I just took the online Personality Pattern test. Here are my results. What are your top traits?

1. Prudent - You look before you leap, think before you act, consider what you're about to say before you open your mouth to speak; that's why you rarely have to eat your words. You usually don't get excited easily or blurt out the first thing that comes to mind without considering the consequences.

2. Unflappable - You are not a slave to your emotions. It takes a lot to upset or unnerve you. That's why you're a good person to have around in a crisis. You don't let it all hang out, which means that those around you often don't know the pressures you're under or what you're going through. You're not the kind of person people run from in a crisis.

3. Competent - You strive to master everything you undertake. You tend to learn quickly and do not shy away from challenges. You are not a "que sera sera" type of person, nor do you go easy on yourself when attempting to master a new skill or get a job done.

4. Friendly - You would rather hang out with others than spend time alone, and you'd far rather be doing something with your friends than just sitting around. You're happy in a crowded room, club, stadium, or auditorium. You're not a private person who is ill at ease in a group; you don't view excessive socializing as a waste of time.

5. Assertive - You behave in a confident and forceful manner, take charge of the situation, raise your hand in class, stand up for what you think is right, and lead others. Among those who have a high score on the "assertive" trait, many have jobs in which they are valued for their organizational skills as well as their talent for supervising others. You are not interested in fading into the woodwork, leaving everything to fate, taking more time than necessary to accomplish a task, or avoiding confrontation.

6. Poised - You tend to feel at home wherever you find yourself, even in unfamiliar settings, with new people. It takes a lot to rattle you, and when rattled you recover quickly and gracefully. You are usually not self-conscious or nervous when you're in an unfamiliar environment or with people you don't know.

7. Cautious - You very rarely make a move without first considering the pros and cons and, therefore, rarely do anything foolish or extravagant. You are not rash; you almost never act before you think and, therefore, rarely end up doing things you later regret.

8. Optimistic - You are a "glass half-full" kind of person, always on the lookout for the silver lining. Your happiness is contagious, which is why others like to be around you. You do not feel that the world is an intrinsically depressing place; you are not the kind of "realist" who thinks that only fools find joy in life.

9. Calm - You rarely become irritated, generally accept people as they are, take things as they come, and feel relaxed in most situations. You do not let a minor annoyance escalate to a confrontation. You don't regularly snap at those around you or fly off the handle with little provocation.

10. Steady - You are a reasonable kind of person; no one would describe you as a loose cannon. Even when everyone around you is losing it, you can be counted on to keep your cool and offer calm guidance. You do not regularly get bowled over by your emotions, nor do you make a point of showing everyone exactly what you're feeling.

I realize it takes a variety of methods to reach a variety of people, and I love Paul's out-of-the-box, whatever it takes commitment, but this description of Mars Hill Church's upcoming three year sermon series on the Gospel of Luke absolutely resonates with me:

Nearly all the "experts" in the areas of megachurch trends agree. . . to accommodate people's short attention spans and consumer desires, we should do simple, short series with pithy self-help topics compacted into brief feel-good sermons. But we are Mars Hill Church. We've always been far more about following the Holy Spirit than following trends. Furthermore, we have always been a church that has opened the Bible to learn about Jesus.

Bingo! Should be an awesome series. I'm looking forward to the podcasts.

P.S. Okay. . . the real reason I'm calling this to your attention is because it makes my former series on the book of Romans look like a brief walk in the park :)

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