Jack Hayford at Central Valley Sustaining Pastoral Excellence Conference

I spent the day today with the staff of KCF in Fresno at SouthPoint church which hosted Jack Hayford during a pastors conference for pastors in the Fresno/Clovis area. Jack is now well into his 70s and continues to be the "gold standard" for those of us that find themselves in the charismatic/pentecostal camp. Not only is he a true church father, but a scholar and thinker as well. Very few of the leaders within the "spirit-filled" camp are as roundly respected across the wide-spectrum of the evangelical world as he is.

Some highlights from today:

• It is crucial during this difficult economic time that the church knows: (a) what is going on in the nation, (b) how to feel about what is going on, and (c) what to do about it.
  
• James chapter 5 is a very relevant time for this moment. Its references to corrupted wealth and the stance of the Church speak to us right where we're at. Further, Elijah's story in 1 Kings 17 is the model of how God will care for believers as the seek and stay close to Him.
  
• In the last 20 years, the church has tended to be "businessed" too heavily. You cannot business the church to fruitfulness.
  
• The point of worship is not exaltation of God, but encounter with God. See the very purpose God Himself gives to Moses for the tabernacle.
  
• Compassion based ministry is probably the best way to reach a nation that is now a pagan culture. This type of outreach must be backed up by a passionate and prayerful pursuit of discipleship born and born out of a love for people.
  

The wisdom that pours out of the man is staggering. It is clear that the depth of thought and study and experience he brings to the table gives his words a tangible weight.

Your Inflow Must Exceed Your Outflow

A well-established rule of ministry is that you must make sure that you are feeding yourself so that as you feed others, you don't run empty. It's more then just a rule of ministry, but really a rule of leadership in general. You've heard it before, "A Leader is a Reader."

Leaders, ministry and otherwise, must maintain a learning posture so that they stay sharp and fresh. When we don't feed ourselves, then we end up speaking only out of yesterday's knowledge and experiences. While yesterday's knowledge and experiences can really be valuable, if they are not tempered and challenged by the lessons we are learning today, then we run the risk of coming up short.

The challenge is to make sure that our intake is varied. Just like our physical diet, if we over-emphasize one type of food, then we run the risk of missing out on the balanced diet that is necessary for long term health. Of course, there are times when we do intentionally want an unbalanced diet in order to achieve certain goals (e.g., weight loss, strength building, medical, etc.), but if we do this for too long we run the risk of making ourselves unhealthy.

When it comes to learning intake, my tendency is to get stuck on one type of reading or study material and end up compromising my diet. But when I am conscious and intentional about it, I make an effort to widen the variety of my intake.

• Magazines like Wired, Fast Company, Smithsonian, and (yes, I must admit) Car and Driver
• Movies ranging from contemporary romantic comedies (with and for my wife) to movies like Appaloosa (a great study in characters), Slumdog Millionaire and Outsourced (east meets west), and many others.
• Books. NY Times bestseller list items along with what's hot in the church world along with classic fiction along with contemporary fiction, etc.
• Commentaries. Read old and new commentaries when studying a passage.
• Newspapers. I love the WSJ (but don't get to read it as often as I'd like) but USA Today is excellent because it keeps you in touch with the news that most Americans are reading.

Suggestions?

Four Growth Industries

Submission for Solutions to The Sentinel
by Andrew Cromwell

I have heard it said that there are four things that go up during sour economic times: candy sales (particularly chocolate), movie attendance, bar attendance (although I don't think they really take "attendance" at bars) and church attendance. When people go through tough times, they look for coping mechanisms to help them get through.

If this were a financial investment piece, I would suggest you evaluate the merits of the big candy makers to see whether this would be a good time to invest in their stock. You might also take a look at some of the big brewing companies and movie houses.

But I am not a stock picker (or at least not one you would want to follow!) and my financial investment advice is spotty at best. But I do know certain principles that if followed, will help you growth healthy relationships, strengthen your character and build a solid foundation for the future. So with your permission, let me give you a few observations about these four growth industries that we are drawn towards during difficult times.

Chocolate
This wonderful confectionary concoction can bring great joy. Served up in a multitude of iterations—dark, light, milky, white, with caramel, with a hard candy exterior, with nuts, with cherries, smothered over strawberries and the list goes on—this delightful delectable is said to be a mild mood elevator, an antioxidant, and an appetite suppressant among other things. Contrary to popular belief it does not cause acne, is not addictive and does not raise your bad cholesterol. On the other hand, it makes you fat.

Movies
There's nothing quite like a good movie, especially if it is enjoyed with friends and family. Good film can transport you to parts of the world you've never been, fill you with laughter, give you a new understanding of love and open your heart to the need of the world. The best movies provide guilt-free escapes filled with adrenaline and the occasional tear. On the other hand, the soda, popcorn and candy you eat while watching these celluloid cinematics will make you fat.

Bars
According to the oft quoted TV show Cheers, a bar can be a place where "everyone knows your name." I am told that sitting down with a frothy cold one as you enjoy fresh and salty nuts can really bring your heart great joy. A good bar can give you a sense of community and be a place where you can unwind with friends. Important conversations happen in bars all across the world, you can meet new people and rekindle old friendships. On the other hand, alcohol will make you fat.

It is clear that each of these three favorite American pastimes have their place. When undertaken in moderation, they can be downright enjoyable. But they don't call them growth industries for nothing. These enjoyable endeavors can make your waistline grow quicker then the treasury can inject cash into our sinking economy.

But there is one growth industry that won't effect your waist but it just might change your heart—church. It may have its detractors, but church can elevate your mood, help you develop significant friendships and refocus your life purpose. Good churches lift you out of the doldrums and give you a place to serve the community, they help you talk to your kids and spouse effectively and get your financial house in order.

So let me suggest that during these trying economic times, the best growth industry to invest in, is the one that is calorie free and can alter the trajectory of your life for the better (just stay way from those church potlucks—they WILL make you fat).

Good Ideas -- Not Really a Dime a Dozen

I'm reading axiom by Bill Hybels. He has a chapter in there about the importance of generating ideas. He recounts a time at Motorola when it was required to show your idea list at the door in order to get into the important meetings.

Generating good ideas is hard work. It is hard work not only to come up with the ideas, but then to go through the process of evaluating and refining ideas is difficult too. Because this is not an easy task, it often gets left by the wayside.

It is easy to find ourselves doing maintenance because the work of creativity is more then we are willing to give.

So why not have certain meetings that you can only get into if you bring your idea list? Of course, these meetings would need to be incredibly rewarding, fun and energizing so that people would want to be in them. But can you imagine what might emerge — perhaps some GREAT IDEAS!

Three Things that Go Up In a Down Economy

According to Rick Warren, there are three things that go up when going through financially difficult times as a nation:

• Church Attendance
  
• Bar Attendance
  
• Movie Attendance

I suppose this jives with a comment I heard while watching a recent boxing match.  The commentator said that they had seen a larger attendance in their last four fights then they had seen in many years and attributed the difference to the recession.

A Bias Towards Action

It is my perception that when I look at the commands of Jesus and the activity of the early church, there is a decided bias towards action. I'd like to know specifically how many of Jesus' commands direct His disciples to wait, withdraw or pullback versus how often he told them to go and do.

I did a quick search of Peter Wittstock's research on the 125 Commands of Jesus and the only time I could find "wait" was when Jesus was commanding His disciples to be dressed in readiness and to keep their lamps lit as men waiting for the master to return from the wedding feast. One of the limitations of Wittstock's study it would seem is that it does not include Jesus' commands in the book of Acts, which is the major place I think about when I think about Jesus commanding the disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit.

I'm certainly not suggesting that waiting on the Lord is important. We are commanded to do that in the Psalms and Isaiah reminds us that those who do will be strengthened. But this is a different type of waiting. This is the kind of waiting that is to be a constant and continual action on the part of those who are seeking His face.

It's just that I am struck with all the action words that Jesus uses:

• Go into all the world
  
• Lay hands on the sick
  
• Give and it shall be given
  
• Make disciples
  
• Pray in this way
  
• Follow Me
  
• Sell your possessions and give alms
  
• Do not worry about your life
  
• Forgive
  
• Do
  
• and many, many more!

I find that so frequently my bias is towards inaction. I would rather wait, be cautious and feel things out. Yet every time I read Jesus talking about faith and the Kingdom of Heaven it seems that He is speaking to me about stepping out, moving into new territory, stretching beyond my comfort zone and doing the impossible.

Is it that God wants us to be action oriented? Now certainly, the right kind of action is important! Not just any action will do, but even if all we do is restrict ourselves to the basic actions found in the Great Commission — these actions surely we KNOW He desires us to do — we will find ourselves stretched, challenged and dependent on Him.

This type of action orientation should result in a constant need to be dependent on the Holy Spirit for empowerment and direction. I think that's where He wants us to be. Stretched beyond what we can handle on our own and reaching aggressively towards the territory He has commanded us to take.

It is when we are "poured out as a drink offering" as Paul was that we find "strength in weakness." But unless we are stretching to our point of weakness, we may not discover His strength and power sustaining and empowering us.

What think you? Am I way off on this one?

25 Promises for Difficult Financial Times

Wonderful article from Purpose Driven Connection on God's promises during financially difficult times. This could definitely preach.

Here's an excerpt....

Promise #1
To care for you…
"And why worry about your clothes? Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow, won't he more surely care for you?” (Matthew 6:28-30 NLT)

Promise #2
To provide for you…
"Don't ever worry and say, 'What are we going to eat?' or 'What are we going to drink?' or 'What are we going to wear?' Everyone is concerned about these things, and your heavenly Father certainly knows you need all of them. But first, be concerned about his kingdom and what has his approval. Then all these things will be provided for you” (Matthew 6:31-33 GW).

Check out the rest...

Rick Warren's New Magazine

I recently received a copy of the premier issue of Rick Warren's new magazine Purpose Driven Connection. If you are a follower of Christ or are even just checking out the claims of Christ, you need to get a subscription to this magazine. Right now you can get a subscription for $20 for four issues. Visit www.purposedriven.com for more details.

The magazine is chock full of spiritual growth resources, encouraging articles, and even a DVD and study booklet with small group material. Very, very good stuff.

If you are a pastor or a small group leader, this is a wonderful tool for your small groups. Every quarter (and next year every other month), this magazine will deliver to your leaders' doorstep a new small group DVD and study booklet. Anyone who is familiar with Saddleback's materials knows that they produce very high quality material — both in production value and content. If you have a small group ministry, simply have all your leaders subscribe and you won't have to think about duplicating and delivering curriculum DVDs to your leaders. What an elegant solution.

Oh, and while we're on the topic of small groups, check out how to make your small group ministry fail over at LifeChurch.tv's blog.

Way to go Rick! Way to go God!

Appreciating the Little Stuff

submitted to The Hanford Sentinel for the Sunday Solutions section.

There are certain things we must be reminded of over and over again because we keep forgetting them. We always seem to forget that patience is a virtue. That saving is better then spending. That today's decisions determine tomorrow's future. And that our lives are made up of little things — little decisions, little experiences, little conversations. And these little things woven together form the tapestry of our existence.

All too frequently I make the mistake of thinking that the really important stuff in life is the big stuff. And it's not that the big stuff is not important because it most certainly is. A marriage, the birth of a child, a job promotion, a graduation — these big things are significant and meaningful and very frequently alter the course of life.

But where I really live day to day is in-between the big stuff. And what I forget is that the big stuff is a result of the little stuff of life. That "big" accomplishment of receiving the college diploma was a result of the countless "little" study sessions, assignments and papers. The "big" promotion was the result of the "little" decisions to be consistent, diligent and loyal. And the "big" payoff of my children growing up to be healthy, well-adjusted adults will be the result of the "little" daily grind of homework, playtime, consistent discipline and lots of love spelled t-i-m-e.

But if you're like me, you make the mistake of overemphasizing the big stuff and dismissing the little stuff. Very often, the little stuff is just not that exciting. Frankly, it can be quite boring. And that is why you and I forget that the little stuff is actually the most important stuff.

All of our habits, whether constructive or destructive, are a result of little decisions made over and over again. Our character — whether we are truthful or deceptive, loyal or disloyal, bitter or thankful — is simply the outflow of choices made over the course of a lifetime. Our relationships — the good, the bad and the ugly — are a reflection of our words, gifts, and time (usually given in small doses over long periods).

Remember, the little stuff of today — that conversation you need to have with your teenager, that relationship you need to mend, that task at work you've been putting off, that annoying habit you need to break, that trip to the dentist you've been avoiding, that decision to get things right with God — these are actually the big things of life. And if we choose to approach them with an attitude that devalues their importance, we are missing their true significance.

There is a verse in Scripture in Zecharaiah that reminds us not to "despise the day of small things." So, the next time you are tempted to look at your life and despise the little stuff, don't! Instead, make the decision to enjoy it to the last drop. Be grateful. Appreciate the little stuff.