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White Pines Campus Building Update

Winning

WINNING. I'm sure you've heard the phrase, 'Winning is everything.' Is it? What do you think? For me it depends on how you define it and in relationship to what.
 
John Wooden, when asked about his success as the winningest basketball coach in college history said, 'For me there is a standard that ranks above winning. I would never allow the scoreboard to be the judge of whether I had achieved success.' Eddie Powell, a former assistant coach and player observed, 'Coach Wooden was more upset if we won but didn't work up to our potential than if we lost playing our best.'
 
So, is winning everything? I think we'd all agree that when you look at winning from that perspective, it certainly isn't everything. In fact, there are a number of things more important than winning...values, character and peace of mind.
 
I'd like to offer another perspective. I'm in consistent communication with Bishop Mpemba from Tanzania re: the progress and status of the radio station. Once completed, it will be the first Christian radio station in the entire country with a potential audience of ten million people! This is an incredible opportunity, but it doesn't come without a price! As you can imagine, there are victories and setbacks along the way. However, one constant is Mpemba's attitude and resolve. This is often reflected in his communication to me...whatever the report, he signs off, 'We are winning!'
 
I love it! I've adopted that as my attitude toward the vision God has given me for my family and our church. No matter the circumstances at the moment, as we persevere with the vision God has set before us, we are winning! Reality is, there are times when it's two steps forward, one step back...but if we stay the course, we will win! On Friday, it looked like Jesus was down for the count...but then came Sunday morning! Because of Jesus and the cross, we are winning!

Honor

HONOR. Pretty "weighty" word...that's what it actually means in Hebrew...weight, abundance, value, dignity.

Scripture is replete with references to honoring the Lord. Honor also made it into the "top ten"..."honor your father and mother".  Paul tells us in ROM 12:10 that we are to "honor one another above ourselves". (I'm sensing a teaching series coming together...just sayin'.)

The question I proposed to our staff earlier this week, that I would submit to all of you is this..."What can we do to honor those in authority over us, those who serve along side us and those under us?"

Here are a few of their responses...with our words, by giving of our time and attention, helping them realize their full potential...encouragement, loyalty, public affirmation. By the way, have I mentioned yet how much I love and appreciate our staff? We really are blessed with an incredible team!

Speaking of an incredible team, Julie and I had the honor of spending an evening with our Elders and their wives. What an evening it was...an evening of stories, love, laughter and tears as we spent considerable time honoring one another with heartfelt words of encouragement.

I'd like to encourage you to proactively look for ways that you can show "honor" to those around you. The world will be a better place!

Phone (Pt. 2)

Last week I asked the question, "How different would our lives and world be if all of us as followers of Christ were as committed to hearing God's voice as we are having our phones at our side 24-7?"

As a follow-up to that, what are the primary ways or arenas in which God speaks? In ACTS 2:42 it says that these new believers "devoted themselves to the apostles, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer."

The word "devoted" here means to proactively and steadfastly attend to. It's something you're not just committed to, but living in pursuit of. For most of us our struggle is not with devotion, but the object of our devotion.

How devoted are you to the teaching of God's Word, to being in community, to breaking bread and to prayer? The easiest one of the four for me is breaking bread...eating. If breaking bread is a spiritual gift, I have it!

The challenge is, these are not spiritual gifts, but rather spiritual disciplines. As we devote ourselves...as we proactively and steadfastly pursue them, our lives will be enriched. All four are arenas through which God will speak to us. Get in position and then listen...God is speaking and it's life giving!
 

Phone

PHONE.  Last week I read an article in USA Today about the next wave of marketing as it relates to "phones"....the shift will be from a simple cell phone to full media devices due to the fact that the market is saturated. (220 million cell phone numbers have been issued)

How connected are you to your phone? I know a number of people who actually "sleep" with their phone. That's connected all right...possibly dependent or even addicted.

Here's a thought...how different would our lives and world be if all of us who claim to be followers of Christ were that connected to or dependent upon hearing God's voice?! In john 10:4 Jesus said, "His sheep follow Him because they know His voice".

How familiar are you with God's voice? What is He saying to you? He's talking...are you listening? Have you answered his call?

By the way...the word for "voice" from John 10:4 is the word "phone" in Greek and it means to shine, to shed light on, to show, reveal, disclose through a certain noise, sound or voice.

The next time you use your "phone", remember that God has something to say...He wants to reveal something to you...listen to His voice (phone)!

Progress (pt. 2)

PROGRESS (Pt. 2). Last week we looked at a couple of keys to or principles of progress...being fully engaged and laying aside anything that may hinder us or slow us down.

The principle of progress that I want to introduce to you here may seem paradoxical initially. (Most Kingdom principles are!) Here it is...from time to time you need to slow down and step away so you don't lose your way! In the world of sports, we call it a "time out". In our walk with Christ, it's called the Sabbath.

A number of years ago I heard Andy Stanley say that in relationship to ministry and leadership "we need to work on it, not just in it." In other words, if you don't occasionally step back and step away, you could just be carried along and lose your way.

During our upcoming series, "Confessions of a Pastor", I'm going to take some time to do just that...work on it. Here's a confession...after 25 years of going full-throttle, I need to make sure I'm on track and good to go for the next 25 years!

The benefits? First, you'll have the privilege of hearing some of our other pastors make some bold confessions. Second, I believe I'll gain some fresh insights that will serve all of us well as we move into the future that God has for us. After all, the best is yet to come!

More Photos...

Here are a couple more pictures showing the progress of our White Pines Campus Building.

Roistemi

ROISTEMI. Say what? If you're thinking, "sounds Greek to me", that's because it is. So what is "proistemi"? Here's a hint...it's one of my favorite subjects and points of interest/study. Proistemi is the Greek word for leadership. It's a compound word. The word "pro" means in front of, above or before. "Histemi" means to bring, stand, establish or hold up. Put the two together and it means to stand before, preside over or to lead.

Let's break it down even further. How would you define leadership? I've discovered that there are about as many different definitions of leadership as there are authors on the subject.

To keep it simple, I like the definition that I've come across over and over again in my research and study...leadership is influence! I like this because I don't believe that leadership is necessarily tied to a position, title or personality.

According to Romans 12:8, there is a gift of leadership...like any gift, some have it, some don't. However every one of us has some level of influence on others. If you're influencing someone else's actions, opinions or behavior, you're leading them. Therefore, you are a leader!

Just like anything else that the Lord entrusts to us, we have a responsibility to manage or steward it well. At Crossroads, we're passionate about helping you to do that and take your "proistemi" (leadership) HNL. One vehicle through which we can do that is our Leadership Institute

Learn More here:
Midwest Location
Colorado Location

Focus

FOCUS. A friend gave me a ride to O'Hare airport this past Sunday after church. We enjoyed some great dialogue during the hour and a half drive.  At one point he made a statement in reference to a particular project that some of our leadership has been working on. He said that the issue was focus, not control.

Have you ever been challenged to stay focused? I certainly have! I could offer a number of reasons as to why, but at the end of the day, what matters is staying focused. It's critical!

Focus, or the lack of it can be the difference between victory and defeat, success or failure, even life and death. Champions stay focused on the goal, prize or mission at hand...especially when facing opposition. We see examples of this all through Scripture...

Paul said, "I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead." (PHIL. 3:13 NLT)

It's not just what you choose to focus on, but what you choose NOT to focus on as we see in the life of Abraham...

Abraham didn't focus on his own impotence and say, "It's hopeless. This hundred-year-old body could never father a child." Nor did he survey Sarah's decades of infertility and give up. (ROM. 4:19 MSG) 

What are you focused on? May we all be like Paul and go for the prize! May we all be like Abraham in that we don't focus on our circumstances, but rather on God's promises! Speaking of prizes and promises...you are the focus of His love!

Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. (EPH. 1:4 MSG) 

White Pines Campus Building

Our White Pines Campus now has a concrete slab and the steel for the building was delivered yesterday. I have to say that I'm very excited to see how God will use this new building to change that community and continue the work that He has already begun!