Eric Taylor

Are You Compelling?

I have loved reading through the Gospels slowly every 30 days.  It's uncovered some things I've never noticed before and it's reminded me of some things I have known for years, just haven't been practicing them.  The other day I was reading Luke 14 and came across a passage that I remember hearing a lot in revivals in my early years of ministry.  But it's a principle and practice that we must constantly reinforce with our church AND OURSELVES.  I heard a long time ago that when you plant a church, go after the people NO ONE wants.  That's what's happening in Luke 14.  One word always gets me each time I read the passage-- COMPEL--  The master tells the servant to "COMPEL them to come in that my house may be filled."  At first glance you may thing that to compel someone means to twist someone's arm or to drag them to a church service... but I think it's more than that.  As pastors, church leaders and Christ followers, we must be compelling in several areas to those disconnected from God and the church.  Ask yourself these questions:

1. Are we compelling in our invitation?  I've heard people almost apologize for inviting people to church.  There's no sense of urgency in their invitation.  Our invitation for people to come and see what God is doing in the lives of His people and in His church must trump any other thing competing for their attention and affection.  We must be what Ken Blanchard calls "Raving Fans" of our church and what God is doing in our church.
2. Are we compelling in our presentation? What are we inviting people to?  If our website is compelling and claims we're the friendliest church in town--- do we deliver? Is everything we do done with excellence?  Is what we are presenting compelling enough to get people to visit a second time?  There's something called "The Broken Window Theory" that says if you let things go without fixing them, soon people will assume that no one cares.  If we invite people into an environment where they think no one cares enough to pursue excellence... they will assume they won't care about me either. For us, we must continually press for excellence in what we do... even the details...especially the details.
3. Are we compelling in our dedication?  Another way to put it is "are we smoking what we're selling?"  Is our life a true picture of what they can experience if they "come to the banquet" that we're compelling them to come to?  To be compelling enough for someone who's disconnected from God and the church to listen to you and accept your invitation, you and I have to demonstrate real life change that's happening in us right now!  How is God moving in your life now?  How are you being formed more into the image of God today?  How are you being transformed to be more like Jesus?  When people see your life change and you and I point them to the church where that life change is taking place, then that's pretty compelling!    

COMPEL them to come in so that my house may be full.  

We have the most compelling story in the history of the universe. Jesus left heaven for earth to restore a broken relationship with God and to give us a full and meaningful life.  How are you telling the story?  I read that the one who tells the most compelling story controls the culture.  We MUST be compelling so that others will see a true picture of Christ.

(*I know I'm talking purely from the context of an attractional model.  I know it's not all about getting "butts in the seat".  I'll be writing about being missional and externally focused soon.)

Monday Rewind

• We began a new series yesterday called "Once Upon a Time"
• I'm pumped about this series because I'm convinced it will help people find their place in the Larger Story that God is unfolding around us.
• It was great having a full band again.  They were awesome!
• I felt bad all day yesterday.  Not sure if it's a kidney stone or what, but it nagged me the whole day and I didn't feel like I preached well at all.
• I came home and went to bed.  Today I feel a little better.  Still resisting going to the doctor though. 
• Yesterday was one of those days where the crowd showed up late.  at 10:15 there were only a handful of people in the seats, but by the time I got on stage we had a good crowd.  
• I got to celebrate Valentine's day with Sonja on Saturday --went to eat and a movie (Valentine's Day).  I had a blast but I'm not a huge fan of Valentine's day.   If you only do something nice for your spouse or girlfriend one day a year-- you should be ashamed... and punished! It's like people who say they're Christians but only show up for church on Easter or Christmas.  (I stole that from Michael Lukaczewski.  I rolled on the floor laughing when I read it)
• Sonja and the kids are out of school today for President's Day so I'll be working from home most of the day.  The closer my kids get to graduating High School, the more time I want to spend with them.  

Valentine's Day Book Review

I've loved John and Staci Eldredge's work for years.  I've read most of John's stuff, and my wife's read Captivating.  Honestly, I was expecting much of the same principles you would read in Wild at Heart or Sacred Romance.  While the principles are there, after all, that's what Ransomed Heart ministries is built on, the thing that sets this book apart is the personalization.  The stories of specific instances and the personal vulnerability that John and Staci show is what made this book a good read for me.  Not only did they deal with the issues of marriage that we all know are important-- communication, intimacy, serving one another-- but they went deeper than many other books I've read on the subject of marriage.  They talked about issues that couples experience that have nothing to do with how much they love each other, but how they love (or don't love)  themselves and how these factors affect our daily lives.  

Another great section of the book was talking about dealing with the unseen battle.  The forces of evil that are set against the marriage by the enemy who wants nothing more than to steal, kill and destroy.  The Eldredges show us from their own lives how to battle for your mate and your marriage.  

Although it took me a little while to get into the book, after a couple of chapters, I began to think about couples I know in the illustrations and explanations that John and Staci gave-- sometimes those couples were me and my wife!  In fact, she's going to be reading the book as well. 

I'm going to be using Love and War as an assignment in my pre-marital counseling for engaged couples.  It's a great resource that will be helpful to marriages just starting out as well as those who've hit a bump or two.  It will even help those who have a great marriage to remember the principles that make it great in the first place.  

If you'd like to pick up this book, click the picture of the book and you'll be taken to the WaterBrook Multnomah site to purchase it.  

This was book was provided for review by WaterBrook Multnomah.  

Satan's Arsenal

One of Satan's most effective weapons he throws at us constantly is DOUBT.  If he can get us to question ourselves, our effectiveness, our calling, our purpose, our relationships, our path, our abilities, our decisions... the list goes on and on... he can cause great damage to our spiritual and emotional health.  

He did this with Jesus in Matthew 4 with one word-- IF.  That word launches a thousand doubts... and the enemy is crafty and effective at using it.  

If you are the son of God... then turn these stones into bread

If you are the son of God... then cast yourself down

If you worship me...then I'll give your real power.

What a crock!  But we fall for it.  As pastors and church leaders we say-- "If I had a bigger church...", "if I were in (fill in the blank with your favorite pastor to compare yourself to here)'s  situation, I could be successful too", "if I had more .... money, people, space, time, a staff, a better staff, a better location... the list can go on for days...

And while we contemplate the "IF's"...  we never realize we've become distracted from our primary purpose to reach people and make disciples.  

But it's not just pastors.  We all are targets in Satan's sights and if he can just get us to question, to doubt, he can take us out.  

If I had a different job... 

If I had a different spouse...

If I lived in a different house...

If I came from a better family...

If I had more money...

As we question and let doubt rise, we begin to make decisions that affect our lives and our future.  

We begin to look around for someone else, we become discontent with the things we have, we begin chasing after other people's story instead of living inside our own...and we miss out on what God has for us.

If we look at Matthew 4, we see that when Satan fired missiles of doubt at Jesus,  Jesus had a strategic defense system ready-- it's called SCRIPTURE.  Every time the enemy tries to cause question, doubt....Scripture is our main weapon to defend ourselves AND to fight back.  It's the Truth that counters Satan's lies.  That's why we make a BIG DEAL about saturating your life with Scripture... not so you can check it off a To Do list every day.. but so you'll be prepared when the enemy comes at you to try to get you to doubt what God has called you to.   I've heard this phrase over and over and it's become a constant companion to me when Satan tries to cast a shadow of doubt in my life and leadership-- "Don't Doubt in the Dark what God has Shown you in the Light".  That phrase, coupled with the Truth of God's Word has helped me navigate through LOADS of doubt that I have had over the years.

If you don't have a plan to read Scripture, there are some great ones out there... I personally love YouVersion from LifeChurch.tv.  There are several options that you can use and I'd encourage you to jump in and find one so that the next time you have a bout with doubt, next time you begin to question yourself, your calling, your purpose, your abilities, your effectiveness, your relationships, etc...God can use His Word to remind you who you are... and whose you are.  Don't doubt in the dark what God has shown you in the light!

What doubts do you struggle with at times? What "IF's" are currently holding you back? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Monday Rewind

SUPER SUNDAY yesterday!

And it had nothing to do with football!  Well, maybe a little.  

We had a great day at Journey as we finished our DNA series.  I preached a message that was really the heart of our desire to start our church over 3 years ago.  It's all about Impacting Our Community.  

• Yes, I began my message by juggling.
• Yes, I stunk at it.
• I felt like I threw down a pretty big challenge yesterday.  Not sure how people would respond.  But they did.  We had many people commit to SERVING others this week and SHARING the Gospel with someone.  
• If we follow through... I believe we will see significant life change in Auburn. 
• Super Bowl Party was so great.
• I love hanging out with our people.  It's biblical when we get together and eat (see Acts 2).  I'm not sure they had Chili and Cheesecake, but I'm glad we did!  
• Gluttony is a sin and I expect a dozen or so people to repent this morning!  Including me!
• We had a blast hanging out and enjoying connecting with friends and having great conversations.  We even had a couple of people say in casual conversation that they were ready to go public with their faith through baptism!  That's way better than the Super Bowl!
• The game was great.  Best line I saw on Twitter after the game, I can't remember who it was from-- "I bet Peyton Manning grew up always wanting to throw the winning touchdown for the Saints in the Super Bowl.  Now he can say he did!"  That was hilarious.
• Loved some of the commercials-- The Doritos commercials were awesome.  Congrats to Erwin McManus and Mosaic Church and their production company for their Casket Commercial.  It was cool to see how much creativity is in the body of Christ.
• My favorite was the little boy--"keep yo hands off my momma.  keep yo hands off my doritos"  
• E-trade baby was funny too.  Still not sure how much I like the older baby though.
• I can't wait to begin our new series next Sunday called "Once Upon a Time".  We're going to look at the story of Scripture and see where we fit into the story.  
• Begin now to invite people this Sunday.  

Book Review- Angels by David Jeremiah

 Confession Time-- I never really bought into the  angel craze over the past several years.  I didn't even watch Touched by an Angel.  About the closest I came was watching Angels in the outfield!  Don't get me wrong.  I believe in angels. The bible is very clear on the existence and work of angels both in the Old and New Testaments.  But the existence and purpose of angels has been misunderstood and misinterpreted over the years.  Now there's a book that helps sift through the information that's out there- and by out there, I mean both the cultural view and the biblical view of angels.   Dr. David Jeremiah has written one of the BEST books on the treatment of angels I've ever read.  Not only is it theologically sound, but it's also very practical.  He systematically deals with questions about angels that I believe most people have and gives strong scriptural and theological evidence.  He deals with the creation of angels, the misconception of who they are and what they do (spoiler alert-- they are NOT like little plump babies strumming on harps), He talks about personal guardian angels (personally, this was one of my favorite chapters.).  He even deals with the fallen angels-- Satan-- and how all that went down.  Whether you're "into" angels or not, this book is a great book to help you see or remind you of the supernatural realm that we can't see.  The greatest thing that Dr Jeremiah does in his treatment of angels is to always point people to the Father.  

I really enjoyed this book, especially the way it was laid out and organized.  In fact, it is so well written and organized that it can be used as a reference book where one can easily find answers to most questions about angels.   If you'd like to get your own copy of Angels, you can click on the book and you'll be taken to the Random House site.  

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

Monday Rewind

Awesome Day at Journey yesterday.

• We had Steve Redmer with us to lead worship.  He and the band were amazing.  They led us in worship in a powerful way and it made it very easy to preach after that!
• I preached about money-- but not just money-- developing a culture of generosity.  More than just wanting to get into your pockets, we want you to be like Jesus.
• Lots of very practical stuff from the message
• Great feedback on the Worship service yesterday.
• Got to have a long lunch with Steve and his wife Jennifer. We are really developing a great friendship.   Pray that God works everything out where they can come and join us at Journey.
• I had invited a TON of people,  none of them showed up.  I was bummed but will keep working it.
• Growth groups start this week and I'm pumped.  I'm leading a group of men on Friday mornings at 6 am... that's pretty hardcore!  Can't wait to see what God does through these men.
• Lots to do this week to get ready for Dinner with the Pastor on Friday and the Super Bowl Party on Sunday.
• I'm also taking a Prayer Retreat one day this week where I'll get away from the office, the phone, the internet and take a bible, journal and pen and just read, listen and write down what God says.  Anyone have a place within an hour or two of Auburn I could use for about 6-8 hours one day this week?  cabin, lakehouse, storage shed? etc? 
• I hope you can sense it because it's what's keeping me up at night-- God is up to something at Journey... I can't wait to see it all play out... but that also means that Satan is going to try and mess with us... He's a punk and we can't let him distract or disengage us from what God is doing in our lives and our church.
• That's all for now... headed to the gym!

Speeches, Speeches, Speeches

 I haven't seen the numbers yet of how many people watched last night's State of the Union Address compared to how many watched Apple's Big Announcement.  Both were highly anticipated.  I didn't get to watch the Apple announcement live-- every website I tried was at capacity, it slowed twitter down and so I had to resort to listening to a guy talking on the phone explaining what Steve Jobs was doing...needless to say, this guy will not be getting any jobs as a play by play announcer... he was horrible.  But a few minutes after the speech, the website was up... the iPad was no longer a dream... then I got to watch the video and Job's introduction of this revolutionary new product that we just can't live without.  Oh yeah, and then last night, the President had a speech too.  I say that because I watched it and it was just like every other State of the Union Address... lots of clapping from one side, lots of blank stares from the other.  Lots of whispering going on... and I saw a few folks nodding off.  When it was all said and done, it was a standard political speech... no big surprises...no major announcements that would have caused people to say "wow! I didn't see that coming!" 

The thing about both speeches, they were telling a story.  The President told the story of our great nation--where we've been the past year and where we're going.  But the question is- was his story compelling enough to take people with him on the journey?  Listening to all the news shows last night and this morning the answer is no.  

But then there's Apple.  If anyone knows how to craft a story, it's these guys.  They created excitement, mystery, drama and most of all they delivered what they said they would deliver.  And isn't that the purpose of these speeches?  To reveal not only the plan but deliver the goods!  They certainly made me want to order an iPad right now (I showed my son Seth the video and he wants one too.  I wonder if they give quantity discounts?)

When it comes to our churches, who are we most like?  Do we give speeches about what we want to accomplish or do we seek to capture the imagination and take people on a journey?

• We want to reach thousands of people for Christ
• We want to create environments where people far from God can find life in Christ.
• We want to dig wells for clean drinking water in Africa
• We want to see people reach their full potential in Christ.

All these are GREAT things to accomplish.  In fact, I've even said some of them myself.  But contrast that with what Apple did-- They delivered a product and told a story about how we can't live without this-- nobody beats Apple at creating demand for something.  Why can they do this?  

• They Capture the imagination of people
• They create a compelling story of how we cannot live without the product
• They create a buzz about it-- through rumors & speculation that just fuels the desire
• Their people LIVE in that world.  They immerse themselves in it 24/7.
• Finally-- They deliver.

What can the church learn from this? 

• We must not simply make speeches of what we hope will happen
• We must reconnect with the compelling story of the Gospel and remember that it's the GREATEST STORY EVER 
• We must recapture the essence of the Gospel Story.  It's not something we give a speech/sermon about or hear about  on Sundays.  It's the very story that we find ourselves in... The story of adventure,  conflict, brokenness,  love, grace, redemption... It's a great story and we are living right in the middle of it.  Don't relegate it to a 30 minute speech on the weekend.
• We must WORK HARD to capture the imagination of a generation who get more excited about microchips and wi-fi than experiencing a life of purpose and meaning they were uniquely designed and created for.
• We must never forget to DELIVER the Gospel.  Whether that's in spiritual conversations, servant evangelism, social justice or sermons on the weekend...our primary calling is to deliver the gospel to people who are far from God.

Thanks Apple and Steve Jobs for giving a clear picture of evangelism. (By the way-- There was an actual job at Apple called "Mac Evangelist"-- Guy Kawasaki held that position for a long time)

Monday Rewind

Yesterday was one of those days at Journey that keep me humble as a pastor.  I don't know if it's just the culture of our church or what, but at 10:15 when the service started, we had a handful of people in the auditorium.  It was rainy & gloomy and I began to think that no one else would show up... of course by the end of the welcome time, we had a pretty good crowd.  Any of you other pastors who have this same deal?  How do you handle it?  How do you "plan" for it?  What have you done to change behavior?  Or do you just roll with it?  

Anyway, we had a good Sunday.  Worship was good, I loved the message yesterday about taking BIG RISKS.  I may have made some people mad... or at least caused some people to think.  We had several people taking Next Steps... if you were one of those people let me encourage you to repeat these words- right now- outloud- right where you are-- ready?  "Yes, Lord".  Did you do it?  Good.  Now live it out.  God will present you with opportunities today that will cause you to question, debate, argue or flat out disobey.  So, practice saying YES, LORD first.  And then here's the key-- FOLLOW THROUGH AND DO WHATEVER HE SAYS.  

I love teaching about Abraham in Genesis 12.  I have to go back and read that passage from time to time to remind myself to take Big Risks for the Kingdom.

We had a Jamaica Info Meeting yesterday afternoon and each time we talk about these mission projects, I get fired up for the work we're doing in Jamaica with our ministry partner, A.C.E.  I can't wait to form the team and see what God is going to do through them this year!  By the way, there's still time and there's still room.  You have until February 14th to get your $50 deposit in to secure your spot. 

Have you ever felt like something BIG was about to happen?  That's how I feel right now about Journey.  Things are in place for us to make a HUGE impact in our community and around the world.  I want to ask you to jump in with both feet, with your whole heart and let God do God-Sized things in us and through us!

Work Ahead or Play Catchup

Today I'm spending part of the day catching up on some things-- Reading blogs, going through my twitter account, evaluating some of our systems at Journey Church.  

I believe there are two types of people. Those who work hard to stay ahead and those that find themselves constantly playing catchup.  This is no slam on either type and I won't put stereotypes on anyone that falls into either group... you know-- those anal retentive people who always have to have everything in order, or those creative types who seem to fly by the seat of their pants.  Not going to do that... it's not fair to paint that picture.  

When I find myself playing catchup this is what usually happened:

I have bitten off more than I can chew.  Everybody has different capacities at different times in their life and ministry.  (see the Parable of the Talents).  I have a tendency to ADD to without taking anything away.  When I hear about a great church website I'll bookmark it.  When I hear about a great leader that someone recommends I'll add their blog to my Google Reader.  If I hear about a great conference or book, I'll take a look at it.  Here's the problem.  When I add and add and add.  It shrinks my capacity.  After a while it took me half a day to read all the blogs I had on my reader.  It took me a LONG time to keep up with everyone I followed on Twitter and my desire to read a book every 8-10 days flew out the window.  

That also happens in church and ministry because when I let the tyranny of the urgent drive me, I find myself working IN my church and not really working ON my church.  There's a BIG difference.  

So, today, as I'm playing catchup, I'm also taking to heart what Howard Hendricks often says-- "The secret to CONCENTRATION is ELIMINATION."  

The common denominator I have observed in great leaders that I know personally is that they can FOCUS.   They've eliminated all the "extras" that keep them from focusing on the few things that will help them grow as a leader and grow their organization.  

Whether you're a creative type or a detail person, I think we can all benefit from taking some time to evaluate the pattern we follow... are we striving to work ahead or always catching up?  I've found that when I work ahead, I'm much calmer, much more relaxed as a leader and if you ask my family and the people I work with, I'm probably a little easier to be around!   But periodically I need to stop ELIMINATE some of the things that have been "good" things but not "great" things.  That's what I'll be doing today.  

I'm working through my Twitter account.  I may unfollow some people... especially people I don't know personally.  I will do the same thing with Facebook.  I'm going to look at my Google Reader and cut it down from 40 blogs to 20 or 25... maybe even more.    I'm going to schedule some time to "prewrite" my blogs for the week.  This way I can keep from doing the "hit and miss" blogging and hopefully it will get a little better.  

Clearing out the "clutter" will help me get rid of the distractions that fight for my attention and I can FOCUS on the things that really matter.  And the goal of working ahead can become a reality.

So, here's what I'd like to hear from you:

1.  What are the top blogs that are "must reads" for you as a leader?  I'd love some suggestions

2.  How many people do you think are "too many" people to follow on twitter?

3.  Are you a Work Ahead person or a Catch Up person?  

4.  What do you do to maintain FOCUS as a leader?