The Theologian in the Back

Moments in Ministry: The Whole Family

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Wed, 29 Jun 2016 16:07:00 +0000

In August we have our most dreaded meeting of the year; our 18 month calendar planning. Don't get me wrong, it's necessary and saves a lot of work and problems in the long run. It is also, however, a very long 4+ hour meeting.

Three years ago Daniel (our Lead Pastor) told us we're going to go see a movie afterwards. We don't do things like that very often, but when we do it's always a blessing to get to spend time with the people I work with.

As we made our way out of the dollar theater we saw a man and his son who had regularly been attending for about 18 months. The son's face lit up, and he said "Wow, the whole family's here!"

The majority of my work week consists of making sure other staff and volunteers have the freedom to do hands on ministry. I still play a significant role in one of our weekly ministries, but the rest are led by volunteers and staff who are great at what they do. Sometimes a feeling of detachment can develop - it becomes difficult to learn the names of all the new children and students who come through our ministries when I'm not there every week. Comments like this son's, however, bring our purpose straight into focus. We're creating a faith family that shares life together while honoring God in all we do.

Favorite Moments in Ministry: Prayers for the Hotel Staff

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Wed, 22 Jun 2016 16:04:00 +0000

I was thinking today about some of the joys and frustrations of ministry. One of my favorite moments:

About six years ago I candidated for a pastorate at a small church in a very rural area of Kentucky. While I was there I stayed in a hotel. Upon checking out the manager asked me what I was in town for and I let him know I was candidating at a church.

In that area of the country the title given to folks in my profession is "preacher" instead of pastor or reverend. He immediately looked up from the counter and said "preacher, one of my cleaning gals was just diagnosed with cancer. Could you pray for her?"

I told him I'd be happy to. He pulled out a walkie talkie and told the entire staff of the hotel to come to a side room off the lobby where I spent the next 10 or 15 minutes praying for the staff, especially a young Hispanic mother.

Though I was ordained in 2013 my first ministry position began in September 2006. In these nearly ten years I have had enough moments like these to fill a lifetime, and I am blessed that I get to make more.

Allowing Others to Have a Voice - Leadership Journal

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Fri, 14 Aug 2015 18:46:00 +0000

I recently spoke with a great friend about some frustrations at his place of employment. When speaking about his boss, he said "If you disagree with him, he'll destroy you." We've all had someone in power who was unable to hear any voice but his own. The problem is more than creating poor morale in the office.

There are many reasons a leader refuses to take critique or listen to others. It may be a lack of confidence, a god complex, stubbornness, or even a misplaced sense of duty. These issues are often hard for a leader to identify, let alone fix. Instead, here are some thoughts to motivate any leader to be more open to their team, employees, and followers:

Unless you hired idiots, you don't work with idiots.
Even if the leader is the smartest person in the room, your teams can offer great insight. They may not always grasp the big picture, but they are still able to contribute toward a fuller understanding of their department. If they are worth paying, they are worth listening to.

They see something you don't.
The intern sees something the employee misses, the employee sees an opportunity the manager misses, the manager sees an area of growth the VP misses, the VP sees a way to tip the budget that the CEO misses, and the CEO knows more than the entire board combined. No matter where you are on the chart, there is insight to be gleaned from those above, below, and horizontal to you on the org chart.

They care about the success of the company.
Outside of payroll, benefits, and vacation days most arguments between employees and their supervisors come from different perspectives on how to better the company. To push them aside because they don't "get it," or because they are just trying to get their way is foolish. True, some people will argue an idea to death because it's theirs, but it's a lot easier to tow the party line and keep the status quo than to make waves.

They will trust you more if you listen.
You can't let meetings go out of control, but hearing people out makes them trust you more. Bringing them in on your decision, whether for or against their ideas, will make them trust you more. Imagine two different conversations with the same outcome.

"Joe, you just don't get it. There are bigger concerns than your department. You have no idea how bad of an idea it would be to implement another change. You have no clue how stretched we are with our people and our finances. You're not seeing the big picture."

Vs.

"Joe, you have some great ideas and I hope to pursue some of them in the future. The truth is, right now we've undergone so much change that I'm not confident any idea, even a good one, will be received well. That doesn't mean I don't want to hear them, and it doesn't mean we won't get there, but right now I believe we need to focus on group cohesion. I want you to speak with me again in six months, and if the time is right, I'd like your help in feeling out a few departments to pilot this new system. If we get positive feedback, I'll see if I can make the finances work to give it a green light."

Often, leaders believe that the first response exudes power while the second response exudes weakness. The truth is that if we rely on the authority vested in a title we will never get the best out of our followers. Meanwhile, letting them in on the process may provide insight. Who knows, they may even be able to help solve some problems that they were ignorant of. Maybe Joe will be more intentional about building positive relationships with his co-workers because he knows that morale is low!

They will leave if you refuse to hear them out.
Studies have shown two things: People want to be valued and people want to be paid well. When it comes down to the two, assuming that the individual is receiving an adequate living wage, about half choose being valued over a moderately higher paycheck. Now, who do you want on your team? Someone who desires to be heard and have their opinion valued, or someone who will happily sit quietly in a corner for a 10% raise? At some point, you won't be able to afford paying someone to shut down their ideas, and they will find competitive pay with a better environment elsewhere. Save yourself some money, and increase retention by taking time to hear out your followers.

Next week, we'll talk about some strategies to help introduce new ideas to a resistant boss or manager. What is the biggest barrier in communication between you and your supervisor?

Wasting Time - Leadership Journal

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Tue, 04 Aug 2015 11:00:00 +0000

One of the most painful things I've ever done is listen to my own preaching. I couldn't stand how my voice sounded when it wasn't in my head, I inserted WAY too many "Uhms" and "Uhhs," and I went over time. As I evaluated my sermon, I made some notes. Don't fill with "Uhhs," be more discerning about what needs to be included, and try to wrap up better.

So, to see just how bad it was, I went through the audio file of my sermon and removed everything that didn't contribute to my message. When all was said and done, a 35 minute sermon came out to right around 25 minutes. That's a lot of wasted time!

Time is a very finite resource, and is one of the greatest things we can give to God. When we waste other people's time, be it in bad meetings or through excessive emails, we are keeping them from being able to devote that time to their work, their family, or whatever other pursuit is worthwhile. This is why I take people's time, especially mine, very seriously.

If you were to audit your week, how much time would you like to reallocate? I'm not talking about leisure time that you feel guilty about, I'm talking about wasted time. By cutting out 10 minutes of stuff that wasn't needed, I have the option of either saving hours of human life, or filling it with something more worthwhile. We have to consider time, our most valuable and scarce resource, in all that we do.

The Creative Process - Leadership Journal

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Fri, 31 Jul 2015 19:00:00 +0000

It's happened more than once - a well meaning individual will say something along the lines of, "I heard 'so-and-so' speak, and WOW, did he bring it!" This could be Franklin Graham, Tony Robbins, or a host of other professional speakers. Something a lot of people don't know is, that for the most part, they only have about a half dozen talks to cover their dozens or hundreds of speaking engagements. This is not the case for the pastor.

The pastor has the privileged of preparing and speaking anywhere between 40 and over 200 times a year. Some of these will have the same message, such as at our church where the same sermon is preached in three different services every Sunday morning. Many of them will not overlap. A pastor can prepare a Sunday morning message, a Sunday evening message, a Wednesday evening teaching, and even a small group teaching - in ONE week. To stay fresh, I suggest utilizing what's called the "creative cycle." This not only works for sermons and public speaking, but for any project that needs an infusion of innovation, creativity, and new ideas.

Always be working two weeks ahead for a sermon or project. By staying far ahead, you not only leave time for the inevitable issues such as funerals and emergency counseling, but you give yourself time to process, reflect on, and improve your future message. You'd be surprised how many great sermon illustrations have come AFTER the message was already completed. This can't work with every project, but when it's applicable, do it!

Organize great thoughts. A former professor of mine used to keep a file cabinet of great sermon illustrations that he would categorize somehow. Now, it's a LOT easier. Utilizing any of a number of note takers (I use Microsoft's OneNote and EverNote) you can categorize great stories to reflect on. If you're working ahead, you'll have plenty of time to plug these thoughts into your sermon or project.

Include others. Even when it seems like you've got things under control, you'll always get fresh and meaningful insight by including others, especially those who think differently than you! Any project I have I try to find at least four people with different personalities and different specialties to look at the early stages with me. By having a creative, an analytic, a dreamer, and a planner in the same room, we tend to be able to create something awesome together. This can apply to sermon prep as well, utilizing your creative/teaching team.

Admittedly, this comes from someone who struggles with creativity. For some people these steps are intuitive, but for someone like me, intentionally incorporating these principles will help keep from getting stale, and will improve quality.

Valuing Efficiency - Leadership Journal

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Mon, 27 Jul 2015 12:00:00 +0000

Admittedly, this was not what I had in mind when I started this blog. However, I have found that whenever efficiency comes up in conversation there are two present realities:

1. We all wish we were more efficient

2. We generally have no idea how to get
there

Here are a few methods I personally use that may be beneficial.

Omnifocus, $40 - Great Task Management
If you have an Apple device, you need to spend $40 and purchase this amazing task management software. You can create templates that are reusable, sort tasks by a number of different methods, and even assign locations or contexts so that you can become more efficient. This is great software to use with the "Getting Things Done" method.
RescueTime, Free (with a paid advanced version) - Keeping You Productive
Have you ever looked at your clock and wondered where the time went? Rescue time allows you to track what you're doing and how long it takes to do it. Did you spend five minutes on Facebook yesterday or an hour? Should you really be dedicating an hour a day to your email inbox?
E-mail Filters, free - Ignore the Junk!
Setting up an e-mail filter is quick and easy. I have a special filter for individuals who tend to insert too many names in the carbon copy line, as well as special filters set up for the blogs I have delivered electronically. Other useful filters are for Amazon (or other) purchase and shipment notification, junk mail, and any email that has my full name in the subject or body.
Kindle, free - Read Again
Do you love the smell of a new book? Do you love feeling the pages flip through your fingers? Did you read more than ten books last year? Unless the answer to all of these is yes, you really need to look at getting the Kindle app on your device. Besides picking up many books considerably cheaper (I just saved $9 on "I Am a Church Member" http://amzn.com/B00C7T33ZQ) you will actually start reading again since you'll always have a book with you.
Syncplicity, free - Your Digital Briefcase
Syncplicity is an easy to install app that will sync your files across multiple devices, similar to Dropbox. The main difference is that instead of having to place select files into a specified folder like with Dropbox, you are able to pick and choose which files you sync. You can also share synced folders with anyone. This will automatically sync files across your computers and mobile devices, and give you access via the cloud from any computer in the world. One drawback - it will not sync a server.
Front Loading your Work Load, free - NOT for the Faint of Heart
The single greatest lesson I've learned about efficiency is that it's better to spend an hour once than ten minutes a week for the rest of your life. This is the most difficult of the suggestions, but one of my favorite example is setting up Syncplicity. To do this right, it will take about an hour and bog down your system while you are uploading or downloading files. Additionally, since there is a storage limit, you may have to go in and exclude folders with videos or pictures. This can be difficult, and took me about four hours to set up originally. However, for the past five years, I have had complete access to every file at all times.

Again, this post is a far departure from the original purpose of the blog, but hopefully will be worthwhile!

Working with DIfferent Types of People - Leadership Journal

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Fri, 24 Jul 2015 12:00:00 +0000

Recently at staff meeting, we had some fun. We broke personality types into four different "directions."

North: Action - likes to act, try things, plunge in.

East: Speculating - likes to look at the big picture and the possibilities before acting.

South: Caring - likes to know that everyone's feelings have been taken into consideration and that their voices have been heard before acting.

West: Paying attention to detail - likes to know the who, what, when, where, and why before acting.

Feel free to play along. After identifying our personality type, we answered a few questions:

What are the strengths of my style?
What are the limitations of my style?
What style do you find most difficult to work with and why?
What do people from other "directions" or styles need to know about you so you can work together?
What's one thing you value about each of the other three styles?

Admittedly, this is not a diagnostic tool, nor does it really solve any problems. Instead, it's meant to illicit a conversation on why teams or groups can have difficulty working together. If you take time to run this exercise with your team, assuming you have an environment of trust, you can begin to understand why certain team members have difficulty working with each other. While our staff works well together, it was still awesome to see how individual personalities affect group dynamics.

Kris' Personal Leadership Direction: North

What are the strengths of my style?
Action oriented people get things done. We move the ball forward and keep the organization productive and relevant.
What are the limitations of my style?
Action oriented people can tend to bulldoze over opposition instead of building consensus.
What style do you find most difficult to work with and why?
South, because they often take too long to move forward and have a hard time accepting that total consensus isn't always possible. They are, however, the people I am most excited to have on my team, despite potential difficulty.
What do people from other "directions" or styles need to know about you so you can work together?
I really do want to hear you out, and I really do want to understand where you're coming from, but at some point we need to move forward and continuing the dialogue past its usefulness will only delay our success.
What's one thing you value about each of the other three styles?
East - You keep our head out of the sand and help identify potential minefields
South - You are the champion of the team. Without you, the group falls apart.
West - You keep the team together. Without your attention to detail, we arrive at the party
having forgot to send out invitations!

The goal here is simple: we are called to work together as the Body of Christ to reach out and accomplish great things. Understanding how we work together (or sometimes, fail to work together) is crucial for effectiveness in ministry, the family, or at work.

The Illusion of Balance - Leadership Journal

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Tue, 21 Jul 2015 19:39:00 +0000

Something from Eric Ries' book "The Lean Startup" really stuck with me, the idea of entrepreneurship "plus one." The concept is you can choose to be successful and one other thing, be it personal well being, maintaining your marriage, spending time with family, or friends. We often talk about work/life balance as if we are a tightrope walker balancing precariously in the center of a small line with the death of our career or personal lives looming on either side.

The unfortunate reality is that such a balance is not only unrealistic, but unsustainable. The problem isn't in trying to maintain some sort of balance, the problem is that the foundation on which we stand is simply too thin. While this is not the most uplifting thought, there is still hope.

Imagine, instead of a tightrope, a busy lane in a shopping mall. There are dozens of stores vying for your attention. If you spend enough time in the mall you'll probably visit all of them once or twice, but you have your go-to stores. Perhaps JC Penny for your shoes and wardrobe, FYE or GameStop for your entertainment, and the food court for your nourishment. Not every trip to the mall will include a stop at all three. No trip to the mall would even happen if you didn't stop in at one or the other. Some trips find you in JC Penny the entire time (perhaps some back to school shopping), while others find you wandering about (perhaps Christmas shopping).

We will always have time for our three important things, and I hope they are work, family, and a plus one. This doesn't mean work will get the amount of time you wish you could devote every single day. Sadly, if we're honest, neither does family. The goal is to be there when it counts. We have to know which season calls for an emphasis in each of our areas. We never neglect any of the three, but we always wish we had more time so we could do it all.

What do you think? What are your secrets to work/life balance?

Mind and Heart - Leadership Journal

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Thu, 16 Jul 2015 20:54:00 +0000

There is a prominent belief in leadership that to earn followers respect requires the leader to act as a hard nosed bully, insisting to get their way. In fact, this is how most children (and many adults) attempt to get their way. Refuse to negotiate, refuse to surrender, and keep yelling until you get what you want. Unfortunately, this is tends to be ineffective in the long run and detrimental to an organization.

The use of fear in leadership has a long and storied tradition. While there have always been dictators and despots, many of the original studies in leadership came from the military and manufacturing. After all, until people are assembled, there is no real need for leadership. In both of these settings, fear (the lack of a paycheck, the threat of physical harm) has been used to motivate others. However, this creates an atmosphere where followers want to leave as soon as they can. Not ideal for any organization.

In groups of talented individuals, bringing others alongside in a team allows them to contribute toward finding the best answer, while building intentional relationships. Even in settings where not everyone has something to offer, caring for others builds relationships which will last against greater strains than the fear of a lost paycheck. It's time to stop separating the 40+ hours we all "work" from what we call "life." Leaders must not only care for their organizations, but for the people. In Christianity, we call the assembly of people "the church." Perhaps this idea will catch on as firms and organizations begin seeing themselves as the collection of stakeholders instead of a metaphysical entity.

Over the past year, posting to this blog has become irregular and sparse. For the next nine weeks, I will be combining my leadership journal, part of the requirements for a course in my Ph.D with my regular blog. Hopefully, this will prove to be beneficial all the way around!

Ping-pong and Roller Skates

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Sun, 03 Aug 2014 03:20:00 +0000

About an hour ago I submitted my second paper for my Ph. D. I learned today that more than 25% of our cohort had already withdrawn after only three weeks. Needing some recreation after about 30 hours of research and writing, I did what any grown man would do; I cranked up my favorite music, and ran to my ping-pong table. After securing half of the table in the upright position I scrimmaged myself for about half an hour (ala Forrest Gump). As I allowed my mind to wander I began looking forward to teaching my son to play on this table, the same table my father taught me on a quarter of a century ago.

I began to recall those early days. When I was four years old I was still too short to reach the table. Needing a few extra inches and hearing that the rack (Jr. edition) was no longer being sold in Ohio, my father resorted to the only reasonable course of action. He pulled out my Fisher Price roller skates. While I had previously lamented the contraptions, as the wheels tended to stick (thus teaching me how to brace for impact rather than to skate), I quickly rejoiced that these blocky death machines would allow me to learn a new game. After "securely" fastening my foot into the plastic toe guard I was handed a paddle with the cushion stripped off and replaced by glued on sand paper. Knowing that part of learning ping-pong was falling off roller skates, my father wisely chose to withhold the finer sporting goods. It was on these plastic monstrosities holding my "Frankenstein's Monster" of a paddle that I learned how to play ping-pong.

My physical stature meant that I wasn't ready to learn the game. Most parents would have simply given me a few more months to grow, but my father taught me an important lesson that day; there are times in life that it's not about making it easy, it's about achieving something awesome. Some day I would grow tall enough to reach the table, but that's not true with most things in life. We won't simply grow into great marriages, so we'd better do the hard work to value our family. We won't grow into consummate professionals, so we'd better do the hard work to stand out in our vocation. We won't simply grow into a mature faith, so we'd better to the hard work of following hard after Christ. As an adult I whine and moan about all the impediments that keep me from "reaching the table" but as a child I was just happy to play with my Father.

I learned other lessons on those roller skates. It wasn't my Dad's idea to keep score, but while he caved to my insistence he never let me win. It would be long after I outgrew those roller skates that I claimed my first hard fought victory, one of the proudest achievements of my young life to that point. I had to continue to grow, to challenge myself, to practice, to analyze and to strategize. Who would have thought in that unfinished basement on a pair of the world's poorest crafted roller skates I would begin to learn the life lessons that I continue to refine to be a devoted husband, a faithful minister and an excellent student? Who would have thought that playing a game of ping-pong would give me the wisdom to know that it isn't enough to natural grow, but that we must learn to stretch?

Lacking Distractions

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Mon, 07 Jul 2014 12:20:00 +0000

Whether we realize it or not, we live in a culture of distraction. Right now it is likely you have multiple windows open, a phone by your side and music playing. Maybe you're even at work and needed to check Facebook one more time. Perhaps you're in the restroom and pulled out the smart phone...

My goal is not to suggest that our culture of distraction is inherently evil but it does tend to elevate entertainment over substance. While we've always tried to avoid boredom many of us view any lack of activity as unacceptable. I've fallen into this trap myself; if my wife has to leave the room for a moment I pause Netflix and am immediately on my tablet. When did it become normal to never be still?

It's amazing what can become normal. When I played baseball I never realized just how many bumps scrapes and bruises I had acquired until one day, about 6 months after I stopped playing, I was walking to class and realized I didn't hurt. I'd never considered what it would be like to not be in pain. No aching knees, no tender ribs, and no checking to make sure I wasn't bleeding on my socks. What had become normal to me wasn't a good thing; it was just the only thing I knew.

Our tendency to multitask is not the problem, our addiction to entertainment may be. Unfortunately it has become the norm. Distraction has begun to trump purpose. But I don't believe it's hopeless. Like many practical things in life, I believe this mentality has more to do with bad theology than anything else.

The Evangelical church has always put a heavy emphasis on salvation (as well we should!) but unfortunately we are often lacking on the matter of steadfast growth in our faith. Many sermons tend to either bring conviction of sin or suggest behavioral guidelines for life, whether they be the "do's and don'ts of the faith" or the "6 ways to be an awesomer Christian". The journey towards Christlikeness is a difficult but worthwhile trip. The problem is that while it is important, it isn't always urgent. There is no threat of hell if one does not grow towards Christ - our eternal salvation was purchased on the cross - but there is a lot to be lost. It's amazing what becomes normal in our spiritual lives. We're too busy to crack the Word, we avoid spiritual conversation and the topics around the dinner table are more likely to revolve around the Walking Dead than how Christ showed up in a divine appointment.

Constant connectivity isn't a bad thing, and even if it was it's not going anywhere. The problem is that when it comes right down to it, if our faith isn't taking priority over finding distraction then our faith just isn't vibrant and growing. Will the most exciting thing that happens to you today occur in a digital realm or through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in your life?

Transitions

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Tue, 10 Jun 2014 14:51:00 +0000

This year we celebrated 17 seniors from Shawnee Alliance Church graduating and entering into the world. They will have one last summer to have fun with old friends, have some awesome experiences and maybe even work a little and save up for college. Along with graduation comes a huge transitions.

Soon, however, familiar friends and settings will give way to college campus or a career with multiple generations represented in the work place. It is during these transitions that up to 70% of young people walk away from their faith. The good news is that many return later in life. The bad news is, that much of this can be avoided by focusing on creating a faith that will stick with our children and students beyond their high school years.

Fuller Youth Institute is a group that focuses primarily on understanding the millennial generation and finding effective ways to lead them towards maturing into Christ-centered adults. A few years ago they released a video about a few things a young person should know when leaving youth group. The video is about two minutes and worth a watch http://fulleryouthinstitute.org/articles/what-you-need-to-know-about-life-after-youth-group.

For any parents, not just those of graduating seniors, having a faith that survives and thrives beyond high school is a challenging task. Here are a few areas that, if we focus on them, may help in the long run:

· Focus on who God is and who he’s calling us to be
Rote Scripture memorization is meaningful and has a place, but raising a generation with immediate access to the most expansive database in human history means that we need to change our methodology. Any student who desires to know what Jesus has to say about a subject can find what a dozen scholars say about the subject along with two dozen supporting Scriptures faster than we can dial a number and make a phone call. When they go to make a decision, their love of Jesus and the narrative of who God is will trump rote memorization every time.

· Allow them to ask anything

I once heard a Sunday School teacher tell a student it is a sin to question God. I inquired whether she meant to question God’s authority or to ask a question. She replied, “Both!” Job constantly asks questions of God and is found blameless. On the other hand, Peter directs us to “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” (1 Peter 3:15b)

· Make church a priority

We’ll talk about this more next week, but I want to pose a hypothetical question: If church (and fellowship) take a back seat to sports, academics, leisure, fatigue and extra-circulars now, why in the world will it become important enough after graduation? Your child, when starting a new career or working two jobs while attending college, will be busier and have more demands on their time. Why should they value Christ-centered community? Going to church isn’t the same as having a relationship with God, but we see empirically that those who experience the fellowship of believers have a more resilient faith and a place to turn in times of trouble.

So I guess what it comes down to is that for times of transition to go well we have to have prepared for them. We have anticipated the challenge and rather than react to it when the time comes we have planned for it. These times of transition can be difficult, but let’s remember the words of James on the subject; “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” – James 1:2-4

Why Eschatology Matters

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Tue, 03 Jun 2014 17:49:00 +0000

This past Sunday we did the unthinkable: In our youth service we discussed eschatology. The topic was requested by our Worship Team, and especially by one of our seniors. I knew I would barely scratch the surface in one message, but as I reached the halfway point in my notes I saw I had already exceeded my time limit. We'd barely talked about any of the issues of eschatology. The one point, the only point that we'd gotten through was the most basic one that can be made; eschatology matters.

While I berated myself for my gross overestimation of my ability to communicate, even in an introductory fashion, a few basic tenants of the end times I have to admit that we heard the most important point. We often see our pastors duty as a teacher of the Word, but more importantly we are teachers of how to study the word. Encouraging our students to seek after Christ by the study of eschatology is an unusual, but meaningful step towards creating a generation who seeks to engage God's word, not simply have it recited to them.

Allow me to share a joke I've often heard from those who play lose with the definition of humor. Some are premillennial. Some are postmillennial. Me? I'm panmillennial - I know it will all pan out in the end. While the point of the joke isn't anti-intellectualism, it's important for us to recognize that the way this all ends really matter to us. It is worth taking time to tackle and to understand. It alters who we are in Christ, it reflects different (and important!) aspects of who God is, and it reveals critical aspects of God's relationship with creation. When we pray "Thy Kingdom come" are we simply following a formulaic pattern by rote memorization or are we petitioning God to establish His perfect kingdom, with Christ ruling as head, over all the earth to the extent that as God's will is done in heaven it would be done here on a restored earth?

I am not arguing that man will create a utopia to which we'll invite Christ to be a part of. I'm arguing that God's process of restoring his creation involves us. Every life that is transformed by the power of Christ's love is one infinitesimal yet crucial step towards "Thy Kingdom come". Why does eschatology matter? It tells us more about who God is, it shows us who we are to be in light of who God is and it necessitates urgency. If there is one unforgivable side effect of the modern eschatological coma, it is that we have lost our sense of urgency. I wonder if when Jesus instructed his disciples to pray "Thy Kingdom come" there was an addendum, lost to us in the texts, that said "But a long time from now".

Additional Reading.

Missed Opportunities

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Sun, 09 Feb 2014 14:11:00 +0000

I think driving to church today is a good analogy of our Spiritual condition. We have legitimate reasons to stay home. We're incredibly tired, it's warm by the fireplace, the roads are dangerous and we have a lot that we could get done with a few more hours spent at home instead of in worship. We have to weigh that with the possibility (or in some churches the likelihood) that by staying home we'll miss what God is doing. If God's moving, that's where I want to be no matter how cold it is getting there.

Each day I try to ask, "will God do something amazing today and if he will, where else would I rather be". Last Friday as I dug a lady out of a ditch she kept apologizing for "Making me late" (I was dressed work casual so she may have assumed I was going to/from a meeting). I simply replied "There is no where else I'd rather be". She was a bit puzzled, but I explained, "You're on a pretty desolate stretch of road, and the few cars that have gone by didn't stop. I'd hate to think you'd have been stuck out here for hours waiting on a tow. What could I be doing right now that's more important than helping a neighbor?".

As much as I would have been warm and cozy, had I not chosen to be uncomfortable I would have missed an opportunity to share Jesus in word and deed. I don't know when God started working on me in this way but I think I like it.

Broken Pipes

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Wed, 08 Jan 2014 15:31:00 +0000

Nearly two years ago I posted about a plumbing problem (see below). My main line had clogged and it took quite a bit to get it flowing. Today, we see a totally different situation - burst pipes.

Burst pipes are an unfortunate part of life. They can ruin ceilings, basements and everything in between. Often when things like these happen we feel as if God Himself has at best punished us if not abandoned us. This is because it's never just a burst pipe, it is the failing marriage, the discipline problems with the kids, the fear of aging parent, the looming failure at work and all of our other insecurities and problems that play into it. A broken pipe is a very heavy straw that breaks the camels back.

In weather like this the car doesn't start, the furnace won't work and the pipes burst. Most of us take these as opportunities to dwell on just how bad it gets. Yet any time we have these types of problems it can serve as a reminder that we had the car, heat and running water to begin with. In reality, all of our problems don't amount to a hill of beans when compared to Job. but I think his words can serve as an inspiration. After receiving word that not only all of his possessions were lost but his family had all died (except for his wife who later suggests that Job "curse God and die...") Job tore his robe and worshiped God saying, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised."

In the midst of all our frustrations may we remember that we came into this world with nothing and all that we've been given (even when it doesn't start or bursts and ruins some carpet) has been a gift from the Lord.

Original Post:

Stopped up Hearts

Saturday and Sunday were two very "Crappy" days in the Browning home. Somehow my main sewer line got clogged up. Now, we've all had to plunge toilets, maybe put some Drano (yes, I spelled that right) down the sink but that isn't a main line clog. It's inconvenient to not have your sink water drain, but when sewage is coming up from your bathtub it's a whole new ballgame!

I immediately went to work trying to find a "Clean-out". A clean-out is a junction in the piping which allows you to put a plumbing snake directly into your main line and clean out the crud. If my house has one, I can't find it! It isn't under the sink, behind the dishwasher, near any of my indoor plumbing, and if it's outside it's under at least a foot of frozen clay! So, what did my friend Dan and I have to do?

Generally, if you want to fix a plumbing problem you look down, not up. We, however, counter-intuitively went to the roof, stretching our 100-foot plumbing snake up the roof, down into the exhaust pipe, and into my new home. Dan scaled the ladder and I operated the snake from the bottom, until about 80 feet of metal cable later my drains were finally working, and once again we could use water!

I have to admit that at one point in my life my heart was clogged up much worse than my backed up lines. It was, however, clogged up with the same substance - pure sewage. My inability to love or to open myself to God or others made me a stinking mess. Relationships existed only for my own benefit, and I was a user. Anyone who tried to pour themselves into quickly found themselves wading in pools of the most vile smelling "Crap" I've ever seen.

God augered my heart. He came into my life and removed the garbage. Now his holy spirit moves freely through me. Even though it took us about 8 hours and a lot of hard work on Sunday to clear out the clogs I believe it was a lot easier than the work God had to do. The difference? For years, I willfully resisted His prompting something that the backed up sewage wasn't about to do to us.

God cannot force his way into our lives. That is why it's best to make sure we've put a "Clean-out" into our spiritual plumbing. Give God a way in, and he'll make it happen.

I suppose that my purpose in ministry isn't much different than my purpose was last Sunday. Everyone has garbage, junk, and "Crap" that is clogging their relationship with God. What would the church look like if each believer acknowledged the spiritual backup we all have struggled with, and then do everything in their power to allow God to push past that? I suppose it would be a taste of Heaven on earth.

That Whole Duck Dynasty Thing

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Thu, 26 Dec 2013 21:00:00 +0000

A photo of John Godwin (Duck Dynasty) and
Rhett Walker (The Rhett Walker Band) from
the Rhettneck Christmas Extravaganza at
Shawnee Alliance Church, December 2013.

In all honesty I felt no compulsion to discuss the whole Duck Dynasty mess. Then I started seeing the reaction. There have been a few times in my life that while I'm not interested in the actual event the reactions from media, the public and regular Joe on the internet start getting me irritated. So, in the hopes of furthering the conversation (rather than stopping it as most seem interested in) I offer a few suggestions to consider.

Freedom of speech isn't under attack. There will be no attempt by our government to censor or punish Phil. However, A&E has the right to terminate an employee. It may be a stupid or cowardly decision, but it is not a violation of the first amendment.

Arguing that we shouldn't care because people are dying in Sudan is not only a logical fallacy, it's stupid. I can care about both. I don't have a bucket of care, and once I've used too much the bucket is empty. I have an infinite amount of care to be distributed at my leisure.

No Christian (well, very few of them at least) are arguing whether or not homosexuals should inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. We're distressed that if we say we disagree with a socially acceptable behavior we may lose our jobs.

I have never seen Duck Dynasty. Until two days ago, I would not have recognized any of them. Since I met Godwin, I can now pick him out of a crowd (probably). Nevertheless, I am confident I know exactly where they stand on gay marriage, abortion, prayer in school and a slew of other issues. Speaking out about these beliefs should encourage conversation, not end it.

Dear Christian friend,
Please think long and hard before you say "love the sinner, hate the sin". This is a foreign concept to most people. Biblical unconditional love is loving somebody despite the sin in their lives. Cultural unconditional love is loving the whole package; person, sins, lifestyle included. And remember, Biblical love isn't saying "God loves you" and being gracious enough to let someone in the doors of your church. Biblical love is inviting them to an honored seat at the family table, entering into their lives and loving them with action and deed above words.

Dear homosexual friends,
I want you to know I really love you. My beliefs are not crafted by any inward sense of morality, but on my best interpretation of the Scriptures. I admit some of those interpretations may be wrong, but I'm confident God desires us to avoid sin. I'm not specifically referencing your feelings towards someone, I'm referencing any departure from God's will. You are more than what gender you love, you were created uniquely in God's image. I pray that both of us root out the sin in our lives, regardless of what it may be. Our friendship means so much to me, that I'm willing to maintain it even if you disagree with my faith, something that is central to who I am and all that I do. I cannot imagine my life without my faith. I can't turn it off, and I can't just switch. My faith dictates my beliefs and my actions, and I hope you recognize I must be me before I can promise to never offend you. That being said, I promise that if you ever offend me I will maintain our friendship through it all, and hope you'll extend the same grace to me. I'll stand beside you in life, I'll stand in front of the stones being cast as best I can and while I do not understand your feelings I will listen to you and sincerely care.

Creating Happy Holidays

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Tue, 17 Dec 2013 19:25:00 +0000

Shawnee Alliance Church donates over a ton of food to a local
Cridersville food bank.

Admittedly, I am a "Scrooge" when it comes to Christmas. It's too busy, too bloated and I neither need anything nor know what to give to others. I had to go to the mall twice this Christmas, and I'm a little dead inside because of the experience. I recognize, however, that Christmas is a great time to visit family, enjoy time off and re-purpose ourselves and our families towards Christ.

I think this is why I prefer the term "Holidays" to "Christmas". I know I'm intentionally opening up a can of worms, but follow me on this one. Christmas comes out of the "Christ Mass," the religious ceremony performed on December 25th to honor our Savior. Many churches don't even hold a Christ Mass anymore, but even if they did it would be a one hour event on one day. It is exclusively for those who choose to participate in the celebration. It is short, has a lot of music, and a (hopefully) short homily.

Holidays is the collective season designated as "Holy Days". It suggests that regardless of whether or not we participate in them there is something intrinsically holy about the season. It's a time in our lives where we need to remove our shoes because we are simply in a holy place. Maybe this is all just a mental exercise to help me cope with people preparing for the "Christmas season" before we've celebrate reformation day! Perhaps it's part of my desire to see more of our lives lived as a collection of holy days.

One of the greatest blessings of being on staff at Shawnee Alliance Church is that we make it a point to create holy days in peoples lives this time of year. I have no emotional attachment to Christmas, but I will always fondly remember giving food and shoes to those who need it. I'll remember delivering groceries to families who didn't even know they were coming. I'll remember holding a Christmas service for those who had lost a loved on in the past year.

I'll never get up in arms about whether or not you say "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays" to me. In a world full of hurting people I just don't have the emotional space to devote to such things. I will, however, beg you to create time to make these days holy. Presents under the tree, as appreciated as they may be, won't make these days holy. Joining together to serve others and show them Christ will make these days holy.

The Eager

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Mon, 12 Aug 2013 21:00:00 +0000

"Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men. But when the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, some of them went there too, agitating the crowd and stirring them up." - Acts 17:11-13

While Paul's time with the Thessalonians was somewhat troubled, when he came to Berea he was welcomed with open arms. What I love more than anything about this group is how they constantly searched the Scriptures to see if Paul's teachings were true. It's rare to see open mindedness coupled with academic prudence.

The result was both Jews and gentiles began to follow Christ. Paul's teaching was so powerful it began to transform an entire community. However, those pesky Thessalonians wouldn't stand by and let God move if he wasn't going to move on their terms. Instead of standing idly by, they took a westborian field trip to protest God.

It's not uncommon for someone to eagerly enter into the faith, but when the Thessalonian rabble-rousers show up there is little desire to persevere. Perhaps it is because we tend to rely on the emotional mountaintops of our faith rather than our deeply rooted understanding of Christ in relationship. I've also noticed it isn't primarily those outside of a belief system who tend to militantly attack what God is doing in our lives. An agnostic will simply say, "Good for you!". An atheist may blame it on "an undigested bit of beef, a blot of mustard, a crumb of cheese, (or) a fragment of underdone potato". The one who is intentionally stagnant in their faith is the one who is most troubled when God moves without their permission.

My prayer for us is that we have an eagerness to expand our faith. May we emulate the Bereans, even when faced with those who would rather see God remain stagnant and uninvolved than be challenged in their own faith. In any relationship we should eagerly anticipate God's moving, and as the Bereans, relate it all back to His word.

On Earbuds and Never Being Alone

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Wed, 08 May 2013 16:00:00 +0000

A lot of my church family have taken the time to ask how my transition has gone. Well, the short story is that it's been amazing. I'm incredibly blessed to work here and I appreciate the love and support I've received in my new position. Young lives are being transformed and I'm blessed to be a part of it.

There is one thing that has been pretty difficult though; I'm not alone. For the last few years of my ministry I've worked alone. Whether it was in my office at the church or my home office I was the only one there. If I heard a voice, it was always talking to me whether it be a parishioner who wandered in or the AT&T repairman.

Here at Shawnee Alliance there are a lot of voices. They are all friendly and loving, but they aren't always talking to me. This has been a big adjustment! For the first couple weeks I tried to ignore the voices but I just couldn't. If there is a voice, and it's in the church, it MUST be talking to me! Pretty soon I was having a hard time getting work done. So what was my solution?

Earbuds! I bought a pair of "Bling" earbuds for me to crank my music through. I intentionally created a setting where I feel alone. Of course, as I write this out I'm forced to realize it's all just an illusion. I'm not alone, the voices haven't stopped, and they won't be any time soon. I'm just learning to ignore them.

This really made me stop and think about my relationship with God. If you're in an office setting you may have become so used to the voices around you that you just tune them out. Have we done this to the Holy Spirit speaking to us? Have we tried to find ways to ignore the Holy Spirit speaking in our lives, preferring our earbuds to real communication? Or maybe we're not at a point where we hear the Holy Spirit speaking; we are alone and there is simply no one to talk to.

Well, I'll be keeping my earbuds in at work, but I'm continuously learning to take time to listen to the Holy Spirit talking in my life. Life is good. I get to contemplate who God is while listening to "In My Life" and knowing that I'm not alone.

The Resistant

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 12:03:00 +0000

"As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. 'This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,' he said."
- Acts 17:2-3 NIV

Paul shared the Gospel in a totally different context than most of us do. In the synagogue, Paul's challenge was to put the Scriptures into context, explaining the Jesus was the fulfillment of the readily accepted prophesy of a Messiah. In our time and place in history we rarely share our faith with lay-scholars of Old Testament law. However, throughout Acts 17, we see three interesting reactions to Paul's sharing of the Gospel that we often see today.

After sharing in the synagogue of Thessalonica some were persuaded, but most were considerably more resistant. After a lifetime of imagining the Messiah more like a mighty warrior who would first lead the Jews as their General against the Romans and then as their king there was a fair bit of skepticism regarding Paul's message. I can just see a few of the Jews in the synagogue tilting their head and saying, "So you're telling me this Jesus guy was executed as a prisoner and rose from the dead... and is supposed to be my Messiah?"

Not only were they a bit skeptical, they were quite a bit angry since they assembled a mob and started a riot in the hopes of killing Paul. I've preached a poor sermon or two, and I've had a few divine appointments end rather awkwardly, but I am proud to say I'm yet to have the "Torch and Pitchfork" crew come after me. Some people just don't respond, no matter how well or sound our reasoning is.

But the victory was found in verse 4 "Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women." I imagine that a large part of Paul was disappointed. He had gone to win the rational, well educated Jewish men and instead found the Gospel accepted more by the Greeks and some women. In Paul's culture he had won over the less desirable crowd, while his target audience had assembled a mob. They even arrested the man housing Paul. Yet God found a way to bring victory.

I'm glad we have plans for how our ministries (whether vocational or lay) will succeed and flourish. I'm glad we make vision statements, mission statement and goals to accomplish as much as we can for the Kingdom. I also hope we understand that God will gladly use all our planning and good intentions for His glory and not ours. I don't think things went as planned for Paul in Thessalonica, yet God's will was done. Some will always be resistant and skeptical as we pursue their citizenship in the Kingdom of God, but God's will can still be done as long as we're faithful. That takeaway from this is simple; as we are obedient to God's will for our lives, especially as we make disciples, He will surely work through us even if the results are not as we expected.

Next, we'll look at a very different reaction in Berea. What kind of unique reactions have you experienced while sharing Jesus?

In Times of Tragedy

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 12:11:00 +0000

As I sat down in my office today I realized something. The young people I'm ministering to were 6 years old or younger on September 11th, 2001. Most of them have not dealt with death personally yet and few will have felt connected with such a tragedy as we experienced yesterday.

Many of us are struggling with God following such an evil act, but there are very few of us who are struggling for the fist time. What can be said to someone who is seeing such evil to reassure them that God is still present?

To pretend we have a one size fits all answer would be insulting. We do not fully comprehend the complexities of a loving God in a hateful world, nor will we ever understand God in a fully quantifiable way. The beauty of the Gospel is that we don't have to. Our faith - forged in relationship and matured in times of trial - does not promise us an intellectual understanding that we so often crave. Instead, it promises Christ's presence. It promises us His love. It doesn't mean we'll be safe, nor does it mean life will be easy. It is a promise of hope in both this life and the next. I can give you a theological treatise but the most reassuring thing I can say is that the Jesus who guided me through times of doubt, death, broken relationships, meaninglessness and hopelessness is the same Jesus who is desiring to have a presence in all our lives, guiding us through times of trial and hardship. I can't measure it, I can only relay my experience of my savior to you.

So how do we convey that God is still real and that he still loves to young people who are asking fair but tough questions? We start with our own presence. If we preach a God who is always there and stay at arms length from people who need Christ we are not only being hypocritical we are demonstrating we have no comprehension of what true Christlikeness looks like. We are called to share in pain, in confusion and journey with them as they ask tough questions.

Answers are found through seeking God in community. We are all going to struggle with doubt, tough questions and the problem of evil in the world; it makes sense to do so together. The answer isn't doctrine, it's Christ. Let's seek Christ first, and allow Him to guide us to answers.

Generational Worship

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 12:27:00 +0000

I love stories. While I've been commuting to my new job I've been close to where I grew up. Some nights, wary of making the long drive without sufficient caffeination, I stop over at my Grandma's house to stay the night. For eight of the last nine years I've lived too far away to make visits a regular part of my schedule and the other year proved too busy for adequate family time.

The other night as we ate dinner together she started sharing stories. Fun stories, sad stories and some that were more of a recitation of history than anything else. There was much I had never known, and if I'd made the decision to drive home that night I quite possibly never would have known. After all, how in the world could I have known my family's story if they were never passed on?

Psalm 145 not only exalts God, but celebrates how His story is passed on through generations. David ties in not only his understanding but his ability to worship God into what the previous generations have passed on to him.

"They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty - and I will meditate on your wonderful works. They tell of the power of your awesome works - and I will proclaim your great deeds." - vs. 5-6. How could David mediate on God's movement throughout the history of his people had no one shared it? Even more, knowing God's great works throughout the ages inspires David to proclaim God's deeds. How would he know what to proclaim if he didn't have a better understanding of God as He expressed Himself through human history?

We had better be investing in young people. It's like paying your school tax after your kids are out of school - true, your kids aren't benefiting anymore, but your future surgeon probably is. Our legacy doesn't come from our personal achievements. Our legacy lives through those who God has touched through our obedience to Him and His plan.

And together we celebrate God's goodness and joyfully sing of His righteousness.

Who in your life has passed on God's story? Who has worshiped with you? How did it impact you?

Bring Me With You, Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 14:43:00 +0000

I recently read an amazing article about why seminaries shouldn't exist. Even more, I found it within a blog post regarding an Alliance church which began a free seminary. In case you don't have time to digest it all, basically the idea is that seminaries are set up in an academic fashion, yet are responsible for training practitioners. The result seems to be an institution which can do neither.

Before there were seminaries a promising your person who felt the call to ministry would be discipled, equipped, ordained and released into ministry by their home church with some assistance from their denomination. The need for academic knowledge was obvious, and so the church did what the church does; we overbalanced. Seminaries were created to infuse academic knowledge into these practitioners and the result was that we took students out of hands on ministry and entrusted scholars with little or no practical experience (and seemingly never any successful practical experience) to prepare them for church ministry. Now many pastors can read Greek and Hebrew yet have no idea how to lead someone to Christ through personal evangelism or through systematic programming.

The traditional training for a minister is a Bachelors in religion, philosophy or history coupled with a Master of Divinity. Full disclosure; I only have a Master of Ministry degree. Also, I sincerely believe that I attended an institution which was far above average, especially because it had pastors teaching pastoral ministry classes. Originally I had planned to continue on to the M. Div, but after realizing that the majority of the classes are essentially repeating what I already learned I decided against it. The other game changer? My internship.

For fourteen months I conducted every form of ministry known to man while being mentored by two pastors at Shawnee Alliance Church. I worked with children, youth, adults and seniors. I worked within programs and created new ones. I taught, preached and ministered as a regular staff person. The knowledge I had gained during the previous four years of education became relevant within the context of professional ministry. Some classes proved more useful than others, and ironically most of what I was studying at the graduate level were less applicable than classes I took in my undergraduate.

Education is still valuable, and I plan on starting a Doctoral before to long. It will probably be in organizational leadership, so I'll be auditing additional language classes as well. I think the future for education has to focus on equipping and not on obtaining a certain title or number of credit hours. It's frustrating that many of my former classmates can tell you what type of fruit Augustine stole as a child yet only preached two sermons their entire four years of undergraduate training.

In the next few weeks, I'll be developing this idea into what lifelong learning within the church looks like. We need a new model of preparation, and while getting rid of seminaries isn't the answer we have to admit that we've failed our congregations and God's people when it comes to training future generations.

Am I being to hard? If you had graduate level training did it make a significant difference in your professional development? What could M. Div programs learn from M. BA programs?

Bringing it All Together

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 20:00:00 +0000

Vision, mission, goals and action steps. In my systematic mind, these things all come together to help give us purpose, focus ourselves and accomplish great things. In my life these haven't been optional; these have been necessities for any noteworthy degree of success.

Our vision is who we want to be, our mission is what we do well, our goals are the specific and measurable tasks we want to complete and our action steps are what we do to get there.

I'm severely nearsighted. I can barely walk, let alone drive, without my contacts. My backup is a pair of glasses from fourth grade, but my correction has changed so much since then that they are barely worth using. Because of this, I have to admit, I don't take my contacts out every night. Sometimes, I'm up late working or Liz and I want to watch a bit of TV and by the time I'm ready to go to sleep I'm too tired to get the contacts out. My eyesight is getting so bad it's difficult for me to even read anymore.

Without my ability to see long distances I am worthless. I can barely travel, I can't work and I can barely even read. Simply put, if I don't have a long view I can work hard, try my best and still be worthless. In the same way, in my life, I need to keep my vision constantly in mind.

My vision for my life is to "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey all Christ has commanded me."

Our mission should reflect what we do well every day. It defines our purpose and creates an accurate self-image. Without a mission, we may have grand ambitions but we're not sure of our role in it. The mission helps us to remember who we are and what we do well, and helps us to stick to it. It frees us to allow others with complimentary gifts to exercise their abilities in conjunction with ours to accomplish our vision. By sticking to my mission, I hope to see the vision accomplished.

My mission in life is "To equip believers to do ministry, making Christ-like disciples who desire to impact their world and see lives transformed."

Our goals are measurable statements about what we have done and what we plan to accomplish. Accomplishing these goals generally help us to live up to our mission and keep it central in our lives. It allows us to measure our effectiveness and redistribute our time and resources so that we can get done everything we and God desire to see done. Action steps explain how we will accomplish these goals.

Some of my goals are to:

Accomplish every task I have due before its due date
Read at least one book a month for my personal development

Ultimately, we bring it all together to create a plan to accomplish something meaningful in life. They are intimately intertwined to bring about success. While not all of us are wired to think things out systematically, I sincerely believe having a clear vision and a clearly laid out plan to accomplish it allows us to get a lot more done in a lot less time.

How much do you concentrate on the steps? The vision? Do you tend to focus on the action steps or the grand vision?

Sermon: Journey of Forgiveness

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 20:00:00 +0000

Fellowship Alliance Chapel begins the series, "Journey of Forgiveness" with a look at what we're to do when we're offended and Pastor Kris shares a time when he personally was about to lose it!