Common Sense

Here's a question, Why do they call it common sense?

You ever go the gym, and walk in just to see someone trying to lift way more than they should? You know what I'm talking about, that dude who seems to be doing some kind of weird body sway dance, as he's attempting to do a simple bicep curl. You look for a second, shake your head and probably think, "what an idiot" as you go and hop on the treadmill.

It's interesting how sometimes it's so easy to get sidetracked and distracted. We sometimes find ourselves acting like we are the best, boasting as we walk with our chest all puffed up, nose up, feeling like the king of the world. The problem we encounter here is that the only thing that pride really does is set you up for a fall. Think about that kid doing the sway dance, he doesn't understand the damage he is doing to his body, nor does he realize that he isn't actually targeting his arms, so he will actually get less out of lifting that massive weight, than if he just lowered it and had the correct form. So here in lies the question, why is he doing that?

The answer is actually quite simple, they have a problem with pride, and it's rooted out of issue insecurity. He Thinks, "I'm better than that. I can lift more than that. I'm stronger than that..." The problem is that when you get prideful you tend to ignore reality; like that guy who thinks he's getting a good workout for his arms, when in all reality he isn't targeting his arms, he's hurting his back... But I guess that's the worst thing about deception, it's kind of like bad breath, you're the last one to know you have it; and as I've said before, when you are insecure, enough just isn't enough.

Anyone who is serious about athletics would tell you that it is all about mastering the little things; because success in the little things is what equips you to be able to accomplish great things. So why is it that people tend to try to just jump in and expect to be able to do great things without any preparation, practice, or training? If you eat correctly and workout, you can reach any fitness goal, but it takes time. So many people go out and start pushing toward a goal, then get discouraged when they don't see results overnight. Guess what joker, it takes time... If it were easy, everyone would run a 4 min mile. If it were easy, everyone would have a 50 inch vertical jump. If it were easy... We could go on with that all day long, the thing is, it's not supposed top be easy; if it was easy, you wouldn't appreciate it.

Nothing really worth having in life comes for free, it's going to cost you something. Rather it is time, money, effort, whatever the list goes on. The key is endurance, how hard are you willing to press? What if it takes years? What if it requires you to change your lifestyle, will you do it? Then you have to ask yourself, is it worth it? Why do you want to reach the top so bad, will it really change how you feel about yourself? What are you going to do once you lose 100lbs? What are you going to do once you can bench 350lbs? When will it be enough? I guess the real question you have to ask yourself is, why are you trying to hit that mark? What will it accomplish? What good will come out of this, what bad, and is it worth it?

Some people might ask why would you ask so many questions before trying to do something, because I'll never get anything accomplished. My response would be simple, If it's serious, it's worth the assessment. Before you get involved in anything you should always ask where this could take you ten years down the road, and if it is worth the effort you are going to put into it. Once you have done this you can start mapping out how you are going to reach this goal.

5 Key steps I use when reaching for a goal

1. Be real with yourself

The very first key to being successful when reaching for a goal is being real with yourself. If you are 5'10 and 375lbs, you aren't going to be able to do a triathlon anytime soon. First you need to get off the couch and drop some pounds before you think about doing anything significant in fitness. Or another example, lets say you want to write a book; have you even educated yourself enough to consider that? Have you positioned yourself in such a way that you can attain what you are reaching for? Once you see that you have positioned yourself, you are ready to take the second step.

2. Make a time frame.

You aren't going to hit this goal overnight, make a time frame that you would like to accomplish it by. Say you are going to try to lose 30lbs; first look at your current activity level, then take into account what you are going to be doing, and go from there. You won't be able to drop 30lbs in two weeks, sorry won't happen. But say you'd like to lose 30lbs in two months, well that's feasible if you take the proper steps, and are discipline, about what you are reaching for. And I can't stress enough that You Must Be Discipline...

3. Make goals leading up to your ultimate goal.

This is a huge key. If you want to run a 6 min mile, and you currently run a ten, make steps that you will reach before you attempt the 6. Like being able to run 3 consecutive miles in 24 min, or 2 in under 15 minutes... If you were to look at writing; first start writing essays, blogs, and letters. Then progress to research papers, like a 30 page paper on ethics, history, or whatever. You don't just jump from insignificance to greatness without taking a few steps, and hitting a few speed bumps, along the way... but don't let it distract you, keep pressing forward. Once you have a time frame in mind, it's time to start cleaning.

4. Make a list of things you will have to change. This requires cutting out, and inputting new things...

Look at the way you are currently living, what are you going to change to reach this goal? What are you going to have to add into your schedule, and what are you going to have to replace? Lets look back at the 375lbs man, first off he's going to have to check his diet. You'll never do anything great in fitness if you don't eat right. Next, what does he do when he's not at the gym, or outside running? It might be a good idea to study the body, go to the park, or read instead of watching television and playing video games. Don't set yourself up for failure by hanging around things that will bring you down. If you are trying to lose weight, it probably isn't the greatest idea to watch food network all day because it will consume your mind. If you take in garbage, you're going to put out garbage; in other words, if all you focus on is food, your action will probably be you going to find something to eat...

5. Commit with Excellence

When you are pressing, do it to the best of your ability. If you are going to the gym, don't just hop on the treadmill and walk for five min, call it good and go eat a donut, that's just stupid. No instead, if you're trying to lose weight, set up a regimen that you will do daily, make a plan, and stick to it. If you feel like you can run more, and aren't tired after 15 min, then go for 20; you don't need to over-train, but you do need to up the resistance/tempo or you will never progress. Or we can look at writing; don't just write a paragraph with a bunch of run on sentences, on the same subject you've done ten times before. How about you try writing a page with good grammar, with unfamiliar subjects that require you to do some research. The list goes on about things you can do, but I think you get the point.

That's it. You do those 5 steps, and watch as the hardest goals become just another walk in the park. The biggest thing you will get out of doing these things is that it creates vision. When you can see where you are going, and know how you are going to get there, it takes a huge load off your mind. You have to look at what you are doing, and where you are going before you start, because there is no age limit on regret. It can happen to anyone who doesn't think before doing. There will still be resistance even when you map it out, but you have a certain peace because you know where you are going, and how you are going to get there. I hope you enjoyed this, these are just a few things that I've placed in my life that have helped me reach my goals, and I hope that they can help you as well.

Be Blessed

Dan Michno

Generation Unleashed

So over these past week, Pastor Mark Francey, Derek, Kenrick and I took an incredible road trip to Portland Oregon to attend Generation Unleashed

It was an incredible conference where my great friend and Pastor Mark Francey spoke a message on being Blessed and Broken. It was very cool, and inspiring, to see teens passionate about God, engaging in worship, and getting as much as they could out of the sermons. Pastors Judah Smith, Doug Lassit, Chad Veach, and Frank Damazio delivered powerful messages to over 4,000 people, teaching about the Importance of Devotion, the power of Discipleship, the Cross, along many other topics. Incredible weekend, and it was very nice to get out of town with a few of my best friends.

WaR

It's an interesting thing to think about how the Bible say's that we do not war in the physical, but in the spiritual realm.  This brings me to the question, what hope is there without God? How does a man intend to fight off a demon without God? Here's something I don't understand, how is it that people can be engaged in spiritual warfare and not even know it? How is it that someone can say that there are demons, then turn around and say that there is no God?

Psalms 14 says that, "the fool has said in his heart there is no God",  now I understand this, however how could you possibly say that you don't believe when you are watching the war, when you can see the affects taking place in front of you? How can you explain good and evil for that matter without God? Where do they come from? There has to be moral absolutes in life, if not every atrocity is justified, because there is no difference between right and wrong, making it so Hitler did absolutely nothing wrong. Now that is completely insane, we all know that there is a difference between right and wrong, we all know that murder is wrong so obviously there are moral absolutes. So if there has to be a moral absolute, who set the bar?

So we know God exists, we know that he has power and dominion, but this brings up a whole new topic, why are Christians so afraid? You know I once heard a man say that fear is a shadow, that it can't actually hurt you. Now I love that, but fear can grip you, it can hold you back, it can cost you your future if you let it. There is so much power behind fear, that if you don't take control of it, it will master you, and can ultimately force you to become something you never wanted to be. It may be just a shadow, but that shadow can cripple you. Here's something to think about though, who places fear on you?

Did you ever think that maybe the devil is trying to keep you down because he knows that you are meant to do something great? Could it be that God has a plan so awesome for you, that it makes old lucy shiver in fear? If the Devil sees all that potential lying dormant inside of you, of coarse he is going to try to shut you up, I mean why wouldn't he, he doesn't want you to succeed. The Devil certainly doesn't want you to allow God to use you to do the impossible, so he tries to stop you, with a tool called fear. I would have to say that next to confusion, it would have to be one of his greatest tactics, because so many people fail to take control, which just allows fear to lye dormant in them, which is a door that the devil will use to speak doubt, confusion, distrust, anger, depression, and even hate into you. The list of things that the devil could try to bring in through that gate could go on, and on, but I'd rather not focus on the doom and gloom anymore, but instead, what does God say. 

What does the Bible say? Does it not say that, "He has placed all things under his(in reference to mankind's) feet"...

 Does it not say that, "Every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord"... or when it says that, "at the name of Jesus, every knee must bow" 

When reading throughout the Bible, you can see that God has given us authority, so why don't we use it? If your not pushing for God, who are you pushing for? If you have the authority to cast out fear, why would you live in it? If you have the authority to cast out any evil spirit in the name of Jesus, why would you let it(lust, hate, depression, etc)  have power over you?  

God loves you!!!!  He has given you all power and authority through his son Jesus Christ to take authority over evil spirits, over fear, over anything. In the name of Jesus... well the Bible says it best in Phillipians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ Jesus who gives me strength." and never forget John 8:36 "He who the son has set free, is free indeed." 

God Loves you!!!

Hope this spoke to you in some way. 

Be Blessed  

Dan Michno

Forgetting

Forgetting

It’s interesting to me to think about how quick people can forget. Someone has something great happen to them, like an amazing experience, something supernatural, and over time, they seem to just let it go. Everyone is so quick to bring up the Israelites, and how they were stuck in the desert for 40 years because of there doubting and complaining, are we much different?

So many times I see people go and have an authentic encounter, where there lives are impacted, and over time they grow numb to it. They seem to ignore what happened, or try to call it an emotional high. At the same time, you could look at how many people deceive themselves into thinking that they can claim, “I’m a Christian” and live like everyone else. Clearly ignoring 2nd Corinthians 6 where it says, “come out and be separate says the Lord”… how does this happen?

You know what’s interesting to think about, it was only 40 days. It was only 40 days from the time where the Israelites saw the mountain covered in smoke, saw the fire, heard the thunder and lighting because God was moving; to where they made a golden calf to be an idol. 40 days after seeing God work miracles, the Israelites forget what happened. You can read in Exodus 32 how Aaron, who was Moses’ right hand guy, was the man who molded the idol for the Israelites after only 40 days. How could that happen? In the same way, how is it we can go to a camp, and get radically touched, only to forget about it after a couple weeks? How can we go to church and get transformed on a Sunday, then go and smoke a joint on Monday? How can we take our eye off the prize so easily after seeing God move?

I think the biggest thing is we get distracted. It’s easy to get distracted, in fact, it’s natural to get distracted. Why is it natural to get distracted? Well lets think about this, there’s this dude, he hates you, wants the very worst for you, and he sees that you have caught something that will change your life, and make it worth something. Do you really think he’s going to want to sit back and watch you reach for the stars? No, of coarse not, he’s going to throw every curve ball he can at you. He will try to overcome your emotions, might even throw you into some weird situations, because he hates you. He wants you to loose so bad, that he will give you something that seems kind of good, just to keep you away from this amazing plan God has for your life. Unfortunately, the scar of the church today is too often, we give in. It’s crazy how your mess will mess up your identity. Think about how many people you know are insecure, could even be one of your weaknesses, and how it cripples them; it consumes there mind, you can see it through how they talk, and it determines how they live. Here’s a crazy thought, you don’t have to fall back. How about you turn your mess, into a message.

Satan is real folks, and guess what, he’s totally content with you being a silent, back row, Christian. Someone who likes to live decent on Sunday, then walks through, and lives like, hell for the rest of the week. That kind of person will never have a real affect on anything, so the devil really isn’t intimidated by that. But when little old satan sees some kid, with a fire in his eyes, the look like he wants to take over the world for Jesus. That kind of look makes the devil a little nervous. That’s why he tries to hit you so hard right after your experience, because he knows that he needs to get you to fall quickly, because if you can keep this fire going, you will be unshakable. So he does everything in his power to make you doubt, because out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks, so you murmur and complain, preventing God from taking action. Sounds kind of like the Israelites, here's something to ponder on, easy doesn't make you happy...

It breaks my heart to watch people lower their convictions, for a piece of temporary pleasure that ends up haunting them for the rest of their life. It looked so good at that moment, what happened? How did you get to this point? Would you have ever done this during your encounter? How did you get distracted? It happened because you took your eye off the prize, and instead of focusing on things to come, you got stuck thinking about the now. You probably got kind of selfish, as you started to wonder if it was really worth the sacrifice, and you stopped reaching for the stars, and settled with crap. You can’t stop God, but you can miss him.

God has a purpose, and it is going to be fulfilled with, or without you. You have to commit, look back and remember what God has done in you. John 8:36 says, “He who the son has set free, is free indeed.” People get discouraged when looking at what is seen, focus on the unseen. Focus on the Promise! Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the thoughts I have toward you says the Lord, Thoughts of peace, not of evil, to give you a future, and a hope.” Don’t throw in the towel, you’ve just begun. God will give you all the strength you need.

Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”

Psalms 11 says, “In the Lord I place my trust…”

Psalms 27, “The Lord is the Strength of my life…”

And if you have screwed up, and you don’t know what to believe because you feel as if God’s plan has passed you by, don’t quit. It’s never to late to make everyday for the rest of your life count. Make it count, if God can use a man who used to lock people in church’s and burn them to the ground, surely he can use you. In fact, that guy wrote most the new testament, his name was Paul, just think about what God can use you to do. God never kicks us out of his will, we leave. "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you" James 4

CS Lewis put it like this, "Aim for heaven, and you will get heaven and Earth; aim for Earth, and you will get neither" Make your life count, allow God to be the strength of your life. The problem we often encounter isn't that God isn't speaking, the problem we face is that he is, and we aren't listening...

Draw near to God, and Remember what he has freed you from. Don't focus on your situation, or the circumstance you may be in, instead focus on the promise and Where God is taking you.


Be Blessed


Dan Michno

Hope

So I think it is interesting how something like hope, can make us ignore pain. It pushes us to limits we never thought we’d see, but keeps us from going insane. You ever see someone push until they get to their strongest point, just to watch them break. One minute it looks as if you are untouchable, now we can see that there are even things that strong men can’t take. I can see the hard truth when I read about lust in the bible, I see how it says that, “all of her victims were strong men…”

now you might have thought that this is story was over, but it’s only just begun

How is it, that people can get so caught up in life, that they take their eye off the prize? Why is it that after a little bit of resistance, people just give in? Last time I checked, the only way to get stronger is by adding resistance. Could it be that God allowed the temptation because he wanted to get you strong enough to take you to the next level? If you accept corruption, where does your faith lie?

How can someone call themselves a Christian, yet get so angry, fearful, and depressed? What part do any of those things have in Christ?

Isaiah 40:31 says “But those who trust in the Lord shall renew there strength, they shall mount up on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they shall walk and not faint.”

Where does that say I can’t do it, where does that say that if opposition comes, quit.

Psalms 34:19 says, “Many are the Afflictions of the Righteous, but the Lord shall deliver him of them all.”

The Bible never says we won’t encounter problems, but it does say that God will see us through them, that He will protect us.

So here in lies the question, how do the strongest men fall?

The answer is actually simple, it’s the same as why someone would accept corruption, it’s because they put there hope in man. Rather it’s in another person, or yourself, doesn’t matter; whenever you fail to put your faith in God, be prepared to be let down. Be prepared to have some hard times, with no peace. The Bible does say that God will draw near to you, James 4, but the key thing is you have to take the first step.

Why do you call yourself a Christian? What was the defining moment in your life where you said, “God I want to live for you, I give my life to you” When you say “I’m a Christian” that’s saying God, I die to myself. Yet I see so many people who call themselves Christians throwing pity parties, getting depressed, getting angry, fighting with each other… What? I thought you were a Christian?

To be a Christian is to be Like Christ. But for some reason, everyone seems to think that they can live like hell all week, then put on a little grace Band-Aid come Sunday, and it’s all good. That’s crazy! 2nd Corinthians 6 says, “Come out form among them and be SEPARATE says the Lord…” yet we think we can be just like everyone else. As a Christian, when you find yourself getting angry, or depressed, or feeling insecure and not knowing what’s next, here’s what you need to start doing

1. Stop worrying
2. Start Reading the Bible and Praying
3. Praise God for what he’s given you

We always have a reason to rejoice, and to be thankful; but when you aren’t praying, when you aren’t reading your Bible, and you aren’t rejoicing, that’s a signal for the devil to try to get into your head and mess with you. It’s the battlefield of the mind. If the devil can consume your thoughts, he can control your life, take every thought captive.

Biggest thing is, where does your hope lie? If you put your hope in people, you will be let down. If you try to put your hope in yourself, well on your own, you can do nothing of eternal significance. Just think of Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things with Christ who gives me strength” well just think of the opposite, without Christ, I can do nothing.

Commit

It’s not easy to be a Christian, but it’s worth it! Nothing worth having in life comes for free, and it’s the same with Christ. It will cost you your life, but you’ll get one better than anything you could of ever dreamed of. If you only knew what God wanted to do in and through your life, it would crush you. It’s so awesome, that just the idea would overwhelm you.



Yup, I could go on all day with this one, but I’ll end with a quote

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear” - Ambrose Redmoon

Be Fearless and Do the extraordinary, Live For Christ!!!

A Bump in the Road

A Bump in the Road

So this time around, I think I’m going to really dive into a subject which has been stuck on my mind for the last few days, hopefully I word it all right.

What is the one thing that takes place after a mountain top experience? After an experience where you were impacted undeniably, vision was birthed, and your life was changed in an instant; what is something you can expect to take place after it’s all over? It’s interesting how after you have one of those life changing experiences, how life seems to throw a curveball at you. One thing after another, until you begin to wonder, “what happened? Was it even real?” and when you come to that point, that’s a good sign to start pushing a little harder.

I once heard a man say that, “If you aren’t moving forward, you are drifting, and in order to drift for a while, you need to be going downhill” It’s crazy how once something amazing comes in our lives, how we’re willing to forget about what happened, after a little bit of resistance. Why is it that when we catch ourselves drifting, that we do nothing and expect to get pass the struggle the same way we always have; only hope for, maybe even expect, something different this time around? This is insane.

How can this happen? How is it that people can forget so fast what God has done in there lives? It kills me how some people just fail to realize that they can succeed. Some people feel as if they don’t have the strength, and that’s the problem, you’re not supposed to rely on your own strength.

The Bible says that, “The Lord is the Strength of my life” Psalms 27. Why would you try to do something on your own, when the creator of the universe desires to have a relationship with you, make you stronger, and guide you through any storm? In Psalms 11 it says that, “The Lord is my refuge” yet we act like money is everything, as if looks are everything, that our popularity… honestly, is it worth it? Is it really worth trading your destiny over something as little as popularity? Is it really worth letting go over something as stupid as wanting to satisfy the flesh? Do you really believe that money is the key to happiness? Which by the way, being a Christian doesn’t mean you have to live a poverty stricken life.

I truly believe that the greatest athletes, should be Christians. That the greatest minds, releasing the most mind boggling inventions should be men, or woman, of God. But we somehow get caught up on this mindset, that in order to be a Christian, you have to live some kind of boring life, and I’m tired of it. This deception runs ramped until eventually people say, “It’s not worth it” and throw in the towel.

The Bible I read says that, “I can do all things, through Christ who gives me strength” Philippians 4:13. I find this interesting because people come out and say, “there’s no way that can be done…” my response is simply, “Joker have you even read the Bible?”

You’re called to be the head, not the tail. The Word says we are more than conquerors, that you will do greater things, that the holy spirit gives us the words to say when we need them, and you’re trying to tell me that you can’t do it… ok, you’re right. On your own strength, you can’t do anything of eternal significance, that’s why we look to God, the author and finisher of our faith, who desires to help you, all you need to do is draw close to him. James 4 even says, “Draw close to God, and he will draw close to you.”

Draw close to God, and he will supply all your needs; trust him, and he will take care of you. I was hit by a car yesterday while biking down Fairview, and jacked up my knee, hurting my ACL, MCL, and Meniscus. I know what it’s like to have obstacles come your way, the key thing is to see God in the midst. Never take your eye off the prize, and praise him for what he’s given us, despite of the trouble you might be facing. Sure I hurt my knee, but it could’ve ended a lot worse, like me lying on the ground dead…

Just something to think about

Never Give up

Jesus Loves you

and Be Blessed

Dan Michno

Deploy

Deploy

So this past week I was in a camp up at Quaker Hill, and God showed up.

I walked into the camp not knowing what to expect on Wednesday. That week changed my life.

How is it that God could care for me? Why would he Care what I’m going through, or doing? That’s pretty much what king David was saying in psalms chapter 8:4, “What is man that you are mindful of him?” I can’t understand it, but I’m so thankful for James 4 where it says, “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” This is awesome, because no matter where you are in life, all you have to do is draw near to God, expect him to do something, and he will!!!! I watched as kids who had some of the hardest challenges in life walk in confused, and somewhat intimidated not knowing what’s next; to walking out with hope, with peace, feeling joy, and I couldn’t be more proud of them. I watched as boys turned into men when they decided to pick up there cross and chase after God.

This past week was one of the greatest weeks of my life, and the greatest thing was seeing the fruit of my Sacrifice, guys that I’ve invested in chasing after God, and leaving everything else behind. It was powerful, and I’m so excited to see what is to come!

God is faithful!!!

If God can use a pathetic, Fat, depressed, kid who was addicted to pornography, alcohol, cocaine, marijuana, who didn’t really know what love is, or how to show it, he could use anyone. I was Fat Dan, but now I am Daniel Michno. I’m a leader at Generation Church Boise, and I’m so excited to see what God has in store for the rest of the summer, and for GCB live.



John 8:36
So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.