Eric's Blog

Drive Conference: Andy Stanley Session 1

THE MULTIPLE CHOICE TEAM from Andy Stanley

"To maintain the relational integrity to operate as a team, we must choose to trust and be trustworthy."

A. Often there are unexplainable gaps between what we expect people to do and what they actually do.

        1. We choose what we place in those gaps.

        2. Our choices determine the integrity of the relationships.

        3. We can choose to fill them in with trust or suspicion.

        4. As believers we are called to trust.

B. Two things make it difficult for us to trust.

        1. Who I am.

        2. What I see.

C. There are three commitments we need to make.

        1. When there is a gap between what I expect and what I experience, I will fill it in with trust.

        2. When I observe someone filling a gap with suspicion, I will come to your defense.

        3. If what I experience begins to erode my trust, I will come directly to you about it.

"Trust cannot be sustained in a culture where individuals are not worthy or trust."

OK, that's just point 1. There is a point two, three, and conclusion but you will have to buy the CD. They may put the session on the web for you to view. If they do I will let you know.

This may have been the most powerful teaching from the Drive Conference. I mean how can we function properly as a ministry if we don't trust one another (always thinking the best) and we are not trustworthy? We can't! So here are a few of the questions you need to answer from the conclusion?

1. Are there people in your organization (ministry) that you have a difficult time trusting?

2. Is it your issue or theirs?

3. What can you do about your part?

4. What do you need to address with them about their part?

Drive Conference: Andy Stanley Session 3

I will post comments from Andy's other 2 sessions from the Drive Conference later. He was originally suppose to give a talk on Making Vision Stick but decide to go in a different direction. Instead he talked about the latest questions/thoughts he and his staff are talking about. He called this session Recent Random Thoughts on Church and Leadership.

1) To reach people no one else is reaching, we must do things no one else is doing.

Takeaway: Become preoccupied with those you haven't reached as opposed to those you are trying to keep.

2) The next generation product almost never comes from the previous generation (From the book: Focus).

What is next: You can either fight it or fund it.

Pay attention to what student ministries are doing.

Takeaway: Be a student, not a critic.

3) What do I believe is impossible to do in my field, but if it could be done would fundamentally change my business (from Future Edge)?

Takeaway: Pay attention to the people who are breaking the rules.

4) If If we were kicked out and the board brought in a new CEO, what would they do? Why shouldn't we walk out the door, come back in and do it ourselves?

"Long after our methods are not effective we are still attached to them."

Takeaway: Acknowledge what's not working. Own up to why you are not willing to do anything about it.

5) When your memories exceed your dreams, the end is near.

"Never be satisfied with the status quo."

"Momentum can carry you into irrelevance."

"Keep the vision out in front."

Takeaway: Don't let success or momentum overshadow your vision.

More from the Drive Conference throughout the rest of the week.

Where are the Men?

I have faithful ladies that read the blog and leave comments but none recently from the men. (By the way, there are some great comments about the ministry.) OK men, what’s up? I’m calling you out. Are you timid about expressing your opinions? Are you afraid to be vulnerable and let other people know your struggles and what God is doing in your life? Are you too busy?

What I am saying is men; I would like to hear from you. What are some things you would like me to blog about? What is God doing in your life? How can I help you grow? Hope to hear from you.

Restoring Honor

Here is the opening paragraphs from Clayton King's post on Restoring Honor...

"I am sure that a post of this sort offers itself to misunderstanding.  I write it nonetheless, in hopes that you will hear my heart and glean the good from it.

The church in America seems to have lost the ancient, and dare I even say Biblical understanding of correctly honoring the man of God; one who dedicates his life to service to God and God’s people (this could be the worship leader, youth minister, or most often the pastor).  We have confused honor with obsession, treat our ministers like hired hands, and become addicted to personalities on TV or the internet and swallow anything they try to sell us while starving our local pastor on a salary that allows him to qualify for food stamps."

To read the rest go here.

Note: Every guest minister that visits our church is a honored guest and gift from God and should be treated that way. I think we treat our guest very well but sometimes we need to be reminded that they are honored guests. Thank you for all you do to make everyone who comes to New Life feel welcomed and loved. You guys are great!

The Church of Oprah Exposed

You might find this interesting you might find this offensive but if you watch or like Oprah you should check this out.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=JW4LLwkgmqA

How to Stop Gossip or Criticism

What do you do when someone walks up to you and begins to criticize or give you the latest gossip on a pastor, a friend, or someone else you know? Do you don't say anything but still stand there and listen? Do you join in the gossip to see what else you can find out? Do you walk away? What do you do?

Pastor Steven Furtick said this on his blog:

It happened again the other day! The conversation was going so well. I was actually kind of surprised when the person I was talking to (who I was meeting for the first time) just had to go there. Now, there was no way this guy could have known that the pastor he was about to slander was a pretty good friend of mine. So I think it threw him for a loop when I stopped him mid-sentence and served notice:
“I really don’t want to continue this conversation. The pastor you’re speaking against is a great man of God. You don’t even know him, I know him and care for him a whole lot. So I think it would be beneficial to both of us for you to stop maligning his character right now. I don’t want to hear it.”

To read the rest of his blog on this go here. What would you have done? Be honest. Most of us would not have said something like this. Listen, if you stand there and listen to, allow the conversation to continue, whether you are on the phone or in person, you are wrong. What you tolerant you will never change. What you listen to you allow. You are looked at as approving of the conversation if you do not correct it.

1 Tim 5:19 says, "Don't pay attention to an accusation against a spiritual leader unless it is supported by two or three witnesses (from GOD'S WORD). We discussed this in our John Maxwell leadership training this week. This principle in found in both the Old Testament and New Testament. The principle says there should be at least two or three "witnesses." A "witness" is one who either heard it or saw it.

Steven's blog deals with spiritual leaders and so does 1 Timothy 5:19. But the Bible is clear that we should not gossip or slander one another. So what do you do when someone approaches you with the latest gossip on a spiritual leader? Tell them, "Stop, I do not want to hear it." Then tell them why. Let's speak to the potential in one another. Let's believe the best. Let's build each other up. What do you think?

How to Grow in Your Faith Part Two

Growing in your faith requires action on your part. You will have to make decisions and act on those decisions. You can only grow so much from going to church and sitting in a pew and reading your Bible and praying at home. Don't get me wrong these things are important and should be done.

But growing in your faith requires you to make decisions that STRETCHES your faith. I have practiced this in my life and in my ministry. When I said we were going to build our new sanctuary debt free everybody was not ready to move out in faith. Some worried about the current debt and other things. To make a long story short about a year later the building was finished debt free!!! Believe me that required a lot of faith.

My rule is this: When I am facing two choices and they both are good or Godly, which one requires more faith. That is usually the way I go. It may be the more difficult path but by choosing that path I have to pray more, depend upon God more, and that causes my faith to grow. I have always told God I wanted to be a man of great faith. I don't want to be a person of little faith and I don't want to look back over my life and regret a decision I made simply because I did not have enough faith.

When we were building the Ministry Center Building we were not going to finish the kitchen. One day God said to me: "The only difference between finishing the kitchen now and later is your faith." Guess what, we finished the kitchen. I mean around $7000 worth of cabinets with appliances and all.

Faith decisions will take you out of your comfort zone. I also ask our leaders and others in our church to do things that take them out of their comfort zones. Pastors, you should constantly be challenging and stretching your people's faith. Don't be afraid to ask them to take a step of faith with you. It's part of your responsibility.

So you want to grow in your faith? What is God asking you to do right now that you are afraid to do, that you have been putting off, that you know YOU can't do or that you are fearful of what others might say. Step out and do it. Follow God with everything you have. He is a faith God and wants yours to grow.

How to Grow in Your Faith

We often get this question or people check "I would Like Information on How to Grow in My Faith" on the back of their connection card. First, you are ultimately responsible for your spiritual growth. Not your mama, your church, your pastor, or your small group. Your church should ASSIST you in your spiritual growth but you must take advantage of those opportunities.

Basic things you need to do (things you know and hear about but probable don't do) :

• Read the Bible. You can start with a least a chapter a day. Read a chapter in Proverbs in the OT and John in the NT.



• Pray. Don't make this complicated. Just talk to Him as you would a friend.



• Be faithful to you church. Note: If you are not being challenged by the preaching, your toes are not getting stepped on, and you are not getting offended then you are probable in the wrong church. At times growing hurts and is painful.



• Share your faith. Now that sounds hard and scary but all it means is that you tell people what Jesus has done and is doing for you. We can all do that.

Other things you need to do but probable don't think about as helping you grow in your faith:

• Start giving some of your money to your local church. God's starting place is the tithe (that's 10%) but if your faith is not there yet then just do something. I am amazed at the number of people who do nothing. Just start and be honest with God about it. Pray about it and watch God work in you and for you. Believe me this will grow your faith.



• If you are giving the tithe then increase your given. Give to the mission or benevolence fund. Raising your level of giving raises your level of faith which causes you to grow. By the way: Don't get mad about me writing about the tithe or giving more if you have never tried it.



• Get involved in a ministry. You grow by serving others. You grow by using your God-given gifts. This is not something you need to pray about. Get involved this week. Your church needs you.



• Get involved in a small group. We grow better together. Who is holding you accountable? Who do you have to pray with? Who are doing life together with? Do you really want to grow? Then get in a group and BE accountable to it.



• Get involved in outreach. That means you have to get outside the four walls of your church building. Reaching out to others keeps you in touch with the needs around you. Reaching out to others challenges the fear in your life and causes faith to rise up on the inside of you. Outreach will definitely help you grow.



• Read books and blogs that challenge you and help you grow in your faith.

You can sit in your room every day and pray for hours and not achieve certain types of spiritual growth. What I am saying is that giving, serving, and getting involved in outreach will grow you in ways that prayer cannot. Yes, prayer is important. But if you want to be ALL that God's wants you to be then you have to get off your chair, get out of your comfort zone, and reach out and serve others. This post is all about growing in your faith. There is no magic formula. Do these things and do them in increasing measure and you will grow!!!

Look What God is Doing At New Life

Look what God is doing at New Life...

Including Easter Sunday and the three weeks after there has been...

• 29 First-time or Re-commitments to follow Jesus Christ!



• 17 People sign up to be Water Baptized!



• 18 People sign up for the Newcomer's Fellowship!

We averaged 111 in attendance for the Identity Theft series for this four week period. Please stop right now and pray for all the new attenders and for all those who have committed to taking a "Next Step" in their faith journey. This is humbling and exciting as God takes us to places we have never been before. This means we must depend upon Him like we never have before. God is great!!!

This is just the beginning of what God wants to do at New Life. Keep praying, keep inviting, keep serving, keep believing, keep your faith up and watch what God will do. Believe me He wants to do so much more. So who do you know that needs to be at New Life this Sunday? Begin to pray for them right now and do whatever it takes to get them to the service this week. It's going to be great!!!

Know Your Enemy

God is moving!!! When God moves the devil takes notice. When you are no threat to his kingdom he normally leaves you alone. But when you begin to grow spiritually or your ministry begins to grow and people start accepting and following Jesus Christ, he will do everything he can to try to put a stop to it. Here are few ways he works:

Destroy: John 10:10 says, "The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy" (NLT). Let's be clear. He plays for keeps. He desires to destroy you. That means your marriage, your future, your finances, your joy, and your future. He wants to destroy all the God in you. That is his ultimate plan.

If he cannot destroy you then he tries to detour you.

Detour: He will take you off the path. You could be one step away from your blessing or breakthrough but you turned away. You did not keep on the path. Deut 5:32 says, "So be careful to do what the Lord your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left" (NIV). How many times do we give up? We started right, we were growing spiritually and something or someone took us off the path. See, satan's detours do not put you back on the right path. Then keep leading you further and further away from God plan and purpose for your life. Remember, he plays for keeps. His detours lead to destruction and death.

If he cannot detour you then his next tactic is delay.

Delay: Ps 119:60 says, "I will hasten and not delay to obey your commands" (NIV). This is a big one and we fall into this trap ALL the time. God has blessings for us, all kinds of blessings. But blessings follow obedience. Deut 28:1-2 says, "If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. 2 All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God" (NIV). Stop right now and read all of Deuteronomy 28.

We talk ourselves out of God's blessings all the time. "I'll get water baptized next time. I'll tithe next pay check. I'll get involved in small groups later. I'll go to church next Sunday. I'll sign up to for a ministry next time. I'll invite them to church next week." Stop it already. No you won't. You are falling right into the plans of the enemy of your soul.

What is God asking you to do right now? What are you waiting on? Do it now! Take the next step now! Don't delay! God's blessings are right on the other side of your next act of obedience. So, what are you waiting on???