The Recoil

Life is full of challenges, disappointments, and very confusing situations. It is a reality! Doesn't matter if you are rich or poor, doesn't matter if you are outgoing or shy, doesn't get easy just because you know God and choose to obey Him. But when we choose to be guided by the Word of God and led by God's Holy Spirit we have the opportunity to respond and react to problems and let downs very differently than most people. Most leaders are wired by God with high expectations, lofty goals, and big vision, which is very necessary to challenge and inspire people toward God's best for their lives, but with those high expectations come hard disapointments. I believe that our effectiveness in life has just as much to do with handling difficult situations as it does with setting God inspired goals and working hard to reach them. So here are some things I am learning abou the recoil:

1. Don't always trust your first response-the quick response is not always the best response!

2. Use every challenge to reevaluate your motives and seek God about what you could have done differently- stay teachable!

3. Realize that if you love people, try to help people, and have a genuine desire to serve people, said people will no doubt receive what you freely give and seldom value and esteem it properly which is likely the reason that they are in need-never stop giving freely.

4. The more we endeavor to treat others like God treats us the better the outcome of any situation will be- always better to be too gracious than add insult to injury.

5. There is always safety in a multitude of good counsel-having a team and being a part of the team insures you are never alone in the battle.

6. Being defensive or going on the attack only proves our insecurity and our need to be right at whatever the cost-people are always the most valuable aspect of any situation.

7. Forgiveness is only necessary when someone has wronged you and submission is only necessary when you disagree with someone.

Edwin Lewis Cole always said "how you leave one situation or season will be how you enter the next." Never underestimate how your current challenge is the opportunity to prove that you are ready for what God has in store for you ahead. Don't lose sight of the big picture, and never let someone else's decision's get you off course with God's plan for your life and ministry. Put the Word to work in your life and watch how God will reposition you for His best as you handle the recoil to difficult situations with wisdom and grace.

Sunday night reflections

So amazed at how awesome God is and how good He is to us in always leading us to the right places, to the right people, and always to Himself. God has truly ordered our steps as we have launched our Saturday night service in WCH, merged our worship teams, and rolled out a very bold series with vision to reach a region just like they did in the book of Acts! We have talked about being Cause Driven, Committed, and Consumed by God. This weekend I was impassioned with a message from the 3rd and 4th chapter of Acts. I was so touched with how Peter was absolutely transformed on the day of Pentecost that it caused him to look at the lame and the poor very differently. Peter was consumed with God so much so that the world around him was changed by his bold obedience to God. I am so challenged by the simple fact that Jesus did not give "everything" so that we could give Him "something"! Jesus deserves our "everything"! I am also very intrigued with a missionary legend named James Hudson Taylor who is known as the most prolific missionary since the Apostle Paul. He said something that I have not been able to shake this whole week. "I used to ask God to help me. Then I asked if I might help Him. I ended up by asking Him to do his work through me." I desire to be known not just for how God helps me or what little I could do to help Him, but that the measure and legacy of my life would be what God would do through me!

It's Monday morning again! This week absolutely flew by. Well, my day off got scheduled with some unexpected meetings, so rest will have to wait for another day. As I reflect about what God has done this past month and year, I am just absolutely amazed. He has continued to brand on our hearts this amazing vision of reaching our region for Jesus. He continues to bring amazing leaders to us who really genuinely love God and have such a heart to see people reached and grow in God. He continues to provide enough resources even in the most chaotic of economies here in Wilmington. He continues to bless our lives and our family with amazing friends to do life and ministry with. God has been so faithful to us and His grace on us only increases as challenges come. This week is going to be really crazy and full, so I am determining now to make the most of every minute and leverage all that God has done for me to encourage and inspire as many as possible to embrace all that God has for us this year. Oh yeah, I am already behind a few days on my #1 resolution, but not doing too bad cutting back on the junk! Water for most meals, more fruit, smaller portions, not planning to lose it all in a week, just getting some better habits in place. Blessings

2010

This is a brand new year and brand new decade. I love new things. Like most people I have made some real resolutions for this coming year. I have taken the last couple of weeks to really think and pray about this coming year and while I am really excited about what is ahead, I realized today that most of my thinking and praying is about our church. I have been consumed with launching fresh vision, planning messages and meetings, writing role descriptions and updating flow charts for different areas of ministry, and a thousand other things that will produce great results for our church. But today (my first day off without a houseful of kids) I am exploring my personal vision, what God is saying to just me and only me. I am seeking Him about what He wants for me this year. I know I want to be more committed, more disciplined, and more excited about Jesus this year than any year before, but today I am grappling with how to really accomplish that. I love the Word of God, I love to read and study, but I have never had a consistent daily reading plan. I grew up thinking that was rigid and boring, I have always preferred to read and study as I have been led by God, and once in the Word, I rarely stop before I have to. I find the Word of God totally consuming and intriguing. This year I want to try something new though, I really want to read through the Bible without a personal agenda and without preparing any message or sermon from it. This may very well be the toughest thing I have ever done. I also really want to be a great husband and dad this year. I am convinced that at the end of the day, at the end of the year, and at the end of this coming decade, how many people our church reaches and touches will not matter to God near as much as how strong my marriage is and how secure our kids feel in this crazy world. I live and preach that every person that has experienced the saving power of God should become a witness and reach out to as many people as possible. But more importantly is the simple fact that you can win the whole world and still lose at home. I am determined not to be in the statistics of pastors and ministers that live with urgency but without priority. I have also realized that one of my personal resolutions is be healthy enough to play with my grand kids someday and if Jesus tarries, I want to be around to cheer on my kids and my spiritual kids as they shake their culture and reach their generation for Jesus. So as simple as it sounds, I have narrowed my personal goals for this year to: 1. putting the Word first and purposing to digest it as often as I do natural food. 2. putting my family first which means I am going to keep dating my amazing wife, I am going to keep having lots of fun with my kids so they can grow up with a dad and not just a pastor 3. I am going to rest so that I can have plenty of energy for my family and friends and not just my calling. 4. I am going to do a better job of taking care of myself, so I am going to stop fuelling myself with junk, start eating more fruits and veggies, and work on a plan to get more exercise.

I am already overwhelmed with all these goals so in order to keep my sanity and stay accountable I am resolving to do something I have always enjoyed and never have been able to devote very much time to and that is writing. So if you don't see me posting very much, that probably means that I am focusing on the other resolutions. And if you see me posting too much, you may want to send me a note and make sure I am eating good and exercising because I probably gave up those aspirations for this one.