Pay The Price

“Don’t wish for the success of others because you have no idea the price they paid to get there.” Not sure where I heard that quote but it has rocked me several times as I think about it over the last year.

Success doesn’t happen overnight.  It takes time and there is a price to pay.  Too many times nobody wants to pay the price.  We want instant satisfaction.  We want instant success.  We are so used to pushing a button and getting what we want right away.  The problem that I have learned the hard way is if it is easy it is usually not worth a whole lot.  There is something about fighting though your faith or working hard to achieve a goal.

I’ve always envied the success of others.  I see leaders like Winston Churchill and Barack Obama in the world and I see leaders like Andy Stanley, Perry Noble and Steven Furtick in the church world and I catch myself saying I want what they have.  Here’s the deal I’m not them and I will never be them.  The best I can be is me.  The best part about that is that is all that God requires of me.  He didn’t create me to be them.  He didn’t create me to experience their success or their blessings, I have my own prepared for me.

With more success is more problems on a different level.  God gives us what we can handle when we can handle it.  There is no way I could run a church of 20,000 people or run a multi-million dollar company.  But what I can do is my best.  I have had to learn the hard way.  God has been working on stripping me of all pride and measure of what I valued and thought success was.  God has been taking me back to the basics.  Because of that I have learned an entire new respect for authority, serving and what true success in His eyes looks like.

Nobody was asking the church leaders that I mentioned to speak at conferences when they had a church of 20 people.  However they trusted God, were faithful and because of that they are seeing success that is not the norm.  If it was easy everybody would do it.  Truth is though, whether they have a church of 20 or a church of 20,000 it is not the size of the church that matters it is their pursuit of God and how that transcends into their everyday lives and into their everyday relationships.

So the key is pay the price by doing the little things.  Do what you can do.  Don’t wish for the success of other because you have no idea the price they paid to get there.  Just remember with others success comes others problems.  Learn to enjoy the journey and not rush the season of small beginnings.

Andy Stanley-Catalyst East 2010

Tripp & Tyler Babies

Journey To Unite

I love movies.  One of the best movies that I have seen in a very long time is Invictus which is the true story of Nelson Mandela and his journey to unite a country as he became the president of South Africa after spending 27 years in prison for sabotage and other charges.  Mandela claimed that the poem Invictus written by William Ernest Henley, hence the name of the movie, gave him strength in the darkest of times.

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

At one point Mandela sat Francois Pienaar down who was the captain of the South African Springboks to challenge him to win the World Cup of Rugby and Mandela said this, “How do we inspire ourselves to greatness when nothing less will do?  How do we inspire everyone around us?”  Mandela’s dream was to unite the whites and blacks of South Africa by inspiring them through rugby.  Francois took the challenge and inspired a mediocre team to greatness and for a moment inspired a nation to greatness.

Andy Stanley has said this quote before, “What do you do when you realize you are the most powerful person in the room?”  Both Mandela and Francois leveraged their power together in their respective areas of influence.  The word Invictus is Latin meaning, unconquer, unconquerable or undefeated.  Towards the end of the movie Francois commented that, “We’ve become more than just a rugby team.”

I wonder in our lives when do we realize that we were created for more than what we are doing currently?  When do we realize that we are more than just a Christ-follower but we are part the Kingdom of God?  When do we realize that we are more than just a neighbor or a co-worker but we are a link between them and an eternity with the Creator?  Romans 8:37 says, “In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” We are more than Invictus in Christ.

It’s All About Me…

I know when you read that title you probably thought I was going to really stick it to those people who think the world revolves around them or I was going to hit some pride issues.  Nope.  Today really is all about me which is very awkward.  I had someone say to me the other day, “I really enjoy reading your blog but I still really don’t know what you like or don’t like.”  So today is a few lists of things that I like and most likely I will lose some readers because you may not like what I like and may even be offended that I would like that. (There was a lot of “likes” in that sentence.) However, this is who I am.  So, here we go.

Top 5 Artists or Bands:

• Nirvana
• Hillsong
• The Beatles
• Eminem
• U2

Top 5 Movies:

• Braveheart
• The Notebook
• Gladiator
• The Breakfast Club
• Dumb & Dumber

Top 5 Books: (The Bible being the exception)

• Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller
• Visioneering by Andy Stanley
• Crazy Love by Francis Chan
• Confessions Of A Pastor by Craig Groeschel
• In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day by Mark Batterson

Top 5 T.V. Shows

• Survivor
• Modern Family
• The Office
• Greys Anatomy
• Sportscenter

Top 5 Favorite Real Foods

• Pizza
• BBQ -Ribs & Brisket
• Seafood
• Mexican
• Chinese

Top 5 Favorite Junk Foods

• Doritos
• Oreos
• Candy
• Beef Jerky
• Ice Cream

Favorite Sports Teams:

• NFL- Philadelphia Eagles
• MLB- Philadelphia Phillies
• NBA- Los Angeles Lakers
• NHL- Philadelphia Flyers (To be honest I only watch hockey in the playoffs)
• College Basketball- University of North Carolina
• College Football- University of Southern California

People I’d Like To Meet: (Alive or Dead)

• Martin Luther King Jr.
• Steve Jobs
• Chris Farley
• Francis Chan
• Steven Furtick
• Perry Noble
• Nelson Mandela
• Andy Stanley
• John Maxwell
• Bono
• Kobe Bryant

There it is briefly the things I like.

Be You

While I was driving today I heard on the radio that Subway is now serving breakfast.  Really?  No offense to Subway but when I think of breakfast they are the last fast food industry that I think of.  I’m sure they have done marketing and research.  I’m sure they have even talked to consumers about the possibility of this endeavor.  Their build a better breakfast slogan is catchy and the food does look very good, however.  My question is this, why can’t Subway do what they are good at?  It’s the same reason why Chick-Fil-A does not make burgers or KFC does not make Tacos because they know what they are good at and they stick to it. (Yes I am aware that KFC joins together with Taco Bell and Pizza Hut)

Once again it got me thinking about us as individuals trying to be something we are not.  Maybe we are trying to be all things to all people.  Maybe we don’t even know who we are now.  As a pastor I know who I am and who I am not.

• I know I am not going to write a book that will give the world 40 days of purpose like Rick Warren.
• I know I am not going to have the fashion sense or tenacity of a Steven Furtick.
• I know I am not going to wear polo shirts and speak from a stool where every word I speak should be written in a leadership book like Andy Stanley.
• I know I am not going to be able to get away with cussing like Mark Driscoll.
• I know I am not going to sing and act out my messages like Ed Young.
• I know I am not going to smile relentlessly like Joel Olsteen.
• I know I am not going to be as deep and studied as Mark Batterson.
• I know I am not going to be as funny and raw and bold as Perry Noble.
• I know I am not going to have the faith and passion of a Francis Chan.
• I know I am not going to have the incredible voice of T.D. Jakes.
• I know I am not going to have the build or as many campuses as Craig Groeschel.
• I know I am not going to have powerful worship in my church like Brian Houston.
• I know I am not going to stand through trials like Matt Chandler.

What I do know is that I was not created to be them.  I was created to be me.  I was created to serve God to the best of my abilities.  The quicker you and I realize who we were created to be the quicker you and I will experience the life that God created us to enjoy.

So don’t be a Subway where you come across as desperate chasing the competition but do what you do and do it better than anybody else.

It Came From Within

Our life group started going through It Came From Within by Andy Stanley last night and I was challenged by the verse in Matthew 12:34 that says, “For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.” Really?  That’s not good to hear because if I’m honest I have become a master at using “filters” in my life and I have become a master of behavior modification.  When something happens that comes out of my mouth and I correct it, do I do so because I honestly feel true remorse for it or do I correct it out of fear of my reputation and image?  See if I was to be honest I think it would be more out of fear of what others think than what God thinks.  Sad isn’t it?  Can you relate?  How do we change that?  I think part of the journey is simply being aware that we do that.  I grew up in church most of my life being taught that if I did this or that, I would be looked at as a good “Christian” but the truth is I was never taught to find out what was at the root of the issues, Jesus would say that it is a heart issue.  No matter how hard I try to blame my environment or upbring, I must come to the realization that I have sin in my life and my heart is dirty and wicked.

I would love feedback on this as I am on this journey that I didn’t know that I was all of a sudden.  I really do want my heart changed instead of adding filters and modifying my behavior.

I love my life group and the journey we take together.  I love being challenged by them.  As someone who spends a majority of their life pouring into others it is great to be poured into and challenged by my life group.  If your not in a life group, you are missing out!

Quotes by Andy Stanley

Started tweeting (seriously if you don’t know what that it is you need to Google it) some of these quotes but they are so good I am just posting the whole thing that was a live blog by Tony Morgan.

Ones in BOLD resonated with me.

• 3:46 PM tonymorganlive - “I don’t see things until they happen.” (referring to the song & dance before he spoke.)
• 3:47 PM tonymorganlive - “Systems create behaviors.”
• 3:51 PM tonymorganlive - “Leadership is not about making decision on your own. It’s about owning decisions once they are made.”
• 3:51 PM tonymorganlive - “As leaders, we gravitate to voices we want to hear.”
• 3:52 PM tonymorganlive - “Leaders become insulated and isolated…and they like it.”
• 3:54 PM tonymorganlive - “The leader shouldn’t make all the decisions. The leader should just make sure the decisions are good ones.”
• 3:55 PM tonymorganlive - “You are probably not the smartest person in the organization. You’re just the leader.”
• 3:57 PM tonymorganlive - “You have got to create a mechanism to listen to the right people.”
• 3:58 PM tonymorganlive - “What and who you listen to will determine what you do.”
• 3:59 PM tonymorganlive - “Your private decisions will be judged publicly.
• 4:03 PM tonymorganlive - (Andy is talking about the decision process of cutting budgets during the recession.)
• 4:04 PM tonymorganlive - “The more sense of input that people have, the less the push back.”
• 4:05 PM tonymorganlive - “Leaders are attracted to environments where ideas and opinions are heard.”
• 4:05 PM tonymorganlive - “If you want great leaders, you need to create systems for listening to great leaders.”
• 4:06 PM tonymorganlive - “Leaders want more than assignments. They want input into the decision-making process.”
• 4:07 PM tonymorganlive - “Leaders want to influence their own destinies.” [amen.]
• 4:08 PM tonymorganlive - “Leaders who refuse to listen will eventually be surrounded by people who have nothing important to say.”
• 4:09 PM tonymorganlive - (oh my… I hope you’re paying attention. This is good stuff. It’s so true.)
• 4:10 PM tonymorganlive - “The wisest man in the world [King Solomon] had the most to say about getting good counsel.”
• 4:13 PM tonymorganlive - (Andy is talking about the challenges of a highly hierarchical organizational structure.)
• 4:15 PM tonymorganlive - “Eventually a seniority structure leaves the seniors in charge.”
• 4:16 PM tonymorganlive - “Your structure has to change or your structure will impede information flow.”
• 4:20 PM tonymorganlive - “I don’t want anyone to live with the frustration that I used to live with in the lower levels of the organization.”
• 4:20 PM tonymorganlive - “You have to rethink your systems.”
• 4:21 PM tonymorganlive - “Please don’t live with an organizational structure that impedes information flow.”
• 4:23 PM tonymorganlive - (I could listen to this type of leadership, systems thinking all day long. Great stuff.)
• 4:23 PM tonymorganlive - “You want the best thinkers and the most strategic people at the table with you.”
• 4:24 PM tonymorganlive - “Fairness ended in the Garden of Eden. Never shoot for fair. When you shoot for fair, you’ll be unjust. Shoot for right.”
• 4:27 PM tonymorganlive - (Andy is talking through North Point’s current organizational structure.)
• 4:28 PM tonymorganlive - “You need to listen deep in your organization. That doesn’t mean you have to meet with everyone in the organization.”
• 4:32 PM tonymorganlive - (Now Andy is talking about how he connects with about 150 volunteers on a quarterly basis.)
• 4:34 PM tonymorganlive - “Resist the urge to lead every meeting you attend.”
• 4:34 PM tonymorganlive - “What we don’t want to hear is generally what we need to hear.”
• 4:35 PM tonymorganlive - “The people we don’t want to hear from are the people we often need to hear from most.”
• 4:36 PM tonymorganlive - (Session is concluding. Battery is dying. Continue the conversation and questions. I’ll catch up with you later.)

Catalyst West 1 of 6: Andy Stanley

Over the next couple blogs you will see quotes done by those who spoke at Catalyst West in LA over this last week.  Each of these guys are leaders in their field and have the ability to shape us with their quotes.  Just remember we were not there so some quotes are incomplete and we don’t know the context in which they were made.

• 1:22 PM tonymorganlive - Thanks to TetherBerry, I’m live. We’ll see how this works. Just saw Hillsong United lead worship.
• 1:26 PM tonymorganlive - Jud Wilhite form Central Christian in Vegas is hosting. Good guy.
• 1:27 PM tonymorganlive - Watching the fun and games portion of the program.
• 1:29 PM tonymorganlive - Andy is about ready to take the platform.
• 1:31 PM tonymorganlive - “My favorite thing in life is to speak to church leaders.”
• 1:38 PM tonymorganlive - “The higher up in the organization, the greater the complexity and the more uncertainty there is.”
• 1:38 PM tonymorganlive - “Uncertainty is why we need leaders.”
• 1:39 PM tonymorganlive - “As long as there are unanswered questions, this organization needs me.”
• 1:39 PM tonymorganlive - “God created the gift of leadership. He gave it to certain people. Not everyone has it.”
• 1:40 PM tonymorganlive - “God is not uncertain.”
• 1:41 PM tonymorganlive - “Uncertainty is the arena in which good leadership is identified.”
• 1:41 PM tonymorganlive - “I will always be uncertain. I’m certain of it.”
• 1:43 PM tonymorganlive - “A story without uncertainty isn’t a very interesting story.”
• 1:45 PM tonymorganlive - (I hate hearing Andy Stanley speak, because it just fuels the drive and the passion of everything inside me.)
• 1:45 PM tonymorganlive - “You don’t learn anything when everything is going well.”
• 1:48 PM tonymorganlive - “Instill in me a deeper passion for leading your people”
• 1:49 PM tonymorganlive - “Clarity. Flexibility.”
• 1:49 PM tonymorganlive - “As a leader, it is okay to be uncertain but it’s not okay to be unclear.”
• 1:50 PM tonymorganlive - “Pull back to that thing that God called you to do in the beginning.”
• 1:51 PM tonymorganlive - “Clarity will trump uncertainty.”
• 1:55 PM tonymorganlive - “We’re going to trust God to take care of the part we don’t know about.”
• 1:56 PM tonymorganlive - “You can be clear even when you’re uncertain.”
• 1:59 PM tonymorganlive - “Retreat to the vision.”
• 1:59 PM tonymorganlive - “What can you do proactively around what God called you to do?”
• 2:00 PM tonymorganlive - “What has God called you to do?”
• 2:01 PM tonymorganlive - “Plans change. Vision remains the same.”
• 2:04 PM tonymorganlive - “Don’t confuse the plan with the vision.”
• 2:05 PM tonymorganlive - “In times of uncertainty, plans change a lot.”
• 2:05 PM tonymorganlive - “We fall in love with our plans. And we make the mistake of saying ‘God told me…’”
• 2:07 PM tonymorganlive - “In times of uncertainty, there is no better time to change plans.”
• 2:07 PM tonymorganlive - “Where is the vision conflicting with the plan? Sacrifice the plan for the vision.”
• 2:08 PM tonymorganlive - “No decision is ever sacred, but the vision never changes.”
• 2:09 PM tonymorganlive - “Blame it on the economy and change it baby.” (Smile)
• 2:10 PM tonymorganlive - “You need to learn how to confidently express your uncertainty.”
• 2:12 PM tonymorganlive - “Leadership is not about making decisions on your own. It’s about owning the decisions once they are made.”
• 2:12 PM tonymorganlive - “You have to pray like crazy for God’s wisdom and direction.”
• 2:13 PM tonymorganlive - “God, please show me your will for my life.”
• 2:13 PM tonymorganlive - (I needed this session today. Good stuff.)
• 2:16 PM tonymorganlive - “As a leader, I need grace.”
• 2:18 PM tonymorganlive - “God’s calling on my life is sure.”