Comments on: The Catalyst Challenge http://www.gabetaviano.com/technology/the-catalyst-challenge/ photographer, designer, disciple Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:38:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Fire Burning Love - ellen5e.com http://www.gabetaviano.com/technology/the-catalyst-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-3283 Fire Burning Love - ellen5e.com Thu, 11 Jun 2009 06:14:50 +0000 http://www.gabetaviano.com/?p=981#comment-3283 [...] behind the meetings. So I understood Gabe’s frustration. To view Gabe’s original post, click here. The following is my [...] [...] behind the meetings. So I understood Gabe’s frustration. To view Gabe’s original post, click here. The following is my [...]

]]> By: Scott http://www.gabetaviano.com/technology/the-catalyst-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-920 Scott Sun, 15 Feb 2009 05:09:48 +0000 http://www.gabetaviano.com/?p=981#comment-920 I agree 100%. You seem to be like me in daily trying to be more like Jesus than you were yesterday. Glorifying God through it ALL is definitely part of that walk. Whether we are at a conference, walking down the street, or even tieing our shoes, it's to be done to the Glory of God. I guess I took us way off the main point of your post. If so, sorry about that. I'll see ya around. I agree 100%. You seem to be like me in daily trying to be more like Jesus than you were yesterday. Glorifying God through it ALL is definitely part of that walk. Whether we are at a conference, walking down the street, or even tieing our shoes, it's to be done to the Glory of God.

I guess I took us way off the main point of your post. If so, sorry about that. I'll see ya around.

]]> By: Gabe Taviano http://www.gabetaviano.com/technology/the-catalyst-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-919 Gabe Taviano Sun, 15 Feb 2009 04:22:40 +0000 http://www.gabetaviano.com/?p=981#comment-919 Maybe we should return to the truth of attending everything with a 1 Cor. 10:31 mentality. We can be attending many different things for lots of reasons, but glorifying God through it ALL has to come first. It's definitely the why, that's for sure. Maybe we should return to the truth of attending everything with a 1 Cor. 10:31 mentality. We can be attending many different things for lots of reasons, but glorifying God through it ALL has to come first. It's definitely the why, that's for sure.

]]> By: Gabe Taviano http://www.gabetaviano.com/technology/the-catalyst-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-918 Gabe Taviano Sun, 15 Feb 2009 04:20:43 +0000 http://www.gabetaviano.com/?p=981#comment-918 Thanks for reading. I think it's healthy to have Christians keeping each other in check. If I step over the line and someone feels led to open a discussion about it, more power to them. My prayer is that God is glorified and that each who follows Christ knows there are eternal rewards that await us. Too many times we get caught up in these rusty rewards here on earth. Appreciate the comment! Thanks for reading. I think it's healthy to have Christians keeping each other in check. If I step over the line and someone feels led to open a discussion about it, more power to them. My prayer is that God is glorified and that each who follows Christ knows there are eternal rewards that await us. Too many times we get caught up in these rusty rewards here on earth. Appreciate the comment!

]]> By: Jennifer Griffin http://www.gabetaviano.com/technology/the-catalyst-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-917 Jennifer Griffin Sun, 15 Feb 2009 03:41:14 +0000 http://www.gabetaviano.com/?p=981#comment-917 Love it Gabe. God is opening my eyes more and more. I've weeded through my blog reader and deleted many. I've been very picky with who I have on my blogroll. It's so easy to be influenced by the world. I think when you go to a Christian conference you expect to have a godly perspective. The world is in our face every moment of the day...it's sad when it creeps...or WALKS right into the places where we don't expect it to be. Keep on speaking the truth. I know almost NO one who would say a word against Catalyst even if it was something questionable! :) Love it Gabe. God is opening my eyes more and more. I've weeded through my blog reader and deleted many. I've been very picky with who I have on my blogroll. It's so easy to be influenced by the world. I think when you go to a Christian conference you expect to have a godly perspective. The world is in our face every moment of the day…it's sad when it creeps…or WALKS right into the places where we don't expect it to be. Keep on speaking the truth. I know almost NO one who would say a word against Catalyst even if it was something questionable! :)

]]> By: Gabe Taviano http://www.gabetaviano.com/technology/the-catalyst-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-914 Gabe Taviano Sat, 14 Feb 2009 19:52:38 +0000 http://www.gabetaviano.com/?p=981#comment-914 Good thoughts Russ. I can see where being a "manager" of the church that you might get something out of a business leader, which could in turn help the church. Here is my concern. If you are just having them come to improve your model of doing church, and they have very little or no understanding of church itself, how will what they have to say really make a difference? The way a church functions is a bit business-like. But it's about more than that. It's about the why and not just the what. Many people with a solid block on their shoulders can learn how to lead a church better. I'll blog again soon about how this scenario is not just about business, it's about how Christians these days are passionately following secular leaders in order to keep up with culture. Many top Christian executives follow these men like they are God's gift to mankind, without realizing that they might not even care about God at all. You bring up some great points. I appreciate you entering the discussion for sure! Good thoughts Russ. I can see where being a "manager" of the church that you might get something out of a business leader, which could in turn help the church. Here is my concern. If you are just having them come to improve your model of doing church, and they have very little or no understanding of church itself, how will what they have to say really make a difference? The way a church functions is a bit business-like. But it's about more than that. It's about the why and not just the what. Many people with a solid block on their shoulders can learn how to lead a church better.

I'll blog again soon about how this scenario is not just about business, it's about how Christians these days are passionately following secular leaders in order to keep up with culture. Many top Christian executives follow these men like they are God's gift to mankind, without realizing that they might not even care about God at all.

You bring up some great points. I appreciate you entering the discussion for sure!

]]> By: Russ Hutto http://www.gabetaviano.com/technology/the-catalyst-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-913 Russ Hutto Sat, 14 Feb 2009 19:21:05 +0000 http://www.gabetaviano.com/?p=981#comment-913 I see where you're coming from, I really do. I don't disagree with what you're saying. I just think that at this point in my journey it's not necessarily and either/or. Thought part of my example did imply that "reaching" out the unchurched could happen by including them on the platform, that's not exactly what I meant. My point in saying that is that there is no reason, in my opinion, why it's "sinful" to include others right where we are and where we are influencing others. Andy Stanley (for example) has chosen to invite leaders (who shall go unnamed) to engage right where he's at. And where Andy is at is influential to hundreds of thousands of leaders all across the nation. Of course the obvious difference is that He's a Christ follower and the others are not...but again in my opinion, I don't think going to a conference where the speaker isn't a Christ follower makes you any less a follower of Christ (or leader in this case) than going to a college or university where the teacher isn't a Christ follower. Knowledge comes from God. Sure there is a point when knowledge is just noise, but that's why God sent the Holy Spirit, for discernment. I will say this. I believe that one leader who spoke at catalyst his past year did absolutely nothing for me. Nothing clicked. I didn't really glean or learn anything. Could it have been that it was because he has no connection with Christ? Sure...but honestly I chalk it up to him just being pretty weird. There was another speaker who was not a Christ follower, who I learned a great deal from. If God can use a donkey to get a king's attention, he can sure use one of his prodigal sons to impart truth. And again, I have no problem with a speaker who speaks to thousands of people getting paid to speak. No more than I have a problem with athletes, musicians, etc. getting paid well for entertaining and inspiring thousands of people. For me, if that person is strategically used by God while in that arena of influence than GOD gets the glory not the person. Just thinking out loud. Thanks for this conversation! I see where you're coming from, I really do. I don't disagree with what you're saying.

I just think that at this point in my journey it's not necessarily and either/or. Thought part of my example did imply that "reaching" out the unchurched could happen by including them on the platform, that's not exactly what I meant. My point in saying that is that there is no reason, in my opinion, why it's "sinful" to include others right where we are and where we are influencing others.

Andy Stanley (for example) has chosen to invite leaders (who shall go unnamed) to engage right where he's at. And where Andy is at is influential to hundreds of thousands of leaders all across the nation. Of course the obvious difference is that He's a Christ follower and the others are not…but again in my opinion, I don't think going to a conference where the speaker isn't a Christ follower makes you any less a follower of Christ (or leader in this case) than going to a college or university where the teacher isn't a Christ follower.

Knowledge comes from God. Sure there is a point when knowledge is just noise, but that's why God sent the Holy Spirit, for discernment.

I will say this. I believe that one leader who spoke at catalyst his past year did absolutely nothing for me. Nothing clicked. I didn't really glean or learn anything. Could it have been that it was because he has no connection with Christ? Sure…but honestly I chalk it up to him just being pretty weird.

There was another speaker who was not a Christ follower, who I learned a great deal from. If God can use a donkey to get a king's attention, he can sure use one of his prodigal sons to impart truth.

And again, I have no problem with a speaker who speaks to thousands of people getting paid to speak. No more than I have a problem with athletes, musicians, etc. getting paid well for entertaining and inspiring thousands of people. For me, if that person is strategically used by God while in that arena of influence than GOD gets the glory not the person.

Just thinking out loud. Thanks for this conversation!

]]> By: Scott http://www.gabetaviano.com/technology/the-catalyst-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-912 Scott Sat, 14 Feb 2009 17:49:21 +0000 http://www.gabetaviano.com/?p=981#comment-912 Sometimes when I see a "t" I see a cross. Others may only see a letter. I mean that to say, what I attend for leadership others may attend for business and vice-versa. I would think it would be the "why am I attending this" that sets the leadership/business mind. Sometimes when I see a "t" I see a cross. Others may only see a letter. I mean that to say, what I attend for leadership others may attend for business and vice-versa. I would think it would be the "why am I attending this" that sets the leadership/business mind.

]]> By: Gabe Taviano http://www.gabetaviano.com/technology/the-catalyst-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-911 Gabe Taviano Sat, 14 Feb 2009 16:56:41 +0000 http://www.gabetaviano.com/?p=981#comment-911 Thanks for picking up the blog - great to have you around Scott! Thanks for picking up the blog – great to have you around Scott!

]]> By: Gabe Taviano http://www.gabetaviano.com/technology/the-catalyst-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-910 Gabe Taviano Sat, 14 Feb 2009 16:56:19 +0000 http://www.gabetaviano.com/?p=981#comment-910 By "those we follow most closely", that can be whoever it ends up being. Could be Christ-followers or not. I like to hear what's going on in the world, but God was generous when He gave us all the opportunity to think just as well as everyone else. That's what throws a wrench into this. These individuals that are invited to speak are sought after because they seem "extremely intelligent". But when you get down to the basics and want to discuss faith, for one it was just hogwash. So when do we remind ourselves that it's not just a business or leadership mind that matters? By "those we follow most closely", that can be whoever it ends up being. Could be Christ-followers or not. I like to hear what's going on in the world, but God was generous when He gave us all the opportunity to think just as well as everyone else.

That's what throws a wrench into this. These individuals that are invited to speak are sought after because they seem "extremely intelligent". But when you get down to the basics and want to discuss faith, for one it was just hogwash. So when do we remind ourselves that it's not just a business or leadership mind that matters?

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