Never let anyone’s hang-ups keep you from hanging out. The most important time when someone needs us is during their time of adversity. We’ve all made mistakes, and if we would take the time to reflect, we would realize we usually made it through because someone didn’t give up on us.… Read the rest
Choose to create impact, not impression. We tend to forget just what we see, but we always remember those who got up close, got involved, and shared true, heartfelt, deep life lessons with us.… Read the rest
Much prayer = much joy; little prayer = little joy; no prayer = no joy. Do I need to add anything else?… Read the rest
The most dangerous time for a leader is immediately following the completion of a project, especially if it was a success. Never allow what you do to dictate or define who you are. Failure and success are never the determining factor. The great question of any leader is, ‘Who am I in response to how I win or lose?’… Read the rest
Money may buy you a beautiful dog, but it won’t make the dog wag its tail. Leaders don’t have jobs; they are given opportunities. We don’t work for pay; we’re paid because someone gave us the joy and the privilege to work. Integrity and character are the way to get things done. I couldn’t care less about cash – I want a life that lives out Christ. Now that’ll wag its tail.… Read the rest
Quality service means exceeding your guests’ expectations and paying attention to details. If our guests truly matter, then we must ask ourselves, ‘What are we doing to ensure that their experience is worth their investment?’… Read the rest
All improvement requires change, but just the same, not all change leads to improvement. Give a great deal of attention, then, to what change is being made. Ask yourself, ‘Is this a change that is necessary? Will this change bring about improvement?’… Read the rest
All leadership equals risk. You cannot have true leadership without it. However, the reverse is not the same. All risk does not mean leadership. There are some things that are not worth risking. Let’s be honest, some risk is just plain stupid.… Read the rest
Remember, you can never microwave leadership. It requires a great deal of time, sacrifice, and investment. Don’t ever try to shortcut what only God can do over time.… Read the rest
It’s been said that you can impress at a distance, but your real impact is up close. So as wonderful as the crowds can be, your greatest impact will be with the two or three you truly invest in. Learn to invest in a few so that, in turn, you can lead the many.… Read the rest
If your dream doesn’t get you out of bed with an excitement in your step, get a new dream. Life is a dream worth living in; it doesn’t always have to be something you’re waiting for.… Read the rest
In the absence of a great dream, pettiness prevails. So dream big – big enough that it will require God to achieve it. I heard a great definition of what vision is: a compelling word picture of a preferred future. A great dream is the destination that we dream of and work for, awaiting the day when….… Read the rest
When change happens, you must remember that people will feel unsettled. Most change is first experienced as loss, and that loss is usually felt as grief. Change is necessary; just remember what people are experiencing as those changes occur.… Read the rest
When the pace of change on the outside exceeds the pace of change on the inside, you’re in trouble. Remember, growth begins on the inside. Fruit naturally happens, then, on the outside. Don’t let results be your guide.… Read the rest
Activity does not always mean accomplishment. Direction without purpose is exhausting. Make sure you are giving yourself to something that has value – specifically, eternal value. Life is fun when it’s given to meaning.… Read the rest
Mistakes are a part of life. Don’t try to learn to be perfect; just learn. Every opportunity is just that – an opportunity to grow, learn, and try again. You’re going to make mistakes – we all do. The question is in how you will you respond to them. Remember, the life lesson of Edison is that he never failed; he just discovered a thousand ways that light won’t work. Imagine if he didn’t continue learning – we’d be living in darkness.… Read the rest
Mistakes are a part of life. Don’t try to learn to be perfect; just learn. Every opportunity is just that – an opportunity to grow, learn, and try again. You’re going to make mistakes – we all do. The question is in how you will you respond to them. Remember, the life lesson of Edison is that he never failed; he just discovered a thousand ways that light won’t work. Imagine if he didn’t continue learning – we’d be living in darkness.… Read the rest
If leadership is a marathon, then the key to experiencing lasting success is to finish. Paul wrote to his church in Corinth, “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever” (1 Corinthians 9:25). He also said, “Run in such a way that you will win.” Finish what you start, and always finish well.… Read the rest
Great leadership is a marathon, not a sprint. You have to learn to think long-term if you want to experience true, lasting success. Remember, we’re building an OAK, not a MUSHROOM. Instant success always equates to the same reward – short-term. Great leadership passes on a long-lasting legacy – one that requires time and patience.… Read the rest
Hurting people hurt people (that’s why we need to always keep our hearts before God – so we’re not that hurting person). Healthy people help people grow (that’s why we need to always keep our hearts before God – so He receives the glory).… Read the rest
Salvation is God’s gift to us. What we do with that gift is our gift to Him. What we become is the greatest gift we can ever offer back to God. Paul invites us to “offer ourselves as a living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1). Every day give yourself to God, grow in that gift, and then give your life away for another.… Read the rest
Stay focused on the One who matters and your life will follow. “Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33). What if we took God at His Word and lived for His audience of One?… Read the rest
Time is one of the most precious things we have been given, and yet, too often, we spend it on things that really don’t matter. Each day is a tick on a clock; each moment of the tick can make an eternal difference in someone’s life. Make each moment matter. Make each tick count.… Read the rest
“No matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love” (1 Corinthians 13:3). Aren’t we all?… Read the rest
“The greatest love is shown when a person lays down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). There is nothing more important to me than a person who really loves. No matter what, they are always there for you. Imagine a place like that. Imagine if the body of Christ actually lived like that.… Read the rest