Lion Chaser's Manifesto
What a joy and privilege to speak at Granger Community Church tonight. I have so much respect for Mark Beeson and the entire GCC staff. They are such a huge inspiration! It's incredible how many people are coming to faith in Christ at GCC!
I talked about chasing lions tonight and thought I'd post the manifesto I shared at the end.
Quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death. Set God-sized goals. Pursue God-ordained passions. Go after a dream that is destined to fail without divine intervention. Keep asking questions. Keep making mistakes. Keep seeking God. Stop pointing out problems and become part of the solution. Stop repeating the past and start creating the future. Stop playing it safe and start taking risks. Expand your horizons. Accumulate experiences. Consider the lilies. Enjoy the journey. Find every excuse you can to celebrate everything you can. Live like today is the first day and last day of your life. Don't let what's wrong with you keep you from worshipping what's right with God. Burn sinful bridges. Blaze a new trail. Criticize by creating. Worry less about what people think and more about what God thinks. Don't try to be who you're not. Be yourself. Laugh at yourself. Quit holding out. Quit holding back. Quit running away. Chase the lion!
I talked about chasing lions tonight and thought I'd post the manifesto I shared at the end.
Quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death. Set God-sized goals. Pursue God-ordained passions. Go after a dream that is destined to fail without divine intervention. Keep asking questions. Keep making mistakes. Keep seeking God. Stop pointing out problems and become part of the solution. Stop repeating the past and start creating the future. Stop playing it safe and start taking risks. Expand your horizons. Accumulate experiences. Consider the lilies. Enjoy the journey. Find every excuse you can to celebrate everything you can. Live like today is the first day and last day of your life. Don't let what's wrong with you keep you from worshipping what's right with God. Burn sinful bridges. Blaze a new trail. Criticize by creating. Worry less about what people think and more about what God thinks. Don't try to be who you're not. Be yourself. Laugh at yourself. Quit holding out. Quit holding back. Quit running away. Chase the lion!
23 Comments:
thanks so much mark i was the guy that asked you to post this. thanks for your quick response. once again wonderful lecture. i've already started reading your book.
Todd
Every time I read the manifesto, I get fired up.
I love what they do at Granger as well, pretty cool stuff is going on there.
Hi Mark, I've been reading NCC's blogs since Godspell earlier this year. My wife and I interviewed Heather Z for our theater web site about NCC and Godspell.
I have created a poster with your Chase the Lion manifesto on it. I hope that it is ok that I made the poster available, if not just let me know and I can remove it. It is at Chase the Lion! . Thanks, Mike
Incrediably inspring and motivating, you have a great deliverance and sincerity---your passion for loving God and instilling that in others in huge!
Thanks so much for coming to GCC and speaking last night. I read your book last year and needed the extra kick in the tush to not get lazy with my lion chasing.
You made my day by posting your closing manifesto - my plan today was to watch the video from last night online over and over until I could write it all down. Thanks for saving me that much time. :)
Michael,
Love the poster. Take it. Adapt it. Use it however you like :)
Mark
Mark,
I saw that you grew up in Naperville. I'm a pastor's kid who grew up in Naperville. Just wondering where you went to church/school?
I'm now in Charlotte, NC at Elevation.
I loved your book.
Your book was AMAZING, I wrote a review on my blog several months back. This manifesto should be posted on every bulletin board. It gives hope, drive, and fierce power to do what God has ordained us to do. That's reach people for Christ. I can't wait until your next book.
Finishing up Lion soon.
That manifesto...
Beyond words...
Thank you for that.
Hey Mark - Just a note of confirmation on the Lion Chaser Manifesto from Band of Brothers Omaha. We read the book before 50+ of us went out to Colorado this past weekend to climb the highest peak (Mt. Elbert). We almost had you convinced to come! We used the Lion Chaser Manifesto in a powerful way..... as a prayer at the summit and as part of several video pieces that we are putting together. Our men were blessed by the book and overwhelmed by the manifesto. Way too many "God" stories to go into here.
Know that God is using you mightily to reach people for Christ. We will share the "Chase the Lion - Peak Challenge 2007" with you when it is done.
Keep chasing....
Dave Reddel
www.bandofbrothersomaha.com
Mark, thank you so much. I have been checking out your site and listening to your messages. Great stuff, love the manifesto. I am ordering the book, and thanks for all the free resources, you and Craig G, are helping a lot of people to make our presentations much better when we speak. I posted your trailer on my site to motivate other, again great stuff...
Thanks Mark
Last night was awsome! It was so cool to listen to you speak after reading your book over and over. I have sent quotes from your book through e-mail and text messages a zillion times driving everyone crazy. That's just what I do. There was so much I wanted to say to you last night but just couldn't chase that lion of insecurity. Man I can't believe you're the same age as me. Youre a lucky man! Is there any way I can get "The Lion Book" on audio? That would be cool! I can ride my bike and run while listening to it. Hope to see you at your church in Washington D.C. someday. I like to travel. And may end up that way some time. God Bless You and your beautiful family.
Hi Mark,
I read your Book about a month ago, and I loved it. I loved it so much that I have a 17 year old son that is a knuckel head. I asked him to read the book. He started it last friday and he finished it today. He loved it too. He says that he wants to read it again. I have bought 12 copys and I have given them away. I thinkk that your book is a valuable tool for people like me that have made too many wrong choices. I now see them as opportunities. Thank you So much, you are blessed. I got everyone chasing lions these days.
ok...so i read all these comments and thought to myself....self...why havent you gotten his book yet.
and then i heard "well, he hasnt sent me one...and i'm too busy to go to the bookstore...and then i thought well....if i post this maybe he will send me one and if he doesnt then maybe i will go to amazon and buy it.
then i thought...the guy must be a pretty good speaker....i look for good speakers. i wonder where i can get copies of his best messages....and then i thought..."he'll probably read this and send me a note at my email address and tell me:
so...dang...i had a lot of thoghts...i hope it gets me a cd or a book or something.
lanny donoho
Ah. Another Christian book. So, what happens when you catch the lion?
-Jimmy Paravane
Lanny,
Thanks for the insight into your thought life :) For all the laughs you've provided at Catalyst over the years, a free book is a given my friend. Plus I want to free up your thought life to focus on other things!!!
Mark
Hey Chris,
I went to Calvary Church in Naperville. My father-in-law actually planted the church. And I went to Madison Junior High and Central.
How about you?
Mark
Mark, I've read the book and started chasing my own lion - started ManHeart Ministries (www.manheart.org). It's Monday and I'm not liking Mondays very much and I needed a reminder of what my part is in this thing.
Thanks again for posting.
Mike
Mark,
I went to Naperville Evangelical Covenant Church, Washington middle, Naperville North, and then on to Wheaton College
Chris,
So sorry to hear that you went to North. I used to like you :) Actually, my wife went to North so huskies are redeemable!
Mark
Thanks for coming to Granger! Its one thing to read what you wrote- its another to hear you with all of the enthusiasm for Christ.
Is the book available on cd?
I have already begun chasing a "fear lion" and God has given me the strength I need and the desire in my heart to not let the fear or "what if" hold me back.
You are an amazing instrument of God.
Thanks again!!
-brittani
I'm not sure what to do with this.
On the one hand, it's a fine distillation of the kind of inspirational challenge one gets from reading certain missionary biographies.
On the other hand, it sounds like a manifesto for modern American individualism with some Christianese added in.
As a recovering individualist, my first response was, "Yeah! I wish all my people would read this and do it!" But what do we do with the people - who are often dependent on us in some way or another - who cannot or will not "chase the lion?" I have three kids. They need parents who are faithful and dependable - predictable even. "Hey kids! I see a lion over there I need to chase. Y'all fix your own dinner tonight. What? I never got around to filling the pantry? I'm sure you'll think of something. Bye." I don't know if that will work well except for Mr & Mrs Tarzan.
In my situation in particular my oldest child has special needs. With her autism she can't handle the intensity of the Lion Chasing life (there have been many times I'd like to chase lions but my responsibility for her has held me back).
Or what do I do as a pastor? Do I tell people, "Either adopt a lion chasing life style or find another church - there's a nice sedate hospice church right around the corner." While I think some of our elderly folks may have missed out on a lot by living calm (boring, by my standards) Christian lives, I'm not comfortable running so fast I leave them in the dust.
Now if we can read the Manifesto not as something I do, but as something WE do, I think it might work better for our churches - and be a better way to not run beyond the least of these our brethren. Read as a community manifesto it can spur the community as a whole to find the adventure of the Christian life.
Richard,
I think all of us have lions to chase, but those lions look very different.
And the reason we need to chase lions isn't because we need to chase lions. It's simply because God wants us to step out and faith and live our lives beyond ourselves. We have a team of 21 NCCers in Uganda right now building an orphanage. They are chasing a lion for God's glory.
It's all about God and His glory!
Blessings,
Mark
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