I’m going on a mini-blogging break this week to recharge and celebrate the holidays. But I didn’t want to leave you with nothing, so I’m giving you the top 10 most popular blog entries of 2010.

If you haven’t had a chance to read them, I hope they speak life into you and challenge you to become all that Christ has dreamed and created you to be. If you have read them, it could maybe even read them again. You’ll be surprised what fresh angles God can speak to you from. Or how He can reinforce what He has already taught you.

It’s always an honor to share my thoughts with you. Have a great end to 2010. The best is yet to come.

1. Cheering for failure
2. Staying out of trouble vs. Walking in your calling
3. The ultimate poster child for what could have been
4. Perfect for you
5. Some thoughts on Halloween
6. Grapes and giants
7. But people
8. 3 Things this generation demands
9. Living within the funk
10. One of the worst verses in the Bible

The other week I saw an interesting facet about the production of plays that I think applies beautifully to the all-important practice of casting vision.

Sometimes a new play or film needs outside investment to get off the ground. When this is the case, the creators and organizers of it make a small presentation of the play called a backers’ audition for a group of people who could fund it.

If they win support, the production goes forward. If not, it stalls or falls apart.

When it comes to casting the vision God has put in our hearts, every time we’re presenting it to people it’s like a backers’ audition. Every person you cast your vision to isn’t just a person you’re informing about what you’re doing. They’re people who could potentially back it. Be a part of it. Invest their lives into it. And therefore make it happen. Or make it stall or fall apart if they don’t get behind it.

And we’re not just talking about their money. But also their time. Their energy. Even their lives.

Are we approaching these opportunities with our best shot or are we just throwing it together and hoping it sticks?

In the early days of your vision, you can’t just hope that it sticks. Otherwise, it’s never going to get off the ground. The key differentiating factor between visions that become a reality and those that remain good ideas are backers.

Everyone has passion for their own vision. But it’s those who can instill it into other people who see it come to pass.
Everyone is willing to throw money at their own vision. But it’s those who can get others to do the same who eat past the first month.

What God has called you to do is too important to give a mediocre presentation of it. When you’re presenting and casting your vision, always put your best foot forward. You never know, these could be the people you spend the rest of your life with chasing the dream God has placed inside of you. Don’t let them walk away easily because of poor presentation.

Before you give your next backers’ audition, ask yourself these questions:

Is the presentation of your vision compelling?
Is it sticky?
Is the vision clear? Could they sum it up and give it back to you after you’re done?
Is your presentation of it so short that people can’t get the full picture of what you want to do? Or so long that they lose interest long before you’re done?
After hearing it, is it something people would want to sacrifice for just to be a part of it?

One of my staff recently received his piloting license. To celebrate, a few of us flew with him to one of my speaking engagements. Sort of like a road trip, but a few thousand feet in the air.

Before the trip, he told me something that reminded me of the meetings that make up a significant portion of a church’s week. Or really, the workweek of any person.

Prior to every takeoff, the command tower asks the question, “Who’s the PIC here?”

PIC stands for Pilot in Command. The PIC of an aircraft is the person who is ultimately responsible for its operation during flight. They get the plane off the ground. Keep it on course. And ultimately get it to where it needs to be.

Churches are historically known for being awful when it comes to efficiency and productivity in their meetings. We get off course by chasing tangents. Harp on problems rather than focusing on the solutions that will fix them. Or we just jump from issue to issue with no congruity or continuity.

The reason it’s this way is usually pretty simple: most of our meetings have no PIC.

No one is making sure the meeting is staying on course and accomplishing its intended purpose. No one is corralling the conversation and keeping it focused on a clear agenda. The result is wasted time and frustrated or bored people.

Some might think this isn’t a big deal because after all, it’s only a meeting. But the most impactful decisions and directions in the history of our church have been born or defined in meetings. And my guess is they have been in yours too.

Meetings are where vision is clarified. Where churches push through critical barriers. Where ideas are generated that could have the potential for reaching dozens, hundreds, or even thousands for Christ.

So we can’t afford to have them muddled because of a lack of leadership. There’s too much God-given potential in the room to let our time together be wasted by an absence of guided direction.

If you’re finding that your meetings have been getting stuck lately, the next time you have a one, ask this question: “Who’s the PIC that’s driving this thing?”

It’s a simple fix. But it will exponentially improve the effectiveness and efficiency of your meetings and take your team to a whole new level.

We’re now just one day from the release of Sun Stand Still. The number of available copies on Amazon is dwindling, so order one now if you haven’t already. If for some reason it sells out and you can’t stand to wait, you can always pick one up at your nearest bookstore.

A lot of people have been asking if we’re going to make an audio version of the book available.

We are. In fact we’ve already recorded it. And as a special gift to you, I’m going to give you a preview of it today. In this clip you’ll hear the essence of the message of audacious faith. Take a listen and spread the word.

Don’t forget that in honor of the release of the book, tomorrow I’ll be attempting to preach for 24 hours starting at noon EST at sunstandstill.org. If you have a busy afternoon, don’t worry. I’ll be there for another 19 hours after you get off work. Grab your Bible and join me any time you can.

Thank you all for being a part of this movement of God. Join with me in praying for tomorrow and let’s see what will happen when we dare to ask God for the impossible together.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Preorder your copy of Sun Stand Still
Access dozens of free Sun Stand Still resources