Catalyst

From a leadership perspective, my cup is overflowing and I am drinking out of my saucer. Simply unbelievable. Maybe the best Catalyst conference ever!

I just finished two days of intensive leadership development with 10 leaders from newhope. My brain is literally hurting from so much of info, my body is exhausted, and my heart is soaring. This is the 9th Catalyst Conference held annually in Atlanta. This conference, by far, was one of the best I have ever attended!

Right now, I am hanging in the Marriott lobby here in Norcross, GA, while the rest of the team headed back to central NC. I am staying over to have some one-on-one time with my mentor, Kevin Meyers. Kevin is the Senior Pastor of 12 Stone church. You can check out this amazing church here. I can't wait to hang with him for a few hours in the morning before boarding a plane tomorrow at 11 am.

I am so tired but I have to go out and do something tonight. After sitting in a conference for two full days, I need to get out. Maybe some more sushi and a movie. (Notice I said "more" sushi because we had that last night) The only thing better than two nights in a row of sushi is heaven!

I miss Amy Lynn and kiddos. This is the only bad part of traveling. Love you guys forever.

Notre Dame rolls into Chapel Hill tomorrow and I HAVE FOUR TIX! It is HUGE to have the Fighting Irish in town. I hope the Heels "smack 'em in the mouth." It will be tough. I know Notre Dame is struggling this year, but listen closely, they are in a "whole nutha" league. It will be huge if we can beat those bad boys!

The future of our church is so freakin amazing that I can't even communicate it, let alone imagine it. (See Ephesians 1) I sense God is up to something new among our Pastoral Team and SALT leaders. I really believe the best is yet to come.

I just had a group of five females come and sit down on the couches beside me in the lobby. Their perfume is SO STRONG. Dude, four more just joined those five - that makes nine if you are doing the math. Strong strong strong perfume and lots of chatter. :-) I guess they are going out for a Friday night in Hotlanta. Bless 'em Lord.

For those of you stressing over the financial situation in our country and around the world, may I remind you that God is still on His throne and everything will be alright. I promise. He owns it all, including eternity. Draw near to Him and He will draw near to you. Breathe. Breathe. He is still here...and there wherever you are.

I can't wait to get home.

Peace out...

Fear

Fear. It's a big part of spiritual leadership. Ministry is full of fear: The fear of making a mistake; Fear of not measuring up ; the fear of no one showing up ( I call this CPS: Church Planter's Syndrome); the fear of failure; or the fear of what people will think of us if we DO fail! Fear is a big deal in life and ministry!

As I awoke early this morning and had time with the Lord, I stood in God's presence and reflected more on fear. These days, I have been leading all our leaders in the area of gutsy leadership. That is, leadership in the midst of fear. I know this doesn't sound academic, but "guts" is one of the most underrated qualities required, I believe, by great leaders in God's Kingdom. It hit me this morning, though, to have guts requires that I am tapped into God in deeper levels of intimacy and passion because those "guts" that I so often talk about come from a source outside of ourselves.

This past Sunday, I taught from I John 4 whereby the Word of the Lord says, "Perfect love drives out all fear." (I John 4:18) I think that is an incredibly pertinent verse during this particular season. I sense fear welling up throughout our land and now throughout the globe when it comes to the current financial crisis. Throw on top of that, the "hot potato" political season in which we find ourselves, and the stress level, laced with fear, is climbing. It is into these kinds of times that God's Word says, "Perfect love drives out all fear." (I John 4:18)

I'm always encouraged to know that I can struggle with fear at times and still be a great spiritual leader. Joshua, the leader who actually had the COURAGE to believe the Israelites could take the Promised Land, struggled with fear. God told him: "I command you—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9 (NLT).

Stepping into the Jordan, and then into the Promised Land took a lot of COURAGE for the Israelites. I'm sure they were still afraid, but COURAGE allowed them to move forward in the FACE of fear! Enveloped in God's love, they cast fear aside because His love always drives out fear! I think every spiritual leader needs to possess tons of guts/courage to be the leader. The very essence of leading requires that we take people into uncertain places where we've never even been ourselves.

So, regardless of who you are, if you're afraid today, welcome to the club. It is natural to be afraid from time to time. But, if you are a believer in God, be assured today that His love is far greater than your fear. Tap into His love and allow the Lord Jesus to drive your fear away as you rest securely in the arms of the Almighty!

Remember that the Lord YOUR God is with you wherever you go. That includes places you've never been before! So go for it!

Leadership Summit 2008 - Session #5 called, "IT"

By far, this was my favorite speaker and talk. In fact, if you have been around newhope lately, you know I am trying my best to convince large numbers of people to read Craig Groeschel's new book titled, IT.

Before I share his talk with you, let me tell you about Craig Groeschel. He pastors Lifechurch.tv, an amazing movement of God. Craig’s church is in 13 locations in six states with 25,000 people. Lifechurch.tv has been called one of the most innovative movements across North America!

Maybe you have heard it said, "You can learn from anyone." OK - I agree. But let's be really honest, some people are easier to learn from than others. They are more interesting. They demonstrate competencies others lack. They have an impressive track record. They know something you don’t (yet), can do things you can’t (yet) and offer what you need (now)!

Hear me loud and clear leaders - Craig Groeschel is a person I want to learn from - period. He is talking and I am listening. As such, grab a beverage and enjoy a slightly longer post - his talk was / is REALLY good!


The Leadership Summit and Craig Groeschel - IT


You know when you walk in a church if it has IT or it does not have IT.

Spir – IT. But this is more than just the spirit. It is the Spirit but it is also about special people who are open to IT.


What is IT? “I don’t know”, says Groeschel. :-)


In general, he says this:

God makes it happen. It is from Him, by Him and for His glory. We can’t create it, manufacture it. One person can bring it. One person can kill it. It can’t be taught; it can be caught. It is not a system.


Craig’s strong admonition here was bold and clear. The arrogance of suggesting that “IT” is simply and only the presence of the Holy Spirit demeans the Spirit-led ministries of faithful pastors around the world who love God deeply and serve God passionately. In other words, never imply that "IT" churches are the only ones with the Holy Spirit. That would be a terrible oversimplification and simply untrue. I loved Craig’s clarity on this.


Here are his theories:

1. It can’t be taught – it is often caught. One person can kill it. It can be found in all kinds of churches.

2. IT happens. People will criticize it. IT happens. ☺ Often it doesn’t. If you have it, you can loose it. If you don’t have it, you can get it!

The early church had “IT.” Recall Acts 2:42 – 47. "IT" happened "Daily". Imagine if the church saw people converted daily! If someone had a need, people would sell what they had and feed others. When the church was like that, God gave IT to them and people said, “I want IT.”



Qualities that are present when you see IT:

1. Laser focus – more is NOT better. Better is better. LESS IS MORE! In order to reach people that no one is reaching you will have to do things that no one is doing. YOU HAVE TO ASK WHICH MINISTRIES ARE MAKING FULLY DEVOTED DISCIPLES?

Here is how they focus at Lifechurch.tv:

1. weekend worship
2. small groups
3. kid’s ministry
4. student ministry
5. missions

{Personal Note to newhopers: At newhope, we’re constantly trying to maintain laser-like focus. The pressure to “do more,” and divert resources away from the critical growth path of our ministry is huge. I’m sure you feel it too. Every leader is faced with this reality; you can’t say “No,” until you’ve said, “Yes.” Figure out what God wants you to do. You need the “God idea,” not just a “good idea.” Say “Yes,” to the God-idea and you’ll have courage (and reason) to say “No” to the things that dissipate your energy and drain your resources. THIS IS ALL ABOUT VISION, newhope. As God keeps blowing this thing up, we will need to become more and more intentional in what we do and what we do NOT do!}


2. They see opportunities when others see obstacles. We say, “Where God guides He provides.” Well, where God does not provide, He also guides.” What is God trying to show through your greatest limitations?

3. Organizations that have it are willing to fail. People say failure is not an option. I say, “Failure is a mandate.” We have to be willing to fail. We do not fail enough. What has God called you to do that you are afraid to do – get out of the boat and walk on water!

4. Organizations that have IT are led by people who have IT. You need to have IT before your ministry can get it. (Craig says Ephesians 2:8 – 9 saved his life) Ministry about killed his faith. He stopped trying to build His kingdom and was trying to build the church and there is a HUGE difference. He said, "I had become a full time pastor and a part time follower of Christ." {That statement took my breath away. He had lost IT. Lord, never let me "Go there."}

In closing, Groeschel, says this:


* “It” matters. If you don’t have “IT,” go get “IT.”
* "If you lost IT, go find IT.
* "You need IT.

QUESTION: What are you going to do to get IT?


{Final note from me :-) I repeat, this was solid! I have not been able to shake this talk. I encourage you to go buy this book ASAP. You can do so here.

If you don't have IT, I sincerely pray you miss some sleep over this one. No, I take that back. Actually, I pray you can't sleep a wink until you get IT!

My prayer is that churches all over this land will saturate planet earth with the undeniable and contagious reality of IT. If we do, get ready, because I can promise you there are not enough churches in the land to handle the influx of God's people!

May God bless us all with IT!}

The Love Dare, Day 1

So, Amy Lynn and I officially started the Love Dare challenge book last night. if you have not ordered this book, you can do at our Resource Center or any reputable book store.

As we were preparing for bed last night, we opened up the book and read the devotion for Day 1, the title being, "Love is Patient." I knew I was in trouble right away. :-) We laughed really hard as I kept saying, "Really, I am supposed to be patient for an entire day...really, I am supposed to not say one negative word all day - REALLY?" We decided the best way to accomplish this was for her to get up really early, head to work before I crawled out of bed, avoid each other in the office, and then for me to go out and watch Monday Night Football with the guys! By the time I return home tonight, she will be fast asleep in the bed - it was/is a brilliant plan but clearly not of God. :-)

On a serious note, this is a wonderful and challenging book. We are so looking forward to what God is going to do in our lives personally during this 40 day Love Dare challenge. Part of the devotion last night really spoke to me. The author says this:

"No one likes to be around an impatient person. It causes you to overreact in angry, foolish, and regrettable ways. The irony of anger toward a wrongful action is that it spawns new wrongs of its own. Anger almost never makes things better. In fact, it usually generates additional problems. But patience stops problems in their tracks. More than biting your lip, more than clapping a hand over your mouth, patience is a deep breath. It clears the air. It stops foolishness from whipping its scorpion tail all over the room. It is a choice to control your emotions rather than allowing your emotions to control you, and shows discretion instead of returning evil for evil." (The Love Dare, Pg. 1 - 2)


Lord God, that rings so true in my life. I can't ever remember a time when anger yielded anything of value for the Kingdom or spurred anyone on to good works and greater impact for the cause of Christ. Lord Jesus, please help me, and all the other couples reading this post. Help us practice patience and resist anger. Pour out your Holy Spirit and give us wisdom to love our spouses as you would love them through us. Grant us the courage to choose love and respect so that you might be glorified in our marriage covenants. We thank You and praise You, even in advance. In the strong name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

Sunday's Coming!

This Sunday morning our current message series turns toward marriage and what happens when one says, "I Do!"

In order to live life fully and happily, we become people who are able to count the cost in almost every area of living. Marriage is one of those institutions which demands a high personal cost. The church’s wedding ritual begins with these sobering words, words that are so often taken too lightly. It says, marriage is, "Not to be entered into unadvisedly, but reverently, discreetly, and in the fear of God." Each person makes a covenant to love, comfort, honor and take care of the other in sickness and in health. That can be a difficult commitment to keep if a spouse becomes critically ill or severely disabled. The husband and wife agree to stay with each other, "For better, for worse, for richer for poorer ... till death do us part."

The Bible says, ”A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one. This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one.” (Ephesians 5:31-32)

What a verse! God uses marriage to illustrate the relationship God has with His Church. That blows my mind and I can’t wait to talk about it more tomorrow.

Leadership Summit 2008 - Session #4

I would love to post about Sunday as we had the largest crowd EVER for a non holiday Sunday and I was officially water logged from baptizing so many believers and dedicating so many babies. It was life at its best! But I will save that for another time. For now, let's just say, GO GOD - you are absolutely blowing our minds these days!


I want to press on with the Leadership Summit talks. We are on session 4, which was delivered by John Burke, the Pastor of Gateway Church. He was one of my favorite speakers. Enjoy...


The younger generation is spiritually hungry but CYNICAL.

A tag line for Gateway Church is:

“Come as you are...no perfect people allowed.”


What kind of soil do you think people need to grow in?

I Corinthians 3 - The Bible says, “God has been making it grow...”

Burke says, "Spiritual leadership is all about creating the right soil for people to grow healthy and flourish!"

To do so, we have to be willing to get our hands DIRTY, in the organic soil, to grow them up in Christ. See Matthew 9 – Jesus hung out with messy and broken people.


Great LEADERSHIP for God is always MESSY:

1. First we have to cultivate the soil WITH GRACE. The world does law – we do grace.
2. Help move barriers out of the way so people can experience God. For example, hatred toward gays is a barrier to people coming to Christ and grace. There are many cultural barriers out there preventing people from grace. Our job is to remove barriers.
3. Cultivate the soil with authentic confession. Relational re-connection to God and others. Our job is not fixing people – God does that.
4. Provide constant connection to God’s Spirit. Stay connected to God and provide that connection. When you do, fruit happens. Remember Jesus said, "Abide in me and you will bear much fruit." (John 15)


Thanks Pastor John - I want to get and keep my hands dirty for God!

Weekend is here!

I made it through the week and God has been faithful every step of the way. Thanks for your prayers - it means so much.

My talks are all done and I am sitting here going over it one last time. In just a few hours, I will get the kiddos from school, and head over to Raleigh for the Fireproof retreat. It is going to be GREAT! (Thanks Amy Lynn and Jarred) Check in at the Embassy Suites is at 3 pm and the first session starts at 7 pm.

We will wrap up the retreat with lunch at a park tomorrow and then I will take the big kids to the UNC Vs. Virginia Tech game at 3:30 pm. Go heels!

Sunday will roll around with 3 Worship Celebrations, with Believer Baptisms and Baby Dedications after each service. The worship and video and Word are spot on this weekend. FYI - I shot a video this week with a couple from our church in the bed, literally. It is a powerful demonstration of what we are saying when we "shack up" outside of the marriage covenant.

Dang, I can't believe I get to live my life with this kind of excitement and adventure.

Thank you, Jesus.