excellence

Today, we were building a new stage design and taking down the old Christmas one for our main stage.  I had a worker cut some 2x2ft boards at the local hardware store that were slightly off the 2x2ft. This made it look only slightly off and we probably could have gotten away with it, but the guy I had asked to help with the project is a perfectionist, which in this case is a good thing.  He is taking them to re-cut them to get it right.
There is a difference between perfection and excellence.  There is only one who is perfect and His name is Jesus, but we can strive for excellence.  Excellence, is giving your very best to everything you do.  Do you work with excellence?

here and gone

It seems like Christmas flew by this year.  I feel like the older I get, the faster life goes.  I heard one older guy say, at 20 years old life moves at 20mph and at 40 years old it moves at 40mph, etc.  With life seeming to pick up speed, we had all better be intentional with how we use our precious time.

all talk

Are you just a talker or can you back it up?  I have found that it is one thing to talk it and a whole other thing to walk it.  Talk is cheap and easy, but to walk, is heavy and will cost you greatly.  Without the courage to move forward and walk, dreams never become a reality.  What do you need to quit talking about and start walking toward?

run at it

Gary Fowler (our exec. dir.) and myself have from the very beginning of launching C3 Church have made a promise to run at any problem or threat to the unity of our church.  What if we did this in our everyday lives?  Many times we let things fester or don't deal with the elephant in the room and it continues to grow.  As difficult as it can be, I have found that running toward your problems is always the best solution and here is why:
- You don't have to carry that emotional baggage of the "what if's" for long periods of time.
- It's usually not as bad as I thought it would be once we sat down to get it out in the open.
- Many times, what I feared the most was only in my head.
- It restores unity back to the relationship or team.
- It spoke volumes to those on my team who are under my leadership.

- What other reasons do you see?

school assembly

Today, I was so honored to speak to 400 7th-8th grade boys at Ridgeview Jr. High School, which is literally is only feet away from our church.  A young lady in our church Shayna Fowler has started "the Butterfly Project" which is an amazing school assembly of self respect and how girls should treat each other.  Through her they asked me to put together something for the boys we called "Own UP" which dealt with responsibility for our actions.  My prayer is that some of those young men were able to grab a hold of some truth that will help form them into men.

never lose it

Yesterday, for family moving night, we watched "Arthur Christmas."  There was a scene at the end where Santa, his older son (next in-line to be Santa) and his younger son Arthur were watching a little girl open her gift on Christmas morning.  Santa (about to retire) and the older son, had lost the real joy and sense of awe that Arthur possessed for what was happening.  In prayer this morning it made me think.  I have seen pastors/leaders who allow either enormity of what they are called to do, or maybe the difficulty of leading people, lead them to a calloused heart where they lose the "wonder and awe" of seeing people come to Jesus.  May I never forget what this life is all about.....loving people to saving grace of Jesus Christ.

possiblities

Today, I had the privilege of meeting with an incredible believer who is very gifted in a certain industry.  He is dedicated to furthering the Kingdom of God through His business and with his life.  God is blessing his business as he continues to pour it back into seeing people come to Jesus.

Can you imagine what could happen if all the believers in the world linked arms for the sole purpose of reaching people for Jesus, we could literally change the world!  As believers, if we can keep pride, greed, ego and the flesh out of the way, God could link us up to make a greater difference.  God has not called us to build OUR Empires....but HIS KINGDOM!  So let's change the world.....TOGETHER.

knee jerk

What is your knee jerk reaction?  In other words, when something negative happens, what is your first response?  I'm learning in leadership, that wisdom does not REACT, but rather RESPONDS to situations.  Reaction is natural and is almost always led by my emotions, which are fickle and not rationale.  Responding, on the other hand, is looking at the big picture, taking myself out of it and deciding what is the WISE thing to do.  If we are going to lead well, we must learn to keep a level head and not let our emotions get the best of us.  Do you react or respond?

seasons over

My deer season has come to end and it goes down as my best yet.  I was blessed to harvest 6 deer between 2 states and my freezers are full.  I feel refreshed because of spending time alone in the solitude of the woods where it was just me and Jesus.  I find myself every year craving to unplug and get away.  We all need times to get away.  It keeps us fresh and allows us to think.

revealed

It's amazes me that more I grow, the more gaps that are revealed in my life.  As our church continues to grow, there are areas in my life and leadership that have been been covered up or I have had just enough competence in, to get by.  But as the level rises, areas of my life and abilities are tested and tried and many times exposed for what they are not.  I then have a choice to either bring some gifted people around me to compensate for those areas or seek personal growth in them.  It is a painful humbling process as the more I grow and learn, the more I realize I don't know.

all my needs

God never said He would supply all my WANTS...but He did say He would supply all my needs.  As we continue to walk out this journey of a growing church that is planting churches, God has always given us what we needed.  We never have a lot of extra resources, but we always have enough to do what He is asking us to do.  God has never let us down yet, and it is amazing to know that He is in control and He owns it all.  My God has never failed us yet!

my sabbatical

I've been offline for a while as I headed off to the woods to spend some time sitting 20ft off the ground, in perfect silence in a tree stand.  For me, it is truly a time to recharge.  I was blessed to be able to come back to the camp and hang with my Dad, brother and friends.  This year has been my best yet by harvesting 5 deer between WV and Ohio!  I have filled my freezer and a buddies freezer to.  I feel like I am gearing up for another crazy season of explosive growth at C3....I can sense it on the horizon!

it's never easy

I have learned that pastoring a growing church can be fun, but never easy.  It takes constant attention to continue to move forward and keep everybody on the same page.  This is especially hard when you continue to change and therefore nothing remains the same for very long.  At least for us, growth means never fully getting a grasp on what we are doing.  But....I wouldn't have it any other way.

burnout

This morning in our C3li meeting with our future church planters, we talked about burnout.  It's so easy to get caught up doing things For God, that we don't spend any time With God.  This leads to us getting stale and eventually burning out.  We have to learn to read our personal gauges.  Things like emotionally, spiritually, physically, your marriage and family and the list could go on and on.  The key is running a sustainable balanced pace for the long haul.  How much longer can you run your current pace?

no limit

I had one of those moments the other day where the sky seemed to peel back and I had that thought without limits and here it is:  my vision is my only limitation.  

- Granted, ultimately God gives the vision and we all have personal limitations, but many of us shoot for a tree instead of a star.  At least if we shoot for a star, we might hit a mountain.  There are no limits to what God can do through us.  The key is to keep our eyes and thoughts off of us and on HIM!  

5

Sunday was an amazing day in the life of our now 6 year old church.  We had a decent crowd and some excitement as we announced THE 5 NEW CHURCH PLANTS we are helping launch in 2013!!

. Simple Church - Reynoldsburg - Aaron and Shanda DeLong
. City Reach - Brice - Bruce and Ana Folwell
. Real Church - TBD - James and Tiffany Dewhurst
. A Missions Church - Eldoret Kenya
. C3 Church - Baltimore Campus - Buddy and Chelli Watts

The message I shared Sunday was called DENT.  Each of our church planters shared their vision, then took a sledge hammer and hit a car hood we had hanging and made a Dent!  I was an incredible day.  We had a Birthday Party that night with cake, inflatables and dodgeball.  Then our church blessed our socks off with a huge gift that I did not see coming.  I feel incredibly blessed to be a part of this amazing church.

6

I can't believe we are turning 6 years old as a church.  I really do feel like we just launched this church yesterday!  It has been an amazing journey with some incredible people and I really believe that the best is yet to come!  We are about to make some big announcements this Sunday.  In the beginning, God called us to make a DENT in the kingdom of darkness for His namesake.  We won't stop or rest until everyone has heard!

fresh eyes

Today, we have a ministry consultant meeting with our staff to give us a fresh set of eyes on how we are operating organizationally as a church.  The key is, having a fresh set of eyes meet with our staff and see where we are misaligned or wasting in energy.  We want to continue to grow and be wise stewards of every dollar and every minute.  We hope to walk away with some fresh insight to realign ourselves with the vision and to make the greatest impact we can for the Kingdom of God.

one bite

There are times when things seem overwhelming.  We overcome these things by the old saying, "How do you eat an elephant?....one bite at a time."  Many times if I can just get started and continue moving forward, it will all eventually come together.  Sometimes, by just identifying what is the "first step" and then doing that, helps me accomplish the goal.  What are you spinning your wheels on?

wine-skin

The wineskin holds the wine.  The problem is that sometimes we place more value on the wineskin than the wine.  Also, you can't put new wine into an old wineskin or it will burst.  Many times as leaders we won't change our structure or the "how's" of ministry and therefore are unable to hold any new wine.  If God were to pour out "new wine" into our "old wineskins," it would burst and be unable to hold it.  God will not pour out His wine onto the ground.  We have a choice as both leaders and as individuals when it comes to God's "new wine."  If we don't continue to grow, change and prepare, we will never be entrusted with "new wine."  What are you preparing?

the past

What role does your past, play in your life?  We have all been shaped by our past.  Many of us have learned and grown from it, while others are buried under it.  Your past is either a platform or an anchor.  The choice is yours.

problems are opportunities

Every problem is an opportunity.  Almost all revolutionary ideas and inventions, have come out of problems.  The discomfort of problems can even help us focus more intently on finding a solution.  Problems can be an opportunity for change.  People only change to avoid pain or get pleasure.  In times of problems, leaders have a prime opportunity to step to the forefront and lead change.  The problems help create motivation and sometimes a wave of momentum that the leader can steer to move people out of their comfort zone and into a better way.

growth

Is there any area of your life you can stop working on and continue to grow?  The answer is no.  When we stop working on something, we stop growing and progressing in that area.  This goes for every area of our lives from physically, spiritually to marriage.  What areas of my life need some work?

twice as fast

I'm learning when it comes to continuing growing and moving forward as a church, you have to run twice as fast.  Nothing ever stands still.  There is always a current taking you backward.  This could be the culture which will leave you in the dust if you don't move with it.  In the church world, it could be the attrition of people moving away, dying or just plain leaving.  Whatever the case, to stand still means death.  If fact to even plateau, you have to be moving forward to make up for the opposite current.  To move forward, you have to run twice as fast.  It's a two steps forward, one step back.  At what pace are you moving?

never satisfied

As a leader, we can never be satisfied.  This is a dangerous thing to balance, I realize that.  I want to be content in whatever God allows me to steward, but I also never want to grow complacent and comfortable.  The moment I am satisfied with everything just the way it is, is the moment I began to go backwards.  So I'm striving to be content is who God has made me and in what capacity He is allowing me to serve, but at the same time I want to continue to reach farther and dream bigger.

The Forum

I have had an incredible time at the Forum pastors leadership event this week.  We heard from a great Pastor and leader named Dary Northrop from Colorado.  It was some rich teaching time and here are a couple of the highlights through quotes:
. Legacy happens through relationship.
. Trust is either earned or burned.
. Lead with love.
. When you walk in a room, act like everyone likes you....it will change you.
. Share a success, build a wall, share a failure, build a bridge.
. Our love has to be aggressive enough to move us into action.

Chew on it....I know i am.

be light

In the ABSENCE of light, darkness prevails.  Jesus called us the light of the world.  We turn on the TV and see so much darkness and pain and wonder "Where is God in all this?"  But I wonder if He is saying the same thing.  "Where are my people in all this?"  God has called us and given us His power to be light in a dark world.  As we move forward with His light, the darkness scatters.  The enemy uses fear and intimidation to keep the believers restrained.  But if we will just move forward toward that darkness, we will see it dissipate right before our eyes.  Where in your world is God's light needing to shine through you?

completed

This past weekend, a good friend of mine (Gary Fowler) and myself completed an Ironman triathlon.  (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run)  I can't put into words how grueling this race really is.  It is truly a battle of the mind and body.  You have to push yourself far beyond comfort and through several different levels of constant punishing pain.  There are points when you feel like the race will never end and your mental toughness has to be strong or this race will break you.  But....when you cross that finish line...I can't explain the sense of accomplishment.  I almost started crying out of sheer emotional and physical exhaustion.  To know that when you pushed yourself to your physical limits, you prevailed.  I praise God for the strength to accomplish this.  To Him be all the glory!

the moment of truth

This weekend is the moment of truth.  Myself and Gary Fowler our exec. dir. at C3 have both been training for an Ironman distance Triathlon.  That's a 2.4 swim on a lake / 112 miles on a bike / 26.2 mile run.  In other words when the sun comes up, the gun goes off and when the sun goes down we will still be running.  I'm hoping to be in the 12hr range.  This race pushes you beyond your limits until you are staring into the depths of you soul.  When you push that far, you find out who you really are.  This race will be my 2nd Ironman distance triathlon and I'm praying for God's strength.  The moment of truth, is right around the corner.  I'm anticipating the battle to come....within myself!

self-deceit

Demosthenes said: "Nothing is easier than self-deceit.  For what each man wishes, that he also believes to be true."
In what area's have we deceived ourselves?  It is beyond difficult to answer that question for ourselves. But how would others answer that for us?  Those close to us and those who may only be acquaintances.

off the grid

Last week, myself and 7 guys in the brotherhood went to the boundary waters for a 4 day canoe trip between Minnesota and Canada.  It was incredible.  We had perfect weather and a great time.  To be able to take off the electronic leash and unplug from the web was so refreshing.  I feel like I have come back revived.  When I am in the woods, I feel like everywhere I look, I see God.  A-MAZING!

ReGospel

We need to ReGospel our lives continually.  This means continually examining our lives to see if we are in line with the Gospel of Jesus.  We can naturally drift into being apathetic, cynical, comfortable and selfish.  It's almost like a tire alignment.  You get them all aligned and everything is cool until you hit a couple big potholes and then they have to be realigned again.  We live in a culture that is counter to the Gospel and must continually ReGospel our lives.

application

I workout at a gym, and over the years it has been amazing to watch people's bodies transform.  I have seen several obese people drop enough weight to equal a Jr higher!  Most people though, don't change. The reason is because they work out hard, and then leave only to undo everything they did.  They can't drive past the McDonalds on the way home without stopping and grabbing something.
Many people do this with church.  They worship, repent, give and then head home only to live completely opposite of what they have just heard and perhaps even professed.  So just like exercise is not enough with out eating right, so going to church without living it out during the week is self-defeating.
#ashleydukeman

weakness

A true team renders it's players weaknesses irrelevant.  A quarterback would make a horrible lineman, but his teammates make weakness that irrelevant.  Everyone playing their role, like the body of Christ.  A healthy team is a beautiful thing.

faith

FAITH PRECEDES PROVISION.
I think we always want it the other way around.  We want God to provide, then we will step out.  But where is the faith in that?  Faith is stepping out on obedience to God and trusting that He will come through for us.  It should go: Seek - Hear - Believe - Act - Receive.  In what area of your life is God asking you to step out in Faith, but you currently see no provision?

vacation

We just got back from vacation to Alabama, where we did a whole lot of nothing.  It was great just hanging with my family for a week and making memories.  With vacation, it's always good to leave, but it's also good to come back home.  I love having a job that I'm excited to come back to.

come and die

This past Sunday in our "Disciple" series, we looked at what it means to "take up your cross."  Jesus didn't sugar coat it at all when you look at the words He used in the Jewish context of His day.  Basically, His symbol is the cross and His slogan is "come and die."  Dying to ourselves in order to truly live for Him is a very tough and constant thing.  In fact, it must be done...daily.  What do you need to die to?

Napoleon

I was reading today what the great conquerer Napoleon thought about Jesus.  He was blown away how Jesus had won peoples hearts out of love and that they were willing to give up everything, even their very lives out of this devotion.  Napoleon mentioned how he could not force people to have such devotion and that someday he would be forgotten, but the legacy of Jesus Christ would continue to go on.  Pretty powerful coming from the most powerful man on the planet at the time.

guilty

Isn't it ironic that those who are guilty, don't want justice, but rather want mercy?  But if on the other side of that coin where the injustice has been done to them, they almost always want justice over mercy.

C3's Catalyst

Today and tomorrow we are having our own C3 "in-house" Conference.  We purchased this years "Catalyst West" DVD's and watched them as a team.  This way we are able to:
1. save money
2. involve more than just staff
3. actually have time to dialog as a team
4 save time by choosing only the sessions that apply to us

We ate together and I'm blessed to be a part of such an amazing team.

Disciple

Being a disciple means you are actively following Jesus.  This requires movement on our part, which causes us to have to deal with change.  As we follow Jesus, it leads to death.  Death to our sinful nature and to our flesh.  But through this death....we then experience TRUE LIFE.  Who's in? 

belief

It is a powerful thing when someone believes in you.  Personally, I have achieved more in my life in several areas, because someone believed in me.  I have run faster knowing that my mom was in the stands and "counting on me."  I have risked more in life, knowing I had a dad cheering me on.  It is truly amazing what the power of belief can do.  When you think about it, "the people who change us the most believe in us the most." (- Rockwell)  If that's true, who are you believing in?  Be that for someone else.

vision/mission

Last night at our church wide vision meeting called "Dr3am," we played this video.  God is leading us to big things and we can feel the Holy Spirit at work.  We are honored to play a part of what HE is doing!http://vimeo.com/45851098

relentless

I was once told a story about a college cross-country team who's van was egged by a couple jr. high kids. The coach hit the brakes and yelled.."go get em!" The runners filed out the van door and the chase began. Those jr. highers had no chance of getting away. Every time they turned around the runners were getting closer...as they were relentless. They caught the kids, called the police and their parents and restitution was made. I want to be relentless in my leading and in my relationship with Jesus. I never want to stop...ever.

10%

I heard a quote the other day that of all the ministers that graduate from Bible College, only 10% will finish strong and still in the ministry. There are so many pitfalls and land mines that most are picked off. Almost monthly, I hear of another minister that has fallen and it breaks my heart for it is by the grace of God that it's not me. We must plan NOT TO FAIL and try to think through and prepare ourselves ahead of time for any pitfall that could come our way. We have to continually guard our heart and stay close to Jesus. After that, the only thing we can do is trust Jesus and stay close by His side.

greener grass?

Why do we always think that the grass is greener somewhere else or even with someone else? Here are a couple truths behind the green grass? 1. The grass is greener because the manure is thicker: There is always a price to pay for everything in life. When people have achieved something worthy of praise, there is usually a whole lot of pain, discipline and hard work that no one ever sees. The real issue is, we are just not willing to pay the price for green grass. 2. The grass is greener because they water it: Too many times we are so busy looking at someone else's grass that we neglect our own. While the people we are envious of, are pouring their heart and soul into theirs. How's your grass?

trap

We have been blessed with a pool and part of my job is to keep it clean. On occasion, I find dead mice and even a couple of moles floating in the water. They are coming for the water, which is life sustaining, but too much ends up killing them. Isn't that just like life? Food is great, but too much will kill us. Even exercise is needed and beneficial, but too much can hurt you as well. Everything must be done in moderation. Is there something in your life that is out of balance and if so, how do you fix the problem?

Serve

This whole week our church has been out in the community every day serving. This week culminated with a program called ACTS of Pickerington, which combined several churches in Pickerington as we served together. We passed out water, gave cookies to service people and fixed up some parks. We had lunch and then did a meal packaging event to feed starving kids in Uganda. We packaged over 40,000 meals in 2 hours. It was an incredible thing to be a part of. Altogether, the day was amazing and God got the glory.

keep moving

There are times in life where it is easy to just coast. To let up on the personal growth, dreaming and planning for the future and just slip into the land of comfort. But the truth is, we reap what we sow. If we are not planting anything today, there will be no new plants or fruit tomorrow. What happens tomorrow, depends on what you prepare and plant today. So keep moving!

story

I was listening to a podcast this morning and Andy Stanley was talking about decisions. One thing he said was "When it is all said and done, what story to you want to tell?" Cause after the decision or the event or even the consequences, we are always left with a story. With every decision, think through what story you want to tell?

camp 2

God never ceases to amaze me what He does in students lives, in and through camp. We saw God move powerfully and lives were changed. I pray that they guard what God did in their lives as the enemy would love to steal it from them. How do we guard what God has done? Here are a couple ways: - Journal it: so you can go back and re-read what God has done. - Make a plan: how will your life be lived out different? Get a plan for what specific changes that will be made. - Accountability - tell someone what happened and how you are changed. Then, have them ask you tough questions to hold you accountable to that. - Don't stop - keep chasing Jesus, get in your Bible, pray daily, get plugged in a good church. How do you keep a fire going? Add fuel to it. Continue adding fuel to your spiritual fire.

Camp.....

I will always love camp. It's at camp that God does some amazing things in students lives. I used to run camps all summer and now get to occasionally be the speaker at them. I'm at a camp right now and truly enjoying it. Last night there was a huge storm that knocked out the power so we had acoustic worship and I spoke from a megaphone....but God still moved. I'm looking forward to the rest of the week.

how to get vision out

Anytime vision is presented, it must be given by more than one person in order for it to be truly grasped. There are 3 classifications: 1. Casters 2. Clarifiers 3. Communicators As vision is cast it just can't be words, but it must be lifestyle and modeled through behavior. "Vision has no force, power or impact unless it spreads." - Barna

leaky

We are all love tanks that leak. Think about it. We all need love, belonging, approval, etc and it has to be continual because we leak. We find ourselves seeking love in many areas, most are unhealthy. Can you imagine what life would be like, if the only one you wanted to please was God, who already loves you and accepts you unconditionally? It would change our lives. The crazy thing is...it's true. So, let's seek the love we need to fill our tank, from the ONE who is Love!

awards

Today, Keri and I went to Kaden's awards ceremony at his school. I was blown away how smart my son is! He racked up 6 awards. Intellectually, he is in unchartered territory for someone with the last name "Stephens." ha... It's amazing how you begin to see your kids find their giftings and realizing what they are good at. This was a great lesson to teach him, that when you work hard, it does pay off.

Panama

We had an incredible trip to Panama! Our church raised $10,000 to build a new church in Colon Panama. Our team did amazing and kept focused the whole time. We truly left the country with no regrets. It's amazing how you can bond with people by serving together. We did a lot of construction by laying block and putting the tin roofing sheets down, as well as some demolition of some old walls. At night we did services and saw 11 people come to Christ in this new church plant. It was a great trip.

Panama 2

I'm so proud of our team. They worked very hard today, putting up the last truss on the church our first team began. We put on some more of the roof and began building the walls with blocks. Our team mixed all the concrete by hand. It was a great day of work. Trips like this are like a marathon, you have to pace yourself to make sure you finish strong!

Panama 1

We arrived last night, the 16 of us ate together and had a devotional as a team. This morning we went to the new church our first team began. I was given the honor of preaching the first message under the new roof and it was Pentecost Sunday. We had 3 people come to Christ this morning and our team did amazing praying for the people. Also, we heard the Pastor share an amazing story of how he was discouraged and about to give up. He felt God tell him to stand strong, so he gave God two months. That's when God moved huge. Within that time, we were here and built this building. The real miracle is that for us, this was plan C. Only because 2 other opportunities fell through we're we going to Panama. Then the missionary to Panama that we were working with, was setting us up in two other places that fell through as well, and so this was again a plan C. But in Gods equation....it was an answer to both our prayers. It is an amazing feeling knowing that you are in the Will of God.

memories

Today, I'm going to my boys schools to take them out early just to spend time together. I have a special couple hours planned that I know they will love. They have no clue I'm coming and I'm looking to create a memory they will have forever. I was blessed to have a dad who did this for me....and I still cherish the memories.

take it all in

I have a philosophy in life, that I want to get to the end of my life having used every bit of energy, gifting, finances, and love to enjoy this life to the fullest. I want to live as close to "red lining" as possible to take it all in and enjoy everything that God has given me. Yesterday, I was up early, preached 3 services, grabbed a quick lunch, ran a 5k race near the church, crossed the line and jogged to the church, showered, straight into a missions meeting and then off to a Pentecost Rally, prayed at the altar for people and then headed home. I was exhausted, but I felt I took in everything that I possibly could. I guess my point is, let's make the most of everyday and every opportunity. Wherever you are...be there...all there and in doing so, enjoy the richness of life.

friction

Friction makes rough things smooth. Friction removes the rough edges on something. The same goes for our lives. Friction may be painful, but it has a way of making us more like Jesus.

weight

In life and especially in ministry, there is always weight to carry. Some of it is our own baggage, but much of it is the baggage of those close to us. It is so hard not carry it when your heart breaks for them and their situation of what they are going through. We all shoulder this weight differently, but the real key is to lay it at the feet of Jesus. He already carried and died for every burden and all sin. What weight are you carrying?

Mom

I want to thank my mom for all that she has done for me. Over the years she has sacrificed, prayed and invested in me. I know that much of who I am, I owe to her. My entire life has been spent knowing that she believes in me and that she is always praying for me. My mom gave up some of the best years of her life to pour into me and because of that investment, I am able to go farther and reach higher. So now my moms legacy will live on in my life, and that of my children as well. I love you mom!

at what point

At what point will you jump into something before anyone else does? At what point will you give up and call it quits? At what point will you stop being generous? At what point is your patience gone? At what point will you stop loving, changing, growing and moving forward? Whatever that point is, reveals a whole lot about you and me.

MI District Council

Sitting in the airport, waiting to return from Lansing MI and just reflecting. I had the chance to speak the morning session at the MI District Council on church planting and reaching the Millennial (Gen Y) Generation. God is so good and is at work all across this great nation. My prayer is that today church plants were conceived in the hearts and spirits of church planters and ministers left challenged.

evangelism

Jesus gave us an approach on how to reach the lost in Luke 10:5,8-9. The steps are simply: - Speak peace to them - Fellowship with them - Take care of their felt needs - Proclaim the Good News For too long Christians have been at war with the lost. God has called us to speak peace and blessing over them. As we do this, God opens the door for fellowship. Again, we are not sharing the Gospel yet, other than with our lives. After we have fellowshipped and gotten to know them, they feel comfortable enough to share their heart and biggest needs. At this point, we share we have been praying for them and that we will pray specifically for their need. From there, God either answers their prayer or uses us to be the answer. Then their heart is now open to hear the life changing message of Jesus.

Shift

As a church we are in the process of shifting for the next phase of growth. We are creating more roles for more Leaders to fill. We are praying this new structure will help us continue to grow to the next level. A growing healthy church really comes down to 2 words, problem solving. First you have to identify them, then have the courage to deal with them.

Great Sunday

We had several people come to Christ and we baptized 5 on Sunday morning and 1 more in the evening prayer service! A question for us all today: Are we living our lives for a purpose? A purpose that keeps us focused and living fulfilled and that keeps us motivated. Are you living life "on purpose?" We will not make a mark on this Earth for Christ, if we don't live with purpose....HIS Purpose.

sick

I hate being sick. I picked up some kind of virus and have been laying in the bed most of yesterday and today as well. While in bed yesterday, the Ohio Assemblies of God Network Conference business meetings were going on and I was elected as an Executive Presbyter. I am both humbled and privileged by this vote of confidence from my fellow ministers throughout Ohio. Also, I believe I'm the youngest ever to hold this office nation wide. I'm praying for God's wisdom in this new endeavor....I'm gonna need it!

Consumer or producer

Do you take more than you give? Whether it is emotional, monetarily or in any other area of life? May we all live a life that gives more than we take. May we leave people feeling full rather than drained after we connect with them. We can do this looking for ways to invest and deposit to make the world a better place. What do you have and how can you give it away?

Adventure

This life with Christ should be an adventure. If it's not, you are doing something wrong. If we are truly following Jesus, then our lives should be unpredictably predictable. In other words, we should know that God is going to continually shake things up on us. He wants to stretch us and grow us in our faith and trust in Him and this does not come without a cost. The cost is our comfort and routine. I want to be the person that God can dream with. Someone who will dream with God outside of my own limitations.

purpose

Purpose precedes production. If anything worthwhile is going to be accomplished in life, it must come from purpose. Production without purpose is life draining. I learned that the Nazi's would force those in their concentration camps to move large rocks from one side of camp to the other, and would do this over and over every day. That production without purpose took not only a physical but deep emotional toll on the prisoners. It is the same for all of us today. If we feel purpose in what we are doing, it allows us to work toward production that brings us satisfaction.

God idea

Yesterday while in prayer, I had a God idea...that I can't share yet. I can't because it is still very immature. I am putting it in the incubator of prayer to allow it to grow. Prayer is how I process ideas to see if they are from God...or bad pizza from the night before. Also, many times there are people who love to walk around with needles to pop any one's idea or vision for what could be. Right now, I can't fully defend the idea, b/c I only know the WHAT...and am still getting clarity on the HOW. In God's time and way, I pray that this idea can help make Jesus famous!

continuos learning

The day we stop learning and growing, is the day we begin to die. We must be continually learning and growing. I read an article the other day that talked about how knowledge is now doubling every 18 months. What used to take a decade or more, now takes a matter of months and it is ever shrinking all the time. If we are not continually learning and growing, we will soon be left behind. As leaders, we can either lead the charge or be drug behind. What are you learning?

pieces

We have some amazing people at C3 Church! I really feel that we are about to push to a whole notha level and the key is going to be putting the right people in the right places. I feel that God always gives us all the pieces we need to do the work He has called us to do. It's then our responsibility to seek His face and wisdom to know what that looks like. This is where I find myself....seeking wisdom. How about you?

thoughts

The essence of who we are is in our thoughts. Proverbs 23:7 says, "For as a man thinketh in his heart, so he is." Our thoughts paint our lives, by either making it brighter or darker. They lead us closer to Christ or drag us farther away and our actions soon follow after them. Change your thoughts and change your life. What are you thinking about?

FOR not FROM

I want to lead people because I want something FOR them, not just FROM them. There is a huge difference in the two. "FROM" is where the leaders just wants what a person can DO for the ministry or company. While "FOR" is developing the persons God given gifts and challenging them to go farther than they could have on their own. Yes, the person is fulfilling a role, but at the same time impacting the Kingdom of God and using the God given gifts entrusted to them. It should be a win-win.

Easter

I'm so proud of our church and our amazing leaders. We had 3 great services on Sundays for Easter with 8 adults and several children coming to Christ. I'm not one to normally post numbers other than Easter, but we praise God for the 881 people in attendance between the 3 services. God is so good. There was an excitement in the church and I could feel the Holy Spirit moving and at times it was even visible in peoples faces. I'm so honored to be a part of a healthy thriving church.

drain or energize

Do you drain or energize the people around you? Why? Is there anything you need to change about yourself? Can you be more intentional in this area of your life?

PS - Take some time to thank and remember what Christ did for us 2012 yrs ago today, when He died on the cross for our sins.

catch and release

We are in the process of God bringing us some amazing leaders to C3. Our heart is to raise them up and launch them out to change the world. What if every church truly made disciples and then sent them out to change the change world? The "Dent" that could be made would be Huge! We must operate on the Truth of God's Word that says "we reap what we sow."

amish

Monday and Tuesday of this week my wife and I got a away to Amish country to a bed and breakfast and had a very relaxing time. We got to hear more on their way of life. They are an incredibly disciplined and do their best not to become like the world around them. But there is another part of their way of life that breaks my heart. It seems to me that they are so worried about the exterior and following the rules, that it has become bondage to them. I heard several stories, one of which where they wouldn't let a man take communion because his suspenders clipped instead of buttoned and another because his pants were a slight different color. As fallen creation, we are all bent to go there, where we make our spiritual lives about our works. If we do everything right and follow all the rules, then we might get it. But we are not saved by our works, but only through Christ Jesus sacrifice on the cross. When you boil it down, it all comes down to the condition of our hearts. This is what we will all be judged by God on.

man up challenge

Right now we have the majority of the men in our church doing a Man-Up Challenge for 30 days. They are all split up on teams of about 5 for accountability and are daily reading their Bibles, journaling and praying out loud with someone else. It has been organized as a competition, but the heart is to get the men of our church closer to Jesus. We are praying for God to do something huge in the lives of our men during this time.

Spiritual impact

What kind of spiritual impact does your life have on those around you? What about at your work, family, friends or even church? We make that impact through things like prayer, our actions, truth and love. I want to focus this week on making a Spiritual Impact!

sharpening

Yesterday, I got to be a part of a meeting in which Jeff Leake, who is a church planting guru, spoke. He and his church have planted several healthy churches. and God has blessed them. I loved his humility and heart for following the Spirit of God. There were also several other church planters there who hope to plant churches someday from out of their churches. It's amazing how being around different people of vision can sharpen you. We many times rise or fall according to the level of those around us. I walked away feeling that iron had sharpened iron.

Feel

How something "feels" plays a big role in whether we like something or don't. We have that "feeling" of belonging or pushed out when we attend a new meeting. Or the "feel" of a restaurant or store speaks incredibly loud to whether we will return. Maybe it's the "feeling" you get around another person, perhaps warm, loving or even creepy. Whatever the case, how we "feel" plays a huge role in our lives. Now ask yourself the question, how do you make people feel?

what's stopping you?

Have you ever thought of the answer to this question? What IS stopping you? What is your dream? What is that obstacle keeping you from pursuing it? Many times it is just fear or uncertainty. If your dream/vision is from God, who is all powerful, then what can stop you? Only YOU. Think about what is stopping you...write it on paper...and then with God's help, overcome it.

optimistic

I came across this today from Leadership Freak: - Be optimistic about the future and realistic about the present. Optimism frustrates others if you don’t acknowledge present realities and problems, first. -
I now for me, I may be acknowledging the problems and realities in my head, but not to my team. My team needs to know that I feel the weight of the present before I/we can look to the future.

routines

We are people of routines. Routines can be both good or bad, the question is where do they lead us? Currently, our church is in a 21 Daniel Fast leading up to Easter. This fast, is pulling us out of our routines and therefore challenging people to change and seek God. What if we had a normal routine of changing our routines? Just a thought.

perfectly

My life is perfectly designed to get the results I am getting. Whether it is my relationships, health, spiritual health, etc, you name it, my life is perfectly designed to get those results. If I want different results, I need to change. This week, we will be talking about trading. What are we willing to "trade" to receive something else? Everything in life is a trade off and we will only trade something for something else, when we see more value in that something else.

Daniel Fast

Our church has begun our season of fasting leading up to Easter. We are doing a 21 Daniel Fast, which is pretty much fruits, vegetables and water. Our heart is to seek God for something in our own lives, for our church that leading into Easter we see people come to Christ and for our City. I really feel like the timing is right for our church. We are in a season of growth having just moved to 3 services, but are also seeing some individual families come against some junk. I'm praying for God to blow the lid off of this thing.

lack of faith

When I worry, it is a lack of faith. When I get over busy and feel overstressed, that is a lack of faith. It's a lack of faith because I believe that I am master of the universe and the world can't function without me. I guess I had just never really thought of these things being a lack of faith, but they are. How's your faith?

kony2012.com

This video is amazing. Again, I have heard of invisible children and know of their work and am just learning about this project. The thing that is truly amazing is how they leveraged social media to ignite a world wide movement. This project will change the world as we know it, because it opens the door to spreading information across the world at the speed of "viral." I'm believing that something incredibly huge for the Glory of Jesus can be spread through this medium and literally change the world in a very short time frame. I'm praying that God releases the creativity to see this happen!

responsible

I have really begun to feel the weight of responsibility. To say it clearly...."I am responsible." In a culture that shirks responsibility, we have to know that God will hold us accountable for things within our power and people that He has placed under our authority. For me, I am responsible for my wife, children, myself and church, just to name a few. I am also responsible for those who have been called by God to full-time ministry and are in our church. I must do what I can to help encourage, equip, empower and release them into ministry. What are you responsible for?

incredible weekend

I got up and 4am on Friday morning to drive to Youngstown and spend a few hours with an amazing man of God, Pastor David Thomas. I'm completely humbled that he would take the time to invest in me. He also allowed me to share with the Victory School of Ministry students who were incredibly hungry. I left there to speak Friday night and Saturday morning to a group of Youth Pastors and leaders at the Align Conference...with my friend Tom Groot. I had a great time and saw God do some cool things. Then I came home and hung with my family. I gleaned so much this weekend and feel incredibly blessed to have experienced it.

less is more

We are re-looking at the Simple Church model again and how our church is operating. We started 5 years ago very simple. It's amazing though, how quickly the simple can slip into the complex. Our jobs as leaders is to keep what we are leading focused. What is the main goal? What can we measure to get there? Is what we are doing successful? Are we being effective? Are we being efficient as stewards of what has been entrusted to us? It's crazy to think about, but complexity is simple and simplicity is difficult.

Release the Kraken

What could happen if churches truly developed and released followers of Jesus Christ to change their world? What could happen if every believer in our churches were sharing God's love continually, praying with power and revealing Jesus daily? It would be a "Release the Kraken" on the kingdom of darkness. The Church of Jesus is a sleeping giant that has no clue of the power it has, and the enemy wants to keep it that way. It's time to wake up...and to RELEASE THE KRAKEN!

pencils

Mother Theresa once said "I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world."

Truly, we are not authoring anything, but we can be used by the Great Author! As we allow God to use us by being a vessel through which He can love the world, we begin to take a bigger part of His great masterpiece.

Can God write His love on others and the world with your life?

Great Sunday

We kicked off 3 services yesterday with 8:15, 9:45, 11:30 services and had a great turnout. Our team did amazing preparing for this and our church jumped in to serve and make it happen. We now are positioned to grow to the next level by being able to hold more people. Our community groups kick off in 2 weeks helping people grow in relationship with God and others which is perfect timing. Last night we had an incredible prayer service. God is moving in our church and we are honored to be a part of it.

afraid of

Today, I'm really thinking through the question; What am I afraid of? That is a really hard question and the answers to that question leave me vulnerable and weak. This causes me to protect myself by putting up a wall of protection, which then keeps me from ever dealing with these things until the walls are broken down. My walls will never be broken down without an incredible and usually painful impact. .....Wow...the more I think on this, the deeper it goes. I really believe the key is, when you see something in your life contrary to the Word of God, quickly confess it, ask for strength and then line up your life in obedience to God.

What are you afraid of?

consumers vs. contributors

The bigger our church gets, the easier it is to have our people become producers. It is just the nature of the beast. In a small church, everyone has to do something, which creates contributors. So we are at the point where we have to get smaller as we get bigger. We have to create opportunities for people to discover and develop their giftings and then put them to good use, while at the same time remain focused. This is a big and constant undertaking.

past

I read a good blog today about never letting the past hinder our future. If anything, our past should be a launching pad for the future, regardless of whether it was good or bad. If our past was negative, it should drive us to change. If our past was positive, we should continue to move forward to build upon it to honor it. Both positive and negative pasts can either hinder us or propel us. They can hinder through fear to move forward or trying to recapture what was once experienced. They can propel us by running away from it, or by striving to make the world better than what you experienced. The key is to learn from our pasts and use that experience to help us move forward in the here and now.

passion feeder

What are you passionate about? How do you stay passionate? It is a constant battle to stay in the stream that produces your passion. I think the key is figuring out, what feeds your passion and then being intentional about constantly trying to stay there. When we operate in our passions, we are way more effective and live with greater levels of satisfaction.
What feeds your passion?

Filthy rich

Did you know that if your household makes over $38k a year, you are in the top 4.5% riches people on the planet? Or that over half the worlds populations makes under $2 a day? But the hard one to swallow is that everyday, 26,565 children will die of preventable causes related to their poverty. We ask ask the question, "Why God would you let this happen?". But I believe someday that God will ask us the same question. If He blessed us with so much wealth where our garages and basements are full, yet we still don't give and instead continue to consume and hoard it all for ourselves. Will we not be held accountable for this? It would be like a father watching one child who has several cookies, while his brothers and sisters have none and then the father watches that child consume every cookie while the other children look on. You and I are filthy rich and we will be held responsible for what we do with it.

15 years

Today, is my Keri and I's 15th wedding anniversary. We have had an amazing adventure together. I can honestly say that I love her more today than I did when I married her. We have both grown considerably in the last 15 years and learned a lot about loving and respecting each other. Every marriage has it's moments, but I can honestly say it has been amazing. When two people are committed to each other and allow God's grace to be continually be in the middle and daily make the decision to love and cherish each other, marriage can be incredible. I am blessed beyond measure. I love my wife!

I know

I once knew a kid who would ask how something works and then in the middle of you showing him would say, "Oh, I know." The truth is, as leaders there is whole lot we DON'T KNOW. In fact the bigger our church gets, the more I as the Pastor don't know. I have to be fine with that or I can hinder people, the organization and even hinder what God wants to do here. I think the reason we hold on, is b/c we think we know. We think we "know" what is best and want control, when if fact many times we really "don't know."
Doubting your knowing is the beginning of knowing. Realizing that we don't and can't have all the answers is really the beginning. When you look at this through a spiritual lens, God is the only one who really KNOWS everything.

Random

Okay so last after church I came home and got the kids into bed and someone was knocking at my door at around 10 pm. I looked and knew the teenager so I opened the door and he reaches his hands out and hands me a beta fish in a container and then turns around and runs. Why...I have no clue. Actually, I'm not even real sure where I am going with this post other than...life can be random and things that are unexpected occasionally happen.
Of course we texted him back and threatened that the fish would be flushed by morning. He came back and got it and it was given randomly to a very deserving family who actually wanted a fish. Random man...random.

lazy prayer

My friend BeckE Medina has coined the term "Lazy Prayers." That thought really challenged me to examine my own prayers. It is easy to get lazy and mechanical in our prayer lives and they soon are just going through the motions. Prayer that changes things comes from the heart. It is thinking deep and being led by the Holy Spirit. Praying with passion and allowing God to break our heart for the things that breaks His heart. Prayer that moves the heart of God, comes from desperation and a faith that God is who He said He is.
Have you been praying lazy prayers?

bullets

Jim Collins says, “Shoot bullets before cannon balls.”
In other words, test the waters before you totally jump in. Some ideas could be:
- Try something or someone in a certain position for a 3 month trial.
- Find a way to do the same thing, but only on a smaller scale and then get feedback.
- Research and get some facts.

I would love to hear how you test the waters.

Community Groups

We are about to enter another season of Community Groups. They are the lifeblood of our church. Check out a couple of the testimonies of LifeChange on this link. http://vimeo.com/36774459

control

Control is something we all deal with at some level. We like to be in control. Whether it is money, future, kids, our lives, driving a car and many other things. But really, how much are we really in control of? Our lives could be ended today from a situation outside of our control. Or perhaps life as we know it could change in a second and we had no control to stop it or change it. Our urge to control everything stems from fear. And that fear can make our lives miserable. Imagine how life could be if we really trusted that God was in control and had everything, including our lives, in His hands.

reputation

A good name is more desirable than great wealth. Everyone has a reputation. It may be a good one, a bad one or even an unknown one, but all of us have one. Good reputations are earned slowly and lost quickly. They are the sum of our past work ethic, attitudes and decisions. Have you ever thought about what kind of reputation you want to have? And who do you want to know you that way? What if we became the people we want to be? Not that we fake anything, but we truly work to be the people who can be loved, respected and trusted. What's your reputation with your family, friends, peers and coworkers?

no stopping

Today, I finished reading Battersons "Circle Maker" and it has truly amped up my prayer life. I read a quote today that said, "Don't let what you CAN'T do, stop you from what you CAN do."
Many times we look at all the things that are out of our power and therefore never attempt anything beyond what we can do. This is not the life of faith that God has called us to. All He asks is that we believe and take a step of faith. That faith combined with action moves the heart of God. He is then the one who accomplishes what only HE can do. So what is stopping you from moving forward?

God guides and provides

Where God guides, He also provides.
I have seen this over and over in my life. I heard one guy say, "If it's God's Will, it's God's bill." Really when you think about it, it's God's name who is on the line. It's His Kingdom that we are working for and it's His people we are striving to see redeemed. Following Jesus is a life of faith, but there is no other adventure in the world that I would rather be on.

Ministers Retreat

My family and I had an incredible time at the Ministers Retreat at Kalahari for the past 2 days. We had some great family time, receiving time and it was great to see some friends. I did appreciate the first night session where the speaker talked about "posture." He challenged our view of God and what we preach by saying God's posture toward us is face to face. Also, are we in a posture to receive from God? He wants to bless us, but many times it comes down to our "posture," whether or not we receive it correctly or at all.
How is your "posture?"

giver or taker

Are you a giver or a taker? In relationships and friendships, do you add, or are you constantly taking? With your finances, are you a giver or are you always taking and expecting? With your words, are you an encourager or do you negatively tear people and things down? If we were to add the sum total of your life in these and so many more areas, would we have a positive or negative balance?

humility

Batterson says, "Humility honors God and God honors humility." The Bible is very clear that pride is repulsive to God, but humility He rewards by lifting us up. Humility is not being someones doormat, but rather realizing who we are in relation to God. He is the owner of EVERYTHING and we are only STEWARDS. Every breath we breath was given to us from God. All life exists for Him and that includes mine and yours.

retreat

I am incredibly blessed to be surrounded by some amazing people. They are truly a gift to Gary and I and our church. It's amazing to have discussion with people who care about something as much as you do. I am praying God's favor on the decisions that were made this weekend.
Huge thanks to Jim and Susan Parker for use of their amazing place out in the country for our retreat.

ELT Retreat

I am excited about this weekend as it is the first Executive Leadership Team Retreat that we have ever taken. We are going to seek God as the leadership of our church and pray together for God's direction and favor. There are several big decisions that need to be made and discussed. It will be exciting to welcome our 2 new members as well. Praying for a great weekend.

bothers me

My wife and I had a discussion the other day about things that bother us, because they bother us. The problem is, when something that bothers you, doesn't bother you. These are different levels of spiritual maturity. How much it takes to offend you is revealing of how spiritually mature you are. If you get offended, that is revealing. If you are offended, but it bothers you that it offended you, that is a higher level of spiritual maturity. And if something on that same level happens but doesn't offend you, that as well is a whole other level of spiritual maturity. So in other words, being bothered about something bothering you, should only bother you to the point that you are pushing through it so it won't bother you.

The Blessed Life

As a church we are going through the Blessed Life book by Robert Morris. God is doing some amazing things through the revelation of God's Word through this book. It's amazing how much of a grip money has on our hearts. It's kind of crazy when you think about it, that many people will trust God with their soul for eternity....but not with their money. Truly, money is the great revealer.

MLK

Today we honor an incredible leader who changed our country. Martin Luther King Jr. stood up for truth and justice even at the expense of his life. I pray that God would raise up more world class leaders who have the wisdom to know what is right, and the courage to live it out.

anointing

Today, I was incredibly blessed to have spent some time with Pastor David Thomas. He said that "anointing chases obedience." He went on to share how God makes us look good and the only thing required of us is to obey. When we are obedient to God's leading, we look smarter than we are, and accomplish more than we ever could have hoped for. What a great deal. I'm so glad God keeps this simple.....just obey...and His anointing will be on your life.

what's next?

Thinking through clarity, vision and communication lately. I feel I need to do a better job at doing these things. I think one of the keys is looking to see if I have all the information I need to make a wise decision. I may be paralyzed because I need more info, more time to process or perhaps need a confirmation from God. Whatever the case, by identifying what step is "next" can be incredibly freeing. Once we know what is next, we can continue to move forward. It's when we don't know what is next that we get stuck.

What's your next step?

messy

Ministry is messy. As a Pastor you do your best to help people and love them through all their baggage, while at the same time dealing with your own battles. Then sometimes, those you have invested in the most, will hurt you the deepest. Or those you have journeyed with for some time, just walk away from Jesus and make foolish decisions. That's the part of ministry that hurts. But even through all the mess, it's what I am called to....and it is the heart of Jesus to see His creation restored. Jesus is the only one who can clean up the mess in peoples lives and my job is to love people to Him.

in my way

Sometimes God gets in our way, to show us His way.
I know that is true many times for me and I have lived this out. It's hard to understand at the time, but I'm incredibly grateful when it is all plays out.

embrace

Embrace what God has put in front of you.

vision beyond resources

I came across this phrase, "vision beyond resources" in Mark Battersons book, "The Circle Maker" this past week. I want this to be a mantra for how I live and lead. Truly if the vision we are running at is not beyond our resources, then it's most likely not from God. His Will for us is so much bigger than ourselves and it can never be reached in our own strength, but can only be achieved through His. This involves faith, which is easy to talk about but hard to live out. Is the vision that you are living out bigger than your resources?