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Distracted?

I try to mix it up between updating you and sharing deeper with you – You know “hey here is what is going on and what I am doing” and “hey, let me challenge you or give you something to think about”…most of the feedback that I have gotten has been divided so I continue to try to do both.  Today, is going to be a little be longer and I just want to share what God is dealing with me about…you will probably hear this in a series at some point in the future…I am still praying and processing through this.

Someone recently ask me, “what is your greatest challenge as a leader”?  Without hesitating or having to think about it, I said “leading through distractions”.  After I said that, I began to process what I had just said.  Distraction is defined as “drawing apart” “diverting attention” “detachment” “an obstacle to attention”.   There is a built in assumption that before you can be distracted, you first have to have a direction or a destination.  Without a direction or destination, your life is so random that you would not even know if you were distracted because there is no focus.  So if you don’t experience distractions, you actually have a bigger problem – you need clarity about direction and focus.  For me, I have not struggled with direction or clarity about my calling but rather things, people or circumstances that come into my life to “draw me apart” – “divert attention” “distract” me from who God has called me to be and what He has called me to do.  Some people are more easily distracted than others.  I know some people who struggle with Attention Deficit Disorder…at least that is what they blame it on when they zone out in a meeting or conversation…maybe they are just not interested…anyway, the point is that their condition is reflective of what happens to most of us in life.  We know who we are supposed to be or what we are supposed to do but “stuff” happens that cause us to operate with “sideways energy”…this is energy that should be spent on the direction or destination but is having to be spent on this distraction.  I don’t have it all figured out yet but it seems that the first step is to recognize and identify the distraction.  Evaluate what can be done to remove it.  Strategize specific steps to stay focused even if the distraction is not going to go away immediately.  What I do know is that leading through distraction is a discipline…refusing to get side-tracked or stuck is a decision that you must recommit to on a daily basis. 

In the future, I will talk about Detours and Disruptions which are a little different than Distractions…For now – Keep your eyes of the author and finisher of your faith and refuse to be “drawn apart” “detached” or “distracted”.

LBF

I am in Lynchburg Virginia at a board meeting for the Liberty Baptist Fellowship.  LBF is a group that Dr. Falwell started in 1981 for the express purpose of helping plant churches.  In the spring of 2005, Beverly and I meet with Dr. Falwell and this group of men and told them about the dream that we had to plant a church.  We were actually at a low point emotionally and had no source of consistent income.  The LBF took a chance on us and supported us for one year.  It was not enough to live on or even pay our mortgage but when you have nothing, it was like winning the lottery each month when that check would arrive.  Beyond the financial blessing, it was amazing to have a group of men, especially Dr. Falwell, believe in me and commit to be a part of what we were attempting.  I will never forget at the end of that meeting, Dr. Falwell put his big hands over us and prayed a prayer of blessing and anointing.  To now get the opportunity to serve on this board and invest in the lives of other men of vision, is indeed an honor.  The LBF is currently supporting 27 church planters and over these two days, we are interviewing four more guys.   It has been a pretty weird experience, taking guys through the process that I went through just three years ago.  It has given me a chance to reflect on all that God has done and I am so fired up about what He is going to do.  Hang on – we are about to go to another level.

Finding Perspective

Getting perspective is sometimes difficult. When things happen, we either view them through a microscope or a telescope. A microscope takes an object and magnifies it to make it much larger than it actually is. A telescope takes something large and makes it smaller than it is actually is. Our normal tendency is to view bad circumstances through a microscope and to view the blessings of God and good times through a telescope. In other words, we minimize the good times/things and over emphasize the struggles. This is natural but we should work to find perspective – to see things for what they are – to celebrate the good times and grow through the difficult times. An exercise that may help is to sit down and list out everything in your life that you should be thankful for – every circumstance, thing, person or event that you would consider to be a blessing. On the other side, list out everything that is a struggle or what you find yourself complaining about. I am sure that this is not true for every single person reading this but it is will be true for most – the good far outweighs the bad. We have more to celebrate and be thankful for than to complain about. If this is true for you and you still find yourself complaining more than celebrating – if your attitude is shaped by the few bad things instead of the many good things – You should re-align your focus – Re-shape your perspective. You will be a happier person and you will be more fun to be around.

Developmental Impact

Last week, I wrote an entry about growing and how we view others around us when they grow.  A question that naturally comes up when talking about this is “why grow”.  Most people think about self improvement as being for self.  In other words, I want to learn, develop and grow for my benefit – I want to succeed and I can best succeed by bettering myself.  While it is true that you can usually increase your position or improve your life by a commitment to growth, it is a pretty shallow motivation.  Success is about me and what I can accomplish or accumulate but significance is measured but contribution – it is about how my gifts, talent and abilities can bring God glory and benefit others.  God wants you to grow but He always wants the glory and He wants you to build someone else’s life.  I call it “Developmental Impact” – the more I develop my skills and gifts – the more I grow, the greater the impact I can have on others.  Don’t stop growing – get a growth plan and keep learning and developing but don’t be selfish about it.

Distractions

Crothy did a great job this past weekend talking about getting sidetracked.  If you were not there, go to the website and check it out.  This talk went right along with what I have been thinking about recently – Distractions.  Someone recently asked me what was my greatest leadership challenge – I did not even have to hesitate – It is leading through distractions.  It is so easy to be distracted from what we are supposed to be focused on.  We all have a dream, goal, vision, task, purpose, agenda, etc. – The plan is to keep our eye on the ball and remain intentional and driven.  Just when we think we are making progress, something happens – circumstances change, people let us down, money runs out, the choice that seemed like a sure thing…isn’t, sickness, conflict and the list goes on – They all equal the same thing – Distractions.  The challenge for all of us is to grow through the distraction – to focus on the purpose not the pain – to remain driven instead of distracted.  Distractions come in all shapes and sizes – they come from within and without – sometimes our enemy throws them at us and sometimes we are responsible for them.  Regardless of why, when or from where they come from – remember what Crothy said this weekend – “focus on who you are and what you are called to do”. 

Are you growing?

I have noticed that we react differently to watching others develop and excel.  When someone around you grows, how does it make you feel?  Are inspired – proud – jealous – guilty – numb or just have not thought about it?  I have found that the most common reaction seems to be inspiration and then guilt.  You look at them learning, growing, developing and excelling and something within you cries out and says “yes, that it how it is supposed to be – that is the life that I was created to live”.  Then you look at your own life and see that you are not growing or excelling and the result is guilt and self condemnation.  You are one decision away from turning this around.  You are not where you can be but it begins with a decision to change.  Hope is not a strategy so you have to have a growth plan but it boils down to a choice.  Are you going to settle or are you going to grow?  If you don’t know what to do – how to make a plan – what books to read or steps to take – get with your group leader, email anyone on our leadership team, ask someone around you who is growing to help you – of course, you need a plan…but whatever you do – stop sulking and thinking about everything that you are not and start growing and focusing on what you will become.

No Regrets

Do you have any regrets?  Obviously, I meet with a lot of people who express regret over past behavior or decisions.  What I have come to notice is that some people are defined by their regrets.  Their past mistakes have shaped their current relationships or circumstances.  “I should have never…” – “I wish that I would have…” – “If I had to do it again, I would…” – these are phrases of regret.  To make matters worse, you have an enemy who continues to remind you of your bad decisions or behavior – He has a master plan to destroy your life.  The really interesting thing about the past is that it is nothing more than memories.  We don’t live in the past – we can’t change the past – we can’t bring it back and do it different – It is what it is (I say that a lot).  Obviously, you learn from the past – looking back can help you appreciate your current circumstances – you can make a decision to not repeat the past – but what we are learning is that your past does not define you – You are defined by your Creator.  He says that you are not condemned – You are free – You are a friend and child of God – You are forgiven – You have a hope, purpose and a future.  Who are you going to listen to – Your enemy or the God who created you, redeemed you and gave you life?  Learn from the past and go live in the freedom that He has provided for you. 

Which one are you

Most of us spend our lives interacting with people.  We have customers, family, employees, co-workers, friends, neighbors, bosses, and the list goes on and on.  I put all of these into two categories: 1) Energizers 2) Drainers.  Energizers are the people that you when you meet with them, you feel encouraged and challenged.  They inspire you to be better or grow more and you always leave thinking, “I am so glad that I got to hang out with them”.  Drainers make you feel like you have the flu – you know that sluggish feeling like “I feel like I just got hit with a baseball bat”.  They suck the life out of you with their negativity, pessimism and selfishness.  I love being around Energizers and I try to minimize my time with Drainers.  Obviously, I meet with a lot of people who are struggling or have real life issues or concerns – this is not what I am talking about.  I am talking about people with no perspective – people who are not happy unless they are miserable.  The old saying is true, “you will become like those you spend time with”.  Be intentional about getting around people who bring you energy – people who make you glad that you just spent an hour with them.  The bigger and more convicting question is which one are you?

Triangle Church Planters

Yesterday, we had the opportunity to host some Triangle are church planters.  This is the second time that we have met and we are trying to not only add to the list of planters but also get more consistent with our meetings.  Those who attended yesterday were Brian Eisner, Northwest Community Church… Gary Vet, Northwest Community…Mike Merker, Jordan Church…Michael Graham, Fellowship Raleigh…Matt Schoolfield, Fellowship Raleigh…Anthony Braswell, Northpark Church.  Scott Lehr from Southbridge Fellowship was supposed to be here but something came up (his wife backed into his car – we volunteered him to host the next mtg).  Joe Fransico from Connection Church also was unable to attend – something about launching a church in a couple of weeks and having a few things to do to get ready for that.  The idea is to network and encourage one another as we partner together to build the Kingdom of God.  Church planters are awesome!!!

Must Read

I know that I mentioned “Crazy Love” by Francis Chan in one of my recent post but this book is amazing.  I don’t say this about every book I read but “go get it right now”.  My favorite book and the one that has had the greatest impact on my life (other than the Bible – Amen) is “The Pursuit of God” by A.W. Tozer.  I have read it at least ten times and have given away many copies.  God used this book to illuminate my mind to so much about who He is and how He works.  It does not hit everybody the same way and God uses different things for different people but this was one of the things he used for me.  I have only read “Crazy Love” once so far but it has really messed with my head.  I am about to go back through it with a pen and paper – there is much to wrestle with.  If you pick it up, let me know your feedback.

One Thing

Today and yesterday, I have been trying to catch some of the speakers at the Leadership Summit.  Hope Community in Cary is hosting a live simulcast from Willow Creek in Chicago.  You can check out the event details at http://www.willowcreek.com/Events/Leadership/2008/  Bill Hybles is the pastor of this mega-church that has done so much for the Kingdom of God.  My goal when attending a conference is pretty simple.  I am looking for that "one thing".  One thing that I can use - One take away that I can apply to my life.  In the past two days, I have gotten more that one thing but there is one statement that I can't get off my mind.  Chuck Colson made this challenge to pastors - "teach truth not therapy".  Something has happened in church life over the past few years - pastors have begun to go soft on the gospel - soft on sin - soft on truth.  Paul challenged Timothy about this:  II Timothy 4:2-5 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. ³ For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. ⁴ They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. ⁵ But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. The Bible is the most helpful book in the world.  I love it that the Bible is actually relevant to our everyday life.  It tells you how to be a good person - how to have joy - how to be successful - how to live in freedom and victory - etc.  The challenge for me as a pastor is to stay true to God's Word by telling you what you need to hear - not what you want to hear.  It is my charge to teach truth with boldness and passion.  I don't feel like I have strayed from where I should be but I am aware of how easy it would be to do so.  I am thankful for the "one thing" that God gave me at the summit to remind me of my calling.

Kingdom Expansion

I love what God is doing at and through Journey Church.  I love being a part of this movement that God has initiated and anointed.  The challenge for us is the remember that while we love Journey and we love what God is doing here - this is not the only place that God is working - It is not about building "our kingdom" but rather it is about building "The Kingdom".  You would think that pastors would not be territorial since it is not about us - since we are on the same team - since we are simply servants going after the same goal - to help people follow Jesus.  The reality is that pastors can be some of the most territorial people on the planet.  It is sad but true - we are human too.  The scripture teaches that a pastor should " Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.  Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood." Act 20:28  It is right to feel responsible for the people that God has put under my care - I will give an account for that - God has appointed me as a leader to guide and guard His sheep.  The emphasis being "His sheep" - The problem begins when I start using words like "my" and "mine" to describe the church or the people that God has led to be part of the church.  The natural attitude that flows from this kind of heart is "competition".   This is a dark side of the church that I hope you never experience - it truly breaks the heart of God.  God's heart for the church is unity (read John 17). 

I was honored to have Joe Francisco and his launch team at Journey this past weekend.  Joe and his team are planting Connection Church in September - Ironically, right down the road from where we are planting our new NW campus.  I want you to continue to pray for them - I have a real heart to help church planters - guys that have heard from God and they are going for it.  They have a calling and a vision - throwing caution and comfort to the wind - begging God to do something big - I am all about being part of that. Go For it Connection Church!!!  Journey Church is cheering you on for the glory of God.