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?"