I found this great article about Malcolm Gladwell’s new book Outliers.  In his book, which is a coded autobiography, he talks about the context in which success takes place.  He looks at how highly successful people have two things in common: 1) That they needed help; and 2) the 10,000 hour rule.

I thought about how this is a truth that directly applies to what I am really finding to be true as we are at the beginning of life as a new church.  Most people live their lives disconnected from real, deep, and meaningful relationships.  Typical relationships revolve around clubs, activities, kids sports teams, blah, blah, blah.  Never really having people IN our world who know us and can kick us in the rear when we’re headed off course.  How different would our lives be if we had people who were fighting for our success and not just sucking from our life what helps them most.  (I’ve got a life principle that applies here: There are two kinds of people in this world – those who give life and those who take life from us.  The bigger question is, which one are you!)  

Secondly is applying regular and consistent energy towards the one thing that is most important to us.  This requires great care and pinpoint passion.  Most of us live for nothing because we are committed to nothing and therefore impact, yeah you guessed it, nothing.  What would happen if you found the one thing, the most important thing that life is about . . . and you spent 20 hours a week pursuing that above everything else?  I think most people fail to ask the question, fail to find the answer, and therefore fail to experience a life worth living.

Here is the biggest truth I’ve seen play out in life over the last 8 months (Can you believe it’s been that long?) since we started this crazy ride of church planting - Spend your life doing something you’re MOST passionate about and do it with people you’d die for!