Hey Friends,

For years I have made the comments that, “I am the Lord’s favorite” and “the Trinity meets in emergency session to think of new ways to bless me.” The first time people hear this they are usually blown away and do not know what to say in response. I have to say I enjoy watching them try to process the comments. After several years of telling people that, only a few times has anyone challenged me to say they think they are His favorite. I wonder why?

As you think about you and God, how do you see your relationship? Are you His favorite? Are you one of His favorites? You are probably thinking, “That is silly Chris; why even ask such a question? He loves us all the same.” I ask it because it reveals your view of you and God. It also will determine how you interpret situations and events. It will help or hurt you when problems arise. Is God “getting you” or “testing you?”

We all have to process the problems and events in our life and leadership. I choose to believe that I am the Lord’s favorite and He has my best interest at heart. I know He is with me and watching me ’cause He said so. Why not take care of His favorite?!? Daily, I look for great things to happen. Daily, I look for miracles and great opportunities. Why? Because He loves me and desires to do great things for, and in and through me – His favorite.

Remember, our outlook and attitude is a choice! So, how do you see you and God? What do you see for the future? How will you interpret the issues of your life. I could list verses and back up everything I have said, except I’m His favorite. Romans 8:28 says, ”He works all things for good…”

Today, as a leader choose to believe the Word applies to you and was written to you, because it was. Live free and full of joy!

Got your back,

Pastor Chris

Hey Friends,

As many of you know, we have been rocking at Faith Promise. We have had record offerings and record attendance. Two weeks ago with our million dollar offering, the local news did a story on the weekend. Almost everyone here at the church was stoked! Many experienced miracles and the anticipation of God moving has never been higher. Yet, in the midst of this marvelous movement there are those who are angry. It is ALWAYS the case and as leaders we need to get used to it.

We announced after the 1.2 million dollar offering that we were going to fund an orphanage in Haiti. The church just about shouted the walls down in excitement. Yet in our chat room on our Internet Campus the “chat” was not as upbeat. People began to gripe about funding for Haiti orphans, saying we should give all the money here at home. Others were angry that we were going to expand our current Pellissippi campus, saying God did not care if the church grew. The list of whiners, gripers and complainers was not really that long, but if we are not careful we can allow them to get all of our attention.

As a leader, I have chosen to focus on the win and not the vocal armchair quarterbacks who think they know God’s Will for everybody else. My sweet wife, Michele, was extreamly bumbed by the few complaints and missed the glory of the miracles. That is exactly what the vocal minority wants –  to rob the joy of the Lord from us. Don’t let them take your focus off the wins, the team that is excited and all that God is doing. The enemy always wants to rob us of the victory and the joy of the Lord.

It really is your choice what you stay focused on! Focus on the glory of the Lord and the people who are with you. Nehemiah refused to come off the wall to deal with the naysayers. Follow his example and let’s advance forward for the King!

Just a thought,

Pastor Chris

Hey Friends,

After being in the ministry for almost 30 years I have to agree that momentum is the leader’s best friend. When you have the major Mo on your side, it makes you look better than you are. It is as if the ministry or organization is firing on all eight cylinders with a super-charger on it. The inverse is also true; without the Mo you look worse than you really are as a leader.

I have watched many leaders go into situations that are less than perfect – dead even – and people think they are not any good! It is not necessarily true. If you go into an organization that is flat or declining, to get it moving is not easy. With no Mo you are going nowhere! I have watched many pastors fired due to no Mo.  We don’t carry Mo in our briefcase.

The space shuttle spends the biggest percentage of its fuel launching and breaking the earth’s gravitational pull. That means it spends the majority of its fuel in the first seven miles, gaining momentum. As leaders, we can never ignore the law of momentum. To ignore the Big Mo could mean your job or ministry.

Great leaders learn how to generate momentum. Once the Big Mo starts moving you look like a great leader. Let me list some helpful hints to gaining it:

1. Fasting and Prayer. Our God owns all power and authority! He Can!

2. Starting something new. New churches, small groups and ministries tend to grow faster than something “old.”

3. Vision-Casting. Nothing creates excitement more than a compelling vision. Nothing grows a church or group more than excitement. I am asked all the time: what is the key to church growth? It is excitement of the members. If they are excited, you can’t stop them from inviting their friends and family. Few invite people to stale, dry, dead or boring.

4. Telling stories of how God is moving. Nothing motivates God’s people more than great testimonies of salvations or miracles. We all want a taste of the miraculous. Two weekends ago we had a miracle offering and had a record attendance because the church wanted to experience GOD! He showed up and they did!

Do you have the Mo on your side? It is a critical component in leadership. Pass over this to your own peril, I promise.

Love ya,

Pastor Chris

Hey Friends,

How often do you unplug? Jesus unplugged regularly and so should we. It seems to me that the more stressful your position, the more often you need to unplug. I made a serious error in scheduling this year. Our Executive Pastor, Josh, pointed out to me at mid-year that I had not scheduled any weekends off this year. OVERSIGHT!

None of us are irreplaceable. If you don’t unplug some you will get to see early how replaceable you are. Just as the Lord gave us the Sabbath to rest, He gave us orders to pull away from the front line for R & R. As leaders in the Kingdom, we are often giving to many that have an endless list of needs and hurts. The line of ministry will not end this side of heaven. You cannot help everyone, but if you don’t take care of yourself you won’t be able to help anyone.

How do you unplug?

Do you have any hobbies?

How often do you schedule time off?

Are you raising up any other leaders?

As I write this blog I am at a car show with my son, @ZacStephens, in Pennsylvania. We both enjoy Corvettes and we are loving the show. This is an annual event we share. Also with us are some great friends. This recharges my batteries. Having fun or just a change of pace helps us unplug.

I love the ministry and love to preach, and yet without unplugging I will get stale and tired. Burnout doesn’t happen to those who unplug. Do you?

If you were to take a day off, what would you do? Who would you spend it with? How do you recharge your battery? We must all know ourselves so we can maximize ministry. What would that look like in you?

Just a thought while viewing the Vettes…

Pastor Chris

Hey Friends,

I’m reading a new book by Craig Groeschel called, The Christian Atheist. It is a great book. The thesis of the book is: people who believe in God but act like He doesn’t exist. This is an issue all spiritual leaders will have to deal with.

If you are trying to build a church or even a small group and you invite people, you will hear; let me tell you about old so and so…  We have to climb over people who say they believe in God and yet act like… It is hard to say you are going to heaven and live like hell!

Let none of us act as if we are perfect, and yet our life does reflect so much on our Savior. As leaders it is critical that we help people overcome strongholds and walk in freedom. The greatest witness is a believer walking in freedom. “I once was lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see.” When people watch us walk in freedom they want some of what we have.

I believe one of the reasons why the church I pastor is growing so rapidly is because of the life change people see. At Faith Promise there are people from every walk of life walking in freedom. Our worship is charged with power by the gratitude of newfound freedom. Excitement exudes from those freshly unchained.

People in that kind of victory tell everyone they see about all God has done for them. I’ll bet the witness of the New Testament was the people just talking about all God was doing. People who see an exciting church will invite everyone to attend.

Fired up? I am!

Love ya,

Pastor Chris

Hey Friends,

Legacy is written about a lot, but thought about and acted on much less! I am not trying to be morbid nor do I have a consuming thought of death, but I realize that the race will be over for each of us sooner than we think. I just turned 50 and I can see the end of the ministry and this leadership race.

Yesterday my father-in-law was diagnosed with cancer and the same day a lady that used to play in one of our bands at church was killed. Life is short here on the cursed planet. Every day is a gift from God and should be lived to the fullest. Because of this we must make succession plans for our leadership and for the groups we lead.

Elton Trueblood wrote, “We have made at least a start in discovering the meaning in human life when we plant shade trees under which we know full well we will never sit.” I have watched many of my leadership and ministry heroes leave great organizations without any thought for the future. Some just walked away and let thriving ministries close! Not good leadership.

When I was in Israel I visited Yad Vashem. It is the Holocaust museum and is a must visit. Never have I been more moved as that day. There is a street in honor of the “Gentiles” who helped the Jews during this horrible time. For the famous ones like Corrie Ten Boom or Schindler, they plant a tree. This tree will give fruit after 30 years. It is a selfless tree. It is known as this because if you plant one you know you will never eat of the fruit. You planted it for others.

That is what we need to do for the next generation, for the church and for ministry. Far too many leaders hang on until they are too old. The church loses its focus and momentum, and the great leader leaves as the church is dropping like a rock without a plan for succession.

Let’s do better!

Love ya,

Pastor Chris

Hey Friends,

Love and unity are critical characteristics communicated and taught throughout the Cannon. As leaders, it is our job to try to get alignment in vision so we can see synergistic power in the ministries we lead. If we can communicate vision so that the entire body follows, the synergism we create will propel us forward. It is happening in culture against us, so why not use it to advance the Kingdom?

In Genesis 11:6, the Lord said: “Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them.” This was an evil group with evil motives and yet they were together, unified and synergistically empowered!

Just think, if we with the power of the Holy Spirit and with the same vision and unity work for God…what would be possible for us? All things! It is the job of the leader to clearly communicate a compelling vision that will motivate the groups we lead to charge together. Nothing could stop that kind of movement and momentum!

We must watch the work of the enemy, and his desire and delight is in dividing us. Our Lord said, “No kingdom divided against itself will stand.” I’m not talking about the whole of the Church –  just the one you lead, or maybe the group, ministry or organization you lead.  We must sharpen our skills at communicating such a clear vision that it is easy to follow and get behind.

Together we cannot be stopped!

That is how the Lord planned for His Church to charge. It is the job of the leader to lead the charge. If we move forward like this nothing can stop us. The world has yet to see a church moving in this power – all things would be possible for a church like this!

Just a thought.

Love,

Pastor Chris

Hey Friends,

Just a note to thank you all for praying for this past weekend. In case you were not there with us, I thought I would share with you a little of how awesome the weekend was. As you know, we were praying for a weekend of miracles. Well, we got what we asked the Lord for – miracles, that is.

We had over 4,000 in attendance and I have never seen the church more charged up, especially for a huge offering. A record attendance for a huge offering says a lot about the church. People came so excited and trusting in the Lord to perform miracles. I have never seen such faith in all of my ministry. People lined up to get in the sanctuary early. It was amazing!

During the service we prayed for healings, jobs, favor, and many other things the body needed. God showed up and He showed out. We had 24 people saved and baptized. Tears flowed and joy filled the hearts of so many. We set up an email address for the people to share the miracles God did: miracles@faithpromise.org.

I am so grateful to God for how He moved at the prayer and fasting of His people. I am so honored to lead such a great congregation. I am truly blessed in more ways than I can count. This weekend we got a glimpse of what the Lord can do when we come together in agreement and in faith. Tomorrow, I will post a thought about synergism.

Are you leading a group of warriors together to make a great difference? That is what the Lord is calling us all to do. It is my prayer for all of us that we get to see the power of God before we bow before His throne in heaven. The power is ours if we come together.

Let us lead the people over whom God has given us stewardship to win the spiritual war.

This is the call of spiritual leadership.

Love,

Pastor Chris