Gone Fishin'

Rick Warren, the pastor of Saddleback Church in California and the author of "The Purpose Driven Life", recently wrote, "The more hooks you use, the more fish you catch."

How many hooks are you using in your church or ministry?

And how many different types of bait, too?

Remember that Jesus told Peter and Andrew that He would make them fishers of men.

The same goes for us, too.

It's time for you to start to cast more hooks in the water.

Then just watch how many more fish you'll catch - your nets might even begin to break!

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Power

Abraham Lincoln, one of the most beloved presidents in the entire history of the United States, and the man who led the country through the very dark days of its brutal Civil War between 1861 and 1865, once remarked, "Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power."

President Lincoln was absolutely right.

As a pastor or ministry leader, you need to remember the true source of the power that you have.

In Zechariah 4:6 (NIV), the Lord says, "Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit."

In Revelation 19:1 (NIV), John hears a great multitude in heaven shouting, "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God ...."

If you always remember your true power source, then it will run eternally.

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Prayer Request

Please pray for Kyle Guschov, my infant nephew, who will have surgery in Boston on Friday morning to relieve a fluid build-up around his brain.

Thanks.

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Do It Well

One final quote from the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., whose birthday and memory we celebrate this week:

"Whatever your life's work is, do it well. A man should do his job so well that the living, the dead, and the unborn child could do it no better."

Are you doing your best in your church or ministry work? Also remember Paul's words in Colossians 3:23 (NIV), when he writes, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men."

Do it well.

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Steps & Staircases

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., whose birthday we celebrate this week, once said, "Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."

What first step out in faith is God waiting for you to take?

Or are you still waiting to see the whole staircase first?

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MLK & Living & Dying

Today is a federal holiday in the USA as the nation honors the birthday of the civil rights hero, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dr. King once remarked, "A man who won't die for something is not fit to live."

Dr. King knew what he was willing to die for.

And he did.

So ... what are you willing to die for?

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Haiti

In August of 2007, there was a devastating earthquake in Peru which registered 8.0 on the Richter Scale. The epicenter of the massive quake was about 5 hours south of Lima. 500 people were killed. Work continues to this very day in reconstructing the areas hit hardest by the killer quake.

With that in mind, here in Peru we empathize greatly with our brothers and sisters in Haiti, who also are trying to recover after this week's earthquake devastation there.

Now is the time for pastors, churches, and ministries around the world to reach out to Haiti and to offer help in whatever way possible.

James 2:26 (NIV) says, "As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead."

1 John 3:17 (NIV) says, "If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?"

Now is the time to show your faith through your deeds in Haiti.

Now is the time to show God's love in Haiti.

Will you?

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The Table

Henri J. M. Nouwen wrote, "The Church is not an institution forcing us to follow its rules. It is a community of people inviting us to still our hunger and thirst at its table."

Is your church an institution ... or a community?

When people think about your church, do they think about a rulebook ... or a table?

Does your church still people's individuality ... or their hunger and thirst?

Jesus spent a lot of time eating and drinking with prostitutes, tax collectors, and others at the very bottom rung of the social ladder, to the point where He was accused of being a glutton and a drunkard (Matthew 11:19).

But Jesus knew the value of the table.

Do you?

Does your church?

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Every Place

In Joshua 1:3 (NIV), God tells Joshua, "I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses."

Every place - every single place - where you set your foot.

Every place!

What a great promise to claim.

If God told you that He would give you (and your church and your ministry) every place where you set your foot, then where would you go? What would you need to do to get ready and go?

What are you waiting for?

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Don't Look Back

Don't ever look back. Look what it did to Lot's wife.

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Happy Birthday, Elvis!

Happy Birthday, Elvis Presley! The King of Rock 'n' Roll turns 75 today, and far be it from us not to salute him on his big day. Be sure to celebrate Elvis' birthday with a hunk, a hunk of birthday cake!

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Committed

Dwight Moody once said, "The world has yet to see what God can do through one person that is fully committed to Him."

Could you be that person?

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Creating The Future

Management guru Peter Drucker once commented, "The best way to predict the future is to create it."

Are you like the person in Ecclesiastes 11:4 who just watches the wind but does not plant, and who just looks at the clouds but does not reap?

Or are you rolling up your sleeves, getting down in the dirt, planting, reaping, and creating the future for you, your church, and your ministry?

Which one is it?

Your answer will determine your future, as well as that of your church or ministry.

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Big

Pastor Max Lucado has written, "A big God translates into big courage."

Unfortunately, far too frequently we see God as being very small.

The proof of this is seen in our lack of faith and in our timidity in taking big risks and in taking giant steps out in faith when He nudges us to do so.

In Genesis 18:14, God said to Abraham and Sarah, "Is anything too hard for the Lord?"

Far too frequently today, we answer this divine question with a resounding "Yes!" It shows in our actions, or in our lack of actions. It shows in our fearfulness and in our being willing to settle for mediocrity.

Think big.

Think bigger than you have ever thought before.

The bigger you see God, the bigger He can use you.

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Cowboy Philosophy

The Dallas Cowboys' legendary quarterback, Roger Staubach, once said, "Spectacular achievements come from unspectacular preparation."

Roger Staubach would know. His Hall of Fame career and the Cowboys' Super Bowl championships under his leadership would begin, season after season, in the oven-hot days of July at pre-season practice, lifting weights, performing repetitive drills, and running plays under the broiling sun with few spectators around. All very unspectatcular to watch at pre-season practice in July - but all very spectacular to watch at the Super Bowl six months later.

Ministry and football have a few things in common, not the least of which is that Sunday is "game day" in both professions. As well, in both ministry and football, it is the unspectacular preparation that leads to spectacular achievements, be it in the pulpit or on the football field.

Don't avoid your unspectacular preparation in your church or ministry. It may be boring and it may be tedious, and maybe no one else realizes how hard it is to do, day after day and week after week, but in the end it will all be very well worth it when you see the spectacular achievements that result from it.

Being unspectacular today will lead you to be spectacular tomorrow.

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Mediocrity

Pastor Andy Stanley has written, "Will I allow my fear to bind me to mediocrity?"

Frequently, God nudges us to chase a lion, or to seize the day, or to take a big risk, or to take a big step out in faith, but then we get all fearful about it and decide to stay in our comfort zone.

Mediocrity is the result.

Stretch your faith.

Take a big risk.

Conquer your fear.

We serve a big God, and He has big plans for you and your church and your ministry.

Don't let fear hijack it.

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Carpe Diem

"Carpe Diem" is a Latin phrase which means "Seize the day."

"Seize the day" is what we all must be doing in all of our churches and ministries in 2010.

Chase lions ... take big risks ... seize the day ... seize the new year ... seize the new decade ... these are the challenges for all of us as 2010 begins.

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