Hey Friends,

I am loving the topic of dreams and dream managers. This has been too cool! If you are in hot pursuit of your dreams, then you have gotten the goal in your mind. Do you visualize the prize? I recently interviewed an LPGA pro named Natalie about her dreams. She said she kept her dream in front of her all the time.

Before you hit the delete button and think I am a “new ager,” let me point you to the book of Zechariah. God had commanded Zerubbabel to rebuild the destroyed Temple. He had been working on the project when the enemies of God put a halt to the work. For ten years the project laid dormant on the mound.

God sent Zechariah to tell Zerubbabel to get started working again. He told him to finish the capstone. This was the last thing to be done on the job. It would be years before the capstone was needed. God wanted it placed in front of the job as a reminder to Zerubbabel that the job or the dream would be accomplished.

Do you have a reminder in front of you to point to your dreams? Can you visualize what it will be like when you achieve the dreams placed in you by God? We have to be reminded often that the sacrifice is worth it. Far too many people have quit because they thought the task too tough or the mountain too massive.

We must start with the end in mind. What will it be like when you achieve the dream? What will the celebration consist of? Is the dream worth the drive? Only you can determine the answers to these questions. Then you can derive the amount of effort you will put into the dream.

See you at the top!

Pastor Chris

Hey Friends,

Last week I was in Virgina Beach for a conference called, Whiteboard. It was a great conference; 7 leaders with 30 minutes each. I heard some great stuff. Ben Arment is adding tremendous value to the Kingdom in providing this great resource. I heard Jonathan Falwell make a comment that sent a hush across the crowd: “Don’t falter in ministry because you don’t like who God made you.” Wow, what a great thought!

His point was that we fail and falter when we try to be someone else in ministry instead of being who God made us to be. Don’t dare to compare yourself to other ministries or ministers. This trap is easy to fall into –  just remember God defines your success.

It is easy to want to preach like Andy Stanley, lead like Bill Hybels, have a room like Joel Osteen, or write like Chuck Swindoll. God already has each one of them and He needs you to be the best you.  He defines success. Is he smiling on you right now?

My fear is two-fold as far as I am concerned. One, is that my motives are messed up. It is easy to do it for the applause of men and miss the favor of  God. The second fear I have is falling into the trap of letting the world define success. It is easy to let the world define our destination and not the One who called us into the ministry in the first place. We are trying to win the world, not placate it.

Do you like who God has made you and where He is taking you? Learn to love it and you will enjoy life soooo much more. He made you and He doesn’t make mistakes. Philippians 1:6 says, ”He that began a good work in you will bring it to completion to the day of Christ Jesus.”

Trust and obey, for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey!

I’m just saying…

Pastor Chris

Hey Friends,

We all encounter tests of many kinds. Most of us endeavor to pass the tests. The Lord will test us to bless us and the devil will tempt us to destroy us. If you are like me, you have failed many a test and you have passed some.  Remember, even Abraham failed some of his tests of faith and he is the father of faith.

One test that is considered the mac-daddy of tests for a leader is success. How will you handle it if God answers your prayers and you see revival, souls saved, and great growth? This is an issue I talk to myself about often. When I travel now it seems that someone knows me everywhere I go. I hear people whispering, (not always good). Let me give you some traps the enemy has laid for us:

1. Stealing God’s glory. Once God has done it, it is easy to take credit for His favor and miracles.

2. Feeling superior to others that are not where you are. Size is not the marker of success or godliness. As a matter of fact, comparing to someone else’s ministry or another church is never good. No matter which way you lean, it is probably wrong.

3. Thinking God has to keep it up. Past blessing does not mean God is duty or honor bound to keep it up. He must be pursued with great passion and total dependence on Him, not our giftedness.

4. Developing a critical or judgmental attitude. There is no quicker way to run God off. When you get around a group of very “successful” pastors it is easy to point fingers. This is sooo wrong. Some of the most godly pastors and  leaders I know are at smaller works. Just because it is smaller is it any less significant? NO!

All of us are asking the Lord to bless and let us see and experience His hand. Be ready and don’t fall into the traps laid for the blessed. Trust me, I have experienced these and more.

Love you,

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,

Today everyone wants a paycheck – and a good one. And they want position, not necessarily a job. Do we still have the heart to volunteer when the job is tough? Who on your team raises their hands when it is difficult or it is almost quitting time?

I love the story I heard about the missionary and leader, David Livingstone. He was asked, “Have you found a good road to where you are? If so, we want to know how to send other men to join you.” Livingstone replied, “If you have men who will come only if they know there is a good road, I don’t want them. I want men who will come even if there is no road at all.”

Few things impress me or any other leader more than a team member with a whatever-it-takes attitude. Let me give you a list I got from my friend, John Maxwell, as to how successful people got that way:

1. They take on tough jobs.

2. They pay their dues.

3. They are willing to work in obscurity.

4. They deal with difficult people.

5. They put themselves on the line.

6. They admit failures and never make excuses.

7. They do more than is expected of them.

8. They are first to jump up and help.

9. They do work that is not their job.

10. They take responsibility for their responsibilities.

Successful people are willing to do the things unsuccessful people are not willing to do. How about you? Does that list include you? Is that your reputation? Can you be counted on?

You determine how others will view you.

Just some thoughts.

Pastor