Hey Friends,

I was at an Equip Roundtable with John Maxwell and some great leaders recently. John taught briefly on character. This trait is a non-negotiable for leaders, especially in the Kingdom of God.

Collin Sewell, a great leader and friend, made this statement: “I want to be bigger on the inside than on the outside.” His deal was that he wanted to be a man and a leader of character.

John used Tiger Woods as an example of someone who had grown bigger on the outside than the inside. Many people today focus on the outside, for that is the part that people see. For short-term success or quick success, that would be the area of most rapid improvement. But, for the long haul and long-term success you must make the inside your priority.

If you focus on growing your inside, your outside will ultimately grow also. As John said, “The outside is an overflow of the inside.” The more grace you have within, the greater the gifts you will develop on the outside. Sadly, many leaders have missed this pertinent and important point and have fallen when they were seemingly doing so well.

Most falls don’t happen overnight –  it just seems that way because it all looks so good. Remember, most focus on the outside and that is all about appearances – not reality. It is sad we live in a virtual world where character seems to be so lacking.

You and I, as Kingdom leaders, must focus on the inside and grow in character or we could experience the same fall we have watched others have. I would recommend the book, Derailed. It has been a great book for me.

So, are you bigger on the inside than the outside? This has nothing to do with your weight or waist!

Just fodder for thought and reflection.

Love,

Pastor Chris

Hey Friends,

Do you know the answer to the question? Before you read farther, take a guess. Who is the hardest person to lead? For most of us, it is ourselves! Self-leadership or management is a critical character trait we should all seek to obtain. Have you ever worked with someone who blows their stack all the time, or can’t seem to manage their emotions? We are typically our own worst enemies.

In the book, Derailed, Tim Irwin gives some great hints:

1. Grow in self-awareness by proactively seeking feedback from multiple sources.

2. Find a wise and trusted advisor to help you interpret various work experiences.

3. Be receptive to information about areas in which you are less than stellar.

4. Fine-tune your ability to connect with others.

5. Work on empathy.

6. Conduct a 360-degree feedback exercise.

7. Identify the circumstances under which you are likely to lose your composure – develop early warning systems…

8. Wait longer to say something in a meeting-write it down and test if for appropriateness before you say it.

The Scripture says to “crucify the flesh” and allow the Spirit full control of our lives. The secret to the Apostle Paul’s success was what he said to the Galatians: “For I am crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live, but Christ in me; and this life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who gave His life for me.”

Are you working to manage you? Do you have your emotions in check? Are you overly moody? Do you have anything other than the Spirit of God that is controlling you? Do the people around you enjoy working or ministering with you? You might want to give out an anonymous survey.

Just some thoughts…

Love you,

Pastor Chris

Hey Friends,

Do you ever pop your head up and look around? Socrates said, “The life which is unexamined is not worth living.” What a great thought! So, do you ever examine your life? So few do. We usually just keep our heads down at our desk and keep working. The only time most people look up is when they are faced with a problem.

How about you; do you look up and examine your life? Your direction? Your goals and dreams and aspirations? Do you still have the same dreams and desires, or have things changed and does your life reflect it? These are key and critical questions we must all face from time to time.

Left unchecked we will just keep up with “the same old same old.” Things change and our priorities change. Allow the Lord to place His spotlight on and in you, and see if you’re still on the right track.

Years ago I was spear fishing in Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico and was about 100 miles off shore. The boat owner asked me to drive. He gave me a heading and told me to keep it. He went to sleep with the rest of the folks on board. About an hour later when he woke up he took over the helm. He couldn’t believe how far off course we had drifted.

“Didn’t you watch the compass?” “Yes, I did while you slept!” “We are way off course,” he complained again. “I kept very close to the heading you gave me.” “Close? That is not good enough. If you are only off by one degree and you keep going, the farther you go the farther off course you will be!”

Now that I fly planes I have realized his point. We must constantly check the directional gyro, or the D.G., to make sure it is still reading the right course. Maybe you need to take some time to calibrate your compass and check your heading.

As a Christ-follower, constant course changes are a fact of life.

See you at true north!

Pastor Chris

P.S. Spend ten minutes each day reflecting and examining your life and your day. It helps, I promise.

Hey Friends,

As leaders it is easy to get an over-inflated ego. We can easily get full of ourselves and get in the way of the Spirit of God. When pride walks in, God walks out! I was reminded of the high calling of humility when reading the book Derailed.

A quote: “If the leader didn’t come to work today, everything would probably still get done; if the people didn’t come to work today, nothing would get done.” Wow, does that make sense! That will deflate your ego. If you think you are indispensable then stick your hand in a bucket of water. Pull out your hand, and see how long it takes the hole to fill up. That is how fast most of us can be replaced.

Humility is a character trait that draws the attention of God! He is the key, and as such has all the power and ability to move in great power. He is what we need most, so let’s exit the pride parade. It is so easy to enter the parade. You can get in it and not even realize it.

A young man asked me yesterday, “How much of what goes on during the weekend depends on you?” I told him, “On the spiritual side it is all up to God, and on the natural side I am pretty important.”

It wasn’t long before that sentence tasted nasty in my mouth. Who do you think you are, Chris? I had to repent before the Lord and go to the young man and correct my error. I am just the “dummy” and God is the Ventriloquist! He pulls all the strings – until pride pops up, that is. He can easily let me see how much it depends on me.

A lesson learned for the two millionth time. The flesh fights for ascendancy, doesn’t it?

Are you walking the humility highway or cruising in the pride parade?

Just a thought,

Pastor Chris

Hey Friends,

Over 25 years ago I signed this card.  It was called:

THE COMPANY OF THE COMMITTED

Let me remake it for you and see if you can sign it:

“I’m a part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have Holy Spirit power. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I am a disciple of His. I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still.

My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure. I’m finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap giving, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don’t have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by power.

My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few, my Guide is reliable, my mission is clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won’t give up, shut up, let up, until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, preached up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go ’til He comes, give ’til I drop, preach ’til all know, and work ’til He stops me. And when He comes for His own, He will have no problem recognizing me-my banner of identification with Jesus will be clear.”

Name______________________________________

Date_______________________________________

Can You?

Pastor Chris

Hey Friends,

As spiritual leaders we read the Bible often, or at least I hope we do. I find myself wondering and wanting more of what I read, don’t you? I read Acts and long for the power of Pentecost and the miracles of the apostles. But do I want to do what they did to get what they got?

Do I want the power of Pentecost, but what about the prayer of Pentecost? Ten days in the upper room before the Spirit of God fell… I haven’t been in many prayer meetings like that, have you? We want God to move like in days of old, but to do the things of old, are we too busy? Will our activity accomplish more today without the prayer and fasting? We know the answer, don’t we?

Easter season is almost on us. At Faith Promise it is a huge outreach season for us. We will have Sacred Storm on Thursday through Sunday, March 25-28, then celebrate Easter on Friday through Sunday, April 2-4. We will have about 12,000 people for those two weekends. But what will happen that will last forever? What miracles can we expect?

Do we pray for the dramas and messages and music to be ready? Is it for the people to equal out at 1,000 in each service? Or do we pray for a harvest of souls that only God can accomplish?

The worship team is seeking God like never before. They have called for a 21-day fast. I have called the entire church for a 7-day fast leading up to Sacred Storm. You can choose when to start, but let’s seek the Lord for a powerful move of the Holy Spirit.

Pray that God will save over a thousand between the two weekends! How’s that for Pentecostal power? Together we can see the Lord move.

What are you expecting the Lord to do?

Just a question…

Pastor Chris

Hey Friends,

I love the quote that says: “private victories precede public victories!” Let me put it another way; the things done privately will give us the results we want publicly.

What am I talking about? We almost all want a supernatural ministry. We want to be used by God and we want to carry the anointing of God. That is what is seen and manifested publicly. Before that will be experienced by a leader, it must be lived out in our prayer closet.

So, let me ask you, how is your closet time? The devil will do anything to keep you out of your prayer and devotional times. He knows our power source is our time with the Lord. It was the same for Jesus while He walked among us. He often stole away for times with His heavenly Father. God is our source.

Let me ask you again, how is your prayer time? Red hot or cool? Are you walking in passion or passing? Red hot sermons are developed in the hot oven of our devotions. It’s amazing that some pastors want to lead people on fire when they are not too hot themselves. If you have a polar bear in the pulpit then you will have ice cubes in the pews.

What about your fasting? It’s another thing done in relative obscurity that produces power that is seen by all. How often do you fast? To what degree are you seeking the presence of the Lord?

How about being filled and controlled by the Holy Spirit? It is critical in our leadership and yet a private pursuit. So, are you pursuing? If you are filled with God people will know it.

I could list several other disciplines that are done in private and yet their fruit is seen in public. Most everyone wants the public showing without private sowing. It does not work that way.

Let me challenge you to seek The Savior and His presence and you will be a more powerful and efficient leader. Prayer is not a pastime but prime time.

Just a thought,

Pastor Chris

Hey Friends,

Recently a well-known pastor came under fire from the media in his city. The news story placed this pastor in a very negative light. I have no clue what the truth is, but the Bible says, “not to take an accusation against an elder lest there be two or three witnesses.” I hope by now we believers should know not to trust the media.

The following weekend the pastor dealt with the story with his congregation. A friend of mine was there and we talked about the weekend. My friend that has been in the ministry made a great observation: “The structure of the church allowed the pastor to operate in his strengths.”

When he said this, flags started waving in my mind that this was a golden nugget I needed not miss! Structure is vitally important. Many times people like me that are only concerned with the move of God miss this important piece of the ministry.

How a church, group, or organization is structured will determine how far and fast the group can travel and down which roads it can traverse. Please do not overlook this strategic part of organization. I am praying over rewriting the constitution and bylaws at FPC since they are old and we are not following all that is prescribed in them.

In a fire fight the enemy will use the constitution and bylaws. Most pastors want to use the Bible, but in a battle or in the courtroom only the constitution matters.

Are you structured to see your vision accomplished and meet your mandates? This is a critical component to accomplishing all God wants us to do! Many in the ministry do not see this as important until it is too late. This is a weakness in me and boy, am I glad God has placed people around me smarter than I am!

Just a word to the wise…

Pastor Chris

Hey Friends,

Most of us hate failure with a passion and yet if you look back in your life, I’ll bet it has helped you many times. We learn so much from failure. I could list several things failure can and does show us, but better yet, let me tell you a story of failure with one of my great friends.

My friend will remain nameless since I did not ask his permission to share his story. He has been my friend for many years. Early in his young adult life he was fired from a job selling door-to-door. As he told me the story the emotions were still evident. He begged his boss for another chance and told him he would work harder.

The brave boss fired my friend because he was not wired to sell anything. He was in introvert and not great at confrontation. As he was leaving, the boss told him he he should go back to school and become an educator. This was the stupidest thing my friend had ever heard.

He did go to college and got a degree in education. He quickly was promoted due to his ability. He became a principle of an elementary school and has led that organization for years. It is an amazing school in which the kids get a great education and the teachers enjoy working. He is one of the best educators in the state and is highly respected and regarded.

He will tell you his failure early in his career catapulted him to greater heights than he ever dreamed.

Don’t fear failure – it is your friend for so many reasons! So try, leap, march out, and if you fail you will know how not to do it the next time! Remember Thomas Edison? It is how he invented many of the things we cherish.

Yours to count on,

Pastor Chris

Hey Friends,

Have you ever stopped to ask how much wealth is buried in a cemetery? I’ll bet it is one of the wealthiest places in the world! Not because people are buried with their jewels or money, but because we end up being buried with the bulk of our potential unrealized. I think this makes our Lord and Master sad.

He places potential and ability within us and because of ____________… well, you write in the reason or maybe the treason we never fulfill our potential. What is blocking you from achieving all God has placed in you? I know this is a common theme I blog about, but I believe it is paramount. God will judge us against our potential (gifts, abilities, resources…) that He gave us.  Matthew 25

How many books, songs, sermons, careers, relationships, and souls are lost because we died with our potential in us and not out of us? Do you think fear could be one of the reasons we restrict our attempts to use or do what God has given or says to us? I do! Fear is a great foe for the people of faith.

I face it daily. That is why we miss our potential – because of the fear of failure. We may fail so we don’t try. You will fail and it is O.K. Not trying is the real failure. 

Leading a ministry requires us to walk by faith and that is going where we can’t see! So we must trust God, the members on our teams, and the people we lead. We serve a big God and I believe His vision for each of us is greater than we can imagine. Ephesians 3:21 Check it out!

What is stopping you right now in taking the step of faith He is calling you into? Look back – has He come through before? Leap out there; it is part of the joy in your journey!

Just a thought,

Pastor Chris