success

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

"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

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

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

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

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

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.