Before I go on a mini-blogging break for the holidays, I wanted to let our Elevation friends and family know the good news:
Over 6000 people showed up for our Christmas Eve worship experiences, and over 400 people indicated that they received Christ.
Glory to God in the highest!
Thanks for a phenomenal year Elevation. The best is yet to come. Merry Christmas
Very proud of our Creative Department for putting together this video.
Check it out on Wes’ blog.
Countless children were doubtlessly scarred by this video in our services Sunday.
Join me in praying that many people will receive Christ tonight in our Christmas Eve services.
If you were fortunate enough to score a ticket, or you’re planning on breaking in the back door (not a bad idea), I’ll see you there.
Gonna be the best Christmas ever…
I get so frustrated with the older brother in the story of the prodigal son.
Here he is, pitching a temper tantrum because of something his father never gave him (a goat, for crying out loud).
We can learn a valuable lesson at the expense his ignorance:
Your Father can’t give you what’s already yours!
This brother had access to as many fat cows as his little heart desired.
They were his for the taking. So what was he waiting for?
Many times we pray for God to give us things that we already possess.
We ask God to give us joy. Joy doesn’t come from out-there-somewhere.
It’s a fruit of the Spirit-and it’s already ours-.waiting to be activated.
I’ve begged God before to give me peace about certain situations. When He doesn’t rain down peace, I become irritated and impatient.
But He’s already given me peace through Jesus-a peace that passes understanding.
He’s waiting for me to walk in what He’s already provided.
Don’t wait for God to give you victory when He’s already won the battle.
Don’t wait for God to give you hope when He’s already poured out His hope in abundance into your heart through the Holy Spirit.
Stop waiting for God to give you what’s already yours.
Got plans for Christmas Eve? We do too, and we think you should join us. An Uptown Christmas is going to be unlike any Elevation experience you’ve had. We wish we could explain it, but this one you’ll just have to experience for yourself. It’s a (free) ticketed event and they are selling out faster than you can imagine. Email us at tickets@elevationchurch.org. We’ll do our best to accommodate everyone for this event. It’s going to be a Christmas you’ll not soon forget!
When people visit the doctor, they expect a direct and accurate diagnosis.
If the physician doesn’t identify the disease and recommend drastic enough measures, it’s called malpractice.
But when people come to church, and the preacher diagnoses sin, recommending the radical remedy called repentance, people are offended.
They call it intolerant, narrow-minded, and judgmental.
I don’t want to stand before God one day guilty of spiritual malpractice.
I want to diagnosis sin as sin, no matter who doesn’t want to hear it.
I must command people to repent, in the name of Jesus, for their own good, and for the glory of God.
If you’re sleeping with someone that you’re not married to, you’ve got a disease.
The only remedy is repentance. I won’t excuse you because you “really love them”. Real love does what’s right-not what feels right.
If you’re not putting God first in your finances, you’re robbing God. You need to know that. It’s like a tumor that we’ve got to remove-immediately.
If you are full of bitterness, I can’t justify and excuse your lethal heart condition by blaming it on your past. We’ve got to cut you open and operate-right away.
Otherwise, I’m no Gospel preacher.
I’m just a quack.
(Just want to get this out of the way: this post is not about any particular person. Please don’t read any individual criticism into it. Thanks.)
My generation of pastors is full of rule breakers. We don’t dress the part. We speak out of turn. We pride ourselves in making burgers out of sacred cows.
That’s okay. John the Baptist fit all of these descriptions. So did Jesus, actually.
But I’m afraid some of us are missing a key point:
You’ve got to know the rules before you can break ‘em.
If we’re going to discard a time-honored methodology, it can’t be because we’re too lazy or ADD to continue it. It must be because we’ve found a better, more Biblical way.
If we’re going to use strong language in our sermons, it can’t be because we’re covering up a lack of content with shock value statements. It must be because God has burned a prophetic sentiment in our hearts and we’re compelled to express it in an unconventional way.
If we’re going to teach topically rather than verse-by-verse, book-by-book, it should be born out of our sincere belief that this is the most effective and appropriate way to preach God’s Word, not just because we fear that book-by-by teaching is boring, or dread the hard work of digging into the text.
Can I tell you a secret? I completed my M.Div. recently. I didn’t enjoy it. I don’t know if I would do it if I had it to do over again. And I do not recommend every aspiring pastor follow suit.
But it sure is nice to know the rules before you break them.
Let’s don’t masquerade our ignorance with hype.
Let’s don’t substitute heat for light.
Let’s know what rules we’re breaking-so we can break ‘em on purpose-and break ‘em right down the middle.
One of my mentors was trying to teach me recently about something he learned playing basketball in college:
Let the game come to you.
Sometimes we get so determined to make something happen in our lives and ministries that we take dumb shots. We blow our assignments.
We mistake frantic activity for fruitful accomplishment.
If we truly believe that God is sovereign, we don’t need to make anything happen. God makes things happen. It’s not that we become passive-blaming our inaction on God’s timing-or saying we’re being patient when we’re actually being timid.
Instead, think of it as responding to God’s initiative rather than trying to get Him to respond to yours.
If God called you to start a speaking ministry, go for it! Take every opportunity that comes your way. It’s okay for you to let others know what God has put in your heart to do. Just don’t become the obnoxious “hey-here’s-my-business-card-if-you-ever-need-a-speaker-I’m-great-when-do-you-want-to-have-me” guy.
If you’re in a dating relationship, be forward and plain stated about your intentions. Don’t waste valuable time playing games. Just don’t be a stalker.
If your church or business isn’t growing, by all means: round up the decision makers, lock the doors, and launch into an emergency “we’ve got to change or else” plan of attack. Just don’t hack the hottest methodology in a mad scramble and apply it to your context in a last ditch gamble for success.
Respond-don’t react.
Prioritize-don’t panic.
Let the game come to you.
What level of detail should I be involved in as a leader?
That answer changes constantly to reflect the size and scope of our ministry.
It’s also very dependent on the gift mix of the leader and his team.
But I know this-it’s very dangerous when a leader boasts:
I don’t care about the details.
Translate:
I’ve graduated beyond caring-.period.
There’s a difference between not micromanaging the details and not worrying about the details.
I plan to always be involved in the details of Elevation Church.
I just won’t be dealing with them the same way I did last year, or the year before that.
Hopefully, I’ll be working on problems at the systemic level, not the symptomatic level.
And I’ll be empowering others to make the decisions alongside me, so I don’t have to uphold the standard all by myself going into the future.
Never stop “doing the details.”
Just change the way you do them.
Isaiah 54:17
“No weapon forged against you will prevail,
and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.
This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD,
and this is their vindication from me,”
declares the LORD.
This verse promises that no weapon formed against the child of God will prosper.
But that doesn’t mean the weapon won’t be formed against you.
In fact, it almost certifies that it will.
Every accusation leveled at God’s servants will be refuted in the end.
But that won’t stop accusations from coming.
It assumes that they will.
God is our healer-but that doesn’t mean you’ll never battle sickness.
God is our comfort-but that doesn’t mean you’ll never contend with loneliness.
God is our provider-.but that doesn’t exempt you from trials or tribulation.
David said the Lord was a shield (Psalm 3:3) for him.
And you don’t need a shield unless you’re under attack.
The struggles you’re facing don’t disprove God’s promises.
They’re the very reason He made the promises to begin with.
If you think something good-
I heard Craig Groeschel issue a challenge in a sermon on marriage:
“If you think something good, say it.”
I shamelessly ripped it off and used it in my recent marriage series at Elevation.
It’s a phenomenal principle for marriage, and now I’m trying to see just how far I can take it in every other relationship in my life.
I’m challenging my staff to relate to one another this way:
“If you think something encouraging-say it!”
We withhold encouragement from those we care about for lots of (bad) reasons:
This works about as well as watering your lawn a couple times a year. Or paying your bills every other month, so the vendors will really appreciate your contribution.
If you think something good, say it!
You should bring your team to C3 at Fellowship Church in Dallas this year.
2 of the top 5 defining moments in our church leadership culture happened at this conference.
Ed Young has been a model of creativity for so many of us-God has used him to give me permission to be myself and to dream big dreams.
He’s a great man of God-inspirational from a distance, and even more impactful when you get to know him. The real deal.
The opportunity to speak at C3 this February is a dream come true for me.
I hope to see you there!
The next time you’re having a superfluous conversation with someone you really like and trust, try this:
Move deep on ‘em.
Here’s an example:
I was talking on the phone to my friend Bil recently, and we were having a pretty good conversation. I don’t know Bil super-well, but we’ve hung out and interacted enough that I know I like him. We also have a lot of mutual friends and I greatly respect his ministry.
At the end of the call, Bil asked how he could pray for me.
The easy answer: “Just pray that our Christmas Eve services will be great. We’re having 2 of them Uptown and then blah blah blah blah-.”
This response, while fine, doesn’t really take our friendship anywhere. I’m just rehashing stuff he could already read about me on my blog.
Honest answer: “Bil, you know how sometimes as a leader you feel a little disoriented and lonely? I feel a little that way lately. Pray for me about that.”
This opened the door for Bil to share something brief and encouraging that really lifted my perspective.
A few clarifications:
In spite of these landmines, when you time it right and do it well, moving deep quickly can accelerate great relationships and sift out mediocre ones.
It’s a lot better than: “Man, this weather sure is cold.”
Say something that matters.
Guest Blog: Lori Black, Assistant to Pastor Steven Furtick
It’s end of year staff evaluation time here at Elevation. As a staff, we all have mixed emotions about our evaluations. In fact, I think we’d describe it as a love/hate relationship.
And here’s why- we hate them because it challenges us to take a long, hard look into our work performance, our ability to meet goals and deadlines, our personal character and our walk with God. It’s a grueling process that forces us to get really truthful with ourselves. And I’ll be honest; I’d really prefer not to dig in to all of that because sometimes it isn’t pretty.
But, we love staff evaluations because Pastor Steven is intensely committed to seeing us reach our full potential. We know at the end of the process we’ll be encouraged, motivated and directed on how to take our areas of ministry to the next level and the action steps needed to develop our disciplines and character.
I can’t tell you how valuable it’s been in my personal development. Pastor Steven establishes clear, consistent goals and expectations and that enables me to operate with clarity and confidence. I really believe the intensity of our staff evaluation process is a huge part of the continued improvement of our staff as well as unity. When Pastor invests so much thought, prayer and time into my personal growth, it makes me feel valued and I’m motivated to operate at a higher level. And since he places such a high priority on development, it creates a unified staff committed to helping each other reach their full potential.
So, bring it on. I’ll gladly endure the process and face some hard truths to allow God to take me to a new level in my ministry. And I’m thankful Pastor Steven has the vision to see my potential and call it out-it’s been life changing.
This is a true story. I’ve altered a few details to avoid maligning anyone.
Recently a man I greatly respect was telling me how much he didn’t like a certain local pastor. We’ll call the local pastor Pastor Dale. He felt that Pastor Dale was super-arrogant. Conceited and haughty.
“You can just tell he’s hiding something. I don’t trust him. There’s something fishy going on there. He’s sleeping with someone, stealing money-wait and see.”
I happen to know Pastor Dale pretty well. I respect him a lot, and have never seen him demonstrate anything but the utmost integrity. Granted, he is very bold and audacious, and I see how people could construe that as pride. I see it as faith and passion.
I tried to defend Pastor Dale, but it was no use. The man had made up his mind.
Pastor Dale was up to no good, headed for a moral failure-and that was that.
Next, he began to compare Pastor Dale to another local minister in the same town. This other guy (we’ll call him Dr. Ross) was a veritable Bible scholar. He had memorized massive portions of the New Testament-in Greek.
This man marveled at Dr. Ross’ knowledge and trusted His Scriptural insights immensely.
“The main thing that I like about Ross is, he’s a humble guy. Has real integrity. Loves his wife. Humble, humble, man. A good man. Not like Pastor Dale-”
A few months later, Dr. Ross left his wife. He took half their money and left the country to be with his mistress. He had been sleeping with someone else secretly for a long, long time. The last I heard, the situation wasn’t resolved, and the family was torn to shreds.
Meanwhile, Pastor Dale is still preaching God’s Word, still married, and hasn’t-to my knowledge-stolen from or wronged anyone.
We make a big mistake when we judge people by outward appearances. The guy who seems humble and trustworthy might be a time bomb masked by meekness.
The guy who seems like he’s strutting may be just that secure in his identity in Christ because He spends hours on his knees each week.
You never know.
It’s best to keep your mouth shut.
Let God be the judge.
I want to expand a little on a concept that I touched on recently.
I heard a 5 minute rant by Bishop T.D. Jakes recently about dealing with people who choose to exit your life.
His bottom line instruction:
If somebody can walk away from you, let them walk.
Our reflexive response is to chase after the people who leave our lives. I’ve seen pastors approach the verge of nervous break down attempting to convince disgruntled church members to stay.
This rarely works. If you do convince them to stay, chances are good their attitudes will begin to demolish the interior of your church.
Let them walk. There’s a better church for them. Let them bless another ministry.
I’ve seen girls give guys their hearts, their bodies, and irrevocable pieces of their souls trying to keep a guy who’s not even a keeper to begin with.
If he doesn’t see the goodness and the virtue in you, and you have to cross the line of sin to make him stay, let him walk.
Make room for someone better.
Granted, there are exceptions to this rule. When you’ve sinned against someone, it’s your Biblical responsibility to make it right. Even when someone has an issue with you, you are obligated to do everything you can to make it right.
But that doesn’t mean that you continue to pursue the relationship to your own detriment, or that you continue to extend unwarranted and unwise trust and access.
There are too many people waiting to be reached for a pastor to agonize over those who don’t want to stay.
You have too much going for you to expend energy trying to convince another person to love you, accept you, believe in you-
If someone can walk away from you, let them walk. Gracefully, with dignity.
Your destiny is never connected to those who leave.
Build on the foundation that remains.
David decisively defeated Goliath because he had faithfully fought against lions and bears.
He was confident about his current circumstance because of God’s past performance on his behalf.
His attitude was:
I’ve been here before-God did it last time, He’ll do it again.
I remember the first time I spoke to a crowd of over 1000 people. I was terrified. Like, nauseous terrified.
I got through it by realizing that the same God who spoke through me the first time I stood up in front of 10 people to preach the Word would speak through me in front of 1000.
I’ve been here before-
Holly and I recently increased our giving commitment to Elevation in a significant way for 2009. The numbers are a little intimidating. Gave me a funny feeling in my stomach.
But we’re moving forward. I realize that just like God provided for us when we were giving 10%, He’s going to pour out His provision (in even greater ways!) as we step up to give more, and more, and more.
I’ve been here before-
You’re facing a new challenge, a deeper sacrifice, an intimidating opportunity in your life or leadership today.
Will you accept it? Endure it? Embrace it?
You’ve been here before-