… calling people from the North, South East and West…

I love the story of the conversion of Saul/Paul in Acts 9.

It has so many layers and so much to pull from that it is a continual resource for me, even a daily observation that I must refer to.

This morning, I again read it, and yet again from a different context of which I will attempt to unpack for you.

Whilst I was away visiting Willow Creek, (which is one of the most sensational churches I have ever experienced in regard to its facilities, infastructure, maturity of leadership and governance and such a great culture of generosity), I had the privilege of hanging out with a hero of mine, Bill Hybels.

The following day (after eating pizza at ‘Bill’s house’). Ps Bill Hybels began to download onto the restricted (and privileged) number of people in attendance some of his understanding of building church.

One of the many many things he said was, ‘The next level is about the quality of our people. Not strategy. Not style or culture. Not systems or programmes. People. Fantastic people are attracted to fantastic people. Where are the fantastic people? Go get the fantastic people that we need to go to the next level!’

When I was in South Wales many a young person would ask to move churches to be a part of what we were building in Cardiff. I always took the PC line of saying, ‘No, go serve in your local church.’

Now, as I look across the 1547 (to date) ‘Friends’ I have on Facebook, I see many of these young people are no longer in church and, even more painful, are no longer walking with Jesus.

When God was looking to establish the next level in Acts 9, He says something very powerful about his pursuit of ‘fantastic people’ (or it is more palatable to maybe say, ‘those called to be a part of what he was doing at that time’).

Acts 9:15 ( TM ) says, ‘Don’t argue. Go! I have picked him (Saul/Paul) as my personal representative…’

Ananias was sent with a mandate to go and get Paul!

Psalm 2:8 says, ‘Only ask, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance.’

This is my prayer. I’m not necessarily asking God for the nations (yet), I’m merely asking for the ‘Pauls’; for the ‘fantastic people’; for ‘those that are called to be a part of what we are on with here at BCC’!

I absolutely believe with a passion that God has us involved in the building of a sensational church right here in the Centre of the Universe (SoT) and I absolutely believe that there are people called to be ‘living stones’ alongside me in reaching this great city of Stoke on Trent and beyond.

Bill Hybels was right… ‘Go, get the fantastic people that we need to go to the next level!’

I have sent our Primary Leaders, Executives, Director and Pastors to go and find those that resonate with the sound of this house; those that are called to help us get to the next level. I have also commissioned every BCCer to be eccentric in their invitation to their whole world.

We are calling those who are meant to be a part of this absolutely, awesome adventure. We’re calling people from the North, South, East and West…

… if our call resonates with you… we’re praying you in! We’re expecting you!

Looking forward to seeing you soon…

… its not about the numbers…

Here we are at the beginning of 2012, with 12 months, 52 weeks or 366 days ahead of us. Each day carrying 24 hours, containing 60 minutes, containing 60 seconds.

In that large number of moments, there will be countless opportunities to benefit people, x-number of Pounds (£) spent and many many billions of words said.

When looking to build great church, very often we have to avoid the drive to be consumed with the numbers. People often say, ‘It’s not about the numbers.’

It is my revelation that actually, it is all about the numbers. When looking at life in all its fullness, it is all about the numbers. How many days, hours, minutes. How many opportunities. How we manage our finances and how many words we say… Yes quality is just as important!

Many a church is actively trying to create ‘momentum’ and a variety of techniques, programmes, preaching series, styles, media and initiatives are used… all of which miss one single important factor – the numbers!

Matthew 4:25 (TM) says ‘… more and more people came, the momentum gathering’

Momentum is found in the numbers… not the size of the numbers but the numbers of people coming together for one cause. You want momentum… focus on the numbers – the numbers of people!

People are the key!

As the leader… get each one of your people totally fixated on Jesus. Get them coming together and watch the momentum gathering…

I for one am absolutely committed to the Eccentric Invitation throughout 2012 because numbers matter… each ONE person matters!!

In fact… why don’t you accept this as your VIP invitation this upcoming Sunday… my team and I will be expecting you!

… the power of association..

Many people know the story of Jonah. A guy that was on the run from the purposes of God and ended up being thrown over board and a large fish swallowed him for 3 days.

Have you ever thought of the sailors on board with Jonah? Decent guys trying to make a living. Experienced sailors who know what it is to make it through difficult storms. Yet, when Jonah is in their boat, they are going to drown.

Less people will know the story of Paul. A guy pursuing the purposes of God and ended up shipwrecked.

When we think of the sailors on Paul’s boat however we have a totally different scenario. The sailors on Paul’s boat were encouraged that they would reach dry land safely because Paul was on board. And they did.

What we can learn from this is there is immense importance in the power of association.

If you are in Jonah’s boat then you are going down. No matter how diligent you are, you’ll sink unless you deal with the issue at hand. If you are in Paul’s boat, no matter the severity of the storm, you will make it through to dry ground.

The bible clearly states that ‘Bad company corrupts good character’ (1 Corinthians 15:33). It also reveals that ‘Iron sharpens iron’ (Proverbs 27:17). I have learnt that biblical principles definitely work.

Who we hang out with matters. Who we allow to advise us, or speak into our life, matters. Who’s boat we are in has a significant effect on the outcome of our journey.

As we approach 2012, my encouragement is that if you are desiring a significant year, hang around significant people! If you are wanting a successful year, get into a position where you are with successful people. Who you are with has a significant outcome of your journey.

Whether it be relationships, employment, housing, communities or groups that you belong to, please consider the outcome of your journey. Do you want to confidently reach dry ground or be on course to drown?

Your 2012 will be an excellent year if you consider who you hang out with, do life with, are inspired by. Get with people who will do you good.

It sounds simple.

It is.

The people in your world matter. Choose wisely. Influence correctly. 2012 is set to be a great year. Happy New Year.

… priorities…

These last six months have been sensational in many ways. God has been doing some incredible things in the life of BCC and I have had so many privileged opportunities to travel and experience many great adventures.

I have spent much time away from home and, as 2011 draws to a close, I am looking forward to Christmas. In looking toward Christmas, I have decided that I am going to absolutely focus on what is important in life.

It has recently dawned upon me afresh that leading a great church, travelling the world, experiencing adventure and seeing God do amazing things are all secondary to my family.

I’m realising again that Becky, Caleb and Isaac are my world. Without them I am not complete. They are my everything.

So I write this blog to say sorry to Becky, Caleb and Isaac for the time I have spent on my BlackBerry, for not being at the dinner table, for not being as good a dad and husband as I should have, for not sometimes having you at the centre of my thoughts.

I love you all dearly and without you I am nothing.

Leaders are people with full schedules but if we take our eye off the ball we have to re-align our focus to what is important in life – those closest to us. After all, if we are not good at building a great home for our family, how are we going to build God a house?

This Christmas, do yourself a favour and  ensure that your family get your full attention.

Becky, Caleb and Isaac… I love you!

… i have tried…

Right now I am preparing part 2 of  ’I am Joseph – the journey of becoming’ (a 4 part series I am doing at BCC Campus: City).

I am really, really excited by this series and genuinely think that it will release people from a mundane and depressed lifestyle of a constant acceptance of all this mediocre and nominal.

This morning as I read through my devotions I saw from 2 Peter 3:1…

‘I have tried to stimulate your wholesome thinking and refresh your memory’

This is exactly what our preaching and writing, in fact, everything we are as leaders should do. Many people live in a prison because of unwholesome thinking and not fresh memories.

The whole deal of following Jesus is an adventure that surely rids the cobwebs and causes our veins to be filled with adrenaline. My encouragement to you would be to stimulate others by your actions and words creating wholesome thinking and fresh memories.

400 – Life File

Much of my communication as a church leader is centred around empowering people to behave in a Christ-like fashion.

Jesus was, and is, the perfect example. We all know that, recognise that and aspire to be like that. In the 90′s that zany craze of wearing WWJD bands propelled His example to the forefront of our attention.

Then we took the WWJD band off because we weren’t DOING WHAT JESUS WOULD DO…

Many of us labour and toil to live in such a way that is honourable, integral, righteous and beneficial to those around us. Jesus lived in such a way and he seemed to do it with ease.

Why do we so struggle?

Why do we wrestle?

Why do we continuously come back to the same report of ‘could do better’?

Proverbs 23:7 gives us the key: ‘As a man thinketh, so he is.’

It’s not a change of behaviour that is required; it’s a change of thinking.

1 Corinthians 2: 16 tells us that ‘… we have the mind of Christ.’

If we want to walk as Jesus did, our steps should not be the focus…

Our mindset should be!

Philippians 4 tells us, ‘… whatever things are true, noble,  just, pure, whatever lovely,  lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue & if there is anything praise worthy – meditate on these things.’

Romans 12 tells us to ‘be transformed by the renewing of the mind’ which all sounds twee until we set out to renew our minds. Many a Christian expect the ‘renew’ process to be a kind of  ’app’ purchase where we simply upload the latest ‘mindset’ and we’re all good to go with our renewed mind.

It doesn’t work like that. God never does what He asks us to do!

The process of changing our thinking to match that of Christ is down to us and here are a few practical things that you can do to help:

1. READ the Bible… Yeah I know every church leader says to and we all know it but… HELLO! Let’s make a commitment to read the Bible. Early on this year, through the awesome www.youversion.com my whole church read through the Bible in 90 days!! That’s right, 90 days… TRY IT!

2. APPLY the bible… simply reading isn’t enough. I can read any set of instructions but unless I do what they say, I will never see what is in the packet built. You will never fulfil your potential unless you apply the designer’s instruction.

3. KEEP a journal… writing stuff down that you’ve learnt really does help… there is something that links our brain to the words we write! they come alive.

Here’s a thought… try this for one week and see if there is a difference in the way that you walk!! Find me on Twitter and let me know…

150 – mission outweighs reputation

I find that the little lines of scripture that are often skipped over reveal so much. There is a passage of scripture that tells us the people of Jesus’ day were so impressed with Him that they were intending to make Him king by force.

The Bible goes on to say that Jesus, in a way, ignored the people and their plans and went on a walk up a mountain. One translation said that ‘Jesus went up higher’.

People may think that you are fantastic! You may have really impressed the crowd! They may want you to be the boss, the pastor or even the hero but don’t allow your reputation determine your activity.

Choose, like Jesus, to go up higher.

What people think of you is not the really important thing. What God the Father thinks is!

Jesus knew He had a mission to fulfil the will of the Father… So do you!

Don’t listen to the crowd… Go up higher!

150 – Jesus believes in you

Here is something that I find fascinating. Jesus believes in us more than we believe in Him.

I know I may sound a little confused but hear me out…

We constantly live with insecurity and indecisiveness regarding our activity with phrases like, ‘I cannot do that’; ‘There is no way I can do that’; ‘I’m not sure I’m good enough’; ‘God please help me,’ and other such comments.

Yet Jesus is always pushing us to do greater and grander feats.

The feeding of the 5000 people we always attribute to Jesus but when I read it closely, I see the outcome could have been so different. Luke 9: 13 tells us that Jesus, having absolute confidence in His team, says, ‘YOU give them something to eat.’

The disciples freaked out and Jesus performed a miracle.

Yet if the disciples had believed in themselves as much as Jesus did the story would have been so different.

You can do it.

Believe in yourself a little more…

Jesus does!

150 – double prayers

One thing we know about people is that when tough times come, we always pray.

There is something in-built in human kind that when the pressure is on we cry out to someone, somehow, to help and intervene on our behalf – we pray!

What I find amazing about prayer is that even Jesus got his prayers confused.

In the garden before Jesus was seized and eventually crucified we read of Jesus praying. In this famous prayer we see Jesus correct his prayer.

Luke 22 reads, ‘Father if it is your will, take this cup from me; nevertheless not my will, but Yours, be done.’

Jesus changes his prayer to not be focused on what He wants to happen due to His humanity, to a prayer that focuses on God the Father and His desired outcome.

Prayer works.

Let’s not call on God to deal with things how we see them but cry out that ‘His will be done’, as Jesus did!

150 – resolute people achieve

Many a person has a grand dream or a passionate plea to achieve something in a lifetime. Many a person has set out on an adventurous journey to fulfil a lifetime ambition.

Those that fulfil that which is in their heart have one single thing in common…

Are they all intelligent? No.

Are they all highly skilled? No.

Are they all wealthy? No.

Are they all incredibly good-looking or have friends in high places? No.

The one attribute that is common in people who achieve great feats is that they are resolute in their determination to not give up!

Nehemiah was such a man. He was burdened for the city of his fathers. He took his opportunities. He made his plans and set out to achieve his dream.

Yet when opposition came, Nehemiah replied, ‘Should such a man as I flee?’

If you’re to achieve great things, determine right now to never run, never give in and never capitulate!