Archive for November, 2009
Some GREAT Links To Check Out! November 13, 2009
Haven’t done this in a while…but wanted to throw a few things your way that I’ve REALLY enjoyed reading…
- I loved this post by Scott (he was quoting David Gibbons)! May we see more churches like this!!!
- If you haven’t watched THIS VIDEO from Pastor Steven’s son about financial advice…DO IT NOW! WOW!!! I LOVED THIS!
- Craig’s post about riding the wave = CLASSIC!!!
- Mark Batterson’s post about a watchtower is DEAD ON and is a MUST READ for pastors!!!
- AND…Marks’s Five Creativity Equations are AWESOME!!!
- BTW…someone in Pastor Mark’s Church needs to buy him a car!!! Seriously! He has NO IDEA I am writing this and will probably call me and tell me to take it down (I won’t…sorry bro!) Seriously…have you kept up with his car stories? Somebody up there in the DC area step up and hook him up!!! Remember…you can’t out give God!!!
- Here is the link to register for Unleash!!! Over half of the tickets are already gone…it’s filling up fast!!!
That’s all for today–happy Friday!
Four Random Questions I Wrestle With November 12, 2009
I often reflect on my early years in ministry…and the questions I wrestled with then. As I look at my struggles my first five years…not that much has changed. I still struggle with the same things…
#1 – Why do people criticize a church that reaches people?
I remember hearing early on in my ministry how evil Willow Creek/Bill Hybels was…so…I went to a conference where Hybels was speaking (so I could make my own decision) and watched him WEEP over people far from God (something I had never seen his critics do!) It didn’t take me long to realize that his critics were not motivated by concern…but rather jealousy.
Yet…this still happens today. In fact, it is quite popular to speak against anything that is growing in Christian circles…because if it can be shown in a negative light then it empowers other churches/organization to stay where they are and not make any sorts of adjustments.
#2 – Why do churches continually invest in broken systems?
For example…I am from Baptist world (this will be fun)…and I never, EVER, understood the concept of Sunday school. The church begged and begged people to go…but the pastor didn’t go, the staff didn’t go–HECK, the Sunday school director didn’t even go!!!
If I am remembering correctly…SS attendance in ever major denomination has been DECREASING since the 1970’s…and yet churches STILL invest in the system that DID HAVE IT’S DAY…but needs to be let go of. (I am REALLY making a lot of new friends in Baptist world right now! Guys…I don’t hate you! My heart is built on nothing less than Lottie Moon and Broadman Press! I just desperately wish change would be embraced for the sake of HIS KINGDOM…and the SBC’s goal would not be merely to survive…but thrive!!!)
The other thing that comes to mind here is the way churches invest in youth and children’s ministry! Seriously…I’ve read statistics that say up to 80% of CHURCHED KIDS walk away from the church when they graduate high school…and very few EVER return. Could one of the problems be THE WAY the church approached ministry? If so…then does the church MAYBE need to make some adjustments?
If the system is broken then say it is…and doing so is NOT irreverent…it is actually honoring to God!!!
#3 – Why do “Christians” hate people who aren’t like them?
This was REALLY confusing…I remember churches organizing abortion protest and then going out and yelling/screaming at people entering the abortion clinics and such.
NOW…let me be very clear…I am NOT for abortion…at all! BUT…I remember thinking during the times when these protests were quite popular, “what about the girl who is sitting in the church right now and has had an abortion?” (You can actually put anyone in that situation…the person who has given away their virginity, had a divorce, struggles with an addiction.)
Unfortunately…I’ve discovered that the people who most often look down on people who aren’t as “good as them” are usually hiding something of their own!!!
Oh…and one more thing here…why do “Christians” hate people who don’t believe just like them? (The reformed guys are usually the worse…and, being pretty much reformed in my theology I believe I can say that with integrity!) We all have different beliefs…but I would say if we could claim the Nicean Creed as our common ground…we should be mature enough to work through the rest.)
#4 – Why do pastors/church leaders listen to people who tell them what they should be doing…but have actually never done it?
If I wrote a book on surgery…the how to’s and such…there isn’t a doctor in the world that would buy it and/or attempt to apply what I had written! Why? Because…I am not a doctor…and I have NEVER actually performed surgery.
Yet…someone who has never planted a church and/or been a pastor can write a book in the Christian world…and church planters/pastors will devour it. Some people call this brilliant…I call it stupid.
The world seems to grasp this concept…learn from people who have been where you want to go. Yet the church seems to embrace, “listen and learn from the people who have never actually done anything…but have really good theories.”
Pastors/church leaders…if you want to learn the seek the wisdom of people who have actually done what you are wanting to do. (BTW…these people do not descrie themselves as “experts”…but rather servants who simply listen to the Lord and do what He says!)
And for the person/people who have great theories about how to plant/lead a church…I would say if you really believe in your theories then why don’t you risk it all and put them into practice rather than trying to make a profit by selling your untested ideas to men and women whom you are hoping may have the faith that you don’t actually have?
I/We Should Break Up Because… November 11, 2009
So…we’re in a singles series now (which, by the way, the married people are loving!) This past Sunday I challenged the guys…and this coming Sunday I will be speaking to the girls…and the following Sunday my wife Lucretia will be joining me on the stage for a live Q & A in every service.
One of the questions I often get by guys/girls is how do I know whether or not we should stay together or break up…so…let me throw a few things out there that I hope may be helpful…
I SHOULD BREAK UP WHEN/IF…
#1 – The other person (usually the guy) ceases to pursue me and make me feel special/valuable. (If he is a slacker before marriage…it will be HORRIBLE after marriage!)
#2 – If our relationship is based on sex. (If you are having sex then you are not experiencing true intimacy. SO…when you get married you are going to discover that you have nothing to talk about because you built your relationship with the hay and straw of sexual experiences and not the bricks of self control and discipline.)
#3 – If they are not fun then they’re not the one! (Seriously…if you do not enjoy being with him/her and/ore spending time with them before the marriage…why in the heck would you ever think that you will after marriage? Don’t marry someone that you don’t like–DUH!!!)
#4 – The Holy Spirit is pressing you to end the relationship. (There are SO many people I’ve spoken with that KNOW the Lord is pressing into them to end the dating relationship…but because of their insecurities they just won’t do it. If God is commanding you to give something up that means He has something greater in store. Even though you can’t see it…He can!!! I Corinthians 2:9)
#5 – You KNOW you aren’t going to marry the person you are dating. (Dating was not created to be some sort of hobby/sport. So…when you KNOW that the relationship is NOT heading beyond its current condition…you KNOW that he or she is NOT the person God has for you…END IT! Don’t date someone just so you won’t be alone…this situation ALWAYS goes bad because so many people get married “just because we thought it was the next step!”)
#6 – He/she is always flirting with other people…and/or he/she isn’t faithful to you before marriage. (If they AREN’T being faithful before marriage…they won’t be after marriage either!!!)
#7 – You think, “he/she isn’t who I want them to be…but I can change them.” (PLEASE READ THIS…YOU ARE NOT THE HOLY SPIRIT, YOU CAN’T CHANGE ANYONE!!! God is the ONLY ONE who can change someone…and reality is the reason God may not be changing the person you are with is because you are in the way…and your compromise does not bring that person closer to Christ…it drives him/her away!)
Five Questions That Leaders Should Ask November 10, 2009
One of the things I have learned as a leader over the past few years is that leaders do NOT always have the answer…so…we need to learn how to ask questions. Here are five that have helped me out in my journey so far…
#1 – “What Do You Think?”
Whenever someone brings a problem to my attention and wants to know how to handle it…I always ask them this question before I offer what I may think is a solution. (If you always have to be the one to solve problems…your church is in BIG trouble!)
The reason for asking this question is…I want to see if the person who brought the problem to me is a leader or not. You see, if he/she is a leader….then they have already figured out the solution that needs to be put into place.
If you ask this question to a person often…and they never have an answer for what they think should be done…then most likely you don’t have a leader.
A leader is BEGGING for his/her opinion to be heard…and this question can allow some unbelievable leadership potential to be unleashed in your oganization!
#2 – “When Do You Need An Answer?”
Often times leaders will ask for your opinion/advice/permission when it comes to something in there area. Unfortunately I have made the mistake many times of telling someone I would get back with them and not understanding the urgency of their request for some input.
So…I’ve learned that when someone seeks my advice one of the BEST things I can do is ask them when they need an answer…that tells me whether or not I have time to think about it…or if I need to immediately seek the Holy Spirit’s help and just give them the thought that He brings to mind.
#3 – “How Would BLANK Handle This Situation?”
Often times as leaders we get so emotionally tied to a situation that it clouds our ability to make the right decision. SO…a few years ago whenever I was faced with a very emotional BUT necessary decision I would ask, “If Andy Stanley or Craig Groeschel were staring at this situation and had to make a decision…what would they do?” (Or you could say – WWAD or WWCD!)
Why Andy and Craig…because they are two leaders who I believe God is using to change the world and make a difference. They have both mentored me and I highly respect them both as men of God and as pastors/leaders.
I can honestly say that there have been times that I’ve been stuck and this question has brought clarity to the situation.
SO…pick a leader you know and admire…and put there name in the blank.
#4 – “Who/What Area Will Be The Most Impacted By This Decision?”
The reason for this question is simple…no matter how your leadership process is set up…if someone on your staff (or an entire area) is going to be impacted by the decision that is made…then that someone (or a rep from that area) needs to be included in the decision making process.
If people are more involved in the decision making process…it is WAY easier for them to buy in.
#5 – “How Many Times Have We Dealt With This Issue?”
I saw a sign the other day that said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting to get different results.”
When a leadership team has to continually wrestle with the same issue…continually makes the same decision…constantly experiences the same frustration and then goes through the cycle again…insanity has began to reign supreme.
If I just described your leadership meetings…then SOMETHING HAS TO CHANGE. What? I’m not sure…but I am sure that the way you’ve been trying to handle it isn’t working…so something new needs to be embraced.
My Prayer For Church Leaders November 9, 2009
Hey church leader…here is my prayer for you/us today…
Romans 15:13, “May the God of all hope fill you with joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
So…let’s break it down…
“May the God of all hope fill you with joy and peace…”
- He IS the God of hope…and I pray that you will be filled with hope…with joy and peace, not despair, anxiety and a desire to quit.
- HOPE is understanding that Galatians 6:9 is TRUE!
- HOPE is understanding that Philippians 1:6 is a REALITY…that if HE began the work HE will complete it.
- HOPE is NOT found in comparing yourself to other ministries…but rather committing yourself to the calling that Jesus has placed on you!
- JOY is seeing your biggest givers walk out the door…and God supernaturally provide for what your church needs…even though you didn’t see how you could survive without “them.”
- (When we depend on “them” more than “Him”–it’s over!)
- JOY comes from understanding the reality of who you WERE verses who you ARE in Christ.
- JOY comes from the fact that He knew every stupid/foolish thing you and I were ever going to do…and He STILL called us and equipped us for ministry! (Please see II Corinthians 4:1!)
- PEACE comes from the fact that He loves your church WAY more than you do.
- PEACE comes from the fact that if the vision is from Him…then HE will make a way.
- PEACE comes from the fact that the more “impossible” the situation seems…the more glory God gets out of the win when it comes about.
- PEACE comes about by understanding that things over our head are still under His feet…He reigns!
“…as you trust in him…”
- Not your ability!
- Not your technology!
- Not your strategy!
- Not your denomination!
- Not your gifting…
- NOT that ANY of the things mentioned above are bad…but all too often we trust in THEM way more than we trust in HIM!!!
- If we are not desperate for what He can do…then He will allow us to see the limitations of what we can do!
- TRUST HIM!!!
“…so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
- I pray that we will become more desperate for HIS Holy Spirit.
- More desperate for personal conviction.
- More desperate for HIS leadership.
- More desperate for Him working THROUGH us.
- More desperate for HIS wisdom.
- More desperate for HIS presence in our services in order to draw people to Jesus.
- That we would pay attention to HIM and not quench what He is doing inside of us!
- That we would allow HIS passion and not people’s opinions to consume us.
- That is my prayer for us today…
That we would EMBRACE Jesus and all He has called us to be!
Sunday Night Reflections November 8, 2009
A few thoughts on the day as we continued our series, “Don’t Get Married Until…”
- Florence campus had their highest attendance EVER today…WOW…so excited about what Jesus is doing down there!!!
- REALLY getting more and more excited about our 10 year anniversary service in the BILO Center on Sunday, January 24th! It’s going to be an AMAZING day…over 15,000 people coming together for the purpose of lifting up Jesus and celebrating all that HE has done!!!
- We had one of THE BEST creative meetings EVER this past Tuesday…and as a result I believe our Christmas services are going to me AMAZING!!!
- BTW…we don’t just depend on our creativity…because we know that creativity minus conviction from the Holy Spirit equals “church as usual!”
- Today we talked about, “Don’t Get Married Until…You Are Willing To Be A Man!”
- We saw MANY people surrender their life to Christ today…that NEVER gets old!
- The definition for manhood in America has gotten ridiculous…and in the church it has gotten flat out goofy!
- Yes, I did make a “Smokey & the Bandit” reference today…and yes, when I was little, I did want a Trans-Am with a firebird on the hood!!!
- Ladies…you can tell a lot about a man simply by the way he handles his money!
- Money and the heart are connected (at least that’s what JESUS said in Matthew 6:21) – so, if he’s not honoring God with his money, his heart doesn’t fully belong to Jesus.
- He may argue…but Jesus said in Matthew 6:24 that no one can serve God AND money.
- Single dudes that refuse to work – uh, I Timothy 5:8! GET A JOB!!!
- Men are called to pursue a woman, not vice versa! (Proverbs 18:22!!!)
- Men, pursuing is NOT facebooking, texting or sending your friend to talk to her.
- Pursuing is also NOT hinting/flirting with a girl with NO intentions on backing what you say up!
- Pursuing is being HONEST with a lady and putting your ego on the line…asking her out on a date and being ok with her rejecting you.
- We started to hand two marbles out to every single dude who attended NewSpring today…because that is the only “set” they would have!!! Dude…if you are single…MAN UP and pursue a woman instead of a video game!
- Hey ladies…is he slacking off in his efforts to make you feel special? You had better address that now…marriage will not solve that problem.
- Hey husbands…are you pursuing your wife right now like you did “back then?” When is the last time you went out of the way to communicate to her how valuable she is to you?
- Ladies…does he respond to correction with sincerity and grace…or with bitterness and a desire to be right?
- Ladies…does he speak with you/listen to you…or does he yell at you?
- A real man is willing to identify Himself with Jesus…and not merely try to camouflage himself into society.
- Ladies…the question, “Are you a Christian” is NOT the best one to ask when you are trying to get to know a dude…a better one is, “Are you a daily follower of Jesus Christ?” is SO much better!!!
- Next week we will be talking to the ladies…it will be fun!
- And…the next week Lucretia will be joining me on stage….I REALLY can’t wait for that!!!
That’s about it for now…I hear my bed calling!!! :-)
10 Signs Of A Secure Leader November 5, 2009
#1 – Realizes he has nothing to prove!
#2 – Works for the applause of heaven and not for the applause of men.
#3 – Seeks God for direction instead of merely asking Him for permission.
#4 – Doesn’t pretend that he has all the answers.
#5 – Seeks to submit to the Spirit instead of constantly grieving Him.
#6 – Understands that he will go insane if his goal is for everyone to understand him.
#7 – Is willing to repent when he is wrong…and do whatever it takes to make things right.
#8 – Puts personal preferences aside when making decisions that will impact the church.
#9 – Has a sense of desperation for God…fully understanding the reality of John 15:5.
#10 – Refuses to compromise the vision…even when it may be convenient to do so!
Bonus: Doesn’t have the majority of comments on his own blog.