Blowing out the candles
on another birthday cake
Old enough to look back and laugh at my mistakes
Young enough to look at the future and like what I see
My best days are ahead of me

Life hasn’t always been a party
but mostly it’s been good
There’s only one or two things that I’d change if I could
I dont get lost in the past or get stuck in some sad memory yah
My best days are ahead of me

Age ain’t nothing but a number
Sometimes I have to wonder
What does it really mean
But heeeey im still putting it together
I keep getting better
if I keep getting better
I can be whatever I want to be
My best days are ahead of me

Age ain’t nothing but a number
Sometimes I have to wonder
What does it really mean
But heeeey im still putting it together
I keep getting better
if I keep getting better
I can be whatever I want to be
My best days are ahead of me

I’ve got sunsets to witness
dreams to dance with
beaches to walk on
and lovers to kiss
there’s a whole lot of world out there
that I can’t wait to see
My best days are ahead of me
My best days are ahead of me

Several weeks ago I got a call that made time stand still for a few seconds. One of my mentors in children’s ministry became deathly ill. I got the call around 9:30pm at night that she was rushed to the hospital and they didn’t think she was going to make it through the night. She had infection that was really bad, her blood pressure was super low, her body temp was super low and her kidneys were shutting down.

As I drove to the hospital I thought about her life and the impact that she made in my life and how she was that force that pushed me when I wanted to back up. How she was that person who would always ask me to go to the children’s ministry conferences. How she has always been there for me as a support even when she didn’t agree with what I was doing. She has made a huge impact not just in my life but in the lives of hundreds and even thousands of kids AND adults.

Sometimes our thinking and purpose in life get’s so messed up. Life becomes all about us and not about Him. We do things for ourselves and not Him. I personally have caught myself on many occasions doing things for people but not really for them or for Him but for me. Kinda selfish to be real and I am not saying that we can’t do things to better ourselves however I think that sometimes we can get caught into making life about us and not Him.

Matthew 5:16 tells us to “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

I want to live my life For Him … Not Me. I want to make an impact. I don’t care if people know my name. I don’t care if I make 60 grand a year. I don’t care for a title. I just wanted to be used by Him to reach the world. My life is not for me and things I do in life shouldn’t be all about me either. Let’s make an impact!

I have the awesome opportunity and honor of telling you about a new book that was just released last week and is a book that if read with an open heart will not just change your life but will also change the lives of those you come in contact with.

The book is called “Lead Vertically” and is written by Pastor Craig Johnson. Pastor Craig is the Senior Director of Family Ministries at Lakewood Church in Houston which is one of the largest and fasting growing churches in America.

In Lead Vertically, Pastor Craig shares with us his thoughts on how to build an awesome leadership team that is not only successful but is fulfilled. Through powerful scripture references, personal experiences, and life stories submitted by his own staff; Pastor Craig show leaders the importance of building a team that is reaching not only the ministries (or companies) goals but also the staff’s dreams. Letting them know that the best days are yet to come and that they need to keeping looking up because they never know when God is going to drop something awesome in their lap.

Pastor Craig has so many insightful quotes and statements in this book. Here are just a few a few of my favorite:

“ Vertical leaders help others soar where eagles fly, not where the chickens grovel.”

“You can’t receive the harvest until you accept the seed.”

“A vertical leader is inclusive and builds up whoever is willing to follow.”

“To lead another life, one must be willing to give up a part of his or her own.”

“Leadership is about knowing how you are without being defensive about who you are not.”

I encourage you all to go out and get a copy of this book. It’s available just about everywhere online and I am sure in the stores as well. Don’t just buy one though … buy some for your staff. Sow into them … it will be worth it BIG TIME.

As you all know, I said I would be giving away a copy of Lead Vertically today. To enter into the contest all you have to do is subscribe to my newsletter by clicking here. Once you are fully subscribed you will be entered into the contest.

All current subscribers of my mailing list will automatically be entered into the drawing. Drawing will conclude at 10pm CST on May 4th, 2010. I will announce the winner of the book tomorrow evening (May 5th, 2010).

This past week I have really spent a lot of time thinking about love. Not the romantic love but agape love. Now don’t tune me out. Hear me out. PLEASE!!

We live in culture in which we value ourselves more than anything. We think that we are the most important. Is that the way Christ lived? Aren’t we to be Christ followers (Christ Like)? STAY WITH ME.

In January I was put on meds for my blood pressure. (should have been on them 6 yrs ago but I had to much pride). Anyways, when I was put on blood pressure meds I made the decision to change my life. Change what I eat and how I live. I watch my sodium, cholesterol, and saturated fats now like never before. Literally, everything I eat has been “researched” by me. LOL I made that change after 29 years of eating anything and everything. It was killing me. I had to change and to be honest … it wasn’t hard because it was important to me. It should be just as important to walk in love with those around us every day. It may not be easy to change and to treat everyone with love (including our enemies) but we should do it no matter the cost.

The Word of God says

Mark 12:28-31 (The Message)
One of the religion scholars came up. Hearing the lively exchanges of question and answer and seeing how sharp Jesus was in his answers, he put in his question: “Which is most important of all the commandments?”

Jesus said, “The first in importance is, ‘Listen, Israel: The Lord your God is one; so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.’ And here is the second: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ There is no other commandment that ranks with these.“

I am not telling you love everyone just because it’s a command from God (although that is huge) … I am wanting you to love everyone because it’s your ID … it’s what defines you as a Christian (Christ-like).

John 13:34-35 (The Message)
“Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other.”

I want to encourage you this week to take love to the next level. Go beyond … stretch further. I really believe that Matthew 5:43-48 sums up exactly what I am trying to say so I will end with it.

Matthew 5:43-48 (The Message)
“You’re familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’ I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that.

“In a word, what I’m saying is, Grow up. You’re kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.”

I hope this post encourages you to take that next step. I believe that if you start showing love to everyone … including your enemies you will see and abundance of blessing come your way.

This morning I had to get up and go look at myself in the mirror for motivation. I had to picture myself as a healthy fit guy. This made me happy because I could see it. It also gave me motivation to walk to the treadmill and run like crazy. Had I not seen myself as a healthy fit guy in the mirror I wouldn’t have had the motivation to give it my all. It would have just been one of those days where I run/walk on the treadmill and go on with my day.

To many times in ministry we lose the vision. We work ministry but we don’t see it and if we do see it … we don’t see it like God see’s it. What we need to understand is that what we keep in front of us (in our vision) affects us. We can be sitting down watching a movie and here comes a Dairy Queen commercial showing a awesome banana split and the next thing I know … I and everyone else that watched the commercial is planning a trip across town to the Dairy Queen.

In ministry we need to always have our vision at the forefront of our lives. As I have told you all many times before, God has given me visions that blow my mind away (Eph 3:20). One particular vision, of which He has shown me over and over again, is where I am standing ministering to kids on a stage and I am looking out over hundreds and thousands of kids. Their hands lifted high in worship, tears running down their faces, and the Holy Spirit moving through the auditorium in waves. This is the vision God has given me and I know that someday I will see that vision come to pass. I look at my life right now and wonder how God is going to do that through me but I believe He will as long as I keep the vision and am obedient to His voice.

We have to start living our lives in faith. We have to start believing that through God NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE. NOTHING!!!

God said in Isaiah 43:19 “I’m about to do something brand-new. It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it?”. God is about to do something brand new in you and me. Do you see it?

In 2005, Nick was diagnosed with diabetes. Over the last few years he has really pushed for research in this area but his biggest push has been to let people (especially young people) know that it’s ok to be different. He has really been an inspiration to millions of kids who have been diagnosed with everything from diabetes to HIV.

Today, he released a music video of one of his new songs called “Who I Am”. I watched the video and I all I seen was reality. The chorus is:

I want someone to love me
For who I am
I want someone to need me
Is that so bad?
I wanna break all the madness
But it’s all I have
I want someone to love me
For who I am

Reality is, that’s the cry of so many people today. Reality is that it’s not just about a disease. It’s about each of us being unique.

So many religious organizations have banned uniqueness. I grew up in a particular organization that had very strict standards. Going to school many people considered me Amish as I couldn’t wear shorts, dance in show choir, have facial hair, go to school dances, etc. I was the typical religious nut.

Then it happened!! I decided not to shave. I decided that I looked better with a goatee. People around me didn’t like it but I didn’t care. It was who I was (or wanted to be). I quickly learned that I couldn’t live my life based on what the “religious organization” expected of me. The approval that I was seeking was Gods (2 Tim 2:15) and you know what … He accepted me with facial hair whereas many in the organization did not.

The world wants to be accepted for who they are. They need to know that God loves them. He may not approve or like what they do or what they have allowed to control their lives but He accepts them with open arms.

The world will never give God a chance unless we let them know that He loves them. When you are in a love relationship things change. If the world falls in love with God … the world will change … cause when you are truly in love with someone … you will do whatever they ask.

We don’t have to accept the sin but we do have to accept the person … the soul. There is junk in each of our lives (including mine). I am a sinner and whether you like it or not YOU ARE TOO!! We all are … we all have sin in lives … but God accepts us and encourages us to change. I am excited that the “Body of Christ” is starting to truly show the Love of Christ.

Accept the person for who they are … and let God take care of the gluttony, smoking, alcohol, disobedience, inappropriate relations, pornography, etc. Let God Be God … you just be “Christ”-like.

Disclaimer: Because I know I am going to get heat for posting this … I want to note that there is a difference between the church and a religious organization. Please note that I am not talking about the church in this post nor am I attacking any one organization. This post is simply pointing out that our role isn’t to judge people … it’s to show them the love of Christ.

Let’s be real for a few minutes here. Let’s stop acting like we have it all together and all is well and please read this with your full heart.

Some of us, including myself, have allowed people and situations to get in the way of the vision that God has for us. We are running a race and some of us (including myself) keep getting tripped up.

Here I am, a man ordained and chosen to reach the world for Christ …. but allowing people and situations to keep me back from reaching my full potential. Yeah, I have seen tens of thousands of kids give their lives Christ over the last 16 years but God has so much more for me. I am honored that I was involved in the process of introducing them to the King but there is so many more to reach.

It’s time for change. Time to stop worrying about what others are going to say, stop worrying about what friends will say or do, stop worrying about your past coming to haunt you.

I remember being 12 and accepting Christ into my life. Developing a prayer life and being baptized. I was so on fire for God at church but at home … it was hard. I wanted to be the angelic child, the “I got saved” kid but I couldn’t. God wanted me to respect my parents …. But I was afraid of being taken advantage of and being called a “goody goody”. So …. Change didn’t happen until I turned 17 when I allowed God to really got a hold of me. Respect for my parents was required.

I think it’s funny that even as adults we still deal with these feelings. Many of us called it the “Approval Addition”. I believe in many areas of my life I broke that a couple years ago … however I still seem stuck in the area of ‘change’. I know what God wants in my life. I know what God wants for my health. It requires major change. It requires me to stop living my life based on what others will think of me completely. It requires me to stop living my life based how many ‘friends’ I will loose. It requires me to stop living my life based off my past being thrown in my face.

I started this process of ‘change’ about two years ago … it’s been very slow though. Now I come to fork in the road. Either I give it all I have or I stay as I am, disappointed.

I don’t care what I have to do to be all that God has called me to be. It’s gotta be done. This past decade for me has been the worst decade of my life. The WORST!! It ends now. This new decade will be the decade of change. Not just in my life but in the lives of those I come in contact with.

We as leaders, need to understand that it wasn’t the eating of the fruit that separated Adam & Eve from God. It was the excuse. God still called out to them and He gave them opportunity. God is still calling out. He is still giving us opportunities to make things right. As Keith Craft recently said “If you elevate your thinking … you will elevate your life”. It’s time to elevate!! It’s time to rise above.

Keith Craft recently shared a story about a horse that everyone thought was done for. There was no hope. They decided they were going to bury the horse alive so they dug a hole and lowered the horse into it. Then the men started throwing dirty into the hole to bury the horse. Every time they threw dirt in the hole the horse would shake it off and step up on it eventually elevating itself out of the hole. The moral … don’t let people or situations bury you alive. Step up!! God is always there and will (if you obey) raise you above the nations (Duet 28:1-14).

So, in closing … watch out!!!

Graphic idea from ‘Brendan Sceroler‘.

Todays question comes from a good friend of mine who is currently serving as the youth pastor at KBCC in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His question is:

What is the one thing that God told you, that you feel led you to youth ministry and not just led you there but motivated you to stick it out?

Awesome question! I shared the story of how I was called to the children’s ministry a couple weeks ago although it’s such an awesome story that I have no problem sharing it again. The story actually dates back 16 years ago (Thursday, July 1st, 1993).

I was attending Family Camp with my girlfriend and her parents at the United Pentecostal Church Campgrounds in Shawano, Wisconsin. We were staying on site for the week of services and while my girlfriend’s intentions were to spend a lot of quality time with me … my intentions were to find out everything God had in store for me.

I went to Family Camp that year for one reason. To find out where God wanted me and what His plans were for my life. I didn’t care about anything else that week. That was it. My girlfriend didn’t appreciate that but it was what was on my heart. (Trust me … I am not mean and selfish … really. LOL) I prayed for direction during every service that week, both morning and evening. I grew closer to God during those services but wasn’t getting the information that I was requesting. Finally Thursday afternoon I decided it just wasn’t time for me to know and so I decided I wasn’t going to service that night with the intent to petition God. Instead, I was going to worship God with everything I had (Whew … there’s a message here). We got to service and God came in a mighty way. The presence of God was so powerful. All I did all night was worshiped God.

An hour after service was complete I was still at the altar worshiping God. Speaking in tongues and growing closer. I was in the throne room and didn’t care what was going on anywhere else. Finally my girlfriend came and got me. She really wanted to spend time with me and I hadn’t given her much time during the week, so we started to walk around the campgrounds but I couldn’t stop. I continued in worship, speaking in tongues and giving God everything. She got frustrated and so we ended up going to the campsite. Some how I ended up in the back seat of the van however God was there and I didn’t want to let go. And then it happened. I heard God as plain as day. He said “Look up …”. I looked up and out the front window of the van there was a playground filled with kids and God said “They need you .. all of them.” Finally I broke. I literally felt like I broke. My body was under such pressure that it became unbearable. I sobbed liked never before. At that moment my girlfriend knew something happened in the spirit realm she looked at me and immediately broke and began interceding for the ministry God had birthed in me. We sat in the van for a couple hours just crying out in worship. Is was a night I will never forget.

What has kept me motivated to stick it out? That’s an excellent question. I believe that the motivation comes from several areas but I think the biggest motivation for me is seeing lives changes. Seeing kids with a dedicated relationship with Christ. Seeing them changed for ever. Seeing them grow and develop into powerful men and women of God. That’s what motivates me.

I think every minister has went through seasons where they have felt like giving up. Where they just didn’t think it was worth it. I went through such a season a couple years ago when I found out I was lied to for 10+ years by my pastor. To be honest it was a hard time in my life and I was kinda angry but all it takes is God showing you that you are important, that you are needed, and that you are making a change. That’s all it takes for me. Even during a recent struggle in ministry God kept reminding me … that I am changing lives and that I am needed to change the world. To take back this world for Christ.

I guess, my final motivation is that while God could do it all Himself, He called and chose me. He chose this no good rotten sinner and has used me to reach thousands of kids. It an honor to serve the King. To change lives. To change the future.

So what about you? Do you serve in ministry? What is the one thing that God told you, that you feel led you to the ministry you are serving in and not just led you there but motivated you to stick it out?

Do you sponsor a child? If so, who (what organization) are you going through to sponsor that child?

What other ways are you changing your world?