The Parable of the Talents or “Don’t Be Skippy!”

I know I have been a little lax in posting these last few days. I have a pretty good excuse, I’ve been running A.M.O.K. at my first home church. I’ve been preaching a series of messages based on the parables of Jesus called Story: Parables of Jesus. It’s been going really well and I’m also compiling them into a presentation by the same name. It’s been a lot of fun. Tonight’s message is based on what is probably my favorite of all the parables, the parable of the talents.

You know it, right (if not it’s found in Matthew 25:14-30) A master gives portions of money to his servants to invest while he goes off on journey. It says he gave these talents to them, “each according to his ability.” In other words he knows what they are capable of doing and gives them an amount he knows they can handle, kind of like God does with us and our talents. He doesn’t compare us with others, he knows what we’re capable of (how He made us) and entrusts accordingly.

The first two guys, take their sums and invest them, doubling the investment while the third (the one who received the least) buries his in the dirt. When the master returns he settles accounts he’s very pleased with the first two, tells them well done and essentially invites them to a party. He then turns to the servant who buried his talent (we’ll call him Skippy) and to me this is where it gets interesting. The first thing this servant does is blame the master for his own disobedience. He then goes on to impune the master’s character.

You know what I see in this third servant, Skippy? I see fear, essentially fear of failure. The other two guys go to work at once, investing the master’s money. They take a risk. There was the possibility they could have lost. Skippy decided not to take the risk but instead to play it safe, after all it wasn’t his money. What if he loses? What if the master gets angry? What if? What if? What if? Skippy gets so caught up in his fear that he makes the master a villain in his mind and buries his gift. Do you do that?

The difference between the first two servants and Skippy, I believe is trust. The first two guys trust that the master will be good if they fail and so they get to work at once. In the process they obey their master. Skippy’s fear turns into disobedience and wasted opportunities.

The point is this. Your talents represent God’s investment in you. He wants you to put them to work to build His Kingdom. If you do that, win or lose (in the eyes of the world) the Lord will be pleased. He’s only really displeased when we don’t place our trust in Him and bury our talents.

Don’t be Skippy!
To bring Story: Parables of Jesus to your church, contact Dave Weiss.

What I’ve been up to lately…

I’ve been hard at work generating the paintings for my new presentation Story: Parables of Jesus. These will be displayed in conjunction with the live paintings I do every night. I am excited to say I will be rolling out the extended presentation of Story as a revival/spiritual renewal series from tomorrow through Wednesday night at Mohrsville Church of the Brethren in Mohrsville, PA and the one hour version next Sunday at St. Thomas Independent Church of the Brethren in Mount Pleasant Mills, PA next Sunday. If you’re in PA. I’d love to see you there. Otherwise I’d love to bring it to you.

Help Needed

I was out this past weekend at the Call 2 Ministry Conference. It was amazing. I had the opportunity to speak into the lives of young people exploring a call to ministry. It once again cemented something in my heart. This ministry called A.M.O.K. is my calling and what I want to do with the rest of my life. It’s a lot more than painting pictures and telling stories for Jesus. I want to use my gift to spread the Gospel and encourage believers to find and use their unique gifts to serve the Lord and spread the Gospel. I want to be able to go wherever I’m needed and help as many as I can.

You see there is a huge need. First of all, the majority of the people in this world are still in need of a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. The harvest is ripe and the workers are few. I feel a call to the harvest and the workers. I want to be out there sharing the Gospel, but I also want to be showing and encouraging others to use their unique gifts to serve the Lord. I want to be out there helping congregations to find and create ministries for the people in their midst so that they’re better equipped to reach their communities.

The arts and the media are one of the most powerful tools to spread a message in the history of the world and while I believe my call is to the whole Church the way God has gifted me puts me in a unique place to reach these often underutilized people. The next C.S. Lewis may well be in the church now. The next Coppola, Rembrandt, Beethoven and Van Halen may maybe out there too, not to mention the geniuses and the masters of the new media. We need to reach them to put their gifts to work for the good of the Kingdom. Again the harvest is ripe and I want to be used to bring it in. I need your help.

How can you help:

1. Pray.
I am building a prayer list and a prayer team for this ministry. If you’d like to be a part of it, please contact me at amokarts@aol.com.

2. Spread the Word.
I post this blog and create the videos and resources I post here to further the Kingdom and the Gospel. The more people that know about it the better. Repost it, tweet it, share it on your Facebook page, email it to your friends, use the videos in your worship services. It’s been freely given, so freely give. The more people that know what we’re doing here, there better.

3. Bring me in for your next program/service/etc.
I love to paint in worship and do creative things to bring forth a message from the Word, and I’d love to paint for your conference, concert, service, etc. And I don’t just paint, I do workshops on a variety of topics, including using the creative arts in ministry. I create evangelistic programs, youth retreats, revivals and more. I’ve been a pastor for nearly 10 years and was a youth leader for five years before that. I’m a story teller/parable maker. I’m an experienced preacher/speaker who believes that the Bible is the unchanging Word of God. These opportunities help to support and further this ministry. You can see the recommendations of some of the people I’ve worked with here.

4. Donate
Donations will also help further this ministry and help me to reach more people and congregations. I’ve not yet incorporated this ministry, instead for now, it’s a ministry of my church, New Creation Fellowship in Reading, PA. If you’d like to donate, you can mail a check to New Creation Fellowship, 3646 Pottsville Pike, Reading, PA 19605. Please designate AMOKArts on the memo line. Thanks for the way you have supported this ministry over the years. I appreciate your support more than you could ever know.

I’ve told you how you can help me, now here is the bigger question.

How can I help you? Because I want to.

A Night AMOK

My new presentation, A Night AMOK: Pix of JC is now available for booking. This evangelistic presentation is an evening of art,music and ministry. In the program, I paint a variety of pictures live, accompanied by videos, music, story telling and the Word of God. It’s all designed to paint a picture of Jesus, a true, scriptural, real picture of His amazing love on people’s hearts and minds. Check it out.
For more information on A Night AMOK:Pix of JC, click here and if you’d like to bring me in to do A Night AMOK, you may contact me at amokarts@aol.com.

Below is a sample:

Follow “my” progress!

You’ll see a link just to the right of this page called Goal 2012. Basically this is my daily challenge for the year. Every day this year, my goal is to do at least one thing to advance the Kingdom and/or the speaking/painting/writing Juggernaut called AMOKArts. If you want to follow along on the journey, go to http://amokarts.wordpress.com/goal-2012/ or click the link over there. >>>>

Be the Body

Be the Body: The Vision Network

Let’s join forces to the glory of God. Let’s find what we do and find ways to help each other to be what we were created to be. What’s your dream, your vision, your passion? What has God laid on your heart? Is there something in this world that You feel He wants you to do something about? Someone you feel led and called to help? Let’s see what we can do to help each other Be the Body.

For me it’s traveling throughout the church and the world using what the gifts and talents I have been given to help others to find and be what they were created to be. I think this is a good first step. Post your visions and passions and things here and let’s see if we cant network and help each other to live some of these things out to the glory of God. Don’t be afraid to share it, no matter how big it looks. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

As a side-bar, if I can be of help to your church to help you call out the gifted (and we’re all gifted) I’d love to come and speak to them. Contact me at amokarts@aol.com

My New Presentation

Defeating the 20/80 Rule with Be the Body
• Does your church have enough people to get everything done?
• Does your church have a small group of people who do most of the work?
• Does your church have a large group of people on the fringes and barely connected?
When you call upon your congregation to do the kinds of service Jesus commanded do they look back at you with a look that says, “Isn’t that what we pay you for?”
There’s a rule in most human organizations including, unfortunately, the church, which states that on average about 20 percent of the people do 80% of the work. This leaves your most faithful servants doing many things for which they are neither called nor gifted and nearing burnout while the rest of the congregation is only slightly invested in the work of the Kingdom. This is not the church that God intended.
I was in danger of becoming one of those 80 percent people and then something amazing happened. I went from struggling new believer who could barely read scripture aloud with a profound fear of public speaking to ordained minister, pastor and speaker. It wasn’t all a smooth ride and it didn’t happen overnight but it happened and I can trace it all back to one event. My pastor found a Kingdom use for my unusual gift and it changed my life. I’m convinced that there are thousands (maybe millions) of people in the church of Jesus Christ who are in the same boat. They have tremendous, God-given potential to do great things—things that will tremendously expand the Kingdom and they’re just waiting for someone to find their gift, ignite their passion and show them how to be what they were created to be to the glory of God. We are all “God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do!”
That’s what my new presentation “Be the Body” is all about. Through the use of my story, artistic gifts, interactive projects and preaching the Word of God, I will challenge the “many parts” in your congregation to become fully invested members of the “one body” of Christ. Topics covered include:
• What it means to be the body of Christ? 

• How to do and be your part.

• What to lay down and what to take up.

• Maintaining unity and more.


This can be anywhere from a single message, a series of revival/Spiritual renewal services even a weekend retreat. I really feel a strong leading to go out into the church and call people into their God given calling. The guiding verse of this ministry is 1 Peter 4:10, Each one should use WHATEVER GIFTS he has received to serve others. I would love to come to your church or event and share with your congregation. Contact me, Dave Weiss at AMOKArts@aol.com
God bless,
Dave Weiss

www.amokarts.com

Anyone need a speaker/painter?

Dave Weiss Speaking Ministry Flyer

AMOKArts.com founder looking for opportunities to speak and/or paint, paint and/or speak in worship, conferences, etc. See my booking page or contact amokarts@aol.com for more information.

#Trust30 Your Ordinary Self

The Challenge
Good and bad are but names very readily transferable to that or this; the only right is what is after my constitution, the only wrong what is against it. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

We are our most potent at our most ordinary. And yet most of us discount our “ordinary” because it is, well, ordinary. Or so we believe. But my ordinary is not yours. Three things block us from putting down our clever and picking up our ordinary: false comparisons with others (I’m not as good a writer as _____), false expectations of ourselves (I should be on the NYTimes best seller list or not write at all), and false investments in a story (it’s all been written before, I shouldn’t bother). What are your false comparisons? What are your false expectations? What are your false investments in a story? List them. Each keep you from that internal knowing about which Emerson writes. Each keeps you from making your strong offer to the world. Put down your clever, and pick up your ordinary.

My Response:
First I want to say I disagree with Emerson’s assertion that “the only right is what is after my constitution, the only wrong what is against it.” I believe that right and wrong a clearly defined by God in His Word. When we start to get into right and wrong as defined by me, things get cloudy and mirky. God’s way is the way to go.

Now let me also say I really agree with what the challenge writer posted about comparison. When we begin to compare ourselves to others, we begin to try to be like them and stop being what we were created to be or we walk away defeated because we are trying to be something we were never supposed to be in the first place. I’ve fallen into this trap many times. I’ve quit doing things because I don’t feel like I measure up to someone else. but what if I was supposed to invent a different way of doing it. Did Picasso quit because his work didn’t look like everyone else’s? No, and he became one of the world’s foremost artists precisely because of his difference.

False expectations will also kill you. How many people have quit something because they couldn’t be the best in the world (or even in their community) at what they do? I know I have. There is one thing I am the best in the entire world at and it is the one thing I can do beyond the shadow of a doubt. I am the best person at being THIS David Weiss (yes there are others and I can’t be them) in the entire world. My job then is to do that well. To clean up the edges, polish the gifts, submit that will to God and go forward in being who I am made to be. His plan for me is unique in the entire universe and my life is part of that plan for the universe. I don’t get to pick if it’s large or small, I’m just privileged to be a piece in that puzzle. Congrats, you’re a piece too. Did Bob Dylan give up because he is not the world’s best singer. No, he sang his song and became the voice of his generation.

It hasn’t all been done. You still have a part to play. Play it for all your worth. Give God your best and watch Him do His best in you. This prompt really made me think about all the Bible people (or at least the good ones). We look at them as if they were superheroes but with the exception of Jesus, they weren’t. The Bible is pretty good at pointing out their flaws and their foibles. They were ordinary people just like you and me. What made them extraordinary was simple and available to everyone of us even you and me. They were ordinary people who put their ordinary lives in the hands of an extraordinary God andthat made all the difference.

Bible Reading Guide
An important part of following God is knowing what He wants and a great way to know what He wants is to read His Word. Follow this plan and you will finish reading the Bible in a year.
1 Kings 15-16; Psalm 53
1 Kings 17-18; Psalm 115
1 Kings 19-20
You can also download your own chart here.