Hey Friends,

I have been told my entire ministry, I push too hard. I understand it, I just don’t agree with it. We are on a timeline and it is more limited by the day. I believe the two minute warning has been given by God and our time to minister and win the lost is running out.

With that said, can I tell you how proud I am of FPC! We have asked them to go farther and further than ever before. The worship team has just completed a 21-day fast and the entire church was called to a 7-day fast leading up to Sacred Storm. As you read this, the Storm has officially ended and God was glorified. Many came to Jesus for salvation. So many of our family invited so many people – it was amazing!

Hundreds of others worked tirelessly from Thursday until late Sunday afternoon. I could not be more proud of our family. We are on a major upswing in miracles and moves of the Master. Hundreds have gotten out of their comfort zones in giving, serving, fasting, inviting, and witnessing. I stand amazed at the goodness of God and the maturing of our spiritual family. Way to go FPC! Way to go intercessors from other ministries and churches! Thank you, as well.

Remember, we are one Body in Christ. We are to complete each other, not compete with each other. God is moving in Knoxville and around the world on our I-Campus (Kyle is great!).  It is so exciting and fun to watch and to be a part of.

Now we reload and get ready for this weekend – EASTER! Another family affair. We will have thousands of guests and hundreds will come to Christ this weekend for salvation and deliverance. The resurrection power will be in the air. God is at work and what a joy and privilege to be a part. Pray for this weekend and let’s work together.

Love you and am so proud of you,

Pastor

Hey Friends,

The legendary and winning coach, Knute Rockne, said of his team: “An automobile goes nowhere efficiently unless it has a quick, hot spark to ignite things, to set the cogs of the machine in motion. So I try to make every player on the team feel like he’s the spark, keeping our machine in motion.”

No wonder he was such a winner and produced such winning teams. How would you like a coach like that? We all would!

We are all born with a certain amount of wattage. Some bulbs just burn brighter than others. Each player on your team has a part to play. I agree with the Coach – each player can add some fire. Are you a fire lighter and igniter or are you a fire fighter?

We have some igniters on our team and we would be lost without them. Let me introduce you to two:

• “Coach” Chuck Carringer is our Pastor of Family Ministries and he brings the fire. He lights up everyone around him. He brings passion and he wants to win the game.
• Michele Stephens, our Worship Leader, is the weekend coach. She pushes everyone and tries to create events where people can hook up with God. She has a fire burning in her.

I could keep going but for brevity’s sake I will stop here. Let me ask you a few questions:

When your name is called on the team what do people think? How do they see you? Are they glad to see you?

Do you encourage others and are you excited when someone else on the team scores? It takes a team to win and if we are only concerned with our personal stats then we might look good, but the team will lose the game.

Are you concerned with the win? How are you helping others on the team to stay fired up and in the game? What are you saying as you sit on the bench waiting on your turn to play? It may determine if, when, and how long you get to play.

Our teams winning means souls out of hell and captives are set free. The stakes are high.

Love ya,

Pastor Chris

Hey Friends,

I guess this is an odd question, but what kind of math person are you? Some people add to you and some subtract. Some divide you and some multiply you. What kind are you to the people you come into contact with? Here is a list of some of them. Look it over and see where you find yourself in the equation:

1. Some people add to others. D.L. Moody said, “Do all the good you can, to all the people you can, in all the ways you can, as long as you can.” Great advice from a man that rocked the world. Don’t you love to be around people that add value to you? Chuck Carringer, our Pastor of Family Ministries, does it to everyone with whom he comes into contact. He is amazing. He not only is growing our family ministry, but he is a life coach for individuals that want to improve.

2. Some people subtract from others. ”Subtractors” are not there to help you, they add to your burden. They don’t help you carry your load, they want you to carry yours and also help them with theirs.

3. Some people multiply you. My assistant multiplies my time and my effectiveness. Almost twenty years ago a friend of mine named Melvyn Smith told me that one day I would have a great assistant and life would get better automatically.

4. Some people divide you. They take away from you. For some reason they want you to seem less than you really are. It is an odd thing. I guess some people’s lights burn so dimly that they have to blow out the lights of others to make theirs seem brighter.

Leaders want to take everyone to the next level. They want to add value to, or even multiply, people’s lives so they reach the peak of their potential. That is the reason I wrote The Climb of Your Life -  to help people scale summits that seem impossible.

Which kind of math person are you? To make a difference you must build others up. There are more than enough people in the destruction business so let’s be in the construction business – building lives one at a time. I don’t know about you, but I surely am grateful for those that added value to me. It’s pay back time.

Just a thought,

Chris

P.S.  For those of you in the Knoxville area, I want to encourage you to attend Chuck Carringer’s monthly leadership seminar.  Each month he focuses on a different area of leadership development that is designed to help you increase your capacity to lead.  The next one is this afternoon, January 21, at 5:30 p.m. in Satellite-1.

Hey Friends and Leaders,

I am in the middle of my devotion and had to stop and write this blog post. As leaders we talk to people all the time. As leaders our words carry more weight. You have the decision of who gets hired and who gets fired. You make the call on promotions and demotions. So, we must recognize the weight of our words. Far too many speak before they think. God said, “Life and death are in the power of the tongue.” Please choose your words carefully. Jesus said, “You will be held accountable for every idle word you speak.” Serious business, wouldn’t you agree?

Proverbs chapter 10 has some awesome thoughts:

(verse 11)  ”The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of  life…”

(verse 20) “The tongue of the righteous is as choice silver…”

(verse 31) “The mouth of  the righteous flows with wisdom…”

(verse 32) ”The lips of the righteous bring forth what is acceptable…”

As leaders we can speak life and encouragement. Sometimes we have to deal with harsh issues, and yet we can do it in love. “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only that which is good for edification…” As leaders we can build people up or tear them down. I believe leaders in the Kingdom of God are in the construction business and not the destruction business.

Regardless of your background or upbringing you can be an encourager. People work much better in an atmosphere of  encouragement. What atmosphere are you building for your team? How are you using your words to help and not hinder? As the leader it is your calling to make your team the best it can be. Your words are the best way to accomplish this God-given task.

Today take some time to weigh your words and see how you’re doing. This goes for your family and friends as well as employees. Most people are drawn to an encourager – are you one? I know you can do it. I am sure we can all grow in this vital area. I’m praying for you as so many are looking to you and listening to you. Let God use your mouth and never let your tongue be used by the devil to tear others down.

Yours to count on,

Pastor

Hey Friends,

This weekend we begin the fall alignment. Double the power and double the punch! Once or twice a year at FPC we align the weekend messages with the lessons in the small groups. This is an exciting time and I look for a lot of life transformation. Jesus is about changing lives and transforming them into tools that he can use. My query and quandary is, why is it so hard to get people into community today? It is part of the job of the Pastors to facilitate community, but why is it so difficult?

As I read the four Gospels they are a story of the Savior and His small group. Then we move to the book of Acts and we find community on every page and verse. The new church was crammed full of community. I guess they needed it. They were shinning the Light into darkness and the darkness hated it and them. So they were persecuted, hated, and killed. They were rejected by their family, friends, and communities. Being thrown out by everyone, they desperately needed community. No one would disagree with me so far, so why don’t we need it today? That question has huge implications, wouldn’t you agree? So what is the deal?

Can we deduce from this that we are missing the mark? Are we shining the Light? The world doesn’t hate us anymore, it just ignores us. Is our impact that limited? Or do we just not need each other anymore? As I read the New Testament I see the words “one another” in so many places. Love, serve, share, encourage, help, stimulate….one another. It is hard to do in a room with 1000 people. We do it in circles in small groups. It is easy to hide in rows, not so easy in circles.

Community is critical and we all need to be involved. I’m so excited about what the Lord will do in the series starting this weekend, GRO-UP! Time to step over the line.

Yours to count on.

Pastor

Hey Friends,

You guys have been great this week. It was the biggest week of blogging I have ever had, and the comments were so helpful. I was blown away!  I would like to ask you to continue to write your comments on the blog site so others that visit the site can read your contributions. We are a team and we all have insights to share. Wednesday netted over 100 comments – amazing. I’ve got to tell you, I was fired up for the weekend after all of your input and insight!

 We all need each other! “Encourage each other to love and good works and all the more as you see the day approaching.” Keep up the great work. I look forward to this weekend and I believe God will move in great power. We will see miracles and experience the favor of God. I am looking for revival. Please pray with me because we can do more together than we can alone. Leadership is about raising up more leaders and you guys are great. I am praying for you and I long to see you reach your full potential in building the Kingdom of God and making Jesus famous.

This weekend could be the weekend that revival rocks. Can’t wait to see all God will do!

Yours to  count on,

P.C.

Hey Friends,

Last week I wrote on the more harsh or difficult side of leadership. Many who read the posts thought I was bummed out, but by no means am I! I spent a few days in Sydney a little bummed as I watched an awesome church. I saw some areas where we could get better and where I could get better. I was a little bummed then but I got over it before I came home. We can not act like the difficult side of leadership does not exist. It does. We must see it and be ready for it, or we will fall by the wayside and be another statistic.

Just in case you were wondering, I’ve never been more excited:

1. At the growth and excitement of Faith Promise.

2. At the level of our current staff.

3. At the future and vision for the church.

4. With the new ministry I am launching for church leaders.

5. With my walk with Jesus.

6. With the upcoming sermon series for the rest of the the year.

7. About decisions that face Faith Promise and the opportunity to walk in faith and honor our Lord.

I could go on all day.  I am so grateful to our Lord and for His favor and anointing HE has given me and FPC.  The future has never looked brighter. I believe we have yet to really get started in winning people to Jesus. We will make Him famous. We will lift Him up. We will walk by faith into His vision for His Church. We will see miracles.  We will see lives changed by the thousands. We will see marriages saved, captives freed, and God worshipped with passion and love. I am so thrilled at the future and then heaven! What’s not to be excited about?

Yours to count on,

Pastor