God intends to bring about his plan for the world.

So… maybe “God’s athlete” will be the next Joe Montana and maybe “God’s party” will win the next election. Then again, maybe not. Material success is not necessarily a sign of God’s blessing. One of my favorite verses is Genesis 50:20 where Joseph tells his malicious brothers, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good,” which reminds me that even when people I consider enemies of God prosper, I can rest assured that even evil is only a tool that God uses to accomplish his good plans. Praise God for that! :)

]]> Comment on 11 Big Lessons I Learned in 2011 by trip http://chuckscoggins.com/blog/2011/12/26/11-big-lessons-i-learned-in-2011/comment-page-1/#comment-367 trip Thu, 29 Dec 2011 14:26:51 +0000 http://chuckscoggins.com/blog/?p=685#comment-367 I Loooooooooooooooove It! I Loooooooooooooooove It!

]]> Comment on Social Media Has No ROI by Aaron Latina http://chuckscoggins.com/blog/2011/12/14/social-media-has-no-roi/comment-page-1/#comment-362 Aaron Latina Wed, 14 Dec 2011 14:36:10 +0000 http://chuckscoggins.com/blog/?p=648#comment-362 Chuck, there are some great insights here. Thanks for posting. Makes me look at my social marketing differently. Chuck, there are some great insights here. Thanks for posting.
Makes me look at my social marketing differently.

]]> Comment on How People Choose by Matt http://chuckscoggins.com/blog/2011/12/08/how-people-choose/comment-page-1/#comment-349 Matt Thu, 08 Dec 2011 14:36:37 +0000 http://chuckscoggins.com/blog/2011/12/06/how-people-choose/#comment-349 I just read that book a couple months ago. Fascinating stuff. I just read that book a couple months ago. Fascinating stuff.

]]> Comment on How People Choose by Aaron Latina http://chuckscoggins.com/blog/2011/12/08/how-people-choose/comment-page-1/#comment-348 Aaron Latina Thu, 08 Dec 2011 13:30:20 +0000 http://chuckscoggins.com/blog/2011/12/06/how-people-choose/#comment-348 Great post! More choices doesn't mean better. Great post! More choices doesn’t mean better.

]]> Comment on How To Get More Volunteers by Chuck Scoggins http://chuckscoggins.com/blog/2011/12/05/how-to-get-more-volunteers/comment-page-1/#comment-345 Chuck Scoggins Tue, 06 Dec 2011 15:05:54 +0000 http://chuckscoggins.com/blog/?p=620#comment-345 Great input Aaron! Thanks for adding that! Great input Aaron! Thanks for adding that!

]]> Comment on How To Get More Volunteers by Aaron Latina http://chuckscoggins.com/blog/2011/12/05/how-to-get-more-volunteers/comment-page-1/#comment-344 Aaron Latina Tue, 06 Dec 2011 14:23:11 +0000 http://chuckscoggins.com/blog/?p=620#comment-344 I have to agree with Chuck on this one. First, you MUST have something worth recruiting to. If your ministry can't generate interest, maybe you should look in the mirror and ask why. What could I do better? Why aren't the people currently serving with me inspired to invite their friends to serve with us? Word of mouth referrals are still the most effective way to grow a ministry. Second, I've found that many leaders have a hard time picking up the phone. Do you really need to add clutter by introducing another all-church announcement along side all the others? I have found this method to be the least successful form of recruiting anyway. Sure, you might generate a few names by casting a wide net, but seldom does this method find your next All-Star advocate. Do you already have a database of people who currently serve with you? Start there. Can you dig out that list of names from last year's projects? Can you spread the word from within your current network of volunteers for specific needs? Quick example: our church recently changed our worship and tech teams to better support our Saturday night services. It meant for longer Saturdays, and I really wanted to start providing dinner for our volunteers. At the same time, I lost my admin support, so I was on my own to get this done. Now the easiest thing to do would have been to run an ad in the service handout and wait for names. Instead, I found a volunteer from within our ministry who was willing to lead the entire process. We brainstormed and set a plan of action in place. Within two weeks we had our first two volunteers and within a month the whole thing was staffed. Now this awesome volunteer sends me one email at the beginning of each month informing me of who is providing dinner for each of the Saturday spots. So much better! I have to agree with Chuck on this one. First, you MUST have something worth recruiting to. If your ministry can’t generate interest, maybe you should look in the mirror and ask why. What could I do better? Why aren’t the people currently serving with me inspired to invite their friends to serve with us? Word of mouth referrals are still the most effective way to grow a ministry.
Second, I’ve found that many leaders have a hard time picking up the phone. Do you really need to add clutter by introducing another all-church announcement along side all the others? I have found this method to be the least successful form of recruiting anyway. Sure, you might generate a few names by casting a wide net, but seldom does this method find your next All-Star advocate. Do you already have a database of people who currently serve with you? Start there. Can you dig out that list of names from last year’s projects? Can you spread the word from within your current network of volunteers for specific needs?
Quick example: our church recently changed our worship and tech teams to better support our Saturday night services. It meant for longer Saturdays, and I really wanted to start providing dinner for our volunteers. At the same time, I lost my admin support, so I was on my own to get this done. Now the easiest thing to do would have been to run an ad in the service handout and wait for names. Instead, I found a volunteer from within our ministry who was willing to lead the entire process. We brainstormed and set a plan of action in place. Within two weeks we had our first two volunteers and within a month the whole thing was staffed. Now this awesome volunteer sends me one email at the beginning of each month informing me of who is providing dinner for each of the Saturday spots. So much better!

]]> Comment on What Is Christmas? by Aaron Latina http://chuckscoggins.com/blog/2011/11/28/what-is-christmas/comment-page-1/#comment-342 Aaron Latina Tue, 29 Nov 2011 13:44:43 +0000 http://chuckscoggins.com/blog/?p=606#comment-342 I like it Chuck! Great work! Did you produce this completely in After Effects? I like it Chuck! Great work! Did you produce this completely in After Effects?

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