Gifted but NOT eager

8 05 2012

Someone who is GIFTED won’t DO any good, unless they are EAGER to use their gift FOR God. 

This past Sunday I preached a message on our core value of “It Matters”.  That no matter what you do IN the church, it matters just the same FOR the church!  I truly hope that our people begin to understand the value of EVERY person and EACH place in the church.  I want to eradicate the “I’m JUST” mentality that is so prevalent in the church.  “I’m JUST a greeter.”  “I JUST serve on the parking team.”  “I JUST help out in the office.”  There is no “JUST” in God’s church.  EVERY person has a place and EVERY place matters.  It’s why I always say “The sermon starts in the parking lot.”  EACH place and EVERY position makes a difference in helping people experience LIFE and making an IMPACT!

It’s a tragedy to me that some people are EAGER to use their gifts, and DO use them, they just believe that what they do DOESN’T matter.  That it’s NOT as important as what someone else does.  But just as much a tragedy, are the people who HAVE the ability.  People who HAVE the gifts, they just aren’t eager to use them.

Exodus 36:2 says this 2 So Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab and all the others who were SPECIALLY GIFTED by the Lord AND WERE EAGER to get to work.

That verse is in direct reference to the building of the Tabernacle.  “Serving” in God’s church.  To me it implies that there were at least SOME people who were specially gifted, they just weren’t EAGER to get to work.  And the same is true today.  Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12 both tell us that each Christian has been given a spiritual gift…whether we USE that gift, and HOW we use it is up to us!

Someone who is GIFTED won’t DO any good, unless they are EAGER to use their gift FOR God. 

To all of you who are EAGERLY using your gifts at Element Church…THANK YOU!  What you do MATTERS!

To anyone who still needs to get plugged in…I challenge you, go HERE and become EAGER to use your gift.

EAGER,

Jeff


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Categories : Core Values, Discipleship, Element Church, Leadership, Volunteers

Sunday Ruminations (5-6-12)

7 05 2012

I think I say this every month, so may as well keep it up…I CAN’T BELIEVE IT’S MAY ALREADY!  Crazy!  Of course the weather has been nothing short of near summer like recently, so it shouldn’t be that much of a surprise.  Another great day at Element today, here are my ruminations.

—  15 people acknowledged to us they accepted Jesus as Savior and found new life in HIM!  WOO HOO!  If only for the ONE!

—  Heard a cool story today of a guy that invited his EX wife to Element.  She came and LOVED it!  Said she had never experienced anything like it.  LOVE THAT!  So cool to hear of men inviting their EX’S to church.

—  A brand new community season at Element is coming up in June.  The whole month of May we are promoting community opportunities.  For more info on community go HERE.

—  Got a really cool serving opportunity for families coming up through e:kidz.  It’s called “Plant a seed in the park”.  You can check out the details and sign up HERE.  If you have kids in e:kidz they should have brought home some information.

—  Element 5k will be here before we know it.  Sign up HERE to participate.  Cost is $20, but 15 of those dollars will go straight to the Comea Homeless Shelter and Life Choice Pregnancy Care Center here in town.

—  ALSO, coming up on Monday night, May 14th is our Volunteer Leadership Summit!  If you are currently a volunteer or are interested in volunteering we’d LOVE to have you at this event.  Pastor Adam and the band will lead us in worship, and I’ll be sharing with our volunteers some vision and message from God’s Word.  It’s a great time of celebration as a team.  Childcare is provided and it begins at 6:30 PM.

—  We continued our series today called “This is how we change the world” and talked about Core Value #5: It Matters…  Preached from Matthew 10:5-42.  Here are some excerpts on the day:

  • It Matters… = No matter what you do IN the church, it matters just the same FOR the church.
  • Anytime you can mention Rob Base in a sermon it’s good!  HA!
  • “I’m just…” is a phrase that needs to be REMOVED from our churches language.  “I’m JUST a greeter.”  “I JUST serve in hospitality.”  “I’m JUST on the parking team.”  When people SAY it, most likely they BELIEVE it, and if you BELIEVE it you won’t thank that what you do MATTERS!
  • You are just as important as ANYONE when you do ANYTHING in God’s Kingdom for Jesus.
  • We have elevated the position of the pulpit at the expense of the places like the parking team.
  • The moment I lose sight of who gave me this position, is the moment I miss the importance of it.  And the same is true for EVERY place in the church.
  • Serving in God’s Kingdom, serving in God’s church is NOT an obligation, it is an opportunity.  An opportunity to be involved in something bigger than ourselves.  Something that makes an IMPACT!
  • Because we have placed a higher value on the platform than any other positions, we start to see certain gifts instead of seeking the GIVER who gives them.  If we are seeking out GIFTS, we will end up missing the GIVER.
  • So many people never get to do what God’s chosen them to do because they won’t trust God to do what only HE can do…PROVIDE!
  • If you’re looking for anything more than Jesus you’re going to be disappointed.  If you give SO you’ll receive you’ll eventually stop giving, but if you give BECAUSE you’ve received you can’t stop giving.  If you serve SO you’ll be rewarded you’ll eventually stop serving, but if you serve because JESUS is your reward you can’t stop serving.
  • We can get so busy doing things FOR Jesus that we fail to connect WITH Jesus.
  • When we focus on what we DO we can lose sight of Who’s we ARE.  When we focus on who’s we ARE we accomplish everything He’s asked us to DO.
  • It’s not about WHAT we do, but WHO’S we are.  It’s not about the GIFTS it’s about the GIVER.  It’s not about REWARDS but about what we’ve already RECEIVED.

—  I challenged anyone who is a Christian but is yet to get plugged into their church through volunteering to do that.  You can sign up to serve God through Element Church HERE.

— Don’t forget that Sunday, May 20th, is a big VISION SUNDAY here at Element.  I hope you’ll make it a priority to be there.  I’m going to be unveiling some new directions God’s asking us to go INSIDE of the vision He’s given us.  It’s an “If God doesn’t come through WE’RE through” kind of vision.  I CAN’T wait to share it with you.  I am SCARED TO GOD of what’s next for Element Church.  “If God is for us…”

—  Also, continue praying for FAVOR with financing when it comes to our remodel.  I hope to have some sort of update for you on May 20th.  Hoping for a POSITIVE one!

—  That’s gonna be it.  Thanks to all of you who call Element Church your HOME.  I LOVE you guys!  See ya Sunday.

Till the end,

Jeff


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Categories : Element Church, Sunday Rumination

Influence vs. Influential

3 05 2012

In leadership you should IGNORE the criticism of those with INFLUENCE but INVITE the critique of the INFLUENTIAL. 

EVERYONE has influence but NOT everyone is influential.  There are times in leadership you have to ignore people of influence so you can invite the critique of the influential.  A quick for instance, Starbucks shouldn’t listen to the voice of my wife.  She HATES coffee.  Hates!  Hates the smell.  Hates the taste.  HATES!  (not sure that word is strong enough for her feelings)  Now, she has influence.  She has friends.  Family.  Customers of her home based business.  But she HATES coffee.  No matter what Starbucks does, she will NEVER drink their coffee.  Or ANY coffee.  She has influence but she is NOT influential.

An influential person is invested.  They too have family, friends, co-workers, etc.  The difference is, they are bought in.  They purchase the product.  They support the cause.  They volunteer in the event.  They encourage, support, invest, love, care, and the list goes on.  And this even bleeds into the church.

I have seen TOO MANY CHURCHES crippled by people of influence.  People who LOVE to offer their criticism without investing into the cause.  They don’t give.  They don’t serve.  They don’t encourage, invest, support or care.  They just criticize.  As one person put it, “The loudest critics usually come from the cheapest seats.”  Leader…IGNORE THEM!

Seth Godin put it this way:  If we’re going to do great work, it means that some people aren’t going to like it. And if the people who don’t like it don’t have an impact on what happens to the work after it’s complete, the only recourse of someone doing GREAT work is to IGNORE their opinion.

Dave Ramsey said this in his book EntreLeadershp:  “You can count on criticism if you do anything of scale that matters.  You can’t be afraid of criticism.  It comes with the territory.”  “Instead you should just count on someone not liking the call you make.”  “…fear of gripes from do-nothing people or the opposition isn’t going to keep the EntreLeader from making the call.”  “The more you do, the more someone will have something negative to say.”   

And if you think this isn’t Biblical, here is what Nehemiah said, when people of influence were opposing him.  Nehemiah 6:2b-3  But I realized they were plotting to harm me, 3 so I replied by sending this message to them: “I am engaged in a great work, so I can’t come. Why should I stop working to come and meet with you?”

If they are influential?  If they’ve shown that they care?  That they’re invested?  That they’re bought in?  That they have the best interest of the CAUSE in mind and not just their CRITICISM?  If they’ve been an encouragement?  Then talk.  Invite their critique.  By all means allow the influential their input.  But if all they’re going to do is criticize? IGNORE THEM!


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Categories : Element Church, Leadership

I’m Pregnant Again

2 05 2012

NO Sabrina and I are NOT expecting (knock on wood).  I love my kids but I think that would drive me into depression and despair.  HOWEVER, I am preaching again this Sunday and that is likened to being pregnant.  Let me explain…

I don’t remember where I read this or who said it, but it is so true.  They talked about how preaching is like delivering a baby then waking up the next day only to find out your pregnant again.  (Please moms, understand I am in NO WAY saying I understand the physical pain and intensity that you have faced.  I’ve watched my wife carry FOUR children, been in the delivery room FOUR times and I do NOT wish that upon ANYONE!)

When a preacher has delivered a sermon, at least this is the way it happens for me, it didn’t just pop into their mind that morning or even on Saturday night.  Many times the sermon that is given on Sunday has been growing for weeks, if not months at a time.  Maybe it was  “conceived” in a moment of inspiration as God revealed something to them in Scripture and AT the time it seemed insignificant, but OVER time it begins to grow and develop and mature into a burden on the heart of the preacher SO INTENSE they HAVE to get it out.

Preaching is a laborious process.  It is spiritually, mentally, emotionally and even physically taxing.  By the time Sunday morning rolls around a preacher has (or should have) prayed hard, studied hard, practiced hard and fallen in love with what they are about to deliver.  They anticipate the response of the people.  “Will they listen?”  “Will they understand?”  They seek the counsel of God.  “Is this YOUR word for THESE people?”  Then Sunday morning rolls around.  It’s the day they’ve been waiting for.  DELIVERY.

One, two, three, sometimes four or more times in a weekend the pastor pours his heart out to the people he leads and loves.  The words coming out of his mouth have been pent up in his heart, growing, maturing, developing into a full on 35 – 40 minute message (give or take).  Hours, days, weeks, months of anticipation building up to this ONE moment.  Then BAM.  It’s all over.  The people leave and the pastor again pleads for the Holy Spirit to do what we CANNOT do…connect those words to their hearts.  They go home, they crash in exhaustion, they wake up Monday morning…and they are PREGNANT.

As pastors we LIVE Jeremiah 20:9  But if I say I’ll never mention the LORD or speak in his name, his word burns in my heart like a fire. It’s like a fire in my bones! I am worn out trying to hold it in! I can’t do it!

And we wouldn’t have it any other way.  I’m pregnant again, and I CAN’T WAIT TILL SUNDAY!

BRING IT,

Jeff


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Categories : Element Church, Leadership, Personal, Sermon Series

Enter Worship & Prayer Experience

1 05 2012

Hey Element Church!  I’m SUPER excited for tonight and what I believe God’s gonna do in our midst as we seek Him THROUGH worship and WITH our BOLD PRAYERS.  I want to invite you to join us, to what may be THE most important Community Event in our church. It’s called Enter!

If you’re looking for an easy way to connect through Community at Element Church, this may be it.  It is pretty unstructured and laid back, truly just focusing on seeking God through prayer and worship.  Childcare IS provided and it is a WONDERFUL opportunity for you to engage with your church and your God in prayer.  You aren’t forced into a group or forced to pray out loud.  Pastor Adam and the band will be leading us in worship, and I’ll be sharing some vision on what’s gonna happen here at Element in the coming month.  We’d LOVE to have you come and join us TONIGHT at 6:30 PM.

What: Enter Worship and Prayer Experience

When: Tuesday, May 1st @ 6:30 PM  (TONIGHT)

Where: The Worship Center in Element Church

Who: EVERYONE

Why: Without God, we are destined to fail!


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Categories : Element Church, Enter

Sunday Ruminations (4-29-12)

30 04 2012

—  Announced our next steps with Impact today!  Hard to believe that 18 months ago we started this journey.  Essentially, what it boils down to is, we feel like God has led us to step forward again and pursue financing for the project.  God has blessed us the last 6 months through the generosity of those in Element Church, and we are trusting He will provide EVERYTHING we need.

—  The sermon will be up online by Tuesday and you can watch it for all the details there.  God has been faithful, not only to provide financially, but He gave us the wisdom and clarity we needed to make a decision on what to pursue next.  We met with Cogun Building Design Firm and re-worked our plans, potentially saving us a lot of money on the whole project.  Also, we are pursuing doing the whole remodel in one shot and not phasing it out. (This will get us the youth portion of the facility right away.  We NEED that)

—  I’m praying that on Sunday, May 20th, we will have some definitive answers on financing.  Be praying with me that if this is God’s timing and God’s will that He will grant us favor!

—  Continued our sermon series called “This is how we change the world” today and talked about Core Value #4: A place to call HOME!  Preached from Luke 7:36-50.  Here are some excerpts on the day:

  • Hot Booties!  Had to be there…or watch online.
  • To truly be a home WE have to be who we really are, and allow other people the same freedom.  We aren’t really good at that in the church.
  • A place to call home = We will love people for who they are so we can lead them to where they need to be.
  • If we’re gonna be a home we need to be willing to put up with a little bit of awkwardness for the sake of the afflicted.  Get a little bit uncomfortable for the sake of those who need to be comforted.
  • There is nothing wrong with a church saying “Everyone is welcome”, here’s the thing though;  If everyone is welcome at our church we won’t need to say it, people will see it, for the “notorious sinners” from our community will be there and they will feel comfortable approaching Jesus.
  • A church without notorious sinners is like a hospital without sick people.  Do you know what you call a hospital without sick people?  POINTLESS!
  • Usually, the reason certain hospitals get the most sick people is because they’ve helped the most sick people become well.
  • The only way sinful people will be willing to come to Jesus is if they see through His church that Jesus has come for THEM.
  • When you compare yourself to other people you believe Jesus thinks as highly of yourself as you do.
  • Love is not overlooking peoples sins, it’s helping them overcome them, and to overcome them they need to be uncovered.
  • When we make our church a home, the end goal is not just to uncover the sinfulness of other people, but as other people’s sins are forgiven that God would continue to reveal our own.
  • I don’t ever want to lose my passion for Jesus based on the pride of my own accomplishments.  Our passion for Jesus will remain, only as long as our shortcomings are revealed.  Our shortcomings lead us to Jesus!
  • If we aren’t comfortable being uncomfortable we may as well turn this place back into a shopping center because that’s all it’s good for.
  • (From Impact talk) If we build a house, but we don’t make it a home it’s POINTLESS.  Like a hospital without sick people.  This is NOT about a building, it’s about building a home where people can find Jesus.

—  Band played “This Is Home” by Switchfoot today to set up the sermon.  Did a GREAT job!

—  LOVE seeing some of the new folks plugging into the band.  Had new Keys, bass and drummer today.  TALENTED people!

—  They did a KILLER opener to the service too.  If you were late, you missed it!

—  Enter is this Tuesday night at 6:30 PM in the worship center.  Childcare is provided.  This is a GREAT time to get together and spend some focused time seeking God through worship and prayer!  Come check it out!

—  PLEASE be praying with us for God’s will to be done with the financing on the building.  If God wants us to move ahead, HE will provide the way.

—  That’s about it.  Element Church, I love you guys!

Till the end,

Jeff


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Categories : Element Church, Sunday Rumination

This Sunday — IMPACT

27 04 2012

This Sunday, not only are we continuing our series called “This is how we change the world”, but we are going to be celebrating ALL that God provided for us through the Impact Initiative.  I can’t believe it’s been 18 months already since we set out to raise the funds necessary to purchase our property, and start the expansion remodel of this facility.  We aren’t taking a special offering or asking for additional funds this week, we’re just gonna celebrate what God has done and share what our next step is as a church.

In February, we called the church to fast with us as leaders, as we sought the Lord for wisdom and clarity on what to do next.  We were in a state of “pause” when it came to our expansion remodel and just didn’t know what our next step was.  Well, in that season of fasting, I truly believe God brought the clarity we were looking for in order to move ahead and that’s what I’m going to be sharing with you this week.

I hope you’ll make it a priority to be here this Sunday to hear our next steps.  For a bigger picture on Impact and how we got to where we are, check out the video below.  See ya Sunday.


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Categories : Element Church, Impact Initiative, Updates, Video

Perry Noble Leadership Intensive

26 04 2012

In the Fall of 2010, I was blessed to be a part of Perry Noble’s leadership coaching network for Senior Pastors.  It was a “leadership” changing time for me as a pastor/leader.  18 months later, I’m still going back to my notes and being challenged, refreshed and refined by what we learned those four months.  I’ve been able to pass on great leadership lessons to my team and church as well.

The coaching network I was in was four months long, and we met in Anderson, SC once a month for 1 day long coaching sessions.  Perry is getting ready to do a another coaching network, but this one is a three day intensive, AND it’s open to any leader in the church.  If you are a pastor/leader that is looking for a GREAT investment into your ministry and leadership I would highly encourage you to check this out.

You can find out all the information you need right HERE. Now, you might say “WHOA, that’s expensive.”

Proverbs 4:7 says Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.

One of the ways we do that is by learning from those who are “going before”.  I can’t speak for anyone else, but it was worth every penny for me.  Check it out!


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Categories : Element Church, Leadership, Personal

I (Heart) Cheyenne

25 04 2012

Generosity isn’t about how much you GIVE, it’s about how much it COSTS you.  And when you give the BEST, it costs the MOST.  Coming up this August, we are going to make an INTENTIONAL effort as a church to lead the way in generosity and it’s going to require BIG sacrifice and RADICAL generosity.  It’s one of our core values we have as a church.  We serve a RADICALLY generous God, so we’re going to be RADICALLY generous people.  Check out this video.

Our outreach team has worked HARD on starting to plan out the month of August.  It is going to be HUGE in the life of our church and in IMPACT to our community.  1,000 backpacks and school supplies for students, 10,000 hours of service to our community, AND we are also doing the Element 5k run on August 25th where $15 of the $20 registration fee goes STRAIGHT to Comea Homeless Shelter and Life Choice Pregnancy Care Center.  You can register HERE for the 5k.  More detailed info and sign up opportunities will be coming as the month of August approaches.

Now those are high and lofty goals.  It WILL require sacrifice for us to meet them.  But I want to challenge us to do more.  I’d love to see us give 1,500 backpacks, serve 15,000 hours and be RADICALLY generous to our community.  As a church we are giving 15% of every offering in August towards outreach and generosity.  I’m giving you 4 months advance warning to start praying about and planning for how YOU can be involved.  The only way we’ll accomplish these goals is with EVERYONE participating.

Individually we can’t do EVERYTHING, but we can all do SOMETHING, and when we all do SOMETHING, we end up accomplishing EVERYTHING!

Ezekiel 16:49 says Sodom’s sins were pride, gluttony, and laziness, while the poor and needy suffered outside her door.

May that not be said about us.

I (Heart) Cheyenne,

Jeff


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Categories : Element Church, Element Gives Back, Outreach, Updates, Video

If Only For The One

24 04 2012

We shared this video 2 Sunday’s ago when we preached on the core value of “If only for the ONE!”.  But it also fits perfectly into what we talked about this past Sunday with “Leading the way in generosity”.  My wife served with this couple at the Gas Buydown a few weeks ago.  We captured their story and it truly shows how ONE act of generosity, might reach ONE family, who serves at ONE event that reaches ONE person.  The power of if only for the ONE!


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Categories : Element Church, Element Gives Back, Gas Buydown, Outreach, Video

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