It is Not Enough to Know Where You Want to Go

Very often leaders believe it is enough just to know where they want to go. The fact is that "the where" must be accompanied by a clear "how to get there."

The Reverend Billy Graham tells a story of a time early in his ministry when he arrived in a small town to preach. Wanting to mail a letter, he asked a young boy where the post office was Located.

After the boy had told him, Rev. Graham thanked him and said, “If you’ll come to the Church this evening, you can hear me telling everyone about God and how to get to Heaven.”

“I don’t think I’ll be there,” the boy said. “Can you really get me to heaven, mister, if you don’t even know your way to the post office”

I am a believer that God-sized visions need to be combined with God-sized plans and men and women of God who are willing to work. I mean really work - God-sized work.

I love Isaiah 32:8. "But the noble man makes noble plans, and by noble deeds he stands."

I also want to caution leaders from getting the false idea that we are to seek God for the where and then figure out the how on our own, as if we were really that smart.

No, God is in the where and the how.

Some leaders use the term of being "aligned" with God's vision and plans. I want to be painted on them. I do not want to be alongside aligned. I want to be painted on so well that to remove me from God's vision and plans someone will have to work hard to scrape me off. I want my life to be one and the same with God's vision and plans for me to serve Him.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jer 29:11,NIV)


So, it seems fairly simple - - Get a vision and get to work. Or, as Pastor Mark Batterson stated as one of the NCC core values, "Pray like it depends on God and then work like it depends on you."

Seeing the Vision

Yesterday I attended one of the services of National Community Church (NCC) in Washington D.C. Having read several of Pastor Mark Batterson’s books and followed his blog, I have wanted to visit NCC for quite a while.

Sitting in the Loews Theater in Georgetown, the Service had a different feel to it. It was very comfortable and it still felt very much like “church.”

I had read on Mark’s blog that NCC was opening the 6th location in September. In addition to the various locations for weekend services, the ministry “atlas” listed over 60 small groups that meet all over the area. It was impressive and very accommodating.

In his message, Pastor Mark (re)cast the vision “20/20.” I do not believe it mattered if you were hearing it for the first time, such as in my case; or if you had been a part of the church for a long time - - When you heard it and you could immediately “See it.” I knew instantly what he meant and my mind instantly started to see the other locations. It took no explanation. Twenty locations by the year 2020.

How clear is the vision of your church or organization? Can you state it clearly? Does it stick?

Vision is a color portrait of an achievable future that is painted on the heart and mind.

A vision must be seen with the eyes of your heart as well as the eyes of your mind.

Here is an easy test - - Ask 5-10 people within your organization or church if they know the vision. But first, can you repeat the vision without referring to your notes? Can you see it?

Before people will follow you, they need to know you have a vision for where you are going.

From my Library - - Primal by Mark Batterson

From my Library
Primal
A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity

Several weeks ago, I received an advance copy of Primal by Mark Batterson. I was excited to receive the book as his previous book, Wild Goose Chase, was a significant read for me.


Let me begin by stating that I have followed Mark on Twitter and Facebook for quite a while; and as a result, I feel I have become acquainted with him from a distance. Primal, as did Wild Goose Chase, continued to show me more about the heart of the man that God is using significantly.

Anyone who has been around me for any length of time knows of my love affair with Italy. Living in Italy for five years certainly had an impact on me that has left me with clear prejudices for the Italians and their incredible history. I say that to help you understand why the beginning of Primal grabbed me and did not release me until the final page.

Mark begins by sharing the story of his visit to one of my favorite places in Rome, The Church of San Clemente. I have recommended this stop to anyone who was going to Rome. To get all the details of his story, you should read Primal. However, I was captured by his statement, “With each step, a layer of history was stripped away until all that was left was Christianity in all its primal glory.”

In the pages that follow the opening story, Mark weaves incredible illustrations and remarkable facts into a timeless book that should be read by everyone professing to be a Christ-follower.

Clearly divided into four sections that address the heart, soul, mind and strength of Christianity, Mark pulls no punches.

Think about a few statements:

“In my experience, it’s much easier to act like a Christian than it is to react like one.”

“Have you ever noticed the way that suffering helps us become less self-absorbed?”

“The problem with the prosperity gospel is that anytime you put an adjective in front of the gospel, you distort the gospel.”

Early in the book, Mark makes the statement, “The bottom line is this: your focus determines your reality.”

I think more than anything else, Primal was written to help us change our focus. When we focus on the heart, soul, mind and strength that God desires for us, we allow God to change our reality.

This is not a book for the “make me feel good about myself crowd.” It is a book for the group that not just says, but means “have your way with me, Lord.”

Do I recommend Primal? Absolutely yes!

It is a book to be read and studied. It is a book to be processed and then shared with others.

I am really excited about reading this book

I am really excited about reading this book
One of my current projects is to write the "forward" for Al Larson's next book in the Dangerous Man Series. It is titled "The One Thing" and I am excited about it and the potential impact for men.


Yesterday I read Mark Batterson's blog and although I do not know Mark personally, I really resonate with his writings.


He gave us a glimpse of his new book, Wild Goose Chase to be released Aug 19th. I did a cut and paste below for those who do not read the Batterson Blog.

The Batterson Blog - Thoughts on Life and Leadership

Book Byte by Mark Batterson

Thought I'd share some book bytes from Wild Goose Chase before it releases on August 19. Think of it as a daily dose of Wild Goose. I wonder if churches do to people what zoos do the animals. We try to tame them in the name of Christ. We remove the risk. We remove the danger. We remove the struggle. And what we end up with is a caged Christian.Jesus didn't die on the cross to keep us safe. He died to make us dangerous. I would like to think that when I pronounce the benediction at th end of our church services, I am sending dangerous people back into their natural habitat to wreak havoc on the Enemy.

excerpt from Wild Goose Chase

I am really finding myself in love with this idea of being dangerous but for the right reasons. Mark's comment at the end of his blog about people being sent out of the church "to their natural habitat to wreak havoc on the enemy" is remarkable statement.


Frankly, I am hearing from more guys and leaders about this concept of guys getting dangerous for the Lord.


I believe that one of the greatest ways we can be dangerous is to live a life that tells our family that they are safe because we are dangerous.


I think that somewhere back in the recesses of my mind I remember a Mel Gibson movie where the bad guy says to Gibson......"you are dangerous" and Gibson smiles and replies.... "Yes, I am."

There are several scenes in Top Gun about being dangerous but the best one is at the end when Val Kilmer yells to Tom Cruise, "You're still dangerous but you can be my wingman anytime."

My closing thought (for now) on this issue of being dangerous comes from a song by Steve Camp. the song is titled Living Dangerously In The Hands Of God. the lines from the song that jump out at me are: "There's safety in complacency, but God is calling us out of our comfort zone into a life of complete surrender to the cross. To live dangerously as not to live recklessly but righteously."

So Here's to living Dangerously in the Hands of God