konan stephens

giver or taker

2012-01-25T09:42:00.002-05:00

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

2012-01-24T14:57:00.002-05:00

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

2012-01-21T22:39:00.002-05:00

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

2012-01-20T14:52:00.002-05:00

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

2012-01-18T11:04:00.002-05:00

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

2012-01-17T16:23:00.002-05:00

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

2012-01-16T22:41:00.004-05:00

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

2012-01-12T21:45:00.002-05:00

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?

2012-01-10T10:07:00.002-05:00

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

2012-01-07T22:08:00.002-05:00

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

2012-01-05T09:07:00.004-05:00

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

2012-01-04T18:13:00.001-05:00

Embrace what God has put in front of you.

vision beyond resources

2012-01-03T10:26:00.002-05:00

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?

next level

2011-12-30T19:21:00.002-05:00

I know that God is wanting to take our church to another level in 2012. In order for that to happen, I have to go to another level. I feel that God is calling me to a deeper prayer life with Him. Making this a reality will take more than emotion or hunger, it will take discipline. I have set down to work out my weekly schedule in order to organize what I truly deem important and prayer is at the top of the list. I'm praying that 2012 is our greatest year yet in Loving people to LifeChange!

personal prayer retreat

2011-12-29T09:02:00.002-05:00

Yesterday afternoon I showed up on the Heartland campgrounds to spend some time with Jesus. I try to do this at least once a year to seek God for His vision for my life as well as the church He has allowed me to Pastor. It's a time to evaluate the past and plan for the future. This is a time when I try to give God my complete undivided attention....except for while writing this post......

Christmas

2011-12-27T19:56:00.002-05:00

We had a great Christmas. Our 2 Christmas eve services went well and Christmas day was incredible just being with family. Our house was full of our family, food, presents and nerf gun wars. Life is so much better when we take time to be grateful for the little things.

die daily

2011-12-22T11:02:00.003-05:00

This life with Jesus is all about us dying to our flesh in order to live in Christ! I had to ask myself today, what have I died to lately? What fleshly desire am I currently burying? And if I can't think of one...am I really denying myself, taking up my cross and following Jesus. My walk with Jesus must be daily and that means "death" to myself...daily. Ouch.

what are you?

2011-12-21T09:48:00.002-05:00

Are you an encourager or a discourager? Does your life instill hope or hopelessness in others? Do you build people up or tear them down?
To discourage someone is easy: Do nothing. Say nothing. Be negative. Encouraging on the other hand takes some work. I learned the power of encouragement from my Father. People like to be around my dad for the simple fact that he makes them feel better about themselves. He is a Pastor, so on a weekly basis people at his church line up to shake his hand, receive a hug or just a kind word following each service. Many will wait for 20+ minutes for this opportunity because it is that important to them.
How do you know if you are an encourager or a discourager?
- Do people gravitate to you?
- Are you intentionally looking for ways to build others up?
- Do others smile often around you?

Be an encourager this week?

notes from Hope Matheny

2011-12-20T10:32:00.002-05:00

This morning in our C3LI (Leadership Institute, or pastors in training) we had Hope Matheny who has served in leadership at C3 since the beginning. She is an amazing woman of God and a business woman as well. Here are some of my takeaways from her teaching on Conflict Resolution.
- Division/Conflict is a spiritual battle and must be approached, prayed through and treated as such.
- Everyone walks in with their view of the truth...even if skewed.
- If there is conflict, it is due to either fear or pride.
- Chase the truth fiercely.
- To deal with conflict effectively, we have to deal with our own hindering issues first.
- I have no right to anger within a conflict.
- I must guard against myself trying to control the situation and must rather seek God's Will in the circumstance.
- I must be aware to the fact that the enemy may be using me to bring or contribute to the conflict.

looking ahead

2011-12-19T11:53:00.002-05:00

Next week I'm heading to Heartland Conference Retreat Center for a personal prayer and planning retreat. I'm looking forward to getting away and spending some time with Jesus and to seek His face for the vision and clarity. It's probably a weakness of mine and many other leaders, and that is to get away to think and pray.

Christmas Sweater Sunday

2011-12-15T10:58:00.002-05:00

This Sunday is C3's annual "Christmas Sweater Sunday!" It could be their favorite Christmas sweater, ugliest, prettiest, one with a story or just one from grandmothers closet, but whatever the case it's going to be fun! We will award a prize and have the congregation vote in each service. We have a couple people who take this pretty seriously. It's gonna be a blast.

powerless

2011-12-14T14:04:00.002-05:00

Feeling powerless is a decision. Think about that. It's a decision that we make, to give up. The Bible says that "with God, all things are possible." Therefore, we are never powerless. Rather it is a decision to hope and trust in Christ or not.

giver or taker

2011-12-13T11:30:00.002-05:00

Are you a giver or a taker? This applies in so many areas of our lives. How about emotionally? Are you the person that is in constant emotional distress and takes from everyone around you? Or how about in time or energy? Do you drain others or pour into them? We can look at financially, at our jobs or in any situation. So are you a giver or a taker?

target

2011-12-12T10:22:00.002-05:00

Have you ever wondered when we get to heaven and look through God's lens on our lives, if we missed the target? I'm wrestling this morning in prayer by asking God if my target for success is His target? How much of my life is truly lived out for Him and in honor of Him and how much is selfishly for me? Then the responsibility of leading church and helping guide others toward Jesus. I know that I am heading in the right direction, but I just don't want to hit the target, I want to nail the bullseye. I'm praying for wisdom and clarity from God as I want my will to be His Will.

be present

2011-12-10T23:01:00.002-05:00

Tonight we had a ManUp event at C3. Gary did a great job leading the discussion on "Being Present." In a culture where busyness and multi-tasking rules, we talked about how we can lose the distractions and truly focus on what is important. We do that by BEING PRESENT.

temptation

2011-12-08T08:58:00.003-05:00

One of the first steps to beating temptation is recognizing something as temptation. Too many times we can't see, or don't want to admit that something is temptation. If we can with God's help identify what is temptation in our lives, we can then deal with it appropriately. Is there an area of temptation in your life that is undercover?

attention

2011-12-06T10:51:00.003-05:00

Whatever has your attention has your worship.

Attention is one of the most sought after things on the planet. All day long, people and things are trying to get ours. It is really a battle to give our attention to the things that matter most. We must guard it and become good stewards of it. For truly, whatever has our attention has our worship.

ManUp hunting trip

2011-12-05T11:38:00.002-05:00

15 guys from C3 church headed to Waverly Ohio for a 2 night, 2 day deer hunting trip and we had a blast. We had several guys who had never harvested a deer. There was some great guy bonding as well as a lot of lead flying. 3 deer fell and all had a great time. The weather was perfect and the terrain was rugged. Every guy at least got to shoot at a deer, so we couldn't have asked more than that. But the most important thing was a bunch a guys who love Jesus got to hang out together and make some incredible memories.

our hearts

2011-12-01T16:40:00.002-05:00

It's amazing how God uses circumstances, problems, stress, success, failure, money and life to try to deal with our hearts. God is constantly trying to shape our hearts to look more like His. This is a lifelong journey. How's your heart? What has control of your heart?

starting point

2011-11-30T15:41:00.002-05:00

"Always start with WHY...not WHAT."
WHAT is being done, should flow from the WHY it is needed. Wrestle to find the WHY and the WHAT then becomes intentional. The WHAT should fulfill the WHY. I hope that came out right.

craziest race

2011-11-25T22:17:00.002-05:00

I forgot to blog about this, but I really have to. Last Saturday I ran the toughmudder.com in Indiana. It was the craziest race I have ever been a part of. 40 degrees and 20 mph winds didn't help any. The race was 10 miles through the badlands of huge hills that were made out of a sandy gravel. The obstacles were everything from going underwater and under a wall in a huge container full of ice water to army crawling in tunnels, to carrying a log on your shoulder for 1/4 mile. Others were the huge walls you had to scale, the cargo nets, the mile of waist high freezing swamp water and their signature electric shock with hundreds of charged wires that you had to run through. It was very tough and I still don't have complete feeling in one of the ends of my fingers. (perhaps some frost bite) I ran in the elite heat and placed second. I will say this, you never truly know who you are until you have pushed yourself to your limits. For it is then, that you see who or what you really are.

time away

2011-11-24T10:34:00.002-05:00

Some of my most relaxing time of the year is around Thanksgiving. I keep back a couple vacation days for this time. I just got back from 3 days in the mountains of WV doing some deer hunting. It poured rain the whole time, but I still enjoyed just getting away to a place where cell phones don't work and no one has heard of the internet. I was blessed to come home with 2 coolers full of meat. Thanksgiving morning I ran a small 5k and won the first prize...a frozen turkey! Today will be spent hanging with my family and playing nerf wars and eating some good food. I am so thankful for all that God has given me. I want to enjoy all the blessings of life.

one shot

2011-11-18T09:07:00.003-05:00

We only get one shot at this thing called life. One life to live however we choose, but someday we will be held accountable. I can't imagine when we stand before God and all the distractions and busyness of life are removed. We will then see with different eyes, the perspective that God sees. I wan't to live for that day...and I only got one shot.

challenge

2011-11-17T18:36:00.002-05:00

As a church, we are in a constant change. The great thing is, people are constantly experiencing the LifeChanging power of Jesus. The hard thing is, as we continue to move forward, we have to change in order to continue to stay ahead of the growth. Change is tough and very demanding. Those who won't pay the price of change, experience the consequence of apathy and decline. Both have a high price tag. One is paid up front, the other is demanded on the back end. It's our choice wether we pay now or later.

Family fun

2011-11-14T10:59:00.002-05:00

This weekend I got some great time with my kids. On Saturday, I got to hang with my 2 boys and one of their buddies the majority of the day. We played nerf gun wars for a couple hours and then I quarterbacked for a 3 on 3 game of football in the front yard for a couple more hours with them and some neighborhood boys. Then Sunday afternoon, it was just me and my little princess. I took her on a daddy daughter date to Graeter's Ice Cream. I'm blessed to be a dad and am loving this season of life. Upward Basketball season starts next week and I'm excited to coach my son Kross!

risk and failure

2011-11-10T22:00:00.002-05:00

It seems to me that each one of us either leans to risk or caution. If you lean to risk, you lose quite often, but when you win, you win big. If you lean to caution, you very rarely lose, but when you win, it is usually small. Risk equals more losses but bigger wins, while caution equals fewer loses but smaller wins.

At least that is how it makes sense in my head.

become a miner

2011-11-09T09:49:00.002-05:00

We have all had many life experiences, some good and some bad and many neutral. Sometimes we zip through them so fast in order to keep moving on, that we don't learn all that we can from them. What would happen if we sat down and took some time to again walk through our life's experiences with the lens of "What lessons were there for me to learn from?" How many things should we have learned that we didn't, only because we never took time to dig them out?

stalled out

2011-11-07T10:13:00.002-05:00

I've been seeing a trend in spiritual growth in newer believers. Someone far from God comes to Christ and their lives begin to change. They accept forgiveness, grace, mercy and love. Their relationship with Jesus is all about themselves, just as it would be for an infant or young child in the natural. After a couple of years, their is a propensity to stall out. The reason is because their has to be transition from "what can I get," to "what can I give." Unless this transition is made from inward to outward, new believers will stall out in their faith. Our spiritual growth process must at some point turn from Us...to Others. We are redeemed to fulfill HIS mission and that is to reach the lost.

not found

2011-11-05T20:38:00.002-05:00

I've been after a certain deer for the last 3-4 years. The first year, the day after the season, I see him while in my car. The next year, he walked under my stand while it was still dark, then out to a field where I could make out his antlers. Another year, I saw him as I came out from my tree stand, and he watched me from the top of a hill. Yesterday, he appears out of nowhere and I was able to get him stopped and quickly launch an arrow. I hit him...but after several hours searching could not find him. I will go back out and look again, but I am just sick over this. I been blessed to have harvested over 30-35 deer in my lifetime and this is the first one I have not retrieved.

something that matters

2011-11-02T15:08:00.002-05:00

Start something that matters. What are you waiting for? Who's permission do you need? What obstacles are standing in your way? Why have you waited so long? Do something that matters.....today.

John 14:12

2011-11-01T13:18:00.002-05:00

John 14:12 - "Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father."
We will do greater things than Jesus, not because of the QUALITY of the Spirit of God on our individual lives. For we all know that none of us walks sinless like Jesus. We will do greater things than Jesus because of our QUANTITY of the Holy Spirit poured out. In other words, Jesus was in one place at one time and we "Christ's Disciples" will be all over the world.

- idea from Radicle Together - Platt

Emyth

2011-10-31T15:54:00.002-05:00

Reading a great secular book on leadership called the "E Myth" by Michael Gerber. It has been great so far. I'm only a couple chapters in, but am already relating to the tension between the Entrepreneur, Manager and the Technician. It is almost exactly zeroing in on myself, our staff and the "tension" that is almost always present. The key is realizing that the TENSION IS HEALTHY AND NEEDED to continue to move forward, while at the same time appreciating what each brings to the table.

DTR

2011-10-27T20:59:00.002-05:00

Define The Relationship. In the book "Not a Fan" it is brought to light. Your on your first date with a girl and she wigs you out by saying, "we need to define the relationship." But think about this with Christ. I was challenged to Define My Relationship with Jesus. Am I really a Follower...or just a Fan? Is Jesus really my everything, or just an Add-On in my life? How much do I really trust Him? Am I willing to joyfully give up everything just to know Him better? This week, I have been challenged to Define My Relationship ....with Jesus. I know what I want it to be...and I am not there.....yet.

spiritual warfare

2011-10-26T12:14:00.002-05:00

When it comes to spiritual warfare there is no such thing as a draw, we either win or lose. I'm asking myself personally as well as for my church, how much pushing back on the darkness is really going on? Pushing back the darkness is helping people experience FREEDOM that can only come through Christ. Are we just a show or a parade with unloaded spiritual weapons? Or are we truly uses all that God has given us? What percentage of our lives are TALK...and what part are actually WALK? That's just where I am at right now. I want ALL God has for me and C3!

mission

2011-10-25T10:24:00.002-05:00

We are on this Earth for a reason...and that reason is not us. We are second and Christ is first. Which means the things on God's heart, should be the things on our heart. How much of your time, money and energies are spent on Christ's mission which is to seek and save the lost?

passion

2011-10-20T15:10:00.002-05:00

All passion comes out of anguish.
Think about what you are truly passionate about. It was usually birthed out of pain, which led you to have a strong desire to create change. What are you passionate about and why?

life

2011-10-19T15:45:00.002-05:00

What have you sold your life for?
Everyday we give up precious time and life pursuing something. Is what we are pursuing, worth the trade off?

ManUp

2011-10-17T14:44:00.002-05:00

We had an incredible men's retreat from our church this past weekend. THere were some times for prayer, teaching, friendly competition and even a high ropes course. I love being a part of a church where our guys are really opening up to each other and beginning to pray and encourage one another. We have a group of guys desiring to start a men's revolution at our church. I'm excited to see where this goes.

I O

2011-10-13T09:49:00.002-05:00

When I normally hear I O .....I figure I must have missed the O H. But I O also stands for Instant Obedience. I want to instantly obey when I hear God speaking to me. If not, I allow myself or the enemy talk me out of doing what God has asked me to do. Delayed obedience is disobedience so I want to INSTANTLY OBEY!

heart

2011-10-12T11:49:00.003-05:00

I'm reading a book right now that is smacking me in the nose and I can't wait to digest it, pray through it and then share it with my church. It's called "the Blessed Life" by Robert Morris. It is the best book on generosity that I have ever read and God is using it to change my life. I'm only halfway through it but here are a couple great quotes or ideas:
- How you respond to God's blessing on someone else, reveals the condition of your heart.
- Tithing is not really giving, it's returning.
- Tithing is a test.
- If something is wrong under the Law...can it be right under Grace?
- The first fruits are the "trigger for the blessing"
- Money is neutral, it's a tool and a test.
- It's not about money...it's about our hearts
- How much of a grip does money have on our lives?

confession

2011-10-11T09:42:00.003-05:00

My name is Konan Stephens and God has delivered me...today...from a poverty mentality. A poverty mentality causes us to be ashamed of the blessings of God. It associates "wealth" as coming from the devil. My Keri and I are givers. Always have been and always plan to be. Because of this, we live a very blessed life. I would continually find myself making excuses for God's Blessing in my life. (I'm not talking about "prosperity" gospel..not even close) I have grown up in a culture that says Pastors should be poor and I have lived that way for years. From now on, God's blessings in my life will lead me to GRATITUDE and not shame. God's blessings are a by-product of being generous and I will do my best not to constantly make excuses for what God has blessed me with. God knows that material things don't have a hold on me. Honestly, if our house burned down tomorrow and we lost all our stuff...it wouldn't make me lose much sleep. All I have is HIS anyways and it's only on loan to me. I am grateful beyond measure to my God who has blessed me in EVERY way and I give HIM all the praise! I will from here on out...walk in my new freedom.

today affects tomorrow

2011-10-10T08:40:00.002-05:00

What we do today, shapes tomorrow. What we do today, will either be built upon or cleaned up tomorrow. The Bible says what we sow, we reap. Intentionally sow, to intentionally reap.

Road trip

2011-10-05T07:13:00.002-05:00

This morning our staff will all load up in a van and travel to Atlanta for the Catalyst Conference. I'm not sure what is better, the long ride conversations and team bonding or the actual conference. We did this last year and had a blast. I'm believing for God to accomplish in us what HE desires. Bon Voyage!

facts and feelings

2011-10-04T11:29:00.002-05:00

"You not only have to confront the brutal facts...but the brutal feelings as well."
In leadership there are many facts that are hard to deal with. Some facts about ourselves or the organizations we lead are not very positive. These facts can be brutal and it is our responsibility to create and execute a plan to get us out of it. The flip side of that coin is the personal insecurities and feelings that must be dealt with those facts. The hard thing is that many of the facts point directly to our failure or lack. We must be strong enough to admit when we are wrong and courageous enough to make a change.

the leader's weakness

2011-10-03T11:38:00.002-05:00

The leaders weaknesses are also the churches weaknesses.

The enemy knows that like in any war, if he can take out the commanding officer, it will affect the whole command under his leadership. So the enemy's plan is centered around the weaknesses of it's leadership. The enemy of our souls will continually check the doors of our hearts and minds to make sure we have locked them and if not, he will take advantage of it. I have learned as well that the more God entrusts to you as a spiritual leader, the greater the attacks and spiritual weight. So, I must guard my weaknesses with tenacity and allow Christ to be strong IN and THROUGH my weaknesses.

together or alone

2011-09-29T10:04:00.002-05:00

I'm seeing that the key in leading is to get the people / plan / resources all heading in the same direction. For most of us we have people heading one way, the plan another and the funding still another. If we can align all 3 of those in the same direction, we will move forward. Are your people, plan and funding all heading in the same direction?

spinning

2011-09-28T13:52:00.002-05:00

We attended the "Forum" conference this week and it was really good. Randall Ross and Dr. Sam Chand were the speakers and they were incredible. Gary and I got to be the airport pick-up for Dr. Chand. I appreciate him answering our questions and investing in us. I feel like I have just drank from a fire house and am now doing my best to digest and apply. We now have the tough job of turning "information" into "transformation."

gaps

2011-09-26T10:10:00.003-05:00

In life there are "opportunity gaps." Today I am cashing in on one of those gaps. I asked to pick up the speaker of a leadership event from the airport. I now have the privilege of spending 2 hours with one of the top 30 leadership guru's on the planet. I want to be the best chauffeur he has ever had and I come ready with questions to pick his brain. Dr. Sam Chand has been leadership hero of mine for quite some time and I'm honored beyond measure to spend any time with him.
What opportunity gaps are you missing?

The Word of God

2011-09-22T10:39:00.002-05:00

I heard a great word from a friend the other day that is so true. He said that "the only weapon the devil has against you is God's Word." The enemy comes to God and says, "they have unforgiveness and therefore I (the enemy) have the right to torment them and I can even extend a curse on them to the 3rd generation." That is a scary and powerful thought. If on the "right" side of God's Word, we live in victory and can use the Word of God against the enemy. But if on the wrong side of God's Word and living in sin, the enemy can use the Truth of God's Word against us. Which side are you on?

strength and weakness

2011-09-20T07:09:00.002-05:00

"The greatness of your vision exposes the depth of your weakness."

I want my God given vision to be so much greater than me. If it's not, it's way too small. Following a God given vision can be very intimidating because of the enormity of it. A great vision requires that we keep our eyes totally focused on Jesus and His strength. When I compare my limited abilities to the magnitude of a God-sized vision, I realize how incompetent and incomplete I am without Christ and His power in my life.

around you

2011-09-19T09:48:00.002-05:00

How do people people feel when they are around you? Are people encouraged or discouraged? Do you tend to talk more about yourself, or turn the conversation toward them? What would happen if we could begin to live to encourage and help others to go to another level just by being around us? We could change the world.

loyal

2011-09-16T21:25:00.002-05:00

I want to live my life more loyal to the future than to the past.
(this is the week of the short posts)

C4

2011-09-15T21:05:00.001-05:00

theC4network.com

The movement has begun.

tested

2011-09-14T13:24:00.004-05:00

Love is not love, until it is tested. Integrity is not integrity, until it is tested. Courage is not courage, until it is tested. Many things in life cannot be proven, until they are tested. So when you are going through a time of testing, take a look at what it is proving and disproving in your life.

rollin

2011-09-13T10:49:00.002-05:00

I'm amazed to watch the Favor of God move. Today, the governing board of the Assemblies of God voted to approve 5 new church plants for Ohio, 3 of which will be affiliated with C3 Church. I firmly believe that God has called C3 to be influential in planting 50 new churches in the next 20 years. This begins the ball rolling by supplying financial resources to these new planters in order to make their church planting dream a reality. I'm humbled and honored to play a small part in what God is doing. .....It has begun!!!!!!

tested promises

2011-09-08T07:55:00.002-05:00

God's promises are tested by trials. Really, I guess it has to be this way. Otherwise, how would we know God's promises are true unless they are tested and tried. This requires faith on our part to hold onto the promise of God, even when we step beyond our limitations. We will never know the full power of God, until we ride out the storms while clinging to His promises that prove true.

miracle

2011-09-07T08:43:00.002-05:00

As I look at the Bible, the life of Jesus and the miracles that God performed, I see a consistency. The miracles always came when there was a lack natural resources. I think sometimes we pray for God to supply a miracle, the whole time we are stockpiling resources. We pray for God to give us more, while He is waiting for us to use what He has given us, then He will supply the miracle. Otherwise, where is the faith. God's miracles always begin, when we get to the end ourselves. Our ending place, is His beginning place.

serving

2011-09-06T09:41:00.002-05:00

We have this false mindset in the body of Christ today. A young person the other day said "I can't really enter into worship unless it's a certain band." Wow. We have made following Jesus all about serving ourselves. I think the church has fallen into this trap as well. While we do want to attract those far from Christ and love them to LifeChange through Jesus, we must be careful to not keep people in the mindset that the church exists to serve me. As a church we must move away from "how can we serve you," to "how can we HELP you serve." Serving is essential to following Jesus. Jesus HImself was the greatest servant of all and we look the most like Him when we are serving.

why a leader

2011-08-31T09:23:00.002-05:00

I have heard some leaders complain about how hard it is to lead a church or organization. When the truth of the matter is this, if there were no problems, there would be no need for a leader. That's why we as leaders must embrace the discomfort of leading. The leader must embrace the pain as it is his calling.

hero or zero

2011-08-30T08:33:00.002-05:00

Last night I was playing in the outfield in our softball game. We are up by 2 runs, with 2 outs in the last inning. One more out and we win the game. The batter hits a bloop over the infield and I take off running as fast as I can to get to it. I have a decision to make. Do I go for the catch and win the game? Or do I slow up and catch in on the bounce? If I go with the latter we would be tied and could still lose. I decided in that split second to go for it. I'm running as fast as I can and extend my glove as far as I can. The ball hits the end of my glove.......and falls out...ZERO. Bummer. We lose. I've been on both sides of that coin, but yesterday, I lost. Man I hate losing. But in the next game, I would give anything to be in that same situation. I guess that is the competitor in me. It's not just about how you win, but how you let losing affect you. For me..this loss will drive me forward.

motive

2011-08-29T09:15:00.002-05:00

I have met many church planters that want to plant a church for the wrong reasons. Several have been burnt by insecure Senior Pastors or just the whole church politics game. They leave those churches with some bitterness burned in their hearts. Then these planters go out to plant church with a "Im going to show them" attitude. They have totally missed the whole point of "love." If we are planting a church or doing any kind of ministry out of anything other than love for Jesus and His people, then we are missing it. Why are doing what you are doing? Are you trying to "prove" something, or is everything you are doing full of God's love?

It has begun

2011-08-26T08:15:00.002-05:00

God has started to bring the dream of C3 being influential in planting 50 churches in 20 years, to life. We are excited to partner and help mother Doug and Stephanie Garasic of the becometheMovement.com. We will be sharing this with the church by having them in to speak on October 2nd. Also, we will be partnering to help the Bill and Lynn Themelaras from Covenant Church in Pittsburg, plant in Westerville Ohio. Today, we are also blessed to have another amazing couple going through their church planting assessment here at C3 as well as I'm having coffee with yet another sharp church planting prospect. All that to say....God is about to blow this thing up and we are getting closer to taking the City of Columbus for the name of Jesus!

disrespect

2011-08-25T08:04:00.002-05:00

We have all been on both sides of disrespect and it is no fun. When someone is disrespected, they give themselves permission to question th other persons motives and character. Disrespect breeds all kinds of distrust and negativity. As leaders, we must guard not only our heart but also our words and actions towards others.

captive

2011-08-23T09:19:00.002-05:00

Reading a cool parallel of God's people today and that of the Israelites in Egyptian slavery. In Exodus 1, we read where the most powerful man in the "then known world" was fearful of the Israelites who were multiplying quickly. Pharaoh said, "we must deal with them wisely....lest they leave this land." Why would he be afraid of a nation of shepherds? Because he knew that his power over them was based on a lie. If the Israelites only knew who they were and the power through God that was theirs, they would be unstoppable. The same is true for us today. The only power the enemy has over us is based on a lie and carried out because of our ignorance of God's Word. It's time that we as believers stand up in the authority that is rightfully ours as Children of the Most High God!

staff reading

2011-08-18T08:48:00.003-05:00

Right now as a staff at C3 we are walking through the book, "A Tale of Three Kings," by Gene Edwards. Ouch! We are having some great discussion on brokenness. I love the one chapter that talks about how God used Saul and his persecution of David, to crush and remove the Saul INSIDE of David.
We all have some Saul (pride, jealousy, bitterness, etc.) inside of us and God uses people and situations to remove it from our lives. If we push back and don't allow God to do the necessary work in our lives, then the outcome will be disastrous. Who are what is God using in your life, to destroy the Saul in you?

faith

2011-08-17T11:51:00.002-05:00

Are you standing in hope or walking in faith? Hope is great. We all need it, but it can not replace faith. Rather, it should in operation working hand in hand with faith. As we continue to walk in faith, we have a hope that helps fuel our faith.

pride

2011-08-16T12:40:00.002-05:00

Today, I had one of those moments from God that it's hard to put in words, because it was more of a feeling or realization...but I will still try anyways. I was walking out of the gym early this morning and thinking about how ridiculous pride is, in comparison to how big God is. How can I seriously take pride in anything that I have or have done, when you compare it with who God is? I am so small and insignificant in comparison to God...and it's incredibly humbling to dwell on.

opponent

2011-08-15T10:06:00.002-05:00

Reading Sun Stand Still and preaching a message series by the same name. I'm loving the book by Steven Furtick. It is increasing faith inside of me.
A thought from the book. "You would never see how strong God is, if there were no opponents in your life for Him to overcome."

Many times we as believers try to shrink God to the size of our biggest problems. Because we feel it is out of our power, then it must be out of His. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The truth is that God wants to reveal His power in our lives by giving us the strength to over come the things that are too big for us. There is no opponent, addiction, enemy or power strong enough to stand against our God. The same God that resides in YOU.... Let's not only say we believe that...but let's live it out.

Champs

2011-08-10T13:50:00.003-05:00

We finally did it! We won the coveted Pickerington Church League softball title! It has been one of the goals of our 4.5 year old church. The road has not been easy. I remember our first year we won only one game. To this year, we only lost one game. We played the top two teams yesterday and beat them both by more than 10 runs. It was one of those great moments, especially with a couple of the guys who know how far we have come. A few have been here from the beginning when we were really bad. Next year the goal is to win both the men's and co-ed city league as well. We have the worlds best general manager (Yousef) and hope to extend his contract another 3 years...lol. He is one of the only guys who is MORE competitive than me...but still is a great sport. So for now, we will enjoy the great season!

important

2011-08-05T22:31:00.001-05:00

This week is one of the most important things I do all year. It's my families vacation. We are chilling at a place on a lake and doing nothing but spending time together. We are swimming, canoeing, pontooning and fishing. We literally caught 48 fish today. Our kids are having a ball and we are making memories. I cherish this time.

miracle

2011-08-02T07:53:00.002-05:00

"Sometimes we get to see a miracle, other times we get to be the miracle." (Furtick)
Either way, God gets the glory. Seeing a miracle is easier that being one, because being one means we are forced to wrestle through the miracle working process. Miracles always start with problems and opposition. The greater the problem, the greater the miracle.

opposition creates opportunity

2011-08-01T09:53:00.002-05:00

If we didn't have opposition in our lives, how we would have the opportunity to see God's power in our lives? The greater the opposition, the greater God's power can work in our lives. We all want the stories of God's miracles and power in our lives, but that only comes through opposition.

growing together

2011-07-30T22:40:00.003-05:00

Once I had a mentor who shared one of his greatest regrets in life. He said he regretted that he and his wife didn't grow together. over the years. My mentor had been rubbing shoulders with some amazing thinkers, had read a ton of books and had grown a great deal. His wife on the other hand was stuck at home raising the kids and didn't have the same influences on her life. He felt like in the areas of leadership, perspective and intellect, they had drifted apart. I want to make a conscious effort to grow along with my Keri so that we can continue to minister side by side.

powerful sin

2011-07-29T08:14:00.002-05:00

Reading "Sun Stand Still" which is a great read. Furtick make a statement which says, "The most powerful sin in your life, is the one that is unconfessed." That is a very true statement. It doesn't really matter what it is or how big we think it is, if it's not brought to Christ, it will keep us prisoner. Unconfessed sin loses it's power when it is brought to the light of confession and repentance. As Followers of Christ, we are to live in freedom. Freedom is rightfully ours because we belong to JESUS!

lottery theology

2011-07-28T09:41:00.002-05:00

I think that most people are hoping for a lottery theology when it comes to the things of God. In other words, we want to sacrifice little, and then right away be used incredibly by God. This is not how God rolls. God knows that without trials, pain and experience there is no way we can carry the weight of the incredible things He wants to do through us. God has to do things IN us, before He can do things THROUGH us..

your life

2011-07-28T09:04:00.002-05:00

What is your life about? What is the cause that you are living for? Is it just to selfishly exist, or something greater? We all need something that we pour our life's energy and resources into. This cause must be bigger than us and it must be from God. When the time allotted us finally ticks off the last moment, what will we leave behind? Will we have made an impact in someone else's life? What can you give your life to, that will still be making a difference 50 years from now? We only get one shot at this.

me

2011-07-27T09:03:00.004-05:00

"The size of your vision will be determined by who you believe God is."
Think about this statement for a moment. A.W. Tozer said, "The most important thing about you, is what comes to mind when you think about God." Wow. With God there is no limiting factor, because He is limitless. The only limiting factor is us! Does my perception of God change who He is? No way. But, my small limiting thinking does limit my faith in what God can do through me. So really the only limit on what God can do in and through me...is me.

crazy

2011-07-22T22:12:00.002-05:00

God is moving a lot of pieces in the background to begin the movement of C3 planting churches. We met with another incredible couple and talked about what could be. I am really sensing that God has given us the "green light" to begin this new chapter. 2012 will be a monumental year for C3 Church. May God answer our prayer of 50 churches planted in 20 years!.....and when it happens, He will get all the Glory!

video games

2011-07-18T11:49:00.002-05:00

I listened to a podcast today about video games. I never thought of myself as a video gamer until a question was posed. Do I have any games on my phone and do I play them at least once a week?
Video games fly under the cultural radar but are huge shapers of it. Think of all countless hours that our kids are in front of the screen with the controller in their hands. Why is it such a big draw? They can live experiences that they never would be able to in real life. There is also the teamwork (community) aspect of playing games together. Also, it's one of the only "fiction" things you can do and say "I did this." You can't say that about reading a book or watching a movie. Good or bad, they are teaching a generation. How do video games affect you and what will your response be?

success

2011-07-14T07:12:00.002-05:00

Success is different for all of us. Some think that success is solely how much money you can accumulate or how much power a person can have. Maybe it's how much stuff they can buy or how nice they look, but is that real success? Could it be so much more than that? I know for me it is. So let me ask a couple of questions:

- What is success for you?
- How do you define it?
- How do you measure it?
- How do you know if you have achieved it?
- What are your plans to achieve that success?
- How can you prepare yourself or position yourself to achieve what you define as success?

For many people, they go through life without ever defining the target of what they are living for. Don't be that person.

fear and insecurity

2011-07-13T09:28:00.003-05:00

"Our greatest fears are usually rooted in our personal insecurities." (Furtick)
How many times do we allow the deep fears we wrestle with inside, to hinder what God is trying to do in us. Everyone I have known has had some form of insecurities. Some are easy to see, by the way people talk, act and dress. While others are harder to see, in things like thoughts and motives. Regardless, they can hinder what God wants to do in and through us. Get the root of your insecurities and through God's strength dig them out. Christ has given you everything you need.

time

2011-07-12T08:43:00.002-05:00

I'm currently reading 3 books, one of which is Steven Furtick's, "Sun Stand Still." He makes a quote that has stuck with me. He says "Time can talk you out of your dreams."
How many times have we felt God speak very clearly to us, but fail to act quickly. The longer we wait to act, the more unclear and less urgent that the need becomes. Many times there are several smaller steps of preparation that lead up to fulfilling our life's Call or mission. A couple of initial questions would be:
1. What do I need to do to prepare for what God is calling me to?
2. What is the first step to being living in obedience toward fulfilling that Call from God?

Again, I think the key is action in the right direction. Obedience is the key. God may say to wait, and if He does we better obey. Most of the time though, He says "go".....and we choose to stay.

summer lull

2011-07-11T12:37:00.002-05:00

As a four year old church, we have been able to see trends in attendance, giving, serving, etc. The summer time is a time for vacations and nice weather to be outside as well as a time for weekend get aways. I think it is easy for a staff to relax some as well. While this may be the case for a couple weeks, I really feel the summer should be a time of preparing for the upcoming Fall, when people get back on a normal routine with school and work. Summers should be a time to "re-load." We are preparing as a church for this next chapter in our churches history....and it will all start this Fall.

take aways from jury duty

2011-07-08T09:34:00.003-05:00

Here are some take aways:
- Real community can happen with about any group of people (the jury).
- Think through, how could my decisions or actions be portrayed by a prosecuting attorney?
- It's a humbling thing to make decisions that affects other peoples lives.
- It's hard to make objective decisions without letting my emotions sway the facts.
- Tension can be a good thing.
- Truth is truth, and will always surface to the top eventually.
- We need to continually look to the future of where our current direction is taking us.
- The decisions we make affect generations to come.
- Everyone is one decision away from going to jail.
- We are all accountable for our actions, whether in this life or the one to come.

luckiest man alive

2011-07-04T10:52:00.002-05:00

I have been chosen AGAIN for jury duty and have to report tomorrow. 13 months ago I was chosen to sit in a 4 day trial that was thankfully thrown out early. And now I have been chosen again. I told them that I served 13 months ago and found out the rule was within the last 12 months. As lucky as I am...I'm considering playing the lottery...ha.

it's coming

2011-07-01T22:02:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, it was incredibly exciting to have a cookout at my house and sit around the table with potential church planters from C3. To talk and dream about launching a movement of church plants really gets me fired up. I am sensing that as a church God is about to rip the lid off. My prayer is that with in 20 years, we are influential in the planting of 50 churches. AND...our goal is to be a "Grandparent" church in 5 years. In other words, one of our church plants, plants another church within 5 years.

transmitter

2011-06-30T08:50:00.002-05:00

Thinking today about how we are a transmitter for Christ and His love. The source of the signal (Christ) is incredibly strong. The issue comes down to how well I'm connected to the source and then how clear I relay it back out. So it really comes down to me. Am I in a place to hear and receive from God and then how much will that continue to look like Jesus after it goes through my filter. Too many times, what we are transmitting does not look like Jesus b/c it has been tainted by us.
What are you transmitting?

a plan

2011-06-28T13:56:00.002-05:00

We are now working on setting up some tracks to train, equip, launch and resource church plants and planters. Our heart is to create a plan with steps that are easy, obvious and intentional. This is much harder than it looks, but incredibly necessary in order to make a substantial difference. We are now creating the paths that I pray will soon become an 8 lane super highway from which we will launch new church plants. Jesus may it be!

Christ

2011-06-24T09:12:00.002-05:00

It's amazing when you look at current events as well as history and notice certain consistencies. When a nation is built upon God as the foundation, it flourishes, is blessed and the people enjoy freedom. When it's built on any other false god or way of thinking, the country lives in oppression, violence and unrest. It's tough to watch our great country which is founded on God, slip farther and farther away from our roots, which is Christ. As Christians, we must do our part to be salt and light through the love of Christ.

prayer

2011-06-23T07:52:00.002-05:00

You can tell a lot about a person by what they pray. You can decipher how big or small they believe God is. Or how about how they view themselves in relationship with God. Many of us are praying very small and weak prayers and we are praying them to the God who created the universe. This is GOD we are talking about! Nothing is impossible for HIM. Why don't we really believe that? If we did, wouldn't we pray more and differently? I want to pray big prayers that only God can answer!