vision leaks - part 6 (vision)

Remember:  Since vision leaks, we need to be reminded about...

Words - what was said a long time ago and what the current words/values are.
Doubt will come--from within and without.
Faith looks at the past and future.  What has been done and what is to come.
Patience - the timing and score belong to God.
Vision - People need Jesus.  And God the creator wants a relationship with them!!!

Peter stirs up his followers concerning the BIG PICTURE. (2 Peter 3:1-9)

A Couple Thoughts...
1. What is more important to you...being recognized by people or helping people recognize Jesus?

2. Are you using people to build the church or are you using the church to build people?

VISION LEAKS - PART 3 (DOUBT)

Doubt is your greatest enemy--and it will always by persistently present.

The Apostle Peter was reminding his team in 2 Peter 1:3 that "scoffers" will come.  A scoffer is a derider, false teacher or mocker.  They/it creates and fuels doubt.

The scoffer or doubter will say things like:  "It's not working!"  "Where is all the money, staff/leaders, clients or people?  Shouldn't there be more by now?  Shouldn't we be further along?"

A Couple Thoughts...
1. Doubt isn't present because we're failing.  It's present because we're doing something extraordinary!

We need to be personally reminded when we're doubting that what we're experiencing is normal and expected.  And, if you're a leader, you need to be spewing that truth into your team.

2. You need to remain strong and stable in the midst of doubt.

I'm reminding you today that doubt and doubters will come.  I'm reminding you so that it won't knock you off course and so that you will see doubt for what it is; A LIE!

?What are the consistent doubts that come your direction?
?Do those doubts come through those on your team or closest to you?
If so, you may need to limit the time and influence you give those people.

Vision Leaks - part 1

Vision leaks because people are leaky!  We have this problem where we are enamored with the immediate.  That immediate can be pleasure or pain.  And, under the weight of the immediate, everything else gets pushed out.  The pressure and enormity of the immediate squeezes out clarity for the big picture.

Its amazing how quickly we forget or lose sight of the vision of our organization when we're feeling the pressure of staffing difficulties, financial shortages, and people conflict.  But its not just the negative that blurs our ability to stay focused on our vision.  Vision leaks under the weight of success, too.  We've spent money, added staff, purchased buildings, created ministries or positions, and overlooked people issues because everything was going "too good".  Those decisions in the good times, that weren't filtered through clear vision, have or will come back to haunt us.

Its obvious that a God given vision requires constant clear focus.  So what do we do to make sure vision, mission, and values remain in the forefront no matter what season we're in?

A Couple Thoughts...

1. Make sure your vision, mission, and values are clear!
Not just clear in your mind but clear on paper.  Get these guys fleshed out and in your organization's language.   Its okay to be inspired by another org's statements, but be sure you wrestle with the language and the feel of the statements to ensure they represent who God has called you to be.  And then get those puppies written down on everything and anywhere you can.

2. Remind everyone constantly!
One of the most important jobs of a leader is to be a reminder.  We need to remind our leaders to remind their teams and to teach their teams how to be reminded.  I regularly tell our staff that they are to be "tanker trucks" driving around and refueling people with our church's vision.

There are 6 Reminders that will help us stay focused on our vision no matter what season we're in.  We'll be sharing these over the next few issues.

So, sign-up for this blog so that we can REMIND YOU when there are A Couple Thoughts ready for ya.