Growing leaders in any facet of life are always trying to answer the same question: "What's next?" During a season of growth, it might be tempting to consider settling down, playing it safe. It might seem reasonable to rest and enjoy. What appears to be a summit may actually be a plateau. A good leader will be thinking ahead ... "What's next?" When we find ourselves in the midst of a struggle, it's easy to ask "What's next?" and to expect that the answer means a release from our tension and conflict. That may be the answer; it also may not be the answer. The answer may lie in what God wants to teach us during the journey. Emerging stronger, we ask again "What's next?" Asking "What's next?" keeps us focused on the future -- on growing, developing, learning, and maturing. What's next for you?
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"Every tomorrow has two handles. We can take hold of it with the handle of anxiety or the handle of faith." -- Henry Ward Beecher There are a number of anxious people in our world -- and I don't mean the larger, global world, but your little corner of the landscape. We encounter anxious people at work, next door, and around the kitchen table. What is anxiety? Anxiety is anticipating something bad or dangerous happening and worrying about it before it happens. And many times, it never happens. On the other hand, faith is anticipating what God is capable of doing and waiting hopefully for it to happen. Fear or faith. Anxiety over what hasn't happened or hoping for what could happen. The choice is yours.
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I'm biased and I admit it. Ever since planting a church in San Diego (a shout out to my LifePoint peeps) I've been a firm believer in the need to start more churches. There is something about new churches that I love ... the sense of mission, new faces, challenges, and opportunities. I absolutely love church planting and church planters. On October 10, 2010, there will be an explosion of new churches. It's called the 10-10-10 initiative (http://www.101010initiative.org/). New churches will hold their first service on that day and existing churches will renew their commitment to church planting. Be praying now for 10-10-10. Here in Denver, Elevation Church will launch in Aurora on that day. Scott Bloyer and his team have been working and praying hard. I've had the privilege of having coffee with Scott and getting to hear his passion for disconnected people. If you're in or around Denver,…
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Last weekend, I wrapped up our "Upside Down Way of God" series with a message about life and death -- how real life is found in dying to yourself. Jesus challenged his earliest followers to "take up their cross" and follow him (Matthew 16:24-26). The challenge is still the same. Truth be told, we are in a constant state of either living or dying. Physically, it's a one-way street -- unless someone discovers the fountain of youth and learns how to turn back time. Spiritually speaking, it's not so linear. It's not like we get started on the spiritual path and only make progress. We stumble. We fall. And there may be times, we turn and run the other way. Maybe you struggle with the idea of dying to yourself. As far as I can see it, we're either dying to ourselves or dying to God because only one person…
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While doing research on Google, I came across a link to Bat Cave Baptist Church. At first, I thought it was a parody site -- but it's real and located in Bat Cave, NC!
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