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• We had a great transition today to the auditorium.  It went pretty smoothly.  The A/V set-up and tear-down was a little more tedious…but it will get quicker.  3 of our regular set-up/tear-down men were out today.  The rest of the set-up is so much easier.  The atmosphere in the auditorium was awesome.  The sound is SO MUCH better.  With God’s help, we’re going to fill it…and I’m talking soon!
• We had a great attendance today…and I counted a bunch of regulars out today…that’s exciting!
• A great start to the Fall this month at LCC…definitely one of our best months ever…
• It looks like my fantasy team is going to finally WIN…sorry Mike!  It looks like you’re going to be 0-4
• Gotta love this weather!
• I love my wife.  I am committed to her for my lifetime.  I see so many marriages (Christian ones) falling apart and I realize it can happen to anyone, but I am fully engaged and determined to be on the good side of that statistic.  HUSBANDS - love your wives.  WIVES - love your husbands.  It’s God’s plan for you to keep your vows and make it work!
• I’m psyched about the Catalyst Conference this week…but it also means I have to sqeeze all the necessary work of the week into the next 2 days.  Definitely worth it for the chance to get away and get to hear from guys like Andy Stanley, Rick Warren, Craig Groeschel, John Maxwell, Francis Chan, Erwin McManus, Dave Ramsey…and more…it’s going to rock!

Are you glad today’s Friday?  I know my wife and kids are.

Here’s my Friday morning thoughts…

• Mustard stains.  I had a great time yesterday speaking at the Church Planter’s Network on the subject of Team Building.  It went pretty well.  Then came lunch…which consisted of hamburgers and the typical sides.  The food was great…but the gentleman in front of me in the buffet line had some issues with the mustard bottle and on his 2nd or 3rd shake it came out…most splattering on me.  I had to handwash my jeans when I got home.  Josh experienced true real joy watching me try to handle the situation gracefully. 
• Carribean Jerk Marinade.  I’ve gotten pretty good at grilling chicken (as opposed to burgers).  We’ve found this marinade that is pretty awesome and I’ve gotten my technique down pretty good.  My family will testify.
• A recently formed pet peeve of mine…when you fill out a “new” address section on a bill or order form and the company just ignores it and keeps sending stuff to the old address.  Our church PO Box changed about a year ago…and some of these companies pay no attention to their own forms.  How about if we just ignore the bills?
• Friday is my day off…so I had this fantastic idea that I would volunteer with my daughters’ school to be on the “sub list” for Fridays.  Well, I got my first call last night.  I’m subbing in 5th grade for 3 hours today.  Mr. Markle, the sub…should be interesting.
• I could go to 0-4 this weekend in Fantasy Football.  Drew Brees has destroyed my season!
• I’m looking forward to the Catalyst Conference next week.
• I’m pumped up about the service this Sunday…can’t wait to see how it goes with moving back into the auditorium.  LCC is growing and God is blessing.
• This week we continue our JESUS ON series.  Want to read ahead and be ready for the message???  Check out Matthew 23.  Jesus said some pretty harsh words here.
• Last week I taught on what Jesus said about Money…so I’m expecting a huge increase in the giving this week

Influence.  It is the capacity or power of persons or things to be a compelling force on or produce effects on the actions, behavior, opinions, etc., of others.

The ability to influence others is a key trait of any great leader.  I believe that influence is something that each of us desire to have.  It’s someting that frustrates us when we don’t have as much of it as we would like.  We want to influence the people in our lives…our family, our co-workers, our friends. 

We have a natural desire to influence people to agree with our opinions and desires.  Sometimes our desire to influence flows out of selfish amibitions such as where we are going to eat dinner or what we are going to watch on TV.  That kind of influence can turn into manipulation. 

The influence that I desire to exert in my life is that of influencing people towards a higher level of living. 

I want to influence my kids and my church family to:

• love God - by being in a personal relationship with Him
• love people - by serving and sharing God’s message with them
• live holy lives - by making right choices
• love the church - by giving, serving, and believing in the vision
• make the most of their lives - by taking advantage of every opportunity 

Here’s how I try to influence others…

• Demonstrating a love for God & others in my personal life and talking about it
• Teaching practical living principles from the Bible and showing how they work in real life…being a living example of my teaching (note: this means admitting failures along with the successes)
• Inviting others to give it a try and see it work for themselves.
• Avoiding manipulation and other high pressure tactics.
• Living with passion every day

I know that I am continually influenced by those who are living a life that I find very attractive.  When I see pastors who are loving God and leading their churches and families well…I want to hear what they have to say.  I want to have a positive impact and influence on the lives of others.  I want to influence people for the Kingdom who will then in turn influence others in their circles….and on and on….

2 Timothy 2:2 “You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.”

What about you?  Who is your life influencing?  How are you influencing others?

Health. “soundness of body or mind; freedom from disease or ailment”

It’s something we all want to have and hold on to. As we age, we find it increasingly difficult to maintain our health. I find myself thinking more about it on a regular basis. Being physically healthy is a worthy pursuit for every single one of us. It really is a matter of choices that we make each day. Am I going to eat smart? Am I going to over indulge? Am I going to exercise? Am I going to skip my workout? I am not one of the overly obsessive people who exercise incessantly and eat no junk food. But I am determined to be careful to take care of this body that God has given me.

It’s not only physical health that matters, it’s also mental health. Are you mentally healthy? Mental health is a huge issue these days. There are so many people on medications for depression and other psychological struggles. These issues are very real and I must consider myself susceptible to them. How do I stay healthy in this area? There are some practical things that I must do in order to stay above the fray. To name a few:

• Regular vacations and days off…it’s not optional
• Daily downtime…doing something fun that takes your mind off life’s stresses
• Talk…to someone who can relate to what you are dealing with and help you realize you aren’t the only one…that you’re not crazy!

But it’s not just about mental and physical health, it’s about spiritual health. Is your walk with God healthy? Are you spending time with Him daily? Are you living obedient to his Word? Of course, you would expect that I would tell you this is more important than the mental and physical…but I believe they all go together. To not take care of our bodies is a spiritual issue. Neglecting our spiritual health will be a key factor in poor mental health. They all work together.

As a pastor, I must strive to be healthy in all areas of my life. I am appalled by the number of overweight, out-of-shape pastors that I see. If we truly believe that God has called us to do something of such great eternal signficance, should we not strive to stay as healthy as possible so that we can have greatest, long-term impact for His kingdom?

As a believer, do you realize that God desires to use you to impact others with your life? That’s His plan...to use you. We often short-circuit God’s plan for us by living unhealthy lives. So give your health an evaluation.

• Are you doing all you can to be physically healthy?
• Are you careful to monitor your mental health?
• Are you participating in regular spiritual exercise?

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.”

It’s been a busy Monday…

• Funny how much more energized I feel on Mondays after really good Sundays. 
• Started running again…early this morning…started with a mile and a half.  I hope to work up to more…actually I just hope to be consistent.
• I had a coffee meeting this morning with a church planting missionary who is working with Asian Americans in the Annandale area.  They had their first baptism service yesterday.  Great to see God blessing them.
• I’ve been working on my notes for a talk I am giving on Thursday on the subject of team-building.  It’s amazing how quickly God gave me 10 thoughts on this topic.  I will be talking to a group of about 30-40 church planters.
• Speaking of teams…my son’s baseball team, which I manage…is 7-1 and we are playing a team tonight who is 0-7 and who has lost every game by the 10 run rule.  Yikes…it could get ugly quickly.  I’m going to have fun and use some guys in positions they normally don’t get to play.
• I was in Springfield today for my coffee meeting…and couldn’t resist a stop at Lifeway Christian Store.  I used to frequent it when I worked in that area.  It’s funny how times have changed.  I buy my music, books and church resources online now…and within in a few minutes I was bored in the store and it really seemed like a pointless, waste of time…so I left.
• Can’t wait til next Sunday and our move back to the auditorium…it’s constantly on my mind today…

Random Sunday night thoughts…

• Things are getting cranked up at LCC.  Attendance is on the rise.  Today we had our best crowd since Easter. 
• Next Sunday we move back to the big auditorium.  The staff and leadership team came to the conlclusion that it was time to move.  I’m stoked about the move.  Just looking at it this morning got me excited.  The cafeteria was pretty full this morning…and I truly believe that it won’t be long before we start filling the auditorium.
• I preached on topic of Money today.  It always makes me nervous.  I never want first time guests to be scared off…but in reality it is such an important topic that is addressed so often in the Bible.  How we handle our money is truly a spiritual issue.  And as we continue to grown and have more people giving…the more people we’ll be able to reach.
• Josh did a great job performing an old song by a group called Burlap to Cashmere. The song Treasures in Heaven was their biggest hit.  It fit perfectly with the message.
• Great to have my parents and my nieces in church with us today.
• We have a great group of volunteers…I appreciate the hard work…and sweat they put into the ministry.
• I’m ready for the cool weather…where did it go?  The sinus headaches this week have been excruciating.  I talked to some fellow sufferers this morning…I feel your pain.
• Sign of the times…my teenage son chose to go hang out with friends this afternoon.   So I guess he rather watch football with his friends…I just have to deal with it!  Who can I rant to about my loser fantasy team?
• Go Skins!

Generosity.  Giving.  Being generous to others.  Giving to God.  It’s not always an easy task in our selfish, get-all-we-can-for-ourselves society.  Even though we know it’s the right thing to do and that we feel pretty good when we give,  we still hesitate to do it sometimes.  A variety of reasons keep us from being as generous as God would have us to be.  Sometimes it’s because we just have very little to give, sometimes it’s a lack of faith, sometimes it’s just plain selfishness.  Whatever the reason, we must strive to overcome it and become generous, giving people.

Generous to God by Giving to the Church.  As a pastor, I preach it and I live it.  It’s actually a great relief to tithe the first 10% of our income to God through the church.  Tithing (giving 10%) is a biblical principle.  I believe holding back on this is a spiritual issue that so many believers struggle with.  I do not want to be guilty of robbing God as it says in Malachi 3.  I literally believe that if I make $1,000/week, I should give God $100.  Why I am doing the math here?  I hear people talk about giving to the church…and when you give $200/year but earn $100,000…is that really generous giving?  It’s not about the church needing money (although it does), but it’s about God having control of this area of our lives.

Jesus said…“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21)

Generous to Others.  I have been on the giving and the receiving end of acts of generosity.  It’s an amazing feeling on both ends.  It’s humbling to see God using other people to bless you.  It’s exhilerating to experience God using you to bless others.  I remember a period when my wife was on bedrest with our 3rd child.  She had to quit her job.  Then my car got vandalized.  It seemed like things were just tanking financially.  But God provided through people.  The church families began providing meals for us.  I received an anonymous envelope will several hundreds of dollars for my car repair.  God provided through the generosity of others.  And we have been able to be on the other side of that as well…being able to give to those in need in ways we never thought possible.

Let’s be honest…we all need to grow in this area.  We all struggle with materialism on some level.  Our culture is hounding us to get more and hoard more for ourselves.  It goes against the grain to give.  Being generous to God by tithing seems ridiculous to some and giving beyond the tithe can seem like you’ve lost your mind.  But I must ask myself these questions:

• Am I going to invest in things that are temporary or in things that are eternal? 
• Where is my treasure going to be?

I’m about to leave with my 7-year old for a field trip to the Apple Orchard with her 2nd grade class.  I’m a driver today…so I’ll have 4 second graders in my vehicle…I’m really liking the fact that our vehicle has a DVD system!  Anyway…looking forward to a fresh Granny Smith or a Winesap…my favorite apples.

My youngest daughter turns 7 today.  Yep…my baby is 7 years old!  It’s hard to believe.  She’s an awesome, sweet young girl with a tender heart toward God. 

Lexi was a special surprise gift from God.  We thought we were done after having 2 kids…but God thought otherwise.  She was what you might call a miracle baby.  All kinds of pregancy complications for Sherri…but Alexandra emerged healthy!  We can’t imagine our lives without her!

Family.  I love my family.  I know that is not profound…who doesn’t love their family?  But let me just try to define what that means in terms of life and ministry. 

How many stories have you heard of pastor’s families being a complete disaster?  Too many is the answer.  I determined early on that we would not become one of those sad, embarassing stories. 

I want to avoid the cliches about priorities, such as…it’s God first, then family, then ministry…  Ok…we’ve all heard that, but really what does that mean?   Maybe it’s time we stop breaking it all down into categories.  Maybe it wasn’t meant to work that way.

God should permeate every area of my life…not just be my #1 priority.

Family should be more important than ministry…but the reality is that they are part of my ministry, they are involved in my ministry…it is their ministry, too…it’s something we do as a family. 

Here’s some cool things about our church plant and my family:

• My wife saw church planting in us before I did.  She saw us taking this step of faith before I could see it.  God birthed this vision in her first.  This enables her to be so incredibly supportive of me.
• My son loves our church.  He was 9 when we started 5 years ago.  Even in the first year, he was almost as obsessed as me about the numbers.  How many did we have today? would be his first question on the way home afterwards.  He believes in the vision and wants to see it grow.
• My oldest daughter is committed to serving in the church.  As a 10 year old, she gets up on her own volition at 6:30 on Sunday mornings so she can be a part of the set-up team with me and her brother.
• My youngest daughter who was 1 year old when we started is committed to the prayer card.  She is praying for the church almost daily.  She memorized the 5 big prayer requests for 2007 and she is excited to see what God is doing.

I give those examples not to boast or give the impression that our family functions perfectly and always loves the church.  There are times we all collectively and individually grow weary of the demands of the ministry.  But I can tell you that, as a family, we are in it together.  My family loves the church.  Why?

• They see that I love LCC, but that I love them more.
• They see a lot of me.  I work from home.  I am home most nights.  I’m not out running around like many pastors during the weeknights.
• They see that I have a passion for the church, but not an obsession for it.
• They understand the purposes of the church and when I do have to miss time with them for a ministry function, I take time to explain it…and it’s amazing how much they can understand it. 
• I am involved in coaching their teams, attending their games, events and field trips, helping with their homework, watching movies together, etc…

As pastors, we simply need to be smarter about our approach concerning ministry and our families.  We should not see them as competitors.  We must stop compartmentalizing our lives so much.  I want my family to love this ministry and have ownership of it.  Whenever I sense burnout in them, I must give them permission to take a break…whatever that might mean.  We are in this together for the long haul!  My desire is to see all 3 of my kids serve God their entire lives.  There is no need for them to drift or go prodigal on us.

All believers need to examine how much compartmentalizing they are doing in their lives…especially concerning their families.  Allow God and his church to permeate every area and every part of your family life.  Don’t let ministry be a thing that mom or dad does.  Don’t allow God to be a Sunday morning thing.  Model for your family what it mean to be a believer…24/7.

Joshua 24:15b “As for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”