Fight Pastor

Dreaming God's Dream

The basic theme for our The Amazing Race series is daring to Dream God's Dream. I have been challenging everyone to tenaciously pursue God's dream for your life! We, as a community of faith, are pursuing God's dream for our church with absolute abandon. We believe that if our individual dreams merge with our corporate dream we will be on the cusp of something historic! This Sunday we begin the race which will eventually lead us to a new ministry center. As we approach this Sunday I want to encourage you this week with some thoughts on dreams and visions. Here are some amazing quotes to encourage you to pursue everything God has for you!

"Big thinking precedes achievement"    Wilferd Peterson

"The future belongs to those who see possibilities before they become obvious."  John Scully

"A leader has the vision and conviction that a dream can be achieved. He inspires the power and energy to get it done."   Ralph Lauren

"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with success unexpected in common hours."  Henry David Thoreau

"If you limit your choices only to what seems possible or reasonable, you disconnect yourself from what you truly want, and all that is left is compromise."  Robert Fritz

"Keep your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground."  Franklin D. Roosevelt

"Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality."  Warren Bennis

"The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it."  Michelangelo

"If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy, and inspires your hopes."  Andrew Carnegie

"If you are bored with life, if you don't get up every morning with a burning desire to do things- you don't have enough goals."  Lou Holtz

"Dreams are extremely important. You can't do it unless you imagine it."  George Lucas

"The only way to predict the future is to have the power to shape it."  Eric Hofer

"The trouble with not having a goal is that you spend your life running up and down the field and never scoring."  Bill Copeland

"Celebrate what you've accomplished, but raise the bar a little higher every time you succeed."

Mia Hamm

"Where there is no vision the people perish."  Proverbs 29:18

I hope those encourage, challenge, remind, and inspire you as much as they do me. Lets live this dream together. Because together we can do monumental things!

I believe!

Tattoo Stories Part 7

About 3 years ago a member of our church, Dan Carpenter, re-branded Canyon Creek Church. As part of that process he designed this logo. One of my Elders says it describes our church as old time faith with a modern flavor. Pretty accurate assessment of Canyon Creek Church.

I liked the brand mark and thought it would be a great tattoo some day. I decided that once our new church grew to the point where we were averaging over 500 people on a Sunday I would get this tattooed on the back of my arm to commemorate that season of our church. The second tattoo marked the launch of our church and my latest tattoo illustrates the incredible growth and life change that has been evident as a result.

I got my latest tattoo in May of 2009. The church had given Di and I a trip to UFC 98 for our 5 year anniversary since launching the church. In honor of what Jesus has done and the people to whom He has changed I got this tattoo in Las Vegas on my UFC 98 trip.

Thank you Jesus for what you have done at Canyon Creek Church. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of such an awesome church. Thank you Canyon Creek Church for making leading you such a blessing and answer to prayer. Now my next church related tattoo will come when we break 1000 in average attendance or when we finish The Amazing Race campaign, whichever comes first! (The picture below is with the artist who did the tattoo.)

Tattoo Stories Part 6

If you ask anyone with a tattoo they will say the hardest tattoo to get is the first. Every one after that was easy because it can get fairly addicting. People either have no tattoos, only one, or a ton. This is my 7th tattoo placing me firmly in the ton total. My plan is to eventually get my right upper arm completely covered. I will occasionally get another tattoo, at a significant moment, at a significant place to help with that process.

In February of 2009 a bunch of my old interns asked me if I would come and speak at their joint youth retreat. They wanted me to speak in the evenings and Di to come and share in the mornings. Di and I decided to fly in a few days early and stay at a hotel on Fisherman's Wharf. In the 4 years we lived in Modesto we had been to San Francisco a dozen times but had never really gone as tourists. We thought it would be fun to become pyscho tourists for a few days. We did everything you could possibly cram in to a 3 day bay area trip. We saw every site and Di took hundreds of pictures. We had a blast together. Di is and will always be my favorite person to travel with.

The day before we had to drive up to the mountains for the retreat we were wandering around haight ashbury street. The famous area where hippies once roamed in the 1960's. Haight ashbury is now full of trendy boutique stores, coffee shops, and a handful of tattoo parlors. I hinted to Di that it would be cool to get a tattoo on haight ashbury street and with only some minor begging she relented. I stopped in at Haight Ashbury Tattoo and got my cross tattoo which is on my right bicep. This tattoo is probably the best done out of all of mine. The artist was excellent. The tattoo is just another reminder to me that it is all about Jesus. I am branded for life just as my life has been forever changed by Him. As I always tell our church, Jesus Christ is the main thing. Lets keep the main thing the main thing.

Unfortunately Di refused to get another tattoo. She is destined to be a one and done gal.

Tattoo Stories Part 5

June 19th of 2009 was mine and Di's 17th wedding anniversary. If we include the 3 years we dated we have been together for over 20 years. Amazing to think, I have been in a relationship with my wife for over half of my life. Most of the memories I have in my life have included her. Together we have owned 5 different homes, lived in two different states, worked at 3 different churches, and best of all have 3 super cool kids.

For the last 5 years, for every valentines day, birthday, anniversary, or Christmas all I have asked for was Di to get a heart tattoo with my initials in it. For 5 years she has refused. I have tried every method of persuasion I know and still she would refuse.

We were in Las Vegas with our pastoral staff in August of 2008 and, in a moment of spontanaeity, she said we should get matching tattoos. I, of course, jumped at the opportunity. We drove all over Vegas trying to find a place that had time to do our tattoos before we had to leave. Unfortunately, none that were affordable had the availability. I was so bummed. I thought for sure I had missed my one and only chance to see Di do something this out of the ordinary.

To my surprise, when we got back to Seattle, she suggested we go visit Larry at Scuttlebutt Tattoo and get our matching tattoos. I jumped at the opportunity and am proud to say, I finally got my wish, Di has a heart tattoo with my initials in it. So the only tattoo I have that doesn't match my courage or cross theme is a tribute to my bride. My love for her is proudly proclaimed on my right shoulder. (Contrary to popular thought, I do occasionally have a sweet, romantic side.)

Tattoo Stories Part 4

This tattoo I got in July of 2008. The church gave me a month sabbatical. I spent most of that month with my kids being Mr. Mom. Di still had to work. I did take one week to travel down to Los Angeles and speak at a bunch of churches. Travis Kerwin joined me on the road trip.

We stopped off in Fresno on Friday night and both got tattoos. The guys at the tattoo parlor said it would take about an hour. 4 hours later we were back on the road to LA. It was a cool experience in that Travis and I got an opportunity to talk about Jesus for several hours to guys there. It was a real missional moment for Travis and I.

This tattoo is meant to remind me of all the blessings I have in my life. Though life can be a struggle at times, I am reminded often that I am a blessed man. I have found faith in Jesus Christ. Discovered my life purpose because of it. Have been blessed with an incredible wife and an amazing family. I feel like I am a very rich man.

Tattoo Stories Part 3

It was year 3 of the Canyon Creek Church adventure when we reached some major challenges as a community. I realized that there were some changes that needed to take place in several areas of our church before it was too late. I was wrestling through whether or not I had the mental, physical, and emotional strength to walk through the transitions I knew were inevitable.  Planting a church has unique challenges, most of which you are very unprepared for. You can read all the books, attend all the seminars, and get all the advice you can but it is different when you walk through it.

Our staff went away on a retreat to San Francisco to spend some time together and begin strategizing the next phase of our church. I couldn't sleep one night (normal for me) and decided to go walk around the hotel and pray. I began asking God what I was to do, how I was to navigate us through this next season, and if I was the one to do it. At about 4am the Lord very clearly reminded me of 2 Timothy 1:7

"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline."

He very clearly challenged me in this next season of our church to lead boldly, fearlessly, and courageously. From that point on, a theme for my leadership has been courage. I was going to have it put on a personalized license plate but it was already taken (I got UFC instead). I did the next best thing and got my 3rd and 4th tattoos which remind me to always be courageous! The symbol above means courage. I had it done at Gold Rush Tattoo in Costa Mesa by Joel Bones.  The tattoo below is courage in tribal which was done by Larry at Scuttlebutt Tattoo in Mill Creek.(They are both on my right arm.)

Tattoo Stories Part 2

I got my second tattoo while I was in New York ministering with 120 teenagers from our youth ministry in Modesto. (Some guy by the name of Singe did it. Amazing I still remember.) I had resigned my position at Calvary Temple because I was going to be planting a church in Mill Creek, WA. This was mine and Di's last big event as the youth pastor's at Phenomenon (though we were still on staff for another 5 months).

I decided to have our youth ministry logo (means Phenomenon Ministries) tattooed on my left calve. My experience at Calvary ended up being totally life changing. I saw God do things that I had never seen before (hard to believe if it wasn't for a trip to Australia I would have missed it). Australia Trip My theme verse for Phenomenon was always Ephesians 3:20:

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,"

I held onto that promise from God, that he would do immeasurably more than I could dream up. That is truly what he did. We saw the youth ministry grow from about 100 students to over 800 students (we had services where over 1500 students attended). We birthed an internship that had over 25 full-time interns, many of which are now pastors all over America. I really believe I witnessed a youth revival in Modesto. It stretched my faith and caused me to believe God for impossible things. It was this experience that gave me the faith I needed to eventually start a church (from scratch).

I got this tattoo to always remind myself that God wants to do incredible things through me. (Sorry my leg is so hairy!)

Tattoo Stories Part 1

More often than not, when someone gets a tattoo it tells a story or is a reminder of something important to them. (Hard to believe that most people didn’t end up with a tattoo because they had too much to drink at a party and woke up with it.) Being a pastor I get asked often why I have so many tattoos and what they mean. My tattoos mark significant moments in my life. I have been wanting, for some time, to document what my “tats” mean to me. So this week I am gonna write a series of blogs which tell the different stories and meaning behind my tattoos. (At the very least this will be a meaningful experience for me.)

I got my first tattoo in January of 2001 in Adelaide, Australia. I was travelling with my senior pastor, Glen Berteau . He was speaking at a youth conference called Planet Shakers . Six months beforehand, I had resigned my position at a church Di and I had been at for almost 8 years. We loved the church and the people in the church. Bethany Christian Assembly had become our home.  But we knew that God was directing us to a “new” season in our lives which led us to become youth pastors at Calvary Temple in Modesto, CA.

The first six months in Modesto were the toughest in my ministry. We missed our family, missed our friends, and missed BCA. Many times during those first months I wondered if I had made the biggest mistake of my life. It all peaked in December of 2000 when my twin boys were born. Di gave birth to Judah and Elijah at 3am in the morning by emergency C-section.  I remember being in the hospital room looking at my growing family while they were sleeping and feeling more alone at that moment than I had ever felt in my life. You always dream about your family and friends celebrating with you when your children are born. Unfortunately for me I had moved my family 1500 miles away from everyone who knew and loved us. As I looked at my family that night I decided to do something I had never done before, I gave up. I decided at that moment to count my losses and quit. (I was ready to go back to BCA and become the janitor, if they would have me.)

The problem was Pastor Berteau had asked me to travel with him to Australia in January. Seriously! I couldn’t quit until after that once in a lifetime trip! So I went to Australia fully expecting to quit once I returned to Cali. Australia changed my life! At the very first Planet Shaker service God spoke to me clearly! He told me to go back to my hotel and seek Him, which I did. That night in my hotel He told me as clear as anything I have ever heard before that I was not to quit. That He was going to do HUGE things in our youth ministry in Modesto. That it would be an experience that would increase my faith like none other. That what I was going to see would be a phenomenon (which is why I named the youth ministry Phenomenon). I then wrote a message, The Man Who Satan Hates the Most, which I have preached over 100 times around the nation.

That moment with God was so significant and clear that I never wanted to forget it. I wanted to be reminded about it every time I considered giving up again. I decided to find the nearest tattoo parlor and mark myself forever, so I would never forget, I am not a quitter. I found a tattoo parlor, picked out a cross, and told them to put it on my ankle. (I have now discovered that only women get tattoos on their ankles. Give me a break, I was a novice and didn’t know any better.) So here is tattoo #1!

Courage....

Courage is the willingness to strap on your fear and move ahead. 

The leaders we revere and imitate walked onto the pages of history with timely displays of courage.

The courage to dream always precedes the capital needed to finance the dream.

Dreaming requires courage. For on the heels of every dream is the demon of doubt.

Ambition Gone Wild

Judges has been a fun book for us to preach our way through. I have really enjoyed studying and sharing with all of you what I have learned and how it relates to our lives today. Unfortunately I can’t share every intricacy of every story. We have even skipped a judge (Shamgar) here and there. Whenever I have to pass over a certain portion of the text for the sake of time, Christian or I will blog on it. Here is one!

As I prayerfully considered the direction I would take with the story of Abimelech, I sketched out an outline on ambition gone bad as a theme. I chose to go another direction on Sunday (see podcast for October 12) but still felt important to share on ambition.

I am unapologetically an ambitious person. That is the way that God hard-wired me. I set goals personally and in my ministry and strive to achieve them. Ambition in itself is not a bad trait. Most of us are annoyed by employees who lack it! Ambition is possession of motivation for power. Ambitious persons seek power either for themselves, for others, or to wield power over others in the name of an ideal. By its definition you can see how it can easily go sideways on a person. All that to say, ambition gone wild can be incredibly dangerous to everyone!

Abimelech is an example of ambition gone wild. He is definitely an ambitious leader. He wanted to be king and he tenaciously pursued it! He not only succeeded at being king but he ruled as king for 3 years. The character and life of Abimelech furnish us with a terrible picture of ambition. For your personal studies here is the outline I sketched out on Abimelech’s ambition gone wild. Considering how ambition gone wild develops, I broke it into several thoughts; its bad origin, wicked character, temporary triumphs, and fatal endings.

Bad origin of ambition gone wild. The early part of Abimelech’s life were definitely difficult. I can’t personally suggest that I would have any understanding of what he went through.

1. Who his parents were. Father was the great leader Gideon but his mother was a slave girl. He was the result of his father’s indiscretion. You can imagine he probably grew up with a sense of injustice.
2. Vanity of his name. Mother named him Abimelech which was a kingly name. Though he was the son of Gideon’s concubine, mom instilled vanity in him from birth.     

Wicked character of ambition gone wild.  Abimelech displays some of the worst features of ambition.

1. Selfishness.      The ambitious upstart has no thought of his nations prosperity, his sole aim is his own personal advancement.
2. Deceit.      Abimelech deceives his brothers and the men of Shecem. True ambition is simple and frank; ambition gone wild is mean, false, and treacherous.
3. Cruelty.      The new king soon abuses the confidence of his followers and develops into a murderous tyrant.

Temporary triumph of ambition gone wild. Don’t be surprised when Abimelechs become kings.

1. Don’t be surprised at the temporary success of those with ambition gone wild. Ambitious men are able to accomplish great things! But it doesn’t mean they are great men.
2. Don’t judge a man based on his successes. Success is no vindication of character. In fact, bad character will some times speed up success. Human nature honors ambition that succeeds and mocks ambition that fails. The church is great at honoring a man if he succeeds and tearing a man down if he fails. Be careful, immediately buying someone’s books or attending their seminars or chasing down their meetings just because they had some success in ministry.

Fatal results of ambition gone wild.

1. People who blindly follow often experience the worst consequences. Often even worse than the leader they blindly followed. The people of Shecem were completely destroyed by the Abimelech.
2. The man’s conduct eventually brought himself defeat, shame, and death.

Just a few thoughts on ambition gone wild. If you would like to read the text it is Judges 9. Keep Jesus your focus and priority and your ambition will be for His gain not yours!