Hey Friends,

Summer is here and school is just about out. Summer is when we slip into the slump of lazy days of hanging around. We all need some rest and a vacation. We need down time. As Christ-followers we can see Jesus take time away. It is critical if we are going to stay sane. I hope you can take some time to unwind from the rat race and enjoy our Lord.

Some thoughts as we plan to disconnect:

1. Don’t disconnect from Christ’s Body – the Church. Summer is a great time to win the lost and see some great victories. If you are a part of the FPC family you can take us on vacation with you by visiting our Internet Campus. It is key that you stay connected.

2. Don’t disconnect from your small group. It is harder to meet in the summer. Plan some outings, cook out, go the the lake. Don’t skip the saints in the summer.

3. Don’t disconnect from your spiritual growth plan. Summer is a time to catch up on reading or Scripture memory. I am a little behind, O.K. a lot, but I will catch up.

4. Don’t disconnect from ministry. The church will continue through the summer and you are a vital part. Lives still hang in the balance.

Churches and saints prepare for a summer slump. We are going to keep growing and reaching people. We are going to have our best summer ever.  A bold declaration of faith – see my blog from yesterday!

Hope you enjoy your summer and you experience the greatest spurt in your spiritual growth to date. Be blessed and let’s turn the heat up.

Just a thought,

Pastor Chris

Hey Friends,

Tomorrow a big dream and vision of mine will come to reality – a leadership conference for Kingdom leaders called LIT2010. God has used conferences in my life to help me grow as a leader and it is time to give back. I am so excited. Tonight I will sleep like a baby – I will wake up every hour and cry!

I have to tell you this is not a business venture, except the Lord’s business. As of today I stand to lose a lot of money. But as I say often, it is just dirty green paper. The things that will happen  tomorrow will be far more important than money. How many times do we go to some place and wonder: how much money did they make? More often than we care to think. I confess I am a crummy business man, but I pray God’s business flourishes.

Please pray with me and agree for God to show up and show out. Pray for discouraged pastors and leaders to be encouraged. Pray for young leaders to be equipped. Pray for those who are weak in their walk right now to be strengthened. Pray for the Spirit to be in control and to fill to overflowing every person there.

I pray as this ministry is launched officially tomorrow that the Lord is pleased and lifted up. Pray that the team is anointed and walking under an open heaven. Pray for Pete Wilson, Pat Sumitt, Johny Hunt and me. Pray the Word will be a fire and a hammer breaking the rocks in everyone’s hearts and ministries.

Pray the word spreads and revival spreads across our country and our churches.

I am grateful for the servants I am surrounded with who will make this day possible. God, honor Yourself through us, in the name of Your Son Jesus.

See you in the morning.

Pastor Chris

Hey Friends,

As you read this our staff is on a retreat, or advance – whatever you like to call them. Please pray for us as I believe God is going to move in a major way.

Why retreat? Great question! Why not just work and save the money? Because Jesus did and we are Christ-followers. Jesus pulled away often from ministry and helping others for personal refreshing and renewal. If Jesus needed it, how much more do we? A LOT!

So, three days at The Cove in prayer, and in studying and mentoring will impact us for a long time. How often do you pull away for renewal? Even the military pulls the troops off the front line for R & R. We all need it – we are not machines. That is why God created a Sabbath.

I am so excited for two reasons. The first is because I will be teaching two lessons while we are there. One is on prayer and the second is about the Holy Spirit. He is the key to ministry and the Christian life. Francis Chan called Him the Forgotten God in the church today. Pray that God will transform us during these two times in the Word and the Spirit. There will be many other times of transformation!

The second reason I am fired up is because Pastor Josh invited two other church staffs to go with us for part of the retreat. FPC started with the DNA to help other churches and ministries. We have tried to continue that heart to help. It is not about us, it is about HIM!

To whom are you adding value? Who are you trying to help even though it may be difficult? As Christ-followers we are called to help and to serve others. Please pray for LIT2010, which is in a week and a half. I am praying that it will be the best day ever for the attendees and those involved.

Got your back,

Pastor Chris

Hey Friends,

So far this year I have read two books on fasting. I want to be as close to Christ as possible and I know that is your heart as well. I read Jentezen Franklin’s book and Ronnie Floyd’s book and both were great. God is stirring in my spirit as I get back to fasting. I am going to call for one soon at FPC. Let me give you nine things Dr. Floyd listed that will happen if a church participates in a corporate fast:

1. Focus. It is easy to get busy and miss the Master in the ministry. Don’t lose your first love.

2. Wonder. Do we still have the wonder and awe of the God we worship?

3. Sensitivity. As a family are we hearing the voice of the Spirit of the living God?

4. Unity. Jesus said, “A Kingdom divided against itself cannot stand.” The devil is about dividing the family of God and defusing our power.

5. Growth. I know church growth is not a dirty word, but as long as it is a biblical concept I will keep it and do it, no matter how the current Christian culture sees it. I will not apologize for winning the lost and adding to His Church!

6. Anticipation. When a church fasts there will be anticipation of what God is about to do. Do you feel it?

7. Enlargement. When we fast our vision will grow as we see how big our God is.

8. Engagement. We will engage our community with compassion and with the gospel.

9. Advancement. As we fast we will move toward the fulfillment of the Great Commission.

We are at war with the devil who owns the souls of the lost. We must advance on our knees and with the power of God. I wonder how we forgot the door of fasting that opens to us the power of God? What do you need God to do that requires supernatural power and where fasting could open that door?

See you in the Spirit!

Pastor Chris

Hey Friends,

As leaders we must be disciplined if we are to achieve all the Lord has for each of us and those we lead.  A great diagnostic question to ask yourself regarding your current spiritual growth is: Are the disciplines becoming more important to you? If you are growing in Christlikeness you will desire the spiritual disciplines more and more. Do you have that desire?

Kingdom leaders must continually be developing a taste for the things of God. I have watched many leaders grow great ministries, only to fall into sin or not finish well. Why? I think many leaders that experience growth get too busy for God. But the more the ministry grows, the greater the need to draw closer to Him. Practicing the disciplines is how we experience Him.

Rick Warren said of  spiritual disciplines, “They are the God-ordained means by which we bring ourselves before Him, experience Him, and we are changed into Christlikeness.” If God was a river, the spiritual disciplines would be the place we dive in. Remember, as Christ-followers there are no shortcuts to spiritual maturity or Kingdom leadership. Did Jesus ever take a shortcut? No way!

We will all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. Discipline weighs ounces but regret weighs tons. As leaders let’s not reel from regret, let’s embrace the disciplines that will help us grow. I Timothy 4:7  tells us, ”Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness.”

Do you have a plan in place? If you missed the weekend message, Pruning Stuff, at FPC click here to download and listen to it. Included in the message was a list of the spiritual disciplines for you to use. Download the Personal Growth Plan Worksheet and get started on your plan today.  It will transform your life!

Yours to count on,

Pastor

Hey Gang,

Many of you that read this blog have a real passion to grow.  It is obvious as you plan, read, study, and do things to grow personally, spiritually, and physically.  Right now I am on the other side of the world on a learning expedition.  It is very exciting, and it is very cold.  Today I am in Australia. That’s right, “down under.” It is the heart of winter here.

Michele, some of the church staff, and I came down here for a church conference at Hillsong.  Michele was here last year and there were 30,000 in attendance at the conference.  This weekend we will visit this very exciting church and see what we can learn.  You are never too old to learn and grow.  I am thrilled and grateful to be here and am looking for more revelation from the Lord. Pray for us as we look, watch, and experience God.  There is no telling what we  can bring back with us.

What is your next step to grow?” Are you planning any trips? Conferences? Retreats? Anything so you can soak up good stuff to help stretch you, expand your vision, tamper with your dream life?  As Christ-followers who want to burn brightly for our Lord we must constantly be throwing wood on the fire.  This conference is wood for the blaze.  Next week I hope to give you some of the nuggets we get out of the sessions and the services.  Pray for us as we pray for YOU!

Love ya,

Pastor