With a sly grin, my older friend put his hand on my shoulder and said, “It shows you are human.” We both laughed.

It was only forty-five minutes before that I really embarrassed myself on stage at church. I was doing the transition from the last worship song to the announcement video. I was talking about the greatness of God captured in the name “I Am.” I continued by sharing the contrast of God’s “bigness” and yet, he desires the intimacy of a relationship with you and I. It was actually a good little thirty-second teaching. As I went to invite the people to sit down I said, “He is a big God. Amen. At this time, I want everyone to…” I was just about ready to tell them to stand up to leave, like I had done all summer long. Not sure how I got that thought but I abruptly stopped in mid sentence and blurted out, “I almost just dismissed the service.” The place erupted with laughter and they graciously sat down as the lights dimmed.

You know you do something “noteworthy” when each person on the worship team (including my son and daughter in law) come up laughing and saying, “Nice job Pastor Chris (Dad).” In the darkness of the stage while the video was playing I could feel my cheeks burning with embarrassment. Then, I started laughing and I realized that I would have a great story to tell.

Are pastors human? You bet we are. We make mistakes all the time. It is nice to have a laugh and a good story when we blow it. Many of the stories you hear are so much more severe and have tough consequences. It makes trying to dismiss a service before your boss gets up to preach seem pretty minor. So enjoy a chuckle on me…I am only human!

In the “I Am” series, Pastor Craig talked about how do we deal with the stain of sin in our life. It was a small part of the sermon but I thought it was such a powerful illustration.

Have you ever been on your way to meet someone and you noticed that you have a stain on your clothing? No matter what you do en route or once you arrived, the stain is still there. So what happens for the entire time you are with the other person? You focus on the stain. You think that is all that he or she sees when they look at you. You think about how irresponsible they think you are because you didn’t even notice that you have a stain on your clothing that you should have taken care of already. You see them look time and time again at the stain and just slightly shake their head. What P. Craig brought out so well in his sermon was how we have the same reaction to sin in our life. Run the same scenario with sin and you get the same results.

Let me tell you a different stain story. I was early in my ministry at the age of twenty-three and we had a pastor come visit our pastoral team. He was an older gentleman who sketched some teaching principles with his well-used fountain pen before putting it in his shirt pocket beneath his jacket. A few minutes into his teaching, the pen began to leak ink. I was at a perfect angle to see the first drop of blue seep into his shirt. He was teaching full steam so I didn’t want to stop him. As the drop began to flow and spread slowly, my mind raced to all the things I could say to him. I stayed quiet. It was bigger than a quarter and my arm quivered to reach out and stop him. I stayed quiet. It was blossoming into a small sand dollar and I looked around, but no else could see it. It was up to me…and I sat there. The look on his face as he pulled it out the second time told me everything. I saw his stain and did nothing to stop it. The person I am today would have stopped him the moment I saw the first dot. Why not then? I was afraid. I didn’t want to embarrass him or myself. I didn’t want to take action. I looked for someone else to stand up.
If someone else has a stain, we need to speak up, take action and help him or her out.

A stain is usually the result of an accident. They happen all the time. What will you do the next time you see one?

He stared in the face of a killer. One of the brightest, smartest men of his time and he was wreaking havoc. It takes courage when the person you have an appointment with has a reputation in the civilized world as “the executioner.” And get this…he had documentation from the leaders of their world saying his actions were “approved”.

One of the most courageous men in history had to be Annanias found in Acts 9 in the Bible. He had heard the stories about Paul and seen the results of his actions. Now, the word of the Lord came to him saying, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.” (NIV) What do you do when God tells you to do something so audacious, it could cost your very life? If you are like Annanias, you speak up. (I would be raising my hand, “Excuse me…”) God doesn’t give him a sign, a reward, even a special accommodation for his effort – his first word is “Go.”

It says that Annanias didn’t bluster or ponder – he got up and went. Arriving at the scene he sees the killer – blinded, bruised and probably scared about what was to happen next. Annanias gently places his hands on the trembling shoulder of the executioner and said the following words: “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” That’s it. No thunder, no lightning and amazingly, no drama. The bible says that “something like scales” fell from Saul’s eyes and he got up and got something to eat. Such an anti climatic moment. Just like that, it was over.

Or was it. This is one of my favorite Bible stories. I love this story because of a couple of things. Those thirty-three words are the only ones recorded in the Bible by Annanias. If he knew then that those words were going to be recorded and then eventually put into a scroll. Then, they were added to a book of writings and compiled into a Bible. Finally, countless people and generations would read that Bible for hundreds of years. If he knew that was his only words…wouldn’t he say something profound or eloquent that would be worth remembering.

Be grateful he said what he did. In doing so, Annanias changed the world. Those words released a new life and ministry in Saul, who later changed his name to Paul. Paul was one of the most famous missionaries in the history of the world. Paul brought the life-changing message of God’s love to the Gentile nation. And it was Paul, who wrote almost half of the New Testament. So much of the church and teachings of today are based on his instructions and writings.

Final thought…the other reason I love this story. Could one of your simple actions or expressed thoughts change someone’s path? You might just change the world…it could happen!

“Don’t judge a man by where he is, because you don’t know how far he has come” CSLewis

I am a huge fan of C.S. Lewis. When I read the quote above, I twittered it because it is such a great reminder that all of us are on a journey. Since becoming a pastor over twenty five years ago, I have seen some amazing highs and lows on my own journey. I have accomplished some great feats and done some of the dumbest things as well. My words have built up and encouraged. Yet, they have torn down and discouraged too. My journey, like you, takes me forward.

One of my challenges that I have worked really hard to overcome is about being critical of others. Now, if someone is doing something destructive or harmful, I am going to call it out. Yet, most of the time, people do stuff with good intentions, but it just doesn’t work out they way it was expected to turn out. When I was younger, I would be critical and judge the person’s intentions and heart attitude. As I matured, I realized that I cannot judge a person’s heart. I cannot give an accounting for someone else’s attitude or approach to a situation. They have to own their own thoughts, behaviors and attitudes. I can model, coach and influence but in the end, it is their journey.

Matthew 7:1-2 NLT says, ““Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others.The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. As justified as I thought I was being critical of someone else, this verse brings me back to a very sober place. The Bible teaches us a very familiar constant – “What we sow, we will reap.” Look at your approach to other people and realize that is what you will get back. That might just stop you from judging, gossiping, or “sharing” things about others. It causes me to evaluate myself. While a situation’s results can be dissected, what am I gaining by judging someone else’s motive or attitude?

Jesus will be our judge and I would like grace and mercy in my circumstances. I hope those are included in yours as well.

In the last three weeks, I had an very similar and interesting experience. I was at a round table with a number of pastors and with one of them individually a few weeks later. As we talked about pastoral principles in both settings, the conversation turned to the role as a parent.

Being a parent is hard work. Think of what it takes to run your own life and then, add a number of “lives in development.” With kids who have grown up and out of the house, each year came with new challenges physically, mentally, emotionally, financially and spiritually. Then, add the role of a pastor where people will evaluate your kids as a comment on your spirituality. The men who I know are hungry to find the balance of fulfilling the call that God has on their life and growing their families to love and pursue God. In both conversations, I was recognized as an “older” pastor who has gone through the journey and has three kids who love God. When I heard this, it doesn’t fill me with pride. It actually is quite humbling. Kristin and I worked very hard to share Jesus with our kids. In the end, they had to make the decision to accept Christ and then own their relationship with God. They have made a lot of good choices and some bad. (Haven’t we all.) But what did we do…those are the specifics they want to know.

Make Time for your Kids. When my kids were in preschool, I was a Children’s Pastor in Orlando. With multiple services and my own group of elementary school kids to minister to each weekend, how did I make time for my own kids? Kristin brought a “picnic” to church and when I had a “window” between services, I would sit with them while they ate. I asked them about their classes, enjoyed their crafts and loved on them. Then, it was off to the next service. As they grew older, I would take them with me to set up services and would have them involved in a lot of the prep work. I let them see that they were just as important as each child in the ministry.

No special favors. In fact, I really worked hard to make sure that my kids did not get special treatment. Sometimes, this was hard on them. For example, there was a time the youth at GFC was one youth group of high school and junior high combined. In splitting it into two age groups, we had a choice with Taylor. A lot of her friends and band mates were in high school – she was a junior higher. We put her in the junior high ministry. She had to make new friends and even grow in her leadership in the band. It was a growing experience for her and we see the results of that even today.

Take Good Vacations. This is Casey’s contribution. When asked recently about being raised in the church, this was his answer. When we got away from weekend responsibilities, we camped with our kids all throughout the eastern USA. We did things we liked to do as a family. In other words, there was more to life than the church. The message of Christ is the most important thing to Kristin and I. It was our responsibility to show a healthy balance of pursuing the calling God had given us and being a family.

Date your Kids. If you read anything in this blog, this is the best principle. I started when my kids were 5, 4 and 3 years old. I still do it today. I will do a blog on this in the future. Here is the bottom line. I learned what it meant to listen, learn and impart to my kids by dating them. If you do it when they are young, you will be able to listen, learn and impart when they are older. It is the best thing I did as a young dad.

Take one of these principles and implement it today. Your kids will love it!

“Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.”
Zig Ziglar

I remember the first lesson I ever did on leadership. It was titled “Attitude.” It had this quote at the top of the page. That was almost twenty years ago. And it still stands today as one of my favorite principles about leadership. Many times, it comes down to attitude.

I know…if I was to play a sport with some of the athletes I know, it would be about aptitude. It is a given that people will excel naturally in certain areas in their life. When you compare them to their peers, it will usually come down to attitude. I had a friend who played in the NFL who explained the “Montana Effect” to me. He said, “Look at Joe Montana’s numbers in college. His arm strength, foot speed and skill set was average. But when he got into the NFL, something transformed in him. He got an ‘attitude.’ An attitude that said, ‘Give me the ball in the last two minutes and I will find the way to win.'” Montana is known as a winner because he could drive his team down the field to win in big games.

What is the attitude you are developing? My friend, Bill, tells me that you have a choice in your attitude. In all situations, you can either choose the positive or the negative. Honest, this is tough one. Life is filled with tough challenges and exciting joys. As a minister, you would think it would be easy to be positive about everything. Look at the Bible – there are some wild stories in there! The Bible heroes faced some daunting callings and tasks because they put their faith in the Lord. In the end, I put my faith in God. I have learned that in all things, I can trust Him.

And I think my friend, Bill, is right. I do have a choice when it comes to my attitude. I will choose to be positive…can feel my altitude rising already!

As a very new minister, I remember wondering what it was like on the “other side of the door.” I was not invited into those meetings by high level leaders and I was always wishing I knew what was actually going on. Fast forward to today – the other side of the door is not all it is cracked up to be. There are hard conversations, decisions and circumstances where you need to have wisdom, patience and a true trust in the Lord to lead you. I have listened to many stories, personal and circumstantial, and have developed these best practice principles.

Is it my responsibility? I ask this question all the time. Most information is second hand and I need to be careful that I stay in “question” mode and not “judgement” mode. Unless I have the responsibility to make a decision, I encourage both sides to continue to work it out. It is so easy to make something “my problem” when in actuality, it is not. People say things and act out – they need to be accountable for their own actions. I can be a catalyst for growth and improvement. In the end, they are responsible for their actions.

There two sides to every story. Whenever someone is telling me a story where they feel it “didn’t go their way,” I know there is another side. It is virtually impossible for someone to tell an unbiased story. (I do it too.) Especially when hurt or disappointed, a person will slant the story to their advantage. This causes me to slow down and ask questions. I usually want to jump to a conclusion so the difficult situation will be resolved. Good leadership will continue to ask questions to reveal the truth.

The Truth always comes out. I believe in this principle wholeheartedly. I know that now, later or eventually the truth about a situation will reveal itself in the right time. It is the nature of truth – it can’t remain hidden. In those tough situations, I have to ask myself the question, “Have I done the best job finding the truth?” If I say “yes,” and I haven’t found it, I have to let it go. How many times in a situation have you heard about something and formed an opinion. Later, more “truth” came out and you have to go in a different direction. Seek truth – it truly will set you free!

Let it go. Maybe I am getting old but I am finding a smaller circle of “life and death” situations. I love passion and strong belief. Yet, people take “offense” at many things that consume their time and energy. I don’t believe that God is stymied in these situations. When at a crossroads, take another step. When someone can’t forgive and can’t let it go, you get stuck. It is easy to stay in the pain and angst when you believe you are right. What does “moving on” mean to you? Find that answer and you will be moving toward peace and forgiveness.

Next time you hear an “other side of the door” situation, what will you do?

I love leadership. I have been very blessed in my twenty years in Tampa, that my pastor believes in the study and application of leadership. Very early into my time here, P. Craig and I attended a John Maxwell one day conference. We purchased ten leadership books that day and for the next few months, I would study those books over lunch. I have added many since then and continue to passionately grow in leadership.

There is one concept that I have never seen in all my studies. The concept of “leading up, down and out” is imperative in the Executive Pastor role. Ironically, unless you are the “tip of the spear,” you are in the place to do this. This even goes beyond the church environment – it applies to all of us who work or serve under a boss or supervisor.

Lead UP! Your boss needs you to lead up! They might not ask for it but an effective leader leads up to bring new vision, solid assessment and viable solutions. You need to create opportunities to communicate ways to move your organization forward. Leading up is not being a “yes” man, but knowing when and how to communicate differences so the leader can process that information. It also demonstrates honor for your supervisor’s position and a commitment to help them succeed in all their endeavors. Leading up is powerful. The final comment is this – you want to lead up really well because of the law of sowing and reaping. I firmly believe that what you sow into someone else, you will reap back. Bringing your best to someone else means that one day someone will bring their best for you.

Lead Down! So much on leading people out there, so let me give you a curve ball. Recently, I was leading a discussion with our Minister In Training and I asked this question, “Who’s responsibility is it to learn the other person’s strengths and weaknesses – the leader or the follower?” I believe it is the leader’s responsibility. The leader has all the vision, resources and forward momentum. You should learn all you can about how to maximize your employees and volunteers. That requires you to lead down to learn, provide and empower them to exceed your expectations. Do the work and give them all the credit. They deserve it!

Lead Out! Whether you have a congregation or a customer, your ability to lead those you serve is a huge. In the church environment, we need to lead our congregation. I need to serve them according to our vision in conjunction with their needs. Servant leadership is all about relationship. That is why this principle applies to churches and the business sector. Effective relationships allow for solid communication and growth between your organization and those you serve. When it is about meeting their needs, you will find yours are met as well.

Ready to lead at a different level? Do a check up on your ability to lead up, down and out!

Meet with a community leader
Meet with a future pastor
Converse on how to connect a friend to the church
Numerous ministry updates
Converse on “course correction” for ministry
Grow through an employee frustration (Yep, we have them too – even at a church)
Celebrated with the whole staff P. Craig’s return, opening of Waters and Ybor Campus
Sat in Creative meeting for the next two sermon series
Attended a FCA Celebration
Part of Direction Team meeting for the leadership of the church
Update on “grow forward” progress with an individual

These are some of the highlights from last week. As I glanced through my calendar, there are full weeks. The old joke is “What does a minister do during the week?” Again, every minister is different. My week revolves around people and vision. Ministry can take on some different forms. You might wonder – “Where is the preaching? “Where is the bible study (in the week actually, didn’t add it to the list), where is the prayer times…in other words, “Where is all the spiritual stuff?” Great questions?

Ultimately, there is one objective in ministry. Lead people in their growing relationship with Christ. Some are actively going after it and you give them resources to grow in their relationship. Others need direction, support and clear steps to help them understand what the Lord desires for them and how they can attain it. Others are so new, they need foundational teaching that helps them understand who God is and his love for them. Finally, there are those who have no desire for God and you want to reach them.

So back to the question, “What does a minister do during the week?” I am about empowering our staff and volunteers to share the life, changing message with all of those people groups. We want to reach out to all of them and develop opportunities for their lives to intersect with an amazing God that loves them. That takes time, systems, planning, resources and my favorite, people who want to go after the great commission. My role is help find, develop, empower, implement and evaluate all of those principles. We want to continue to be relevant and timely in our approach to meeting people where they are at in their relationships with God.

Busy week. Lives changes. Learned a lot. Continuing to grow. Good week. Let’s do it again!

I am sitting at round table of fourteen executive pastors and just amazed. I am the second oldest person in the room. If the next generation of EP’s are like this group, the local church is going to be in great shape. These guys are passionate, learners and strong leaders. As we winded down the day long meeting, Mike Ash asked this question, “What would you say ‘I wish I knew this back when I was starting out?'” Here are the three things I answered.

Have a vibrant relationship with Christ. It doesn’t matter if you are a pastor or a person who attends church. If you want to impact your world as a Christian, then you are going to have to put in the time to grow in your relationship with Christ. I read this on my LuLu Lemon twitter this morning – “Athletes don’t work out; they train.” I love this intentionality. If you go into your devotions, quiet time or even a church service with the attitude of being there, that is good. You will be in a good place. If you go into the same environments with the attitude that I am going to get something and grow today, then your experience will be dynamic. I know a lot of great Christian leaders…I wonder how many have a vibrant relationship with God to go with those great leadership qualities.

Be present. I learned this one the hard way. I was the one who was always on “one mountain looking at the next one to conquer.” That is definitely forward thinking but not a great quality. I feel today I have learned the balance of future thinking and living in the moment. You have to plan but then let the results come to you. There are too many things in your relationship with your family, loved ones and friends to miss today. The victories are a lot sweeter in this balance. The challenges are not as daunting because you realize it is only for a season.

Do the hard thing today. I have written about this previously but let me add one recent thought. Mario Cuomo once actually said something I agree with – “There is always something to do.” At the round table, one of the guys shared how he put down the remote and picked up leadership books for the past year. I was so impressed. That is doing the hard thing. It isn’t always the confrontation…it is the decision that you are tired of being here in this situation and deciding to move to a new place.

How about you…if you were at the round table, what would your answer be to the question. What do you wish you knew then that you know today? Maybe you should share that with someone. Do that today!