a good reminder

I'm re-reading Andy Stanley's book, The Next Generation Leader. Section three blew my doors off (again). It's about clarity and how vital it is to leading well. Here are a few nuggets from section three that I needed to be reminded of:

• I need to be clear even when I'm not certain. The only thing I can be certain of is the past--everything from this moment on is a guess. Once I acknowledge that, I'll be free to make decisions with limited information.
• I must recognize that clarity of vision is more important than certainty of outcome. Every great accomplishment began as an idea that stood in contrast to someone's current reality. In the beginning there is always enough uncertainty to shut down a vision...that's why leadership is needed.
• Clarity is perceived as leadership. Clarity creates its own influence and its own momentum. The person that paints the clearest picture will ultimately be viewed as the leader.
• One of the worst things I can do as a leader is to pretend I have all the answers.
• Flexibility is key. Uncertainty, no doubt, will wreak havoc with our plans but I can't allow it to derail our vision. As Andy puts it: Pencil in your plans...etch the vision in stone.

What have you learned about leadership lately?

erwin on action

I dig Erwin McManus. He speaks my language. Check out this video short called Just Do Something.



"Sometimes we use prayer as an excuse not to act." Strong.

uncovering the truth

I hear things from time to time that people are convinced is absolute truth (because they heard it from a "reliable" source). I like to check things out. Here are a few things I've heard recently that I thought I'd give you, my blog readers, the low-down on:

1. It's illegal to drive without shoes on. Not true. I've heard this literally dozens of times. A quick Google search is all you need to dispel this myth. Currently, according to my research, there are no U.S. states that require footwear while driving a car.

2. The average person eats eight spiders a year while sleeping. Not true. Experts tell us that spiders are smart enough to avoid a humid hole which is breathing. They are trying to get their food, they tend to go to the light at night, where insects gather, not to dark wet breathing places such as a mouth. You can all sleep more comfortably now.

3. It's impossible to eat a tablespoon of cinnamon. From what I have seen online (and from my kids experimenting with it themselves), this one seems to be TRUE. Try it for yourself sometime.

4. If you stare at the sun, you could go blind. How many times did you hear that one from your mother? Well, she was right. Direct sunlight can damage the retina--light-sensitive nerve endings in the back of the eye, causing impaired vision or blindness.

5. If you go swimming less than an hour after eating, you could get cramps and drown. Not true. Not once has a drowning death been attributed to "swimming with a full stomach."

6. Eating turkey will make you sleepy. This one is popular around Thanksgiving. It's said that because of the amino acid, tryptophan, you'll likely become very sleepy after a big Thanksgiving meal. It's not true. See, turkey also contains protein, which negates the effects of tryptophan, but we generally don't ingest enough at one sitting to feel it.

Just trying to keep you informed!

tough love and hard lessons

My buddy Brian sent me a link to a newspaper article about a future Buckeye hoops player, Jared Sullinger. Here's the gist of the story:

Sullinger is one of the top players in the nation. His team was storming toward a state title. His coach (who is also his father) suspended Sullinger for one game for failing to keep up with his schoolwork. Sullinger's team lost...a game that they no doubt would have won had Sullinger played.

Here's a quote from the story:

His absence mattered, but it wasn't what mattered most to his coach and father, Satch Sullinger, whose decision to suspend his 15-year-old son offers food for thought.

Sullinger said he sat his son to send multiple messages:

• Effort is more important than achievement.

"You can't be successful when your assignments are not turned in, when you say you're doing your homework and you're not," he said, referring to Jared.

• Building an established winner takes more than winning one game in an established building.

"I'm building a program, not trying to win a district semifinal at any cost," he said.

• Lessons learned today pay dividends later.

"Nobody who goes through this program again will ever do it (slack off
on studies), because they all know they can't survive if they do," he said.

Sullinger stressed that his program is about fairness, character and accountability.

Strong. Admirable. Courageous. And a great example. You can read the full story here: Tough love drives home hard lesson at Northland

state of emergency

I'm home today...because I totally screwed up my ankle playing lunchtime basketball yesterday. Fortunately nothings broken or torn...just a severe (and very painful) sprain. I thought about posting a pic on this blog but on second thought, I don't want to gross anybody out. As I was headed to the ER, I kept thinking of my friends who showed so much compassion to me after the accident. Especially Scott, Bill, and Kevin. Those guys definitely have the gift of compassion and/or helps.

At the hospital, I kept thinking of what it means to have an emergency. I mean, we all end up in crisis mode from time to time. We've all experienced times when we feel like our world is crashing down around us. And I'm not just talking about physical pain. It could be relationships, finances, family, addictions, sin...and then we end up in a 'state of emergency.'

I was praying with a friend the other day who was experiencing a crisis moment. As I was praying, the thought struck me: there's never a state of emergency in heaven. God never calls an emergency meeting of the Trinity to try and figure things out. God is never caught off guard or surprised by anything. And man, it's just comforting to know that, no matter how messed up and crazy our lives seem, God is in control. No problem is too big for him. And there's no situation for which he doesn't already have a solution.

Isn't that good news?

raising a teenager? how far is too far (sexually) for them to go?

When I read something helpful, I want to pass it along. Several weeks ago, I mentioned in this blog a book that Jenny and I began reading together: Kissed the Girls and Made Them Cry by Lisa Bevere. The subtitle is Why women lose when they give in.

If you're parenting girls, or you're a single young lady...read this book!

Jenny and I are reading because we're always seeking wisdom and godly counsel on parenting--particularly now that we have a daughter in junior high. We've read the first few chapters and here are a couple of the "scuds" I thought were worth sharing:

• After praying for insight for what she should share about dating, boys, and sex with teenage girls at her church, she said this is what she received from the Holy Spirit: "You are looking for rules to restrict their behavior. Rules will not keep them. The empowerment they need must be born out of relationship. Change their focus from what they can't do to what they can do."


• What can they do? Here's what she had to say about dressing suggestively: She said, "I think [dressing suggestively] is a great idea. Go right ahead and dress like a whore if you want to attract a whoremonger. It's like fishing--the bait you use will determine what you'll catch. So if you want to hook a sleazy guy, by all means dress sleazy."


• When asked the big question: How far is too far? Here was her reply: "You can go as far with your boyfriend as you are comfortable doing in front of your father. For your father is the protector and guardian of the virtue for daughters." Wow.

She said that the whispering and giggling stopped and you could hear a pin drop. Each girl was visiting that scenario in her mind. In front of my dad? What would that look like? Come on, we don't do things like that in front of our fathers.

She continues in the book: This is true, for most everything we would do sexually we'd do behind closed doors, in darkened corners, under the cover of night, in a car, or in a drug or alcohol haze. If we were brazen enough, perhaps we'd mess around in a dark room of our homes while our parents slept elsewhere, but never in the light, sober, right in front of our dads.

She said she'd knew she'd given the right answer to the wrong question from a generation of confused and vulnerable girls.

Jenny and I, as we read this book, we cry together. We long to be the kind of parents God wants us to be. We want to raise God-loving, God-honoring kids. And we need help. 'Cause parenting ain't easy. So I'm just passing along some of the stuff that's rocking our world right now.

on these...there's no negotiating

This post still has me thinking. This quote from Andy Stanley, in particular, really has my wheels turning:

To be a leader worth following, we must pre-decide to prioritize our integrity over our quest for progress.

So I've been thinking about what it means to pre-decide. To me, that means that I've made up my mind in advance about certain things and nothing is going to trump those decisions. I call them non-negotiables. They're the things that are the lead pipe, stone cold locks that I will not deviate from. Want some examples?

My family will be in church on Sundays. It's a non-negotiable. There's nothing that's going to trump going to church on Sunday mornings. Not ballgames or golf outings or (fill in the blank). You might say, "John isn't that a hard line, legalistic approach? Maybe. But Jenny and I have decided that for our family, church rates extremely high. It's important to us that our kids grow up knowing that heart issues--our spiritual well-being is the most important thing in life. So we don't bend on this one. If we bend so our kids can play in a sports league or do whatever on Sunday mornings--as important as it may seem, what we'd basically be conveying to our kids is, "Yeah, church is important...until a new or better opportunity comes along."

Another non-negotiable for us is tithing. This is one that you absolutely must pre-decide on. Because there WILL be other opportunities to spend your money. The tithe check is the first check written in our house. So we're saying God gets the first day of the week in our lives--church...always. And God gets the first 10% of our income--the tithe...always. And you know what. It's not as difficult when you've pre-decided that this is going to be a non-negotiable.

One more (there are many but I'll limit it to three here). My marriage. Jenny and I have decided to remove the "D" word from our vocabulary. Divorce is not an option for us. We have pre-decided that this is a non-negotiable. We're in the marriage thing for the long haul...no matter what.

How huge is it for my kids to grow up understanding the principle of pre-deciding? How 'bout when it comes to staying sexually pure till marriage? How 'bout when it comes to peer-pressure situations? How about in their marriages...their finances...raising kids?

Well, I hope this has primed your pump a bit. Leave a comment...I want to know...what are the non-negotiables in your life?

the man i want to be vs. getting things done

The Group Life team at NewPointe meets once a month for what we call a "power lunch." We usually take this time for leadership development and growth. Yesterday we got together to watch Andy Stanley on DVD. His talk was from the 2003 Catalyst Conference. It was on character. Amazing talk. Here are some of the notes I took:

• There is a constant struggle in me between the man I want to be (the character I want to have) and getting things done.
• The most direct path to success is generally not the most ethical one (this made me think of Bill Belichick).
• The most direct path to maintain success as a leader is not the most ethical one either (made me think of athletes using steroids).
• To be a leader worth following, we must pre-decide to prioritize our integrity over our quest for progress. (See Daniel 1:8)
• You cannot maintain the blessings of God if you choose to violate the principles of God. (Made me examine my own life and my own character flaws.)
• Prayer to pray every day: God give me the wisdom to know what's right, give me the courage to do what's right, even when it's hard.

I'm going to the 2007 Catalyst Conference in about two weeks. Can't wait.

what i learned about life on the high ropes

Last weekend Aqua went on a retreat. It was a blast. Man, I love those guys. We stayed up way late on Friday night and got up early on Saturday to head out to take on a high-ropes course.

High ropes is a challenging, team-building, personal-development activity consisting of ropes elements and obstacles usually 30 to 40 feet above the ground.

This was my third time to do a high-ropes course. It's scary...and fun...[kinda]. The thing I love most about the high ropes course are the lessons I learn about life. Here are a few things our team learned Saturday:

• Community. You can't do ropes [life] alone. On the ropes, you're accountable to and for your teammates. If you're not accountable, you're in danger. Also, everyone was interesting in seeing every other person succeed. It wasn't about individual success. So we cheered, encouraged, and congratulated our teammates all the way.


• Trust. You have to trust your teammates. You have to trust the equipment. If you can't trust, you can't move.



• Perspective. Everything changes when you're 40 feet high. But those on the ground have different perspective. They can see things you can't. They can help you which brings me to...


• Humility. It's humbling when you can't climb the centipede pole [that'd be me]. It's humbling to admit you need help. But nobody cared. We all wanted to see each other succeed. So on the ropes [and in life] you can't be afraid to ask for help.


• Courage. I heard Amy say this: "I'm trying to get my balance so I can take my next step but I can't get my balance...I'm not sure I ever will, so I guess I'm just going to have to go for it." I love that! Isn't that true in life? If we wait until things "calm down" before we take big steps, we'll never do it. The reality is, things aren't going to calm down anyway so sometimes we just have to go for it.
  
• Faith. While I was sitting on a platform 45 feet above the ground trying to muster the courage to jump off and go screaming down the zip line, a hundred thoughts were running through my mind: Is my harness secure? Will this fabric loop hold my weight? What if the line is rusty? What if something goes wrong? Am I hooked on correctly? Finally I just had to say, "Enough, I'm just going to take a leap of faith and trust in the equipment and God and let the chips fall where they may. [I'm still alive...and really glad I took the risk.]


• Overcoming. I heard David say this: "I'm going on that obstacle because it's the one that scares me the most. I love that attitude.
  
• Communication. With out it, someone dies.

What an experience. What a great time. I'm looking forward to our next Aqua retreat!

why building sandcastles is like life

As the kids and I were building sandcastles, it made me think that, in a lot of ways, building them is like building a life. Here's what I mean:

• You have to start with a solid foundation.


• It's not something you want to do alone. It's more enjoyable and rewarding to do it with friends.


• Others may stop to marvel at it...but you know the truth...it could come crashing down at any moment.


• Collapses and cave-ins will happen. They're unavoidable. But...they're always a blessing in disguise. They show you where you need to be stronger. And after you rebuild that area of your castle, you're always better off. You'll be able to take it higher than before.


• Building a good one doesn't take a lot of skill. It just takes time. Persistence. Patience.
  
• A lot of people give up too soon when building. Or they bail after the first collapse figuring, "What's the use?" You have to fight through the difficulties.


• You're never really done building. There's always room for improvements, new features, and new heights.


• You have no control over how long it lasts. Your castle's life and longevity is in the hands of a greater power...in this case, the tide.

the tithe...net or gross?

First off, this isn't a rant or a plea to get more money for the church. Let's be clear on that. I get asked about tithing from time to time so I'm addressing it here in my blog. Here are my thoughts on tithing net vs. gross:

Giving 10% of your income back to God demonstrates your thankfulness to Him for what He has provided and helps you to remember to rely on God instead of on riches.

The Bible teaches the principle of giving first fruits. (Exodus 23:16, 34:22, Leviticus 2:12-14; 2 Chronicles 31:5). What that means is that God's people gave the best of their crops...not the leftovers. They offered God the very best, the very first and finest of their resources as an act of trust and obedience. This principle still applies today. If God is truly #1 in our lives, that fact should be reflected in our finances. It's all God's anyway...we're just stewards of it.

Now, the Bible does not specifically say whether we should tithe off our gross or net income. I'll say this, though, if you're giving off of net income just so you can give less and still "be cool with God," I'd say that's not a healthy perspective. It all goes back to your heart attitude. Are you giving out of reverence for God or out of selfishness for your own wealth?

“Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7).

What you give (or don't give) is between you and God. Fortunately the Bible does give us a "recommended minimum": the tithe.

A moment of personal transparency: When Jenny and I were newlyweds, we did not tithe...at all. Several years into our marriage, God began to speak to us about the importance of it. It was the whole, "Hey, am I really #1 in your life?" thing. Our response? "God, we can't afford to tithe right now. Maybe someday when we get some debt paid off...or when our income increases...or, really, when we feel like it, we will." We soon realized that that's the wrong approach. We started giving as a way of saying, "God, we believe you are who you say you are and that you'll do what you've promised to do."

So we began to give regularly. We didn't give 10% at first. We slowly worked our way up to do. But we did see God in action. He's always come through for us.

The tithing principle is difficult to wrap our minds around. It's counter-intuitive. Our tendency to to hoard. God's economy is different. And now Jenny and I have experienced that.

My life verse is Matthew 6:33: But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

i read this often

About a year ago, Dwight gave me a laminated copy of what you're about to read. It's called a Doctrinal Affirmation. I keep it in my day planner and refer to it often. I need to be reminded of God's promises and who I am in Christ. Here it is.

I recognize that there is only one true and living God (Exodus 20:2-3) who exists as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and that He is worthy of all honor, praise and glory as the Creator, Sustainer, and Beginning and End of all things (Revelation 4:11; 5:9-10; Isaiah 43:1, 7, 21).

I recognize Jesus Christ as the Messiah, the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:1, 14). I believe that He came to destroy the works of Satan (1 John 3:8), that He disarmed the rulers and authorities and made a public display of them, having triumphed over them (Colossians 2:15)

I believe that God has proven His love for me because when I was still a sinner, Christ died for me (Romans 5:8). I believe that He delivered me from the domain of darkness and transferred me to His kingdom, and in Him I have redemption, the forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:13-14).

I believe that I am now a child of God (1 John 3:1-3) and that I am seated with Christ in the heavenlies (Ephesians 2:6). I believe that I was saved by the grace of God through faith, that it was a gift and not the result of any works on my part (Ephesians 2:8-9).

I choose to be strong in the Lord and in the strength of is might (Ephesians 6:10). I put no confidence in the flesh (Philippians 3:3) for the weapons of warfare are not of the flesh (2 Corinthians 10:4). I put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20), and resolve to stand firm in my faith and resist the evil one.

I believe that apart from Christ I can do nothing (John 15:5), so I declare myself dependent on Him. I choose to abide in Christ in order to bear much fruit and glorify the Lord (John 15:8). I announce to Satan that Jesus is my Lord (1 Corinthians 12:3), and I reject any counterfeit gifts or works of Satan in my life.

I believe that the truth will set me free (John 8:32) and that walking in the light is the only path of fellowship (1 John 1:7). Therefore, I stand against Satan's deception by taking every thought captive in obedience to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). I declare that the Bible is the only authoritative standard (2 Timothy 3:15-16). I choose to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).

I choose to present my body as an instrument of righteousness, a living and holy sacrifice, and I renew my mind by the living Word of God in order that I may prove that the will of God is good, acceptable and perfect (Romans 6:13; 12:1-2). I put off the old self with its evil practices and put on the new self (Colossians 3:9-10), and I declare myself to be a new creature in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).

I ask my heavenly Father to fill me with His Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18), lead me into all truth (John 16:13), and empower my life that I may live above sin and not carry out the desires of the flesh (Galatians 5:16). I crucify the flesh (Galatians 5:24) and choose to walk by the Spirit.

I renounce all selfish goals and choose the ultimate goal of love (1 Timothy 1:5). I choose to obey the two greatest commandments, to love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul and mind, and to love my neighbor as myself (Matthew 22:37-39).

I believe that Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18) and that He is the head over all rule and authority (Colossians 2:10). I believe that Satan and his demons are subject to me in Christ since I am a member of Christ's body (Ephesians 1:19-23). Therefore, I obey the command to resist the devil (James 4:7) and command him in the name of Christ to leave my presence.

wisdom from a five-year-old

As I was tucking Andrew into bed last night, he asked me, "Daddy, are you on Jesus' team?"

"Yes. I am definately on Jesus' team, buddy," I replied.

Andrew continues, "Yeah, some people don't like Jesus and so they're just on their own team."

oxygen

Last week I golfed with a friend who told me he hasn't golfed in about five years. He said that when he was asked to come along, his first reaction was: I'd like to, but I'm too busy. Then he told me that as he thought it through, he realized that he could come up with a thousand reasons not to golf. But he had one really good reason to say yes: doing something he enjoys with people he enjoys. So he decided to golf with us. I'm glad he did.

It reminded me of how easy it can be to say "no" to things that don't seem productive.

I received some good advice from a leader I respect. He told me that it's immensely important to actually DO the things that revive you and give you energy. This doesn't mean "wasting" time on mindless junk...it means that we all have stuff that we really enjoy doing and it actually gives us energy. This leader compared it to oxygen, indicating that if you don't have enough of it in your life, you're actually not going to be as productive as you could/should be.

He told me to make a list of 20 things I love to do and then look over the list and take note of how often I'm participating in those activities. He asked, "Are your oxygen tanks full or dangerously low?"

Too often...they are low. So I made the list. I won't bore you with all of it...so how 'bout 10 of them?

Here's my list of ten:

1. Yes, golf. Duh.
2. Ride my motorcycle (which is cool because I can ride it to work, thus accomplishing two things at once).
3. Just hanging out with my family.
4. Getting away...I mean AWAY...with my family.
5. Reading.
6. Movies.
7. Coaching my kids in sports.
8. Hanging out with friends.
9. Basketball.
10. Roller coasters.

As you can see, my list is heavy on summer-time activities. So my oxygen tanks are most likely to get low during the winter. I have to watch this stuff. I can be like my golf-buddy who can always find reasons to NOT engage in many of these activities.

Do you have a list? Leave a comment and share it. If you don't have one, make one and share it here. I'd love to know the things that energize YOU!

johnny the bagger

This is Johnny. He's a nineteen-year-old bagger at a supermarket.

This is his story: The Simple Truths of Service

the wisdom of andrew bunn

I had a very cool conversation today with my son Andrew, who will be five in less than three weeks. Here's how it went:

Andrew: Daddy, why does God love you?

Me: He loves me because he made me. And he made me special. Just like you. Because God made you...and he made you special...he loves you soooo much.

Andrew: Yeah...I think God made me so I could snuggle with people. And so I could say "thank you" when somebody gives me something. And so I can be friends with people.

Me: I think you're right, buddy.

Andrew: I think God loves me because he likes to take care of me.

Man, I hope he never forgets that stuff.

the worship industry

Check out this video from Brian McClaren on worship.



First saw it on Joshua Case's blog. Thought it was worth posting here.

stuff i'm learning about life from coaching softball

I coach my 12-year-old daughter's fastpitch softball team. Every game, I talk to the kids about doing these three things:

1. play the game the right way
2. be good sports
3. have fun

I tell the kids that if we do those three things consistently, the results will take care of themselves.

What if we took a similar approach to life?

1. play the game the right way (live a life of integrity)
2. be good sports (treat others the way you want to be treated)
3. have fun (don't take yourself so seriously)

If, in our daily lives, we practiced those things every day, perhaps life's results would take care of themselves.

After our softball games, we don't evaluate based on whether we won or lost. We evaluate on how well we did each of those three things. If we nail them...then I'm happy.

Another thing I do with the kids is this: I have one of the moms keep a list for me of the good things that each player does during the game...and it's not all related to performance on the field (it could be encouraging a teammate or displaying good sportsmanship). At the end of the game, I get the list from the mom and have the team gather 'round me. I go down the list and highlight at least one good thing that each player did during the game. We clap and cheer and hoot and holler for each girl as their name is called.

Is there a life-lesson there? I think so. And I think it's obvious. It's called: catch people doing something good and celebrate it. You can do it with your kids, with your spouse, with co-workers, even your boss!

I admit that I'm not the world's greatest softball coach. But if I don't do anything else, I want to build into the kids I coach. I want them to gain confidence and learn to have a positive approach to life.

If that happens, I'll consider it a success.

If we all live it out, the world would be a better place.

ruby tuesday, transvestites, and happiness

Jenny and I had a 'date day' yesterday. We were able to head up to Canton for lunch and some shopping. While enjoying a fantastic salad bar experience at Ruby Tuesday, I glanced upon an interesting-looking group at a table near us. At the table were at least two transvestites. Long hair, long fingernails, make-up, the works...but clearly dudes.

And honestly, I was not intentionally trying to listen in on their conversation, but I did overhear a little of it. During the portion of the conversation that I heard, one of the younger transvestites was lamenting over his home situation. He couldn't understand why his parents were so disappointed with his decision to cross-dress. He said, "You'd think if you go to your parents and tell them that this is what makes you happy then they'd be okay with it. You'd think your parents would want you to do whatever makes you happy."

At NewPointe, we've been in a series called "Adventures in Missing the Point." Talk about missing the point. I see it so often: people think that whatever makes them happy is what's most important. Dwight talked last week about how, believe it or not, there are more important things in life than mere happiness. Things like character. In fact, he said that God is more interested in our character than our happiness.

As the person Ruby Tuesday griped about his parents and not understanding why they wouldn't want him to happy above all else, I started thinking about how our relationship with our parents is such a great analogy for our relationship with our Heavenly Father. In this person's case, he absolutely did not understand why his parents were disappointed with his decision to cross-dress. After all, they should just be happy if he's happy...no matter what...right? Wrong. What if the things that 'make you happy' are destructive? What if they're going to lead you down a path of confusion and pain? What if the thing that makes you happy is going to hurt or impede character growth in you?

My 4-year-old cannot understand why he can't have candy any time he wants it. Shouldn't I give it to him? After all, that's one of the things that makes him happy. My daughters tell me that staying up late on a school night would make them happy. Guess I should be supportive of them doing it if it makes them happy, right?

You get my point. Our parents, in most cases, are like God in the sense that above happiness for you, they want what's BEST for you. My kids have a hard time understanding that. The transvestite at Ruby Tuesday had a hard time understanding that. I have a hard time understanding that about God sometimes.

But I'm learning that He always wants what's best for me. He wants to grow me. He wants to build character into me. He wants to use me. And what's best for me doesn't always equal what makes me happy.

God's not against happiness--that's for sure. But he favors character.

stats and thoughts from graham cooke...

I read this book by Graham Cooke a couple of months ago. I've kept it on my desk because it's amazingly quotable. I reread this today. Check it out...

• • 60% of all pastors quit leading churches
  • 50% of people leaving the ministry do so because of immorality
  • another 30% leave because of stress

  Behind most of these statistics is a rundown devotional life. When we lose our focus on God, we end up with a working relationship but a lousy friendship with Him. The only way a lot of ministers relate to God is on the basis of what they do for Him. Everything is businesslike when people have lost their devotional lives. They end up praying about ministry--the youth group, Sunday School, finances and so on--and activity rather than the joy of friendship with the Father consumes them.

  I wonder how many of us have upgraded our abilities to praise and thank God in the past 12 months. We need to praise and thank God more this year than we did last year.

Graham Cooke, The Language of Love