The Elevated Life

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THE ELEVATED LIFE7 Steps To Your Next Level


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Copyright 2010 by Keith A. Craft

All Rights Reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication

may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or

retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Bible Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version of the Bible. Copyright 1982 by

Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Other versions used are:

NIV Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by

International Bible Society. Used permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

All inquiries should be addressed to:

Keith A. Craft

8500 Teel Parkway

Frisco, TX 75034-0525

keithcraft.tv

Printed in the United States of America


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Pg 5: ....... ................... A Letter From Lead Pastors Keith & Sheila Craft

Pg 7: Step 1 ............. WHAT JUST HAPPENED TO ME?Pg 11:Step 2 ............. WATER BAPTISM:Come On InThe Waters FinePg 15: Step 3 ............. WORD OF GOD:Soul Food

Pg 19:Step 4 ............. PRAYER:Can You Hear Me Now?Pg 23: Step 5 ............. AUTHENTIC COMMUNITY:Get ConnectedPg 25: Step 6 ............. SERVANT LEADERSHIP: You Gotta Serve SomebodyPg 29:Step 7 ............. GENEROSITY:Its Not About The Money

Pg 34: ........................ Keith Craft Leadership Resources

THE ELEVATED LIFE7 Steps To Your Next Level


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Page 5

THE ELEVATED LIFE: 7 STEPS TO YOUR NEXT LEVEL

A LETTER FROM LEAD PASTORS KEITH & SHEILA

Dear Friend,

Welcome to the rst day o your Elevated Lie!!! Pastor Sheila and I arehonored to serve you as you embrace a new way o Thinking, Being andDoing. At Elevate Lie Church we believe the triad o Thinking, Being andDoing determines what you Have in lie. And God wants you to have thevery best in every area o your lie personally, proessionally, relationally,nancially, etc.

In John 10:10 (MESSAGE) Jesus said,I came so they can have realand eternal lie, more and better lie than they ever dreamed o.And wewant that or you too.

The simple steps outlined in this book will help you get there. Our goal isto guide you to your next level by showing you how to apply these simple,

but timeless biblical principles that will strategically position you to receiveGods blessing and avor upon your lie.

Over the next ew days, prayerully consider getting connected in anauthentic community o aith; a core values based, vision driven localchurch where you can grow in your aith walk and develop energyproducing relationships.

We honor and celebrate your courage or making the wisest and mostimportant decision one could ever make: accepting Jesus Christ as Lordand Savior. Remember, When you summon the courage to do whatothers wont, you will have in lie what others dont.

Every day with Excellence,

Keith & Sheila CraftLead Pastors o Elevate Lie Church


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Page 7


STEP |1

What Just Happened To Me?


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John 3:7 You must be born again.

For anything to become better in your lie tomorrow you must allow everything in your lie to be interrupted today.

- Leadershipology.comYou must deal with your old reasons beore you can begin new seasons.

- Leadershipology.com

Most people have a tendency to make lie more complicated than it reallyis. In many ways, that same paradigm carries over rom our personal lieinto our spiritual lie. In act, religion has done a very good job o devising

numerous man made rules and regulations that have made reaching God at times - a seemingly impossible eat.

Religion paints a picture o God as an angry Judge eager to pour out Hisjudgment upon depraved humanity. Religion, which is oten works based,suggests that i were going to please God then we must be perect at alltimes and in all things.

However, Jesus came so that we could have a living, vibrant relationshipwith God through aith in Him. In John 14:6 Jesus said, I am the Way,the Truth and the Lie. No man comes to the Father except through me.Jesus paid the price on the cross or our sins with broken body and shedblood. He was the Ultimate Sacrice or the sins o all men; past, presentand uture.

When we put our aith in Jesus Christ, you acknowledged three lietransorming truths:

1. You were a sinner (Romans 3:23)2. You could not save yoursel (Romans 6:23)3. Only Jesus could save you by grace through aith in Him

(Ephesians 2:8-9)

As a result o trusting Christ, something glorious happened.

II Corinthians 5:17 NLT reminds us thatanyone who belongs toChrist has become a new person. The old lie is gone; a new lie hasbegun!Yes, God gave you a FRESH START.


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Your Elevated Lie begins by simply believing the nished work ograce that Jesus secured with His death on the cross or the sins o allmankind; once and or all. Through aith in Him you now have a personalrelationship with your Heavenly Father and the power to experience lie on

a whole new level. Its that simple. You are now born again into the amilyo God (John 1:12).

That was your First Step. In the next 6 chapters you will discover yourNext Steps as you grow in your aith walk and journey with Christ. We areexcited that you have made this important decision to become a ChristFollower.

Welcome to the Family!!!


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STEP |2

Water Baptism

Come On InThe Waters Fine


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When Do You Get Baptized?Baptism is an experience that happens subsequent to your proession oaith in Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior. In order to be baptized,

you must rst believe with your heart and then coness Him with yourmouth that Jesus is Lord (Romans 10:9-10)beore you are baptized.Acts 8:12-13:But when theybelievedPhilip as he preached the thingsconcerning the kingdom o God and the name o Jesus Christ, both menand women were baptized. Then Simon himsel also believed; and whenhe was baptizedhe continued with Philip, and was amazed, seeing themiracles and signs which were done.

Acts 8:36-38: Now as they went down the road, they came to somewater. And the eunuch said, See, here is water. What hinders me rombeing baptized? Then Philip said, I you believewith all your heart, youmay. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son oGod So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and theeunuch went down into the water, and he baptizedhim.

Who Can Be Baptized?Anyone who is able to account or their decision, beore God and manthat they believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Personal Savior. Thisincludes children, but not inants.Should Infants/Young Children Be Baptized?

No, or there is no record in the Scriptures where inants or young childrenwere baptized. However, there are accounts, both in the Old and NewTestaments, o inants and young children being dedicatedto the Lord justas Jesus was.

Luke 2:22: Now when the days o her purication according to the Law

o Moses were completed, they brought Him (Jesus) to Jerusalem topresent Him to the Lord. When little children were brought to Jesus Hetouched them and blessed them.

Mark 10:16:And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them,and blessed them.This is why we dedicate inants and young children;NOT baptize them.


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How Do I Get Baptized?

The word baptize in Greek means to dip, submerge or immerse.

The Biblical model is baptism by immersion in water in the Name o theFather, Son and Holy Spirit.

Matthew 28:19: Go thereore and make disciples o all the nations,baptizing them in the name o the Father and o the Son and o the HolySpirit.

Note:

Baptizing in the name o Jesus ONLY indicates that the person being baptizedwas closely bound toor became the property othe one into whose name hewas baptized (see Acts 8:16). Thereore, Matthew 28:18-20 andActs8:16 do not confict in any way, or either way we belong to God. However, atELC we baptize according to the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19 asquoted above.


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STEP |3

The Word o God

Soul Food


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Matthew 4:4 But He answered and said, It is written, Man shall not liveby bread alone, but by every word that proceeds rom the mouth o God.

I you will Hear the Word and Do the Word youll nd that you will Have a

Word when you most need it. Leadershipology.com

Why should I read my Bible?

In the preceding verse, Jesus likens the Word o God to bread. As amasterul communicator, Jesus is creating a beautiul word picture toillustrate a important spiritual truth. He used a metaphor to show the

necessity o daily spiritual sustenance. Just as we might enjoy threenutritious meals or our physical well-being, likewise we must prioritizeGods Words in our lives or our spiritual nourishment and edication.

More contemporary analogies would liken the Bible to Gods instructionmanual or lie, His blueprint, compass, roadmap and GPS. Everything weneed to know about lie and conduct as Christ Followers is recorded in the

Bible, which is Gods Word.

I. The Bible reveals the character of God

His Attributes Who He is and His disposition (i.e. HisPerson)

His Ability What He can and will do on behal o those

who trust and obey HimHis Agenda His plan or all creation

II. The Bible reveals Gods will for our lives. It shows us thatGods plan for us is to:

Have an Elevated Lie - John 10:10Have success in our Relationships Psalm 112:1-8Have success in all our Endeavors and in our Enterprise

Jeremiah 29:11; Deuteronomy 8:18Have a Healthy and Prosperous Lie III John 2;

Psalm 1:1-3


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III. The Bible provides Gods Wisdom to help us navigate lifeschallenges James 1:2-5

IV. The Bible provides simple instructions for daily living Psalm 119:105

As you grow in aith and become more amiliar with Gods Word, it isimportant that you do the ollowing:

Observe it What does the text say? Interpret it What does the text mean?Apply it What truths can I take rom the text and

incorporate into my lie todayCommunicate it What Biblical principles can I share with

others today that have worked or me?

Where do I start?

We suggest that you begin by reading the Bible daily and a good place

to start is in the Book o Proverbs. There are 31 chapters in the Book oProverbs; 1 or each day. Its a great way to learn practical principles romGods Word that you can apply to your lie daily.

Secondly, we recommend reading the our gospels ound in the NewTestament namely: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. By reading thegospels you will discover the Person, Purpose and Power o Jesus Christ.

You will see a pattern o how Jesus loved, served, led and taught so thatyou too can ollow His example and re-present Him to others.


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STEP | 4

Prayer

Can You Hear Me Now?


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Jeremiah 33:3 Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great

and mighty things, which you do not know.

Prayer doesnt just change things, it changes people. People who pray

develop a capacity to change and thereore become Gods Change-Agentsin the world. Leadershipology.com

Prayer is simply dialog with God. What we oten orgot about prayeris that it is a two way conversation. Prayer is a time both privateand corporate when we bring our requests to God, but it is also an

opportunity to listen to what He speaks to us in response.I. Prayer was something Jesus did oten (Luke 6:12; Luke11:1;

Luke 22:45). It was not an option or Jesus; it was a determinantdiscipline. Luke 5:16 So he oten withdrew into the wildernessand prayed.

II. Prayer is also something Jesus encouraged His disciples to dooten. In Luke 18:1, the Bible says, Then He spoke a parable tothem that men always ought to pray and not lose heart.Likewise,Paul the Apostle also encouraged believers to pray withoutceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

Prayer begins with a DECISION we acknowledge its importanceand priority. Then, prayer becomes a DISCIPLINE we do it daily.And ultimately, prayer becomes a DELIGHT we cant live without

it.The disciples acknowledged the connection between Jesusprivate devotion and public demonstrations o power. So Jesusgave them a pattern/model or Scriptural prayer in Luke 11:

Our Father in heaven acknowledge your Position.He is your Heavenly Father and you are His child.

Hallowed be Your name Give Praise by

acknowledging the blessings He has so lavishlybestowed upon your lie.

Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it isin heaven Surrender to His Purpose and Plan or yourlie.

Give us this day our daily bread AcknowledgeGods daily Provision o everything you need as you


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serve Him.And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who

trespass against us Acknowledge Gods Pardon orevery ailure and mistake you will ever make and His

mercy that is unailing.And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from all

evil. Acknowledge Gods Protection over you andyour amily physical, material, nancial and spiritual

For Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory,forever and ever, Amen. Passionately serve Him.

III. Prayer should be authentic (Matthew 6:5-15). It is not

limited to a place or specic time o day; nor is it onlyconsidered a prayer i the language is fowery. Dont eelas though your words have to be eloquent or your prayerlengthy. God answers prayers that are heartelt andsincere (James 5:16).

Prayer is an act o humility that activates our aith and moves theheart o God- (2 Chronicles 7:14-16)

Leadershipology.com

IV. As we stated earlier, prayer is a two-way conversationbetween the individual and God. So learn to listenactively. We learn to listen in prayer by being still in ourthoughts and emotions long enough or God to speak (1

Samuel 3:1-10).The more you listen or Gods voice and hear it, the more amiliarit will become and the more condent you will be that we havereceived His instruction, correction or direction.

Gods direction to you will always be:Consistent with what He promised in His Word

(1 John 5:14-15)Accompanied by His peace (Philippians 4:6-7)Encourage, comort and ediy others

(1 Corinthians 14:3)


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STEP | 5

Authentic Community

Get Connected


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Acts 2:42-45 And they continued steadastly in the apostles doctrineand ellowship, in the breaking o bread, and in prayers. 43 Then ear

came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done throughthe apostles. 44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things

in common,

45

and sold their possessions and goods, and divided themamong all, as anyone had need.

Who you align your lie with will determine your next level; up ordown.

Keith Crat (rom Leadershipology 101)

Foryou to achieve anything great you must align your lie withpeople who believe in you.

- Keith Crat (rom Leadershipology 101)

Your alignment determines your assignment. What that means is who youchoose to go through lie with will determine what you accomplish. Youralignments will either add value to your lie or diminish your ability to leadothers. Alignment is a core values based decision. So choose wisely.

Alignment is about embracing resistance and allowing tension to be theindicator that you are growing rom where you are to where you need tobe. Align your lie with a community o aith where you will be challengedto be your best or God; where mediocrity is replaced with an excellentspirit; where you escape average and reach or the impossible andwhere Gods purpose or you lie can be ullled along with other Christ

Followers.

So plug in to a local church nearby where the Word o God is taughtboldly and accurately, where Jesus is elevated, where your amily can beequipped and where you can be empowered as a leader.

As you grow personally, so will your infuence, and then you will bethoroughly equipped to empower others.


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STEP | 6

Servant Leadership

You Gotta Serve Somebody


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Philippians 2:5-8 Let this mind be in you which was also in ChristJesus, 6 who, being in the orm o God, did not consider it robbery to beequal with God, 7 but made Himsel o no reputation, taking the orm oa bondservant, and coming in the likeness o men. 8 And being ound in

appearance as a man, He humbled Himsel and became obedient to thepoint o death, even the death o the cross.

I youre too big to ollow, youre too small to lead.- Leadershipology.com

I there was one thing in particular that characterized the earthly ministryo Jesus, it was His love or people, which He demonstrated by servingthem. Jesus modeled the behavior He wanted us to emulate: ServantLeadership.

In John 13, Jesus washed His disciples eet. Traditionally, in Jewishculture, oot washing was a menial chore reserved or the lowest rankingservant in a household. By washing His disciples eet, Jesus was seizinga teachable moment, which He used to teach an invaluable lessonon humility and the importance o esteeming others as valuable and

precious.

In John 13:13-14 Jesus said, You call Me Teacher and Lord, and yousay well, or so I am. I I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed youreet, you also ought to wash one anothers eet.

Like Jesus, we too can nd ulllment o our lie purpose and mission; notby being sel serving, but in serving others (Matthew 20:28).

A Servant-Leader is someone who is called by God with others to BEgreat. They willingly come under spiritual authority with the attitudeo serving others. They have a passion or excellence and a desire tolead. They choose to take the orm o a slave, to be one who is swallowedup in the will o another. They become a living sacrice whereby theirsacred lie dispels all mediocrity.

- Leadershipology.com

Serve Gods Kingdom By Being T-Rated

Every Christ Follower is called to be T-Rated. T-Rated means youreaithully giving your Time, Talent and Treasure to serve others andadvance the Kingdom o God. All Christ ollowers, o all ages are called


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to be leaders in all places. But aithul and selfess service to othersalways precedes exemplary leadership.

In order to experience the T-Rated lie you must:

Discover your git Look upward in prayer (Ephesians 2:10)Develop your git Look inward by developing daily disciplines (2

Timothy 1:6-7 NIV)Deploy your git Look outward by serving others

(1 Peter 4:10)


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STEP|7

GenerosityIts Not About The Money


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Proverbs 3:9-10Honor the LORD with your possessions and with therstruits o all your increase; so your barns will be lled with plenty, and

your vats will overfow with new wine.

We are most like God when we give.

Leadershipology.com

Generosity is dened as readiness or liberality in giving; reedom rommeanness or smallness o mind or character; largeness or ullness;amplitude.

Generosity is synonymous to amplitude. Its about so much more thanmoney!!!

The truth is God wants us to LIVE OUT LOUD! And one way wedemonstrate the disposition o our heart is what we do with what is in ourhands. Generosity begins when we acknowledge that every good thingwe have comes rom God (James 1:17). It is this attitude o gratitudethat compels us to be generous toward God and others.

Secondly, Generosity is the result o recognizing that the gits, abilities,talents and acumen we possess all came rom God or the purpose oadvancing His Kingdom in the earth. Deuteronomy 8:18 declares, Andyou shall remember the LORD your God, or it is He who gives you powerto get wealth, that He may establish His covenant

Thirdly, Generosity is the result o understanding the irrevocable Lawo Seedtime and Harvest according to Genesis 8:22While the earthremains, seedtime and harvestshall not cease.Since the beginning otime, God has set in motion the law o sowing and reaping. And when welive by this principle, Gods promise is that He will bless the work o ourhands.

Jesus promised in Matthew 6:33 thatseek rst the kingdom o Godand His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.


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HOW DO I GIVE?

First Fruits GivingMalachi 3:10Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be

ood in My house, and try Me now in this, says the LORD o hosts, II will not open or you the windows o heaven and pour out or you such

blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.

Firstruits Giving can be traced back to the Old Testament and the Law oFirst Things. In act, we see the Law o First Things at work in the Gardeno Eden when God gave Adam and Eve stewardship over everything Hehad created and then placed them in the Garden o Eden.

However, they were not allowed to touch or eat o the ruit o the tree othe knowledge o good and evil. God had reserved that portion o whatHe had created exclusively or Himsel (Genesis 2:15-17).

The Law o First Things can be ound throughout the Old Testament;particularly in Gods instructions to the nation o Israel during their Exodus

rom Egypt and while they inhabited Canaan. Firstruits oerings wereestablished as a way or the Israelites to prove the position God held intheir lives.

They were required to devote the rst and best portion o everything theypossessed crops, livestock, silver, gold, precious stones, and even thespoils acquired rom nations the Israelites had conquered, etc as an

oering irrevocably dedicatedto God. In so doing, they gave God pre-eminence in their lives.

Today, we honor God with our Firstruits oering by bringing the rst10% o all our earnings. When we do so aithully, we are acknowledgingGods sovereignty over our lives and our resources. And his promise tous is that He will bless and multiply everything that we set our hands tobecause we have made Him FIRST in our lives (Malachi 3:8-12).

Firstruits giving is always an issue o Lordship over Lip service(Luke 6:46).


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Offerings

2 Corinthians 9:6-8But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reapsparingly, and he who sows bountiully will also reap bountiully. 7 So let

each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or o necessity;or God loves a cheerul giver. 8 And God is able to make all graceabound toward you, that you, always having all suciency in all things,

may have an abundance or every good work.

Oerings are nancial gits we bring over and aboveour Firstruits.Oerings can be general or designated or a specic purpose.2 Corinthians 9:6-8 gives us a ew guidelines on how to bring oerings:

Do it generously v6But this I say: He who sows sparingly willalso reap sparingly, and he who sows bountiully will also reapbountiully.

Do it intentionally v7aSo let each one give as he purposes inhis heart

Do it cheerfully v7bnot grudgingly or o necessity; or God

loves a cheerul giver.Do it with in faith andwith expectation v8 And God is able

to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having allsuciency in all things, may have an abundance for everygood work.

True Biblical prosperity comes through hard work, aithul giving and right

living (3 John 2).


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RESOURCES

Now that your rst seven days are over, your next phase in your aith walkis Personal Growth and Development. Personal Growth and Developmentare ongoing disciplines that happen daily, not in a day.

So make it a priority to:Resource yoursel with print, audio and video resourcesDevelop a Learning AgendaStick with it

Below is a list o resources rom Keith Crat that will help you achieve yourPersonal Growth and Development goals.

BOOKS

Leadershipology 101: Quotes to LIVE ByThe 1% Factor

TV

Our weekly television broadcast keithcrat.tv airs every Tuesday nightat 10 p.m. on the Daystar Television Network. Check your local listingsor details.

ELEVATE LIFE CHURCH

We are located at 8500 Teel Parkway in Frisco, TX. For more detailsabout our live webcast, podcasts or to give online visit us atelevatelie.com.

LEADERSHIP SHAPERS

Make Keith your personal Leadership Coach by subscribing to Keith CratLeadership Shapers. You will receive a monthly Leadership Developmentteaching on CD, along with notes and a journal. You will also receivespecial discounts on select Keith Crat products.For details visit:www.leadershipshapers.com.
http://elevatelife.com/http://www.leadershipshapers.com/http://www.leadershipshapers.com/http://www.leadershipshapers.com/http://elevatelife.com/


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DAILY INSPIRATION

Receive a ree leadership quote via email everyday by subscribing toLeadershipology. Go towww.leadershipology.com or details.
http://www.leadershipology.com/http://www.leadershipology.com/http://www.leadershipology.com/


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The Elevated Life