Too cute.

Plans

I’ll admit…I’m a planner.  There, I said it.  It’s a great thing…but it can also be a fault of mine.  I trust in the verse that says…

“…the NOBLE MAN makes NOBLE PLANS…”  Isaiah 32:8

I want to be a noble man.  According to the bible, I can’t do that just by “wanting it” or “believing for it”.  I have to plan for it.

As I approach the new year I have to form some new plans.  Here is a list of the areas that I plan for.  It’s not perfect, but it’s a work in progress:

• Family – How am I going to make lead my family this year?
• Passion – How am I going to grow closer to Jesus this year?
• Purity – What will I do to guard my heart this year?
• Financial – How will I experience more financial freedom this year?
• Stewardship – How much money do I want to give away this year?
• Leadership – What will I do to take lids off for my team this year?
• Ministry – How am I developing myself this year?
• Longevity – What boundaries am I putting in my life to make sure I’m healthy for the long haul?

How are you planning to succeed this year?  What specific steps are you taking to make sure that 2010 is a year like none other?  Make your plans and live your plans.

The Power To Decide

With the hire of a new student pastor, I’ve been able to step more fully into my role as Executive Pastor.  It’s been often times fun, several times stressful and all the time fulfilling.  There have been moments where I’ve felt this is what I’m made for and moments where I feel in way over my head.

A role I’ve taken on is more of a coach for several of our staff members.  I’m there to help them become better leaders all the while protecting the mission and DNA of our church.

One of the key ways that I’m empowering my teams to lead better is by freeing them up to “make their own decisions”.  I’m coaching them on the front end of a big decision by showing the the value of it and helping them think through any paths their decision may lead.  Let me say, some have made some choices that I wouldn’t have made.  That doesn’t mean they were wrong.  In fact, I’ve been proven wrong a few times.  Either way, I want them to learn the pressure of deciding when it’s on there shoulders…then dealing with the ripple effect.

I’ll always coach them on the other side of a good or bad decision, but I let them make it.  If you’re coaching someone today, let them make a big decision that affects them.  When you make the choice for them, you protect them from a potential screw up, but you also rob them of an opportunity.

Make the decision today to empower others to make decisions.

Igniting Gratefulness

One of my personal values is GRATEFULNESS.  This was instilled in me by my Dad.  He was always appreciative of what he had.  He never felt like he deserved or was entitled to anything.  He helped others.  He served everyone he was around.  When Melissa and I started dating, I saw this same quality in her.  It was attractive to me.  We have carried this value into our family and built our lives on it.

Something that I’m learning as a dad (and as a leader) is that our values are not automatically transfered to our children.  We have overheard Shelby saying lately how she doesn’t like certain things she has.  In fact she said, “I don’t like all of these shirts with GAP on them!”  My heart sank.  I have not been intentional enough about igniting a grateful heart in her.

So, what kind of ACTION will I take??????

• This year, we are adopting another child for Christmas.  I’ve said before that each of my girls get 3 gifts because that’s how many Jesus got for His birthday.  This year, we’re going to buy 3 gifts for our adopted child before we buy anything else.  They will be involved.
• I am thinking about adopting a Compassion child.  (I haven’t even discussed this with Liss!)
• I seriously thinking about starting to take Shelby to our First Saturday program at the Creek.  If you don’t go to this…you need to.  It’s the 1st Sat of every month.  A team from the church is unleashed on the city to serve in various capacities.  I think my kids & family need to be a part of this as a whole.

Bottom line: I do not want my kids feeling like they deserve the life that they have.  I want them humbly walking through life grateful for the people, places & things that God’s given them.  And as their Daddy….it’s my job to get them there.

Leadership Clarity

We had great services at the Creek today.  Great services.  Lives were touched.

That said, I noticed one similar trend at both campuses today.  It was very slight, un-noticable to most, and didn’t do anything to deter momentum.  While it didn’t deter momentum today…if it becomes a constant…it could do so over time.

So what is it?  In a few spots today, we were “un-clear”.  We gave direction without specifics.  We asked people to take steps without giving reasons why or how.  We seemed confused in a few situations.  We focused on a couple of things that are helpful but not necessary.

Why am I making a big deal of this?  Because I believe the saying is true, “If it’s a mist in the pulpit, it’s a fog in the pew.” Howard Hendricks.

One thing we cannot afford to be is un-clear.  People need clarity.  We have few words to use to lead and influence, so they have to be clear.  We can’t afford to speak in generalities.  We can be wrong…but we cannot be un-clear.

Lead with clarity.

Great way to spend a Saturday

The Lloyd family spent today TOGETHER.  It seems like it’s been awhile since I could say that.

We were on a mission to create our “fall scene” for the front yard.  So we all worked together to make this happen.  Each of us fulfilled our unique roll in executing the mission.  Shelby was the mastermind and designer.  Sydney was our energy when we got tired.  Melissa was our CFO and kept us within budget.  Me…well…I was the muscle.  Meaning I carried everything to the car and set it up.

Here are a couple of pics from the completed product.

Christmas Cash

Today I was inspired by this post by Joe Sangl regarding Christmas spending.

We are only 70 days from Christmas!  This is a KNOWN, UPCOMING EXPENSE.  Ignoring known, upcoming expenses is one of the number one reasons that budgets fail.

You have 70 days until Christmas, but really probably only 40 or so to save for it.  Have you committed to pay cash for Christmas this year?

If you have saved nothing for Christmas so far, what steps are you going to take to avoid debt?

Melissa & I have benefited from some personal discipline & some good fortune in the fact that we’ve never taken on any debt at Christmas.  How?  Well, we only pay for what we can afford and we never go “crazy” with Christmas gifts.  Our girls get “3 big gifts” for Christmas because that’s what Jesus got.

Buying gifts isn’t the only thing that we put money towards each year.  We also give.  We make it a priority to give our largest gift to Christ each year. I wonder what it communicates to Jesus when we take out a loan to buy video games for our kids, yet we don’t give Him anything?  Better yet, I wonder what that communicates to our kids?  Hmmmm……

How do we do this? We receive a Christmas Offering each year at the Creek.  Melissa & I don’t diversify our Holiday giving…we give it ALL to this offering.  We set some money aside for this, but we usually up that somehow because we feel like we should.  So before you make your shopping list this year, make your budget.  Pre-decide how much you’ll spend & how much you’ll give.  Before Black Friday hits, before you go shopping, before you feel the pressure…decide.

A Crisis of Transformation

Recently I listened to a leadership talk from Pete Wilson.  In the talk he talked about a crisis in the church today…a “Crisis of Transformation”.  He he says that we have a trend of people attending our programs…but not being transformed.  Not really living different.  He says, “When Jesus saves us, we are not saved from something, saved to something.  Not just trust Him for our salvation, trust him with our life.”

So, I want to take a moment to drill down on 1 area that should be transformed.  I know there are many, but I’m going to hit on this one.  Before I go here let me explain that this is a biblical deal…not a Kevin deal…so don’t get mad.

Here it is:  along with the rest of our life, transformation should happen in our FINANCES.

Yes, as Christ followers we should handle our money differently.  In the culture, bling is the boss.  We spend it before we have it.  We have no margin.  As Christians this is an area that should be transformed.  We have the power to become the boss of our bling.  Here is a quick formula that could help us transform our “bling”:

• We should give 10% to our local church. The bible talks very clearly about this.  And let me be clear — I don’t believe this is an option…it’s a command.  Why?  Several reasons: it supports local church ministries, it reminds us that it’s God’s money to start with & it allows us to take part in a movement larger than us.  We should each tithe to OUR CHURCH.  Not to a local mission because we’re mad at our church.  If you do that, stop.  Be obedient to Christ, not to your emotions.  Tithe.  You won’t be able to sort the rest of your finances out until you do because when you don’t tithe, you block God from moving in your finances.
• We should save 10%. The bible also talks about “putting back” and creating margin.  We live in a culture where we don’t have margin.  I believe this dishonors God.  Almost every time that the Bible talks about money, it talks about wisdom along with it.  The “wise” thing to do is to live with margin.  To be prepared when the bottom falls out.  One reason why is because if you lose your job tomorrow and income stops, how will you live?  If your car breaks down and you need money to fix it…where will that money come from?  I believe the most crippling thing the devil can do is to get you to believe that what you have isn’t enough.  We buy that lie…and it’s evident in the fact that we don’t save.
• We should live on 80%. This sounds tough…and sometimes it is.  Again, it’s the wise thing to do.  I realize that this takes discipline.  But that’s just a part of faith.  Faith is not a magic pill that makes everything ok and forgiven.  Faith is “power to live out the process”.  It’s God giving you the spiritual energy to live this life well.  Don’t live without margin and say, “We’re living in faith…so God will come through!”  Live with faith that God will give you the power to be disciplined.

Can you get there overnight?  No.  Can you get there?  Yes.  It boils down to 2 questions:  1.  Do you want to?  2.  Do you believe that God is powerful enough to help you?

Here’s the transformation question for you:  Does your checkbook reflect your faith…or does it look just like the rest of the world’s  Now what are you going to do about it?

Feeling Grateful…

Feeling grateful today for my 2 sweet little girls, Shelby & Sydney.  At the end of the day I want to live my life in a way that they are proud of.

Almost everyday I take Shelby to school  While we drive I pray 3 things with her every time:  1.  That she has a great attitude.  If I can instill one thing in them, it’s that “attitude determines your altitude”.  I don’t want (and won’t tolerate) nasty, cynical attitudes.  They need to be young ladies who respect themselves by their demeanor.  2.  That she’s helpful to one person.  I want them to know that making an effort to help someone is the heart of Jesus.  There are no amount of prayers they can pray and/or verses they can learn that will ever trump simply helping someone who needs it.  3.  That she knows she’s loved.  I want my girls to be secure in this fact.  That their family loves them.  That Jesus loves them.  That they’ll never do anything to make us stop.  I think that feeling loved & accepted breeds security in people.

I love my girls.  I hope that they know this.  I hope that I am able to lead them well.

Why Preach? Pt.2 – The Goals of Preaching

I’ve asked Dave Willis, Teaching Pastor at the Creek, to do a series of guest posts on the blog about communicating.  He’s an awesome communicator and has great thoughts on it.  Not only is he a preacher, but he also teaches public speaking at Augusta State Univ.  Honestly, Dave is the smartest, nicest and most genuine person that I know.  He’s a rare talent and I’m thrilled to hear this thoughts.  Here is Part 2 of “Why Preach?”  Enjoy…

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My family chipped in and bought me a GPS for my birthday last year. It’s worth slightly more than my 94′ Honda Civic, so I wanted to make sure I used it as much as possible. The key to maximizing the GPS is that you need to know your destination before you start the trip. If you don’t know where you’re going, then it can’t possibly help you get there and you will just drive around aimlessly looking at the mesmerizing moving map on the GPS’ screen.

I’ve heard many sermons that make me realize that a lot of pastors preach sermons with no clear destination (or “goals”) in mind. It becomes painfully obvious early in the message that they don’t know where they’re going and they don’t know where they’re taking the audience. It’s an uncomfortable experience for everyone involved.

It’s imperative that a preacher be laser-focused on the goals of his sermon. Before he even starts preparation, he must ask himself, “What do I want these people to know and what do I want them to do?”. The answers to that question represents the destination or “goals” of the sermon. Once you know where you are going, map out the most direct route possible (with a few scenic points of interest along the way to keep the passengers interested). Preachers must also remember that the ultimate goal of every sermon is to clearly and correctly lift up the Gospel and the name of Jesus Christ. If we will do that, He will do the rest.

“And when I (Jesus) am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.” John 12:32 (NLT)