Hey Friends,

 If you are one of the more discerning readers, you may have detected a somewhat harsher tone than usual in my last few blogs. It is because lately I have faced some serious personal difficulties involving tough leadership decisions. Leadership has some great perks and privileges. But it also has some difficult avenues. Decisions can be part of the difficulties. Yesterday, I wrote about making leadership decisions with your head and not your heart. This can be more than just a chore.

As leaders in the Kingdom of  God we must remember what the Scripture says: “The Kingdom suffers violence and the violent take it by force.” This is more than a strong verse; it is an attitude that leaders must embrace. We are at war with darkness and the battle is raging. Hell will always pull out all the stops to hinder us. Many times we wander around and forget we are at war.

As leaders we are marshaling every resource at our disposal to advance the cause of Christ and His Kingdom. Sound hard? It is! It requires improving  leadership in so many areas, both personally and in the church. Where are you strong? Where do you need to grow? This is not a time to play games but to get serious about our calling.

My little brother has been missing for the last two months. We have no idea where he could be. He is not alone. Millions in America are missing from the fold. Millions are AWOL and some are POWs. The devil takes no prisoners but drags his prey to hell. WE are God’s only line of defense. He wants to use us in His rescue of the lost.

Just a thought.

Yours to count on,

Pastor

Hey Friends,

If you read this blog often, then you probably love people. Most leaders in ministry love people, as we should. So when we have to make difficult leadership decisions, with what do we make them? Do we use our hearts or our heads? Most people use their hearts. Having a compassionate heart is a wonderful thing in ministry. But when the decision to be made is regarding leadership,  whatever you do – don’t use your heart! Many times we have to make decisions that effect our team, our direction for the future, or any of a thousand other issues. In these situations don’t use your heart. Tough decisions must be made with your head.

Our heads can stay free and clear from emotional clutter and distractions. But our hearts will cause us to worry about how people will feel or if anyone will be hurt by the decision we make. Because of this we will delay making, or even refuse to make, hard calls or difficult directional decisions. As an example, because of this fear of hurting others most people have never dismissed anyone from a staff, whether the position is paid or volunteer.

At the end of  the day, vision and the Kingdom must be primary in our decision making process. No matter the decision, the end goal is to impact lives and to maximize all we have for the Kingdom. In order for us to reach our potential, hard issues must be faced and difficult decisions must be made.

In most churches and ministries being “nice” is the top value. But if we were to check with Christ about His Church, reaching souls and making disciples would be at the top of the priority list! So if you are a leader, what hard decisions are you facing? Are you willing to do whatever it takes to follow Jesus instead of pleasing people? Will you follow God’s leading  or give in to your feelings?  At the end of the day it is our goal to make God happy, not the people around us.

I know very well what a lonely part of leadership this can be, but it is a part that must be faced if lives are going to be transformed. I know the devil works overtime to make decisions difficult for us. But the important thing to remember is that God has called us to be leaders and to touch this world for Him.  And if we seek Him, He will give us the wisdom we need to make the right ones.

Yours to count on.

Pastor

Hey Friends,

Have you ever heard it said, “I’m in the groove?” I have.  It usually refers to someone that has practiced something, so they “cut a groove and stay in it.” This is how we are supposed to get better. Practice, practice, practice, we are told. If you do, you will cut a groove and it will be easier to stay in it. But is the groove the best place for you?

I just started playing golf after a six-year sabbatical; it should have been longer!  Now, after several rounds of golf my old swing is coming back. Why? I grooved it in. It is wrong and horrible, but it is grooved. Unless I concentrate, I see my old bad habits creeping back in! Why? Because I spent years and years in the WRONG GROOVE!

You may have heard it said “practice makes perfect.” But if you practice incorrectly, you’ll wind up with incorrect habits. You see, practice makes permanent, not perfect. So what’s the answer? 

First, get help. Great golfers like Tiger Woods are continuously refining their swing to improve. Tiger has a swing coach that helps him find poor mechanics in his technique and teaches him how to correct them. Just because Tiger has won tons of tournaments doesn’t mean he doesn’t need help from others! Seek out others who can help you identify and overcome your weaknesses. Next, spend time in deliberate practice.  Golfers will often spend hours on the driving range honing their skills. This kind of practice is intentional. It is about feedback and correction. It is being open to help and improvements. This kind of discipline requires focused effort, and it’s essential if you want to improve. Finally – and this is key – don’t let pride get in the way. Acknowledge that you don’t have it all figured out and let someone else speak into your life. Without humility, it’s impossible to dig yourself out of that groove!

These disciplines go beyond the fairways and bunkers – they can apply to any aspect of life. What are you doing to train yourself? What are you doing to identify your weaknesses and correct them? Paul told the Corinthian church, “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we are imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air;   but I discipline my body and make it my slave so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.”

Keep your eyes on the prize! In ministry and in my spiritual growth I desperately want to grow, so I ALWAYS need to be open to feedback and improvement.  I plan to grow and want the people around me to help me so that I can be all that God has designed me to be! Are you open to feedback and self-correction? I pray so!

Just a thought.

Yours to count on,

Pastor

Hey Friends,

How does the title strike you? What do you think about entering a new phase of faith? Sadly for most Christ-followers, even leaders in the Kingdom, this is not an exciting proposition.  Most people work toward orienting their lives to how they want them. From ministry to vocation, from calendar to commitments, we have a certain way we want to arrange our days, weeks, months and life. Does this make sense? So, how do we continue to walk by faith when we get life where we want it?

Do you think your comfort zone can keep you out of a life of faith? I sure do. We all have a natural bent against changing what we want when we get it. Now what happens when God wants us to grow, to soar, to climb new  mountains? If we are not careful we will automatically say “no” to what God wants. When was the last time you entered a new phase of faith? If it has been years, don’t you think that is problematic position? We are commanded to “walk by faith and not by sight.” This is hard to do if there are no changes or challenges. What mountain does God want you to climb?

You never get too old to climb – remember Caleb who asked Moses for the mountain? God is always calling us higher and higher. About the time we get comfortable on our level, He calls us to march on. What is your next phase of  faith? We would love to pray for you.

Yours to count on,

Pastor

P. S.  As I start the new ministry to the Kaleo “called” in the Kingdom, it will require a serious reorientation of my personal  life. I just got it the way I wanted it, but it is not about me! So, how does God want it? What am I willing to give up to impact His Kingdom? Please pray for me as I seek God’s will.

Hey Friends,

What teaching are you walking in? Following the teaching of  Jesus will transform your life. Jesus said in John 3:36, “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life…” Notice the Lord equated belief with behavior. Do we really believe the parts of the Bible we don’t obey? Great question to meditate on, don’t you think?

Proverbs 13:14 says, “The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, to turn aside from the snares of death.” Jesus gave birth to wisdom and His teaching is truth. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” Jesus is the Word and He walked among us. WE must walk in His teaching. (2 John 9)

What is amazing to me is how the church today thinks learning it and not living it is  O.K. to the Lord. Our verse from John says not hardly! Are you walking in His  teaching? To turn aside or to not obey is to “walk in snares of death.” I challenge you to get a plan to take in more transformational teaching. Last weekend at FPC our teaching involved this topic and you can click on GRO-UP to hear it.

How much transformational teaching do you take in? By transformational I mean life changing. That is the reason the Bible was given. Far more than belief –  it is about behavior. More that learning –  it is living. With 168 hours in a week, how many hours of teaching do you get? Is your spiritual growth plan sufficient to help you soar to the next level with God? Are you changing daily more into the image of Jesus?

Paul told Timothy to be “diligent and his progress would be obvious to all.” Can others see your growth? I am hungry to grow and achieve my full potential. Maximum effort will be required and I am ready, willing and able to do it.

Together let’s grow.

Yours to count on,

Pastor

Hey Friends,

“But, I don’t want to!”  Is this a phrase you hear all the time? I sure do. We are used to hearing it from the nursery or even our children, but not from adults. The Scripture says to “grow up in all aspects unto Him which is the Head, even Christ.” (Ephesians 4:15) As adults we learn not to say things like, “I don’t want to.” We just don’t do it and hope no one will notice.

This principle plays out in so many areas of life: family, work, exercise, ministry, and even spiritual  growth. We all know we do what we want to and try to forget the things we don’t like. That is why at FPC we try to hire people based on their passions – because we know that most will do what they want to do. So, what  do we do about our “peas?” If you don’t like peas you push them around your plate but you never get around to eating them. We must learn to eat our peas if we want to grow as a leader and as a Christ-follower.

At the end of the day we must get disciplined. That means doing what you may not want to do, so you can get what you do want. Whether it is physical growth, vocational growth, or spiritual growth, effort is required. You must become a self-feeder, which is a huge mark of maturity. It seems that only a small percentage of people are able to do things they don’t want in order to achieve the end goal. For you and me if the end goal is to be more like Jesus, much it required. What is the next step for you to continue in spiritual growth and skip stagnation, which is where so many end up?

I hope and pray you have a plan.

Yours to count on,

Pastor

Hey Friends,

Do you ever get used to watching God move? I sure don’t. Like the creatures in heaven that do not stop crying out, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord!”  They never get used to to His beauty, power, or glory. I never want to get accustomed to His life-transforming power or His miraculous ability! Do you see it?

 We are in a sermon series at FPC called GRO-UP and God is dealing out His Word with some serious conviction. I hope you don’t miss any of the messages that are meant to equip and encourage you to grow to your full potential. At FPC we pray that we are able to reach our full redemptive potential for Jesus. To accomplish this feat we will all have to work with all of our hearts. 

We just received notice from Outreach Magazine that last year we were listed again as one of the top 100 fastest growing churches in America . Thank you, God!  So what do we do next? We keep going, pressing, praying, casting vision and growing people! Now is not the  time to slow down. Our time to work is coming to a close and we must keep climbing. We must grow as individuals because “big people” are required to build big churches. Our current series is meant to help this become a reality. In the series we will dicuss six tools God uses to grow each of us.

What “One Thing” could you start that would help you become more like Jesus? Let us forget what is behind us and march on to what is in front of us. We have all failed in the past so let’s get up, shake the dust off and go on to maturity. Our goal is to grow big fat sheep - a church full of healthy sheep, producing more sheep for the Lord we serve.

What are you doing to keep growing in a stagnant world?

Your to count on,

Pastor

P.S.  I want to let you know about a great opportunity for personal growth coming up this Thursday, September 24.  Chuck Carringer, our Pastor of Family Ministries, will be teaching  his monthly leadership seminar from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. in ST-1.   This month’s topic is: Don’t Play Fair: Relationships – Give More Than You Receive.  You won’t want to miss it!

Hey Friends,

I hope you read Thursday’s blog. If not, please skip back and read it quickly because today’s piggybacks off of it. We talked about making decisions versus managing decisions. Leaders, we need to know this because at the end of the day we must help the followers manage or follow through with their decisions. Years ago my only concern was how many people found their way down the aisle and to the altar during an invitation. Slowly it dawned on me (I’m not the fastest car on the track) that the number of people at the altar didn’t mean much because most did not follow through on commitments made.

Last weekend we talked about the importance of small group community in personal growth. 250 people signed up for “grouplink” on the following Wednesday night. When Wednesday night came 3 or 4 days after “signing the card” to attend, 150 showed up. Praise God for those who showed up and are connecting in community. What about the other 100 that said they would come?  Making decisions is easy, following through is not.

 As leaders we must understand the concept or risk being discouraged and depressed on a regular basis. It is our job to help people manage the things they really want to do. We are leading people down the “narrow road” and calling them to do what is not easy. So as we are called to make disciples we must help them. We will all fail! We will all drop the ball with the decisions we have made, but we must pick it back up and “run the race that is set before us.”

Am I discouraged because of the 100 that did not show up? NO WAY! They will come next time. We will continue to help people manage spiritual decisions and help grow them to be more like Jesus. As I recall, Jesus had some difficult times with His disciples, didn’t He?  Just a thought.

Yours to count on,

Pastor

P.S. At the end of  the journey it is not about decisions, but about disciples. It is not about how many cards were filled out, but how many Christ- followers we make.

Hey Friends,

If you have ever tried to grow any type of plant or garden you know how  hard it can be. I have met some people with a green thumb, but many more have a brown thumb. Many people can’t even keep a plastic plant going. As I have tried my hand at growing stuff and learned of the difficulty, I have found a great aid. It is fertilizer. No matter what you are trying to grow, fertilizer helps. From manure to miracle grow it is awesome.

God has given us some fertilizers to help us in our spiritual growth. One we will deal with this weekend at FPC is Transformational Teaching. Jesus said in John 3:36: “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life…” Notice the Lord links belief to obedience. This may be a subtle difference in today’s church culture, but it is huge regarding our growth. Today we link belief with belief. That is, we can learn the Bible and not do what the Bible says, and think that is O.K. Where did that come from? Jesus is linked to transformational teaching. Not just information and inspiration, but transformation. We are talking about life change! That is why He came.

What are you doing to fertilize your spiritual growth? Well, you are reading this blog so you are doing something – and you care! What else do you do to cultivate life-changing teaching?  Let me list some ideas for your consideration:

1. Attending weekend worship and applying it to your life
2. Bible self-study
3. Books,  CDs, conferences, radio, TV and others
4. Podcasts: many are free but just be careful who you listen to – the waters are full of  sharks
5. Being involved in a small group and application of  what is taught

There is much fertilizer yet few who use it. The Bible says, “In the last days there will be a dearth of hearing.” We have a lot of teaching, but what about hearing and changing? You be the judge of the Miracle Grow you will  use.

Yours to count on,

Pastor

Hey Friends,

I’ll bet (if I were a betting man) that no one would disagree with the title of this blog thought! Everyone makes decisions, New Year’s resolutions, etc. We make plans and commitments by the dozens. I have watched thousands of people make their way down an aisle to make a decision about their spiritual life. The decision is the easy part; managing the decision becomes difficult and it requires discipline. It seems we are in short supply of discipline these days!

So what is the answer? We must manage the decisions we make and some of them require a lifetime to do. To commit to be healthy is a lifetime issue. To be a leader, to follow Jesus, to reach your potential, all these require a lifetime of management and must have some type of plan to achieve.

I am a great sprinter. Every personality test I take says I start well and finish poorly. I love a new project, but hate the details of completing it. I have come to realize many people – maybe even most – are like me. There are only a few disciplined people who because of their personality finish well. We are blessed to have an Executive Pastor at FPC that is gifted  in that way. He finishes the ministries I start. You know, that is great for a team, but what about you personally? What will it take for you to manage the decisions that you have made? Some of the decisions have been great and are not easy. Following Jesus is not an easy decision and yet it is so worth the effort!

I would encourage you to list the decisions that you have made that require your constant attention. For me some are:

1. Follow Jesus regardless of the cost.

2. To achieve my full potential and stand at the Judgment and hear, “Well done.”

3. To use everything I am and have to impact the Kingdom of God.

4. To be the best leader I can be for the Lord.

5. To love my wife and kids and to be the best dad and husband I can possibly be.

6. To add value to everyone I can.

7. To live a life that honors the Lord, brings Him glory, and makes Him proud of me.

8. To take care of the body God has entrusted me with.

These are just a few decisions I must manage on a daily basis. How about you?

Yours to count on,

Pastor