If you were at church with us a few years ago, you may have heard me use this phrase as part of my sermon, “Where you look is where you go.” Let me take a few moments to unpack what I had been thinking. “Where you look” is really about the things that concern you. This is about the the events, people, circumstances that you find rolling around in your head. You may not be able to do anything about them; they are probably beyond your control, but for some reason you keep “looking” at them. The struggle is the longer you look in that direction and the more these thoughts roll around in your head the more you are drawn toward them. The more you are drawn to them the more concerned and consumed you become with them. This progression most often leads us to anxiety and discontentment and eventually a jaded view of life.

So, I have to ask the question, what have you been looking at lately? What have the eyes of your heart and mind been focused on?

Maybe that question makes you start asking what your eyes should be focused on. Let me help you.

Hebrews 12:1b-2a

“…..Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith.”

Try just looking at Christ each day this week. Try letting Christ become your only concern. I think if you do, you will be surprised the change you will see in your heart, your will, and your attitude.

-Pastor Tim

I know this doesn’t sound like a great title coming from a pastor, but it is a great thought. As a leader, each one of us has to be passionate enough about our mission that we are willing to fight for it; this is especially true as Christian leaders. We see it all the time in the business world, people are willing to fight for the growth of the company or for a better return on the dollar. What if that same level of passion drove you and your leadership in the mission God called you to? What if instead of quitting when things get a little hard or go a bit sideways, you were to stay and fight? I think this is really what God had in mind for us. I am reminded of the verses in Joshua when God tells Joshua multiple times, “Be strong and very courageous and continue obeying all that is written in the law…., so that you do not turn to the right or the left.” When we “pick a fight” we are telling ourselves and those around us that we are “all in.” We are not turning to avoid what is in front of us; we are going straight at it and we will not be distracted. We will continue doing all that we need to do to make sure we meet and exceed the goal.

Where do you need to pick a fight? Is it in your personal life? At work? Or with the team you are leading?

-Pastor Tim

I was reading through a leadership book the other day, and in the middle of what I was reading this thought hit me: “It is easier to maintain than redo.” It takes a great deal of hard work to accomplish much of anything in life. It doesn’t matter if you are talking about your spiritual life, schooling, managing your money, losing weight, getting in shape, stopping an addiction or planning for your future. Everything takes work, that is just the way it is, and it is the same for all of us. Once you have done the hard work, why not figure out how to stay there instead of allowing yourself to go back and have to start again? This is called maintenance. Don’t stop reading, I know this sounds boring and I know you aren’t going to like the next things I have to say. You are still reading so here it goes: figure out a few systems to help you consistently do the things that got you where you are. Like these few ideas: If you lost weight, switch your dinner sized plate to a lunch sized plate for every meal, and you will eat less. If you always eat seconds, stop. If having a budget got you out of debt, stay on the budget forever. If 15 minutes a day of exercise helped you get in shape, move to doing 30 min day. Whatever you did to get you where you are, keep doing it and add to your growth. Don’t go back. Redoing things is so discouraging. It wastes time, energy and resources. Make it your life’s ambition to build on what you already have; remember, “It is easier to maintain than redo.”

-Pastor Tim