On today’s blog, I’d like to ask you all to weigh-in on a simple but important question:
What inspires you?
“Inspires me to do what?,” you might ask.
To do whatever it is you like to do . . .
What inspires you to pursue the Lord? What inspires you to write (if you are an author or blogger)? What inspires you to put your hand to whatever else God has given to you to do in this life?
The older I get, the more clearly I am beginning to isolate and identify those things that give me inspiration, energy, motivation and stir the creative juices that God has given me to carry out the work He’s called me to do.
So let us know what does that for you.
The Alpha and Omega
Seeing/hearing/reading about others who have a real walk with the Lord. This could range from listening to Rich Mullins talk, to spending time with a brother or sister who you can tell have been in the presence of God, to seeing people live out their faith (not just talk about it). In other words – Christ in others.
God unmistakably speaking to/leading me.
God unmistakably speaking to/leading others.
What inspires me: books and messages by Frank (EPIC JESUS) beautiful.God have given him great insite love the brother, Christ is his Life also the many resources on his site the Beyond Evangelical, messages by Milts also the many resources on his website the Rebuilders Christ is his Life also, Alan: when i first heard Alan speak i say to myself this is a true apostle, what a great apostolic worker. (Not saying that they are not others who’s life is Christ) love the Zens Master message on our brothers the Anabaptist also his material on searching together to me Jon teach like a father to sons, i am 1 lol. I’m inspires greatly by my brothers and sisters who Love they Lord. Music i’m from the Caribbean/ Barbados i was rise with reggae music in my ears love Dennis brown song (love and hate could never befriends) Bob Marley if you are the big three i am the small axe. You guys inspires me allot. love love love
my inspiration comes from different angles at different times…some staples are music, graffiti, cars and photography, and oddly enough, typography. (the last one is weird but i have a strange fetish for letters) there seems to be a cyclic inspiration that occurs, when one dies off another comes to the forefront…this keeps happening over and over again.
i used to be “inspired” by a lot of other things but i found that they were just momentary distractions pulling me away from those things that truly inspire me. i know one thing for sure though, when i’m inspired i desire to learn as much as i can about what inspires me.
right now, i’m inspired by music. i love music and i’m working on creating music. right now, i want to study and understand what makes a good song, how my favorite artist layered sounds to achieve such a moving track, etc.
Sitting alone with my dog and my Bible watching the Arizona sunset inspires me daily, because I pray the Papa prayer as explained in Larry Crabb’s book entitled “The PAPA Prayer.” “From Eternity to Here” inspired me last summer and I still feel the glow. What a life changer to understand who we are as the Bride of Christ.
What inspires me: heartache, my dad, nature… To name a few things 🙂
The unexpected ‘touch of God’. When I am leastexpecting it God speaks into me a word from Him that touches me spirit. Wonderful!
I am like a moth to a flame, and the flame is the brightness of His glory and love. I want to see His glory everywhere consuming everything in everyway. Anyway…that vision in my heart inspires me. Seeing others knowing Him and bringing Him glory inspires me. And wanting to bring Jesus pleasure..that inspires me.
Seeing heroism in movies, real life, etc… My wife, my borther and sisters in christ, and of course Jesus!!
the glitter of life inspires me. I don’t know how else to say it. Even if it’s as stark as an Ansel Adams picture. Glitter is walking into a boutique today and connecting with the owner in such a special way-sharing Christ together. Glitter is my kids racing through the house with the dog chasing them. Glitter is the smell of garlic frying in olive oil. All that stuff. Glitter is filling up on raw, pure life energy and it pouring out in a song, or a collage I make, or playing basketball with the kids.
I’m one of those people who do a lot of observing. I continue to look over the shoulders of my brothers and sisters to see what drives them. Well here I am, putting myself out on a limb.
A few years ago (20 or so) I came to a place in my life where I had to make a life changing decision. Now I can look back and tell you that I had no idea what the consequences would be. All I can tell you is that it was necessary for me to make that decision. I had a choice and yet it seemed that I had no alternative. I knew in my spirit what the decision must be.
There I was at a fork in a road. I could proceed down one fork and continue to follow men who seemed to be dressed in priestly garb or take the path that lay straight ahead.
The path ahead reminded me of the verse in 1 Corn. “For now we see as in a mirror darkly . . .”. The path ahead was the ultimate unknown. However there was the presence of life in that direction. I knew I was at a point in which I had a choice to make. I could continue to follow the path led by men or the path ahead that the Lord Jesus was overwhelmingly drawing me to.
To me it was a no brainer. I know I had to follow the Lord no matter where it led or how difficult the travel might be.
You ask what motivates me? That image is just as real in my life today as it was then. I cannot nor would I turn away or turn back from the path that is ahead.
In reality, it is Jesus that has been drawing me all along. He is my motivation for all that I am. I see that same drive in saints that have gone ahead as well as in the life that radiates from my brothers and sisters. The same Jesus, who lives in each of my brothers and sisters is the driving force that moves me.
USINHIMINUSINHIMINUSINHIMINUSINHIMINUSINHIMINUSINHIMINUSINHIMINUSIN
LIFE.
Frank. Christ inspires me through you. Thanks.
Jesus inspires me. Love inspires me. Keeping it real inspires me. My family inspires me. Creation inspires me. People inspire me. The inmates I work with inspire me. Ideas inspire me. Riding my motorcycle inspires me. Watching the Gators thrash an opponent inspires me. Healing inspires me. Being right inspires me. Learning from my mistakes inspires me. Connecting with another inspires me. Mountains inspire me. Shoreline inspires me. The giggles and smiles of children inspire me. The looks on my dogs faces when I come home inspire me. Change from humdrum inspires me. Being alone inspires me. Being alone with God inspires me. Learning something new inspires me. Sex inspires me. Sleep inspires me. Music inspires me. Justice inspires me. The laughter of God inspires me.
THE SUFFERING OF OTHERS inspires me! It seems that the Lord has been using the suffering of others to draw me to Him. As I learn about the intense pain and suffering of others, say…. those trapped in the sex-slave trade, I have become so very aware of my helplessness. The Holy Spirit shatters my heart and I am reminded over and over again that I can do nothing, but…. turn to Christ for wisdom, direction and Love. I’m finding that there are lyrics that the Holy Spirt places on my heart that minister hope and healing to those who are suffering. This inspires me to sing for them, for Jesus!
Wanting to help other people get a different perspective of the world. I enjoy meeting people that I can teach about topics ranging from organization to writing to history to God and whatever else I can think of.
Also, helping people. I want to be a blessing to everyone I meet and interact with. I know that God has incredible plans for me and I work hard to keep my aim on him in everything I do.
To see Jesus change the christian scene in my country et to lead a reformation about theology, piety, practices…
Being outdoors inspires me to be still and know God.
A good melody or rhythm inspires me to write lyrics.
A good teching inspires me to write and a good writing inspires me to teach.
Prayer inspires me to live for relationship with Yeshua.
Thanks for the question Frank! I’m looking forward to the honing of these thoughts to better understand what inspires me to live in Life abundantly!
What’s been inspiring me lately when it comes to reading Scripture is discovering Christ in the Old Testament. A lot of this is thanks to the challenge set forth by Frank, as well as Tim Keller and Edmund Clowney. You really do begin to get a fuller picture of Christ and His beauty when you see that everything is about Him! I’m currently reading “The Prophets Speak of Him: Encountering Jesus in the Minor Prophets” and I’m loving it. Kudos to Frank for reminding us that we need a Christological Hermeneutic!
Having a fellow believer unexpectedly say something or do something that is absolutely contary to how the world would behave in that particular situation, and sensing, “This is Jesus talking or doing this”….that inspires me!
Jesus Christ inspires me when He speaks to me. When He tells me to stop worrying and to talk with Him and listen to what He says. When he graciously shows me I don’t know what I think I know. Pagan Christianity & Reimagining Church is inspiring me to seek Christ to lead in every single aspect of my life, and not to accept the status quo, and that He truly is the Head of His Church/Bride. And to take religious heritage glasses off. From Eternity to Here is inspiring me to see His blessed purpose for His bride of which I am a vital part. The everlasting scars in His hands and feet and side have inspired me since I was born again. To know that I get a new body but His remains scarred because of and for His bride inspires me to fall down. Seeing Him answer prayers in the local assembly I’m at, forms being cast aside, His people submitting one unto another, young people radically seeking Christ when some scoff, inspires me. The Living Word inspires me because He is. Christ in my brothers and sisters that I don’t know in the flesh but in Christ inspires me. My wife inspires me when she tells me how Jesus is revealing something in His word to her. My daughter inspires me when she reads Colossians 2:6 and draws a picture of Jesus walking with her literally inside Him. I believe Jesus inspired me to read PC and Reimagining Church along with The Untold Story which is inspiring me to seek a more simple and organic expression of Him, which shouldn’t but does scare me, which inspires me to seek Him all the more, which gives me peace.
I recently attended a Larry Carlton concert. He was a session guitarist in LA in the 70’s and 80’s and played on over 3,000 records. I was inspired by his joy in playing the music, his mastery of the guitar, and by how his son was a member of his band. It was was cool to watch Larry beam after his son took a solo. I’m also inspired by business owners who make innovative efforts to meet the needs of their customers.
I also find nature tremendously inspiring, particularly wildlife.
I get fired up when I meet people who are wanting to be part of an interactive, Christ centered community.
What inspires me?
A wonderful waterfall in the early spring as the run off from the mountains and fresh rains spills over the rocks and cliffs.
The sunrise over the mountains and the sunsets at the beach.
A human being loving, kind, just and fair.
Most of all beautiful music that comes from my hand, playing piano.
Helping others to laugh and smile 🙂
Wes, I’d like to challenge you to read FINDING ORGANIC CHURCH. I’d be very interested in you feedback. I’ll warn you that it will challenge your present paradigm and perhaps more.
I’ve been following Jesus with varying degrees of enthusiasm for a few decades. I notice a cycle that has recurred many times.
I am often initially moved like a ship from the dock by pushing off old ideas. This propulsion is short-lived and leaves me adrift amidst other vessels who have made the same choice for negative reasons. We then must decide whether we are going to apply ourselves to go upstream towards Christ or drift back towards comfort.
What motivates me is two-fold: seeing others push off for the same reason, but even more inspiring is sharing the oars with those who are giving their all to cross the channel to Christ.
To bring this out of the ethereal: when a Follower and I or two or three or more can share a meal, words and feelings of passion for Christ, I am empowered anew. I really get amped when a younger one speaks out in faith.
Wow, you’ve got me really looking forward to this Sabbath! We’ve got a half-dozen of our young people returning from a week of music and home-building with a Navajo mission and I am already hearing exciting reports of faith and relationship building. : )
40 comments on the morning of the 2nd day of this post — how awesome!
Welcome to all the lurkers who finally commented. What great things you all shared!
I guess I’ll weigh-in. The things that inspire me most …
* the creativity of those who created great music
* the creativity and passion for the Lord of the believing communities that I relate to
* the passion that some of my close friends have for the Lord
* the song “Modern Day Moses” always inspires me – you can hear it here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t54HRGzXcU0&feature=related
* 1960s and 70s baseball – particularly Reggie Jackson and Nolan Ryan
* any fight with Ali in it and his over-the-top commentary afterwards
* the choice vessels that God raised up from 1920 to 1950, especially in China, England, and Germany
There are so many different things that inspire me every day. It all depends on my mood and the situation. But one thing that often inspires me most is testamonies of God’s working in people’s lives.
Testimony from saints inspires me probably the most. I just heard from an 80 year old brother who recently got back from China where he ministered to house churches there. One of the meetings was raided by the cops and he had to be rushed away. Then, his hotel room was searched. The authorities took his jacket and his passport. He had to quickly leave the country without his passport. He said that in itself was some kind of miracle. Hearing that story lit the fire within me!
What a great idea to see what inspires people. Here is what is inspiring me as of right now.
Humans are curious by nature. We love to try and solve good mystery. We like to find out how things work. So it was clever that God created everything in Christ. No matter what you do in life you can find Him. I think I knew this before but now I really know it by experience. I want to reexamine everything. I want to see how God has creatively placed Christ. You can see Him in nature, or in the design of the human body, or even in situations, other people the list is endless. Knowing this inspires me to keep finding new ways to see a different aspect of Jesus. God knew we would be intrigued. So God made it to where we cannot run out of Jesus because He is never ending and that is inspiring to me. He is always revealing Himself in new ways. It is like you are opening a new present each day and you cannot wait until tomorrow to see the next present. It is even more inspiring when everyone is finding their portion of Christ and sharing it. You cannot wait to meet and talk with others because you are so excited to share what you have found out about Christ. I cannot get enough of Christ and that inspires me.
I’ve never been called a ‘lurker’ before; never even considered myself one. As it was not my intention to lurk in any way I take your point and have now come clean – a lurker no more!
This blog must have inspired me at some time (not that it hasn’t in more recent time, but something must have grabbed my attention – inspired me- in the first place) I am inspired by those who believe what they believe with honesty and transparency – the doubt in the middle of faith stuff. I am inspired by those who believe passionately especially if what they believe is either a) out of the box or b) in the box but obviously not believe merely because it is in the box but because of the self evident truth of the matter.
I am inspired by those who dig deeper, sometimes in the same soil as others, but come up with precious gems, or priceless artefacts; that which is worth knowing because if its life changing, life enhancing nature. I am inspired by those who take risks for the sake of rightness and goodness; those who live on the edge where uncertainty lies rather then in the comfort and security of accepted practice and belief. I am inspired by people whose rhetoric is lived out with integrity and consistency or whose lives are enough to speak for themselves. I am inspired by the bravery of the common man and woman who, in the struggle of the day to day, remain committed to their principles and their calling. The unsung heroes whose live are often overlooked even by those who know them, yet whose lives are a shining beacon of faith, hope and love in a community that is so often a very dark place. These are the ones who inspire me. These are the ones whom I let breath life into my soul. These are the ones whom God uses to shape me.
Butterflies – He who began a good work
in me will complete it.
I train kids to play baseball. It’s inspiring for me to see how the kids respond when they see success hitting a ball or throwing a strike and saying “thank you for teaching me”. The most inspiring times are when the kids are so comfortable they tell me about their school, church, families and friends, and share their hearts and they allow me to share mine.
Working with young kids and players all the way through college age has allowed me to see God working through his children and giving me encouragement to continue to fight the good fight of faith and never give up or give in to the chaos we see in this world.
When I see potential in people, that inspires me. I see the vision of who they can be and what they can accomplish when they realize what the Lord has put in them. Teaching, mentoring, building up, these never fail to energize.
Learning something new, experiencing something beautiful and wanting to share it with someone. Isn’t that part of how Adam realized he was so lonely? He had no partner to share Eden with.
Verdant life, buds waiting to be blossoms, the continual forward motion of God’s unfolding creation
What has inspired me is the truth of Christ and what the effect it has in the lives of others. With as many as I have discipled in the past 25 years, the trill of teaching from a God-centered point of view rather than from a man-centered one and given me a new vigor for the Word. I am leading more people now than ever before with a new sense of purpose. As good as Grace Walk.org is, I think Word Press.com goes even a step higher for the maturing Christian.
yes I’m a lurker, but owner and lender of Viola books, O
Most often Pagan Christianity and also as an audio book.
My inspiration lately has been discovering the existence of Covenant Theology, and the significance around the events of AD70. It seems to be a great adult puzzle and also mystery to conspiracy proportions that it took 61 years to take the “Lords Coming” time statements seriously and also appreciating the apocalyptic language of the prophets that Jesus and his followers also talked in. I can’t seem to sit down these days without a fulfilled prophecy motivational poster coming into my head – they won’t stop!
I’m also a 1st time poster. This question intrigued me because I hadn’t really given it much thought before. Anything I say now will be “off the cuff”. I really need to spend some serious time thinking about it. However, recently what has inspired me greatly is the Jesus’ statement to His disciples that they are His friends. The very concept of being Jesus’ friend takes my relationship with Him to a whole new depth. I now pray “Jesus”, instead of “Lord” or “Lord Jesus” or “Holy God” or any of those other titles most of us use. Jesus is more than a title; He’s a friend.
I get inspiration from reading other writings, hearing open dialogue among people and when I’m listening to encouraging music. Sometimes I’m inspired just by hearing what other people are going through.
and I thank you also for being open with us about how God is guiding you as well.
seeing our Father love me enough to get me out of my comfort zone and challenge me to know Christ better, seeing the Spirit confront me in the inner man about putting off my flesh and seeing more of Christ as a result, and to care enough to show me more of Himself through His body when I least expected Him to. Oh how I love Jesus, because He first loved me!
Making things happen inspires me…having a plan and see it complete
What inspires me? The ever growing fire in my heart! Been saved and lost, but the sleeper has awakened. The new fire is like, I was never on fire before. The Lord Jesus Christ has transformed my heart, to my utter amazement and joy and continues to do so. I now feed the fire and turn away from what quenches it. Thank you for having this place where I can share.
The vision that God has set in my heart inspires me. I see a great celebration and many people entering the kingdom of God and being exalted by God for their great works, and I stand and watch, clapping and cheering with the rest of heaven for joy, remembering that some of these are the people that I helped walk more closely with Jesus. The vision for my life is to help those around me enter heaven as more than conquerors, not as those simply escaping the fire. It seems impossible to truly express my heart, but, if you can understand…I want to see others receive great rewards from the Father, much greater than mine.
I’m inspired when I spend time with other people. I mean real quality time where you open yourself up to see things from other peoples’ perspectives. I’m just not that creative by myself. I love brainstorming about something where I have an idea and then someone else makes it better, and then someone else makes it even better. So for me, it is living life with others that inspires me. And that includes spending time with Jesus. 🙂
The only real inspiration I ever receive is ultimately from Christ, more specifically the things and people that He puts in my path and He Himself. My wife is a huge inspiration to me. Ever since we’ve been married I constantly learn more about Christ and His nature and love simply from living life with her. I have motivation to do things that I normally wouldn’t do because of her, which is all a result of Christ’s activity in our lives.
Another big inspiration is the endless list of books, blogs, and people I follow on twitter. Writers like Watchman Nee, T. Austin Sparks, you (frank), and ton of others have made a huge impact on my walk in Christ, for that I am very thankful. Of course as a musician I’m inspired by a huge list of bands and artists.
It’s really quite amazing to sit back and look at all of the things that inspire me to create, write, make music, and simply to live. The amazing part is the central location, or should I say person, from which all of these things come, that of course is Christ.
p.s. thanks for making me stop and think this afternoon 🙂
I am inspired by people excelling at what God has gifted them with, whatever it is. It is an act of worship, a la Romans 12:1.
Also, I want to echo the person who is inspired by their wife. She inspires me every day to be a better man.
The love of God inspires me.
Books showing Jesus inspires me.
Seeing the beauty in the world inspires me.
Knowing that Jesus is always with me inpsires me.
I have been a Christian for about 30 years now, and it is only in the last 2 years that I have come to realize that all that I had been taught was wrong!! It was mixed!! It was there to allow those in leadership to have power of me and to instill fear and confusion into my heart.
Two years ago,on a Sunday after going to a local Scottish Episcopal Church………… I came home and my husband asked , “How was Church for you today?” I said after some thought……… “When I go there……it’s like I am waiting to die !!!!!!!”
We live in a rural area of Scotland in the UK, and the choice of Churches are really not choices at all. I even went into the internet to find out what else there was locally and found a Church (yes….a USA based denominational one) and the sermons were on-line, so I started listening. Well, I just didn’t know how that pastor could get away with preaching the Word in that Church……… it was Grace, grace and more grace.
His sermons inspired me to attend the church. It was not long before the Bishop of that church took over and the pastor had to stand down …Praise God!!
Some of us started gathering in his home and we are now devouring all manner of books including the following:
Destined to Reign…… Joseph Prince
The Believers Authority ……….. Andrew Wommack
Pagan Christianity
Re-imagining Church
Jesus Manifesto
The naked Gospel
So, I bet you wished you hadn’t asked what inspires me….the answer is…….. All of the above ♥
Blessings to you
Anne ♥
The Holy Spirit inspires me . . . when I see Him working in people’s lives and when I experience Him working in me.
I live in the mountains of Oregon – this entire state does something to the soul.
You know Frank……….I have to be honest and I haven’t had a lot of stuff inspire me lately…..
I could give you the usual tripe but just in this last yr…..not a whole lot at all?
Honestly, sometimes conflict inspires me, other times I am inspired when I discover a vital truth that I have been missing that I never knew that I never knew. I hope that makes sense:)
Another lurker here! What inspires me?
In my knitting, yarn and books inspire me. I have a knitting nook in my wee apartment, and my favorite chair is surrounded by lovely yarn, books, bright colors and all the tools I need to knit stuff.
Documentaries inspire me… I watch them regularly, and seeing other people’s ideas presented visually is inspiring to me.
Books inspire me. All kinds of books. I love reading!
I also paint occasionally, and all of that inspiration comes from the Lord. Usually it happens that I will be sitting with Him in quiet, and a picture will just pop into my mind, a picture of a painting. The picture won’t leave my mind until I sketch it, and then I use the ideas in my sketch book to paint.
Also I have AMAZING Brothers and Sisters here and they are all inspiring to me. I love them.
Is there anyone who isn’t inspired by the Bible? Recently though I am inspired by the Message Bible. I am enjoying the word choices and language it is presented in, it just feels like the straight dope.
ok I am running late now…. I have to go!
I have been a refugee from institutional church for the past year with my husband and children. The journey has been difficult but long foreseen. Inspiration is coming from the Lord again, thinking for ourselves, seeing visions of church beginning to blossom where there seemed only to be death.
Inspired by two of your brothers here in Toronto area this past weekend and inspired by the many people there and finding that there are many on this journey. Inspired that God has connected us!
Stories of Jesus inspire me. I want to know more of what he knew. I want to see the world put in order he represented. I love reading his words, but I also love hearing how Jesus is building an ongoing story in folks today. I love to hear how we still encounter Jesus… and how I might have my own encounters, or help others to.
Great Blog!! I am finishing Reimagining Church GREAT INSPIRATION!!
Daily life tends to be the greatest source of inspiration. Little events that teach me huge lessons.
Bridget just said pretty much exactly what I was thinking. Loveliness.
I was reminded today that prayer inspires me, gently, and for that I am eternally grateful.
In the past year and a half, God has been transitioning me from ministry in an institutional church into working as a Chaplain in a hospital setting, and my new work is striking a chord deep within me that has always been there, but did not have an outlet. I too, am discovering and pinpointing the things that inspire and bring me energy. For me the source is my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who is bringing me into a closer and fuller relationship with him than I ever knew was possible. He is also surrounding me with people who have a similar passion to discover and experience a more organic expression of his presence. Their passion and drive is a great source of encouragment and faith. Now that God is revealing more fully what he intended all along for me as a “healer and comforter” in my life’s work, I find great motivation in the folks I encounter and minister to. Finally, I find a great deal of energy in learning to love my wife and kids as I have had more time and opportunity this past summer than ever before. I also am passionate about music and to me there is no greater place to be than in HIS presence singing his GLORY (wherever I am at physically at the time).
Having just got back from a textile exhibition, I have to say that creativity in others excites me and inspires me, I can’t wait to get out the paints and the fabrics and get creating. It also reminds me what an exuberant creative God we have, as he did not settle for one tree for example with one colour but such a range of trees, such shapes, such colours, such uses is breathtaking. The joy of creating something helps me to identify with our creative God and the sheer joy he must have put in to creating the universe, I wonder how much experimenting and tinkering he did before he got the creation just right. I know some folks think that he spoke and that was that, but since his creation reflects him and artists have as much joy in the creating as the creation I am sure God must have had such fun creating stuff, the sheer pizzazz of creation speaks of it – well it does to me!
After a small amount of consideration I think that the thing that most inspires me is: Love.
Loving someone so much you can physically feel it in your chest. And being loved back.
Also, I am inspired by beauty, creativity, and music.
Ultimately I, just as everyone else, is inspired by God. Personally, that inspiration usually comes through learning.
The Gospel of John tells us that the Word is God. In Greek “word” is “logos.” Logos had hundreds of years of development in multiple cultures before John used it to help us learn more about the Nature of God. Simplified, logos means the quest for Truth (which at that time also meant what is Good) through the logical use of language–The Great Debate.
John was saying a lot when he chose to use logos as a description for God. Essentially, he was saying that God is found in that which is Good and True, and we as humans find that through the logical use of language, whether it be in discussions with others or studying the written works of the greatest thinkers throughout history.
I have found that it is when I engage with great thinkers, both modern and past, that I gain the most inspiration, passion, revelation, and connection with Him from whom all Good and Truth comes.
I agree, Frank–the older I get, the more I isolate my inspirations, which helps keep me strongly motivated.
For pursuing the Lord: talking with other Christians about spiritual matters and reading books and listening to podcasts (like yours!) motivate me.
For reading the Bible: following a plan with good goals motivates me. “Read the Bible in three months,” go through a commentary with a Bible book, etc.
For writing: a solid movie or TV show, a good book, reading the Bible, seeing a picture, hearing a good song lyric, seeing a kiss–any of those things motivate me.
For putting my hand to work: new technology and being creative (such as creating a website) inspires me.
I don’t necessarily have much to contribute to this question, but I do want to express my appreciation for this blog. After pouring my life into the institutional church, I find myself suddenly an exile. It is strange (and exciting) to be starting over at age xx – to rethink everything that I believe and have been taught. I’m even trying to figure out what inspires me now – because some of the things that used to inspire me were in the context of the church setting – such as emotive worship experience or insightful sermons. Yes, I can still be inspired by worship music and by discovering new truth from the Word in new & fresh settings.
Inspiration also comes to me through beauty, nature, simplicity & solitude.
More recently I have found inspiration through blogs like this one. It is a great blessing to have some sort of connection with the broader organic church – to learn new insights, but especially to discover that I am not alone on this journey. I am grateful for this lifeline that God has provided and yes, am inspired to be an encourager for other refugees.
Autumn and Spring time are huge inspirations for me.
OK, I’ll play! Long-time lurker, first-time commenter 🙂
There’s a whole load of stuff I do, but you can probably distil it into geeky work-life and explicitly-Christian life.
In terms of work, I make websites and applications, so I’m inspired by good design and innovation. I don’t then always succeed in doing the same myself, but I think it helps me along! I also have to do programming in my day-job, so the latest products, technologies and products from Microsoft (yep, I work with the tools of the Dark Side in my daily job!) make things a lot easier.
Spiritually, I’m finding that a deeper understanding of the grace of God and a vision of His eternal purpose is my biggest inspiration. This has been expressed through countless people I’ve read, heard and even met in a few instances – a preacher from Hong Kong called Rob Rufus, bits from Andrew Wommack, Steve McVey, DeVern Fromke, Greg Boyd, various bloggers, and not to mention my Dad. The way Jesus is expressed through these people is something that I find inspiring, and leads me to try and stop relying on my own strength so that Jesus has less of my stuff to break through to express Himself in and through me!
Hopefully not sounding like too much of a suck-up, but I have found From Eternity To Here, Reimagining Church and Jesus Manifesto particularly inspiring in seeing how good ecclesiology is fed by and feeds into both grace and the eternal purpose of God. I’m still in a fairly institutional setting, gently sounding the organic horn whenever I can, and just waiting on the Lord to see exactly how I can enter into a greater experience of organic church life. There’s not a whole lot around in the UK as far as I can tell!
Finally, honourable mention must go to my wife Laluna! We’ve been married for nearly a year, and it’s been a year of discovering just how great a woman God has given me! She is always on hand to hear me, encourage me, give a good example of living in Christ, and just stick with me through thick and thin with her rich love for me. She always has the right words to say, and is so precious to me. She helps me understand how Jesus must feel about me, literally embodying His love, and also how He feels about His bride too. She inspires me to seek after God with all my heart, all my life and all my strength, for which I am sooooo thankful!
The Lord Jesus inspires me — I have found no other like Him. He is my righteousness and I want to know Him more and more.
The Bible inspires me — in it are the words of life — I want to be like the prophets of old — I want to eat it and I want it to be in me like fire in my bones.
My family inspires me. My parents are generous, faithfull, and loving people. My wife loves me and makes up in many areas that I lack — I want to be a better husband because she loves me so much. My kids inspire me in that I want to be a godly man, so that I can be a faithfull witness to them.
I’ll go ahead and give it a shot…
Recently…
“Jesus Manifesto” inspired me. “From Eternity to Here” inspired me. Heavenfest inspired me. “The forgotten God” is inspiring me. Sitting down with my friend Mary Jean for dinner and talk inspired me. Sitting down with my friend Jeannie for a discussion inspired me.
I think the reason is that each of those things, whether it is the books, the festival or the discussion, brings out a different part of the body of Christ I don’t see every day.