5 Ways To Save On Black Friday

NOTE: This article is taken directly from Financial Peace with Dave Ramsey. 

If Black Friday shopping were a game show, would you win? You would?

Well, first, consider us impressed! You must be a master of the mall and a Senior Sales Researcher. Oh, and second? This article is for you. You’re welcome.

Follow the tips below to save even bigger on Black Friday this year. 

1. Leave your debit card at home.

Take the card from your wallet, close your eyes and ask your 4-year-old to stash it somewhere safe. You won’t be doing any swiping today. All you need is cash. Grab your Christmas envelope and hit the door with this mantra in mind: When it’s gone, it’s gone.

2. Give yourself a curfew.

If you choose to leave the comfort of home after your teenager crashes for the night, you’ve got more energy than we do. You can probably shop for hours on end—awesome deals are your battery juice and grabbing the last American Girl doll is your fuel. You, go-getter, need a cutoff time. Make plans to meet a friend for coffee or your family for lunch—and don’t be late!

3. Stick to the list.

Go all Santa on this one. Make a list, and check it twice. And for goodness’ sake, don’t toss it aside because of some blue-light special. Black Friday is all about the sales, so take advantage of discounts on items you already planned to buy. That’s it.

4. Bring a frenemy along.

You might call this person an accountability partner. We’re going with frenemy. This is the guy or gal who’s fun to have around, doesn’t mind schlepping from store to store, and won’t judge you for taking a cinnamon roll break at 4:30 in the morning. A frenemy is also unashamed to knock that diamond-studded Gucci bag to the ground before it becomes a permanent fixture on your shoulder.

5. Budget $20 for an impulse buy.

We’re not clueless. We know that despite your best efforts, something will call out to you and say, “You’ve worked so hard finding the perfect give for your loved ones. Don’t you deserve a treat?” We know this because the average Black Friday shopper spends a whopping $130 on their own sweet self. Plan ahead so you can give in to the impulse without regret. Set aside $20 just for you.

Of course you could always just stay home, sleep off that turkey coma, and shop on Cyber Monday. 

4 Lessons The Church Can Learn From Buffalo Wild Wings

I LOVE Buffalo Wild Wings! I think their Mild (no, I don't go for the hot stuff. Don't judge me.) sauce is awesome. I love their salt & vinegar fries...but what really gets me is that no matter where I turn I can see SPORTS! YES! Where could you go wrong?

Yesterday as I was scrolling Twitter I ran across an article by Business Insider titled "4 Reasons Buffalo Wild Wings Business Is On Fire"...I immediately clicked, and as I read I saw 4 things the church could learn from one of my favorite restaurants. 4 things that would absolutely transform and help introduce more people to the life God intended. Maybe you're one of those "entertainment in church is a sin" people... and that's cool. I just want to talk about what we can do to ensure we are giving our best to God and His children.

1. They Pay Attention To The Calendar
Business Insider says that BWW sales rose 6% in the 3rd quarter when much bigger and more branded restaurants are struggling for business. They say one major reason is that BWW pays attention to the calendar. They leverage sporting events that they can promote, build promotions around, and draw people into their doors. In fact, sometimes, they will discount their food in order to get people in the door for the event, because if they can get them there, they will spend money! Around here in Columbia, last football season if the Gamecocks football team scored at least 3 TDs (i think that's right) you could get a free snack size wings! My son and I got free lunch a couple of times...but I always spent more when there!
What if the church looked at the calendar and leveraged our days, services, and promotions around that? Sure, we plan for Easter and Christmas but what about Mother's Day, Father's Day, Independence Day, or even Super Bowl Sunday and NCAA March Madness? What if we could leverage the days we can't change and turned them around for the Gospel?

2. They Are Always Improving The Experience
Now this is where some pastors and church leaders always check out. Why SHOULDN'T we improve the experience of church services? Why shouldn't we keep up with the culture, utilize it's strong points, and create a service that makes people want to get out of bed rather than stay in them? BWW is installing tableside tablets for games and pay at your table options. Why can't the church create fun places to socialize, play loud, fun music? Why can't we do more than that, and just let our imagination roam with creativity? I suggest that we can, that we should, and that even Jesus would want us to! Sure, maybe some people will come for the experience of the service, not out of a genuine love for God...but from my experience, it was the experience at BWW that made me come back time and time again, which then turned into a genuine love for the product. Can't Jesus do the same?

3. They Are Utilizing Technology
I recently had a friend tell me that the board at his church was arguing over whether or not to include WiFi in the main sanctuary. All because some believed it was beneficial, others believed people didn't need to be on their phones/tablets in service. Here's the reality: people WILL be on their phones one way or another; you might as well utilize technology to help them connect with the Gospel your teaching! Youversion.com makes this INCREDIBLY simple through their "Live Events" section of their app. You can go in and add poll questions, prayer requests, thoughts people can share on Social Media with just a click, and scriptures they can pull up with just their thumb. There's other ways to utilize media (ie: video, Facebook conversations, Twitter shareables, etc.). The goal isn't to be the most creative with it, it's to improve the experience by utilizing, rather than isolating, technology. Use it to your advantage!

4. They Focus On Their Strengths
When deer hunting it's beneficial to have a scope on your rifle because it blocks out all the side noise, and helps your focus in on one spot...what's between the cross hairs! BE WHO YOU ARE...as a church and an individual. If you're traditional and that's who you are, be that and own it! If you're ultra contemporary, be that and own it! Don't try to be the next Perry Noble, Andy Stanley, or Steven Furtick if you aren't...just be who God created you to be and set the cross hairs on your strengths and your vision and shoot! As a church, who you are is often determined by the vision birthed within the leader. Own it, put it in the cross hairs and pull the trigger! Don't wish to be something God never intended you to be in the first place. Don't try to recreate ministries that others in your community are already doing well, just support those and then do what you do well!

The reality is this: there's a lot we can learn from the corporate world when it comes to leadership, but there's a lot the world needs to hear from the church with the Gospel. What if we decided to stop isolating and started marrying the two to make a greater impact for the Kingdom?

What are you and your church doing to make an impact? Are there any other business ideas the church could learn from?

Pain Is Never Wasted

All around the world we are hearing of pain, turmoil, hurt every single day. Over the past month I've had many friends face excruciating pain, hurt, confusion, betrayal, and more personally. It's hard to see. It's hard to understand. It's hard to wrap my mind around. But there's something that I'm learning to understand about all of this. It's an old phrase I've heard pastor's say time after time, but it's ringing true in my young ears. "God never wastes pain."

That statement never really made sense or sounded like a loving God to me, until recently. I've had a friend lose the life of his son, another lose a family member, a pastor friend face extreme betrayal within his church, and another that can't see past his physical pain and need for medication just to make it through the day...all within the past 3-4 weeks. And what that has shown me is 2 major things: 1 - Pastor's are NORMAL people that experience DEEP HURT and pain! 2 - God never wastes pain!

Psalms 23 is a famous scripture when discussing pain and turmoil in our lives.
"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me..." (1-4)
The rest goes on to say that He will prepare a table for us in the presence of our enemies...

Here's where that teaches me something...
In order for me to lie down in green pastures...(which sounds really relaxing)
In order for me to walk beside quiet waters... (which would be a great break from screaming kids!)
In order for my soul to be restored... (back to a state of original being)
In order for Him to guide me in paths of righteousness...
In order for His rod & staff to comfort me...
In order for me not to fear anything...
In order for Him to prepare a table, a feast, for me in the presence of my haters...(eating the best food possible...maybe Zesto's, or Polliwog's, or how about Olive Garden!?)
All for His name's sake...
Something else must take place first...
I MUST walk through the valley of the shadow of death.
This is not a fun truth, but it is a truth of hope, promise, and oddly of peace.

See, I may walk through the valley of death. I may walk through difficulties, hurts, pains, confusion, misunderstandings, and more... but in order for me to know Jesus as my comforter, my preparer, my tour guide of still waters, and my shepherd of the greenest grass. In order for me to be guided in ways of growth and prosperity; in order for comfort to mean something to me, in order for me to enjoy my meal at my table... I must first learn what it means to need and want all of those things! And sometimes the darkness of the shadow, the stink of death, the stink of loneliness, and the hurt of fear is the way we can really accept, own, and love that Jesus can and will be all of these things for us...and more!

So, here's what I'm learning. No...I don't believe God makes these things happen to us always. But I do believe that when things happen to us, God doesn't waste it, He uses it! He takes the leftovers from a dinner of hurt and He prepares them into a beautiful spread of growth, love, comfort, peace, and honor. And because of that I know the fact that He "...will never leave us, nor forsake us." And for that...I'm eternally grateful!

Reboot Your Favor Recap...One-Liners!

Here's yesterday's message: Reboot Your Favor in One-Liners! Copy/paste them. Share them, speak them, write them down and think on them.

Your praise doesn't bow to your circumstance, your circumstance should bow to your praise!
If you want to attract someone's (God's) attention, respond correctly to a problem.
If you never deal with the root of an issue, you're allowing it to live in other areas of your life.
Whatever you're facing today, the cross has already handled!
The tomb is empty, therefore the impossible is possible!

Next week we start a brand new series, Change Your World In 52 Days! Trust me... this is gonna be incredible!

5 Reasons You Should NOT Attend Church This Sunday!

Here's 5 reasons you should NOT attend Radiate Church this Sunday!

1. We're having baby dedication. And NO ONE likes cute little newborn babies!
2. The music is really good. No one enjoys good music.
3. There will be a lot of people there. And, let's just be honest, you'll hate meeting new friends.
4. It will be fun! And we all know that church should be stuffy and boring!
5. We will learn how to get more out of life. It's easier to just stay where we are in life!

In all seriousness, this is going to be a great Sunday to hang out with some great people and learn together! I'd love for you and your friend/family to join us!

5 Reasons You Should Invite Someone To Church

We all know people, or should, that we should invite to church with us. With the alarming statistic that 80% of Americans don't go to church at all, I think those of us that attend church regularly, could step up our game a little. All of us that do attend church understand that a healthy church relationship resonates a healthy relationship with Jesus. So, here's 5 reasons you should invite someone to church with you this week!

1. NFL Games don't start until 12 anyway.
2. It'll give you something to talk about at work the next day.
3. THIS Sunday could be THE Sunday for them to start their journey with Jesus!
4. If their single their future spouse could be sitting in the chairs!
5. The hope that Jesus offers is needed in this hard and hectic life, no matter who we are!

I can't wait to see you and all of those you bring with you at church this week!

80%

80%. 32,000 people within 3 miles of our current church address. Researchers are now saying that within a few years that will rise another 5%, to 85%. 80% of people in America, in South Carolina, in Columbia... do not attend church consistently.

They are NOT our enemy. THEY are not the bad guys/girls. They are not horrible people. They are people that seemingly have seen that church has nothing to be excited about, interested in, or helpful to them. They are the 80% that are tired of being beat up for having differing opinions at times. 80%.

Estimated 32,000 people within 3 miles of our current church address stay home on Sunday mornings. They stay home while we go to church and feel spiritually superior. But are we? Are we even spiritually mature or concerned at all, if we don't have the mindset to do all we can to reach those 32,000? Are we spiritually strong at all, if we would prefer to have our songs played, our "Holy Spirit" displayed, our opinions honored...all while 32,000 miss out on the greatest story ever told? 32,000.

We have something to get excited about...AN EMPTY TOMB! We have something to be thankful for...A BLOOD STAINED CROSS! We have something to share with others... THE MIRACLE OF A SECOND CHANCE! Yet, we gather in our brick and mortar buildings each and every week, with our mouths closed and our hearts hard - unless we do church and hear sermons preached the way we think they should be. What's the problem with that? Jesus said He wasn't here to reach you - the 20% that actually attend church and trust Jesus. Jesus said He was here to reach them - the 80% that have written the Gospel off.

So...my question to you is this - do you care about the 80%? Do you want to reach the 32,000? Are you ready to reach the 32,000? Are you willing to do whatever it takes to bring everyone you know with you? Here's the 3 things you have to do in order to grow Radiate and help switch the statistics:

1. PRAY - Pray and ask God to help you. Ask for boldness, love, consideration, the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Pray that God would bring people into your life that you can invite to church and brag on Him. Pray that God would help you put every thing aside, so that you can do whatever it takes, in life and in church, to reach 32,000 people that need to hear about the empty tomb, and that need to connect to the LIFE of the church!
2. INVITE - John 1:40-42 tells of the first thing Andrew did was get his brother Simon and bring him to a place where he could meet Jesus. That's our job... bring people to a place where they can meet the Savior, Jesus. That place for us, is Radiate Church. INVITE, INVITE, INVITE and then when you don't know what else to do INVITE some more!
3. GET EXCITED - Get excited first about the cross and empty tomb of Jesus. Get excited about coming to your church, to celebrate with your church family! Get excited that the Sunday your friend/family member may come, could be THE Sunday they meet Jesus. GET EXCITED!

So...here we go! Let's all plug in to something bigger.

PS: To answer a question that we will be asked, and take a line from Perry Noble... are we all about numbers? Yep! Because every single number is a person that's going somewhere. We just want them to go to the right place!