10 Questions for Leaders to Answer Every Week

Ten Questions For Leaders to Ask Each Week

A Ministry Evaluation by Chuck Lawless

1. Have I decreased, and Jesus increased during this past week? By looking at your schedule, activities, conversations, thoughts, and priorities, whose kingdom have you sought to build this week– God’s or yours? Are you more conformed to the image of Jesus this week?

2. What do I know about God and His Word I didn’t know last week? If you’ve learned nothing new, it’s possible that: you haven’t sought God through study this week; you’ve studied, but it’s been routine and non-transforming; you’ve been a Christian so long you don’t think much about any needed growth; and/or, you’ve stopped growing. None of these possibilities should mark a godly leader.

3. Would someone want to pray like I’ve prayed this week? Jesus’ disciples watched and listened as Jesus spent intimate time with His Father — and they in turn wanted to pray like He did. They longed to experience what He experienced in prayer. Knowing your prayer life this past week, would you be pleased for someone to model his/her prayer life after yours?

4. Would my family say they are my priority based on this week’s activities? You can’t answer this question, of course, on your own–but you can take the risk to ask it. How would your spouse answer this question? your children? How much of your undivided attention did they get this week? What or who would they say is most important to you?

5. With whom did I attempt to share the gospel this week? Some evangelistic attempts do not result in your proclaiming the whole message, but we are never given permission to do less than share the Word with others. Did you at least make legitimate attempts to do so this week? With whom? Are you praying for those persons?

6. Who will walk more with Christ next week because he/she learned from me this week? This question hits at your disciple making work this week. If no one learned from you in an intentional mentoring relationship, I doubt it’s because no one wanted to walk with you. More often it’s because we haven’t prioritized mentoring like Jesus did.

7. Did I hide anything this past week (and, more pointedly, am I hiding anything now)? The devil works in our secrets. He delights in our darkness, even when our outward Christian walk appears to be solid. Godly leaders, on the other hand, know that nothing less than honest confession and heartbroken repentance bring our sin under the light of God’s forgiveness.

8. If I were to step out of my leadership role today, would the work continue well without me? You may be new in your role, but even new leaders must quickly seek to improve their organizations. If the work you lead would be seriously stymied by your departure, you may not be leading the organization well. In fact, you may be committing idolatry of the self if you are the center of the work.

9. What would my team say about my leadership this week? It’s likely they see you most closely. They hear your words, watch your reactions, and examine your life. They know when you say one thing and do another. They recognize when you lead reactively rather than proactively. Your team can probably tell you whether you’ve been a good leader this week.

10. What are my plans for leading better next week? An evaluation without an intentional plan for improvement is an exercise in futility. What will you do differently next week? What steps will you take to improve? Who will hold you accountable to these plans?

Which question above most challenges you? What other questions might you add to this list?

Key to a Miracle...

In week three of #stepup at Revolution Church, we discussed miracles.

Miracles happen when incredible circumstances result which can only be accomplished by divine intervention. In the scene of John chapter two, Jesus turns water into wine at a wedding feast. It was his first recorded miracle, and set the stage for his earthly ministry to be revealed.

Expecting a miracle takes a lot of courage and prayer. There were five key things we want you to see if you're in that waiting period for a miracle. Here are the keys:

1. The setting. There was a party. God did not choose to reveal his son Jesus at the temple, he instead performed the first miracle at the party. The miracle may be done in an unexpected place or circumstance because God has something greater than just allowing you to celebrate it with people who already know Him.

2. The need. There was a problem. The problem is the stage of a miracle when your questions can turn to anger. You feel so abandoned that it's perfectly reasonable to want to lash out at God because life is not fair. No miracle can happen without a problem, so learn perseverance because there is a greater hope than what you are facing right now. In the meantime, pray, follow the instructions, and don't settle for less than God's answer.

3. The opportunity. There was a plan. The plan was that guests would be served, the best could be provided, the impossible could be done and Jesus could be revealed. What if the miracle is really not about YOU? What if God wants to show off and you are the one he has chosen to endure the suffering for His glory?

4. The reason. There was a purpose. What if the reason for your problem and subsequent miracle are to point people to Jesus? The whole reason the water was turned into wine was the ultimate revelation of Jesus as the Messiah, the son of God. Could God be using YOU to reach OTHERS?

5. The power. There was a plea. When you have nothing left, pray. Trust God. Seek him. Ask hard questions. Cry. Lean on him. Turn anger into hope. Take action. Don't give up.

So you're there, and the answer has not come. You prayed, and it feels like God ignored you or did not answer. You're angry, and it seems justified.

Sometimes the answer is yes. Sometimes the answer is no. Or wait. Or now. Or maybe later. Or for a season. Or for another person. Or for patience. Or for his glory. Or for mercy. Or for growth. Or - the hardest one - for Heaven.

But God answers prayer, and he performs miracle.

The key is figuring out what his mission is for performing the miracle because it's never just the moment.

Even sick people who are healed eventually die.

God has a bigger plan that fixing your right now. He's looking to fix a lot of people forever.

Do you believe in miracles?

Pardon me, Al Michaels. But yes! Yes, I do.

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I love you all, and these are my thoughts.

Pastor K

Pardon me, but the best platform may be the kitchen table

Can we beg Christian America to put away the soapbox and trade it for a more reasonable option?

In the book of Joshua, a strong leader was nearing his death. Joshua was a military commander for Moses, widely known as one of the greatest and most influential leaders of the Old Testament. It could be argued Joshua was greater than his predecessor, having taken the Israelites into the Promised Land. The land was divided based upon the 12 tribes of Israel and the heritage of the people determined the household and place of their future.

In the book which bears his name, Joshua issues a challenge on the doorstep of his death:

I gave you land you had not worked on, and I gave you towns you did not build—the towns where you are now living. I gave you vineyards and olive groves for food, though you did not plant them. So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord alone. But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord. (Joshua 24:13-15)

The people respond with a resounding agreement. But Joshua is wise, and he challenges the people to hold to their responsibilities despite their words. He then sends them, in verse 28 of the chapter, “away to their own homelands.”

It has become both common and popular to defend Jesus and the Bible with our words. But those words both inspire and require action to have a solid foundation. What Joshua understood is the Israelites history and propensity to give lip service to God but just as easy be tempted to sway from their dedication to serve other interests and other gods. It would happen again.

Our culture has developed a platform for giving “word-service” to our allegiance. Social media drives this train. In response to hot-button issues, we sensationalize the moment in our defense of something we many times are not living out in our own lives.

If you carry heartbreak that prayer is removed from schools, take an action step to teach your children how to boldly and respectfully pray in front of their classmates at the lunch table. Combat hatred and intolerance by loving others like Jesus instructed, rather than spewing words through blogs and comments on social media. Rather than condemn those which are different from you, take the approach of the friend of sinners and open a conversation about faith around a table. That is the proper platform. Take action.

This action begins at home. Before carrying the banner of the controversy with your words, be sure your actions match your attitude. Pardon the phrase, but it’s very hypocritical of followers of Christ to “stand with” the popular celebrity of the moment and then stay in bed on Saturday or Sunday and refuse to worship with a group of believers in a church setting because we can’t fix our priorities.

It’s easy to talk a good game. Joshua sent them to their homes to lead one.

And leadership of your home is hard, but that is what ultimately makes the lasting difference.

I appreciate well the defense of the faith. Just make sure when you draw your weapon, you are standing on the proper foundation. Clear your table, and you’ll find a solid place to start.

Your house.

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I love you all, and these are my thoughts.

Pastor K

Just to see you smile...

I realize it takes muscle to smile, and it's a voluntary feature. There are times when my smile seems automatic, and it's involuntary, whether that makes biological sense or not. Let me explain those times:

- When my wife walks into the room, it makes me smile.
- When my daughter outthinks herself because she's so smart, it makes me smile.
- When my son giggles, it makes me smile.
- When I step into Busch Stadium, it makes me smile.
- When Phil Mickelson acts shocked that he made that putt, it makes me smile.
- When my dog turns her head like she's listening to what I'm saying, it makes me smile.
- When my mom says "I love you, son," it makes me smile. I just don't let her see it.
- When I pass a crowded community park with baseball fields in a random town, it makes me smile.
- When I see a family bowed in prayer in public, it makes me smile.
- When someone shouts "Anchor Down" it makes me smile. Go Dores!
- When they move that bus on the makeover show, it makes me cry usually. And smile too.

These are triggers. You have them, and I'd love in the comments to hear what they are. But what triggers a smile can just as easily trigger the opposite reaction, and often times what once made us smile is the hardest thing to digest. We hate the feeling because we once loved the feeling.

Every divorced parent, tragic loss, broken friendship, lost job, hurt feeling is filled with that overwhelming gut wrenching moment to fathom what once was amazing which is now the hardest thing to endure.

May we take notice that in the Bible Belt of the largest evangelical country on earth, our communities are not often smiling when they hear a mention of the "church." Instead, this term, be it used to represent a group of people or simply a building location, triggers responses within us that aren't always the most positive. The word "church" immediately negotiates a ploy in your belly, either a feeling of discontent and hurt, or an overwhelming sense of hope.

Demographics, and general common sense, says 70 percent of our community isn't smiling about the church. In fact, we aren't willing to engage them many times because we simply take the legalistic approach to evangelism and ignore what they may have to say because it's not what we want to hear. They have much to say, but we'd rather yell scripture at them on church signs than engage them with authenticity.

I don't want a church filled with people who simply are smiling through the culture and ignoring the frowns of their friends and family about what "church" represents. Behind those frowns are souls, many of which who might be in danger of spending an eternity in Hell separated from God because we weren't willing to listen to a dissenting voice and change our approach to reach them.

So how do we engage the culture? Let's make this simple. Let's start with the greatest commandment given by Jesus, to love the Lord your God with all you have, and love your neighbor as yourself.

Funny thing, that makes me smile.

So engage the culture by using the joy bottled within us, the Good News of Jesus Christ. Quit talking, and start DOING.

You can turn your smile into power by:

1. Loving people who need to be loved. A smile will break down walls, and a smile may restore relationships.

2. Forgiving people who have hurt you. A smile is a great start, but a soft answer turns away wrath. Let's quit letting Satan, the enemy of God, destroy our relationships.

3. Listening to people with a different opinion. Know someone of a different faith? Start a conversation. Have a friend with an alternate lifestyle that doesn't line up with your Biblical beliefs? Start a conversation. Hearing a person who's fed up with "church" because of baggage from their past? Start a conversation. Oh, one other thing. Be quiet while you're smiling and actually listen to them.

4. Serving people with no strings attached. Serving is not marketing. Don't serve trying to win them. Don't serve trying to persuade them. Just serve with a smile and be Jesus TO them.

The conversation will open itself and then you can share the Good News. And it may never happen, and that's ok. You just engage, and if the opportunity arises, take it.

Look for the trigger. You know, when they smile.

I love you and these are my thoughts.

Pastor K

Serve the City Updates and Calendar

Revolution Church is leading a Serve the City event in White House and our surrounding area in the month of July. Here is an updated list of our completed events and the schedule of days ahead! Thanks to everyone who is making a difference!

June 30 - A Portland man and his family mowed yards for the neighbors.

July 1 - Two different groups totaling 27 people pumped gas, washed windows, cleaned bathrooms, gas pumps and more at Doug's BP in White House. One of the groups also helped put out yard signs.

July 2 - Six team members served donuts and breakfast foods to the city workers, fire departments and police departments in White House, Cross Plains and Millersville.

July 3 - A huge team split into six vehicles and delivered 55 dozen donuts to local businesses, churches and organizations in White House.

July 4 - Our July 4th event on the greenway had 17 volunteers but was rained out by terrible inclement weather and flooding rain.

July 5 - A team of six people landscaped and weeded the back yard of a home on Lone Oak Drive.

July 6 - Rain cancelled the city event, during which Revolution Church was hosting face painting, a photo booth and making three giant murals to deliver to the 101st Airborne, 278th National Guard and 118th Special Forces Squadron. However, even after the city event was cancelled, the church was packed with volunteers who transformed two buildings into God's BackYard Bible Camp for Vacation Bible School.

July 7 - Revolution Church sent letters to soldiers before and after service, and a team of volunteers worked for over 10 hours to ready the buildings for VBS.

July 8 - Twenty team members split into two groups and served bottled water, snack foods and fruit with Project Greenway, setting up one and a half miles apart on opposite ends in heavy traffic areas. One group carried two coolers of iced water and the other served bottles. Also hosted VBS at church at the same time with a massive amount of additional volunteers. Launched an individual campaign to pay it forward by paying for the person's meal behind you at lunch, with a large number of people participating. One person at McDonald's started a wave of at least five people straight doing it. A Portland man and his son mowed their neighbors yard to prepare it for sale, and a White House man and his son cleaned a neighbor's property.

July 9 - Three teams pumped gas, washed windows, took out trash, cleaned bathrooms and more at Doug's BP in White House, Mapco Express in White House and Terry's Market in Cross Plains. Also hosted VBS at church at the same time with massive amount of additional volunteers.

July 10 - Six car loads are set to deliver fruit baskets to seniors and apartments in White House, assembling the baskets at 5 pm and delivering from 6-8. VBS again.

July 11 - Clean-up night at White House High School Athletic Facility from 6-8. Volunteers needed. VBS again at church.

July 12 - Landscaping and weeding at a home in White House from 10-12 am. VBS Family Night at the church.

July 13 - Church clean up day on the back side of the property from 7 am until noon. Will be cleaning the back pavilion and preparing for a September event. Painting at Watt Hardison Elementary School with Crystal Rogers and Jennifer Hand from 9 am to 2 pm to help the school get ready for the school year.

July 14 - Rake and Bake from 1-7 pm after church. Rake and Bake is a food event to deliver food to a number of houses while also mowing their yards at the same time.

July 15 - Chris Alsup will be leading a team at Terry's Market in Cross Plains serving from 6-8 pm.

July 20 - RevFest community event at the church property. Amy Bradford is the team lead.

July 26-28 - Project Restoration is a three-day extreme home makeover on South Palmers Chapel Road. Joe Everette is the team lead.

Events still needed a date:
- Heritage High School softball and basketball clean up day with Coach Leslie Barrow
- White House Dixie Baseball Clean-Up day with Rich Lopez
- White House Junior Pro Football Camp with Rich Lopez
- Concession Stand move-and-stock for White House Dixie Baseball and Junior Pro Football
- Possible Haircut event
- School Supply Drive

Check back here for more and add your serve event!

Contact us at revolutionchurch@comcast.net to jump in!

Pastor Kris

Environments Matter...when people connect to Jesus

I stood up from the response time to see the front of the stage covered in people praying to let go of their past and leave regret behind. There were individuals, families, friends. In all, over two services, 32 people responded to the message. We had three first-time conversions for Christ and have eight signed up for baptism next week.

But as I returned to the front of the stage, I noticed two first-time guests rising from the prayer time. Both ladies - friends of one of our greeters - had come to Revolution Church after hearing about the services on social media.

I was at the front entrance when the two friends came into the door, greeted by Chris Alsup of our First Impressions team. One of the ladies was carrying her daughter, a baby that had to be a year old or less. The little girl was happy and smiling. So upon telling her about our RevKids ministry in the adjacent building, she said...

"I have never left my baby with anyone before."

I could see the hesitation, and understandably so.

So we assured her. It's why we divide our classes into age-appropriate environments. It's why we participate in a security check-in and check-out system. It's why we have name tags and code numbers if there is a need for the parent during the worship service, to discreetly display the code on the screen. It's why we background check our volunteers and ensure multiple adults in each environment.

And so, she took her baby to our RevBabies nursery area. The baby stayed there through the service.

And she, plus a friend she brought to church with her, got an opportunity to make a serious prayer time and talk to God in response to the message.

Great job to our First Impressions and RevKids team.

In closing, this is WHY.

This is why we are on time.
This is why we hold to our commitments.
This is why we are prepared in our environment for guests.
This is why we create environments so people can worship.
This is why production matters, so the praise gets the attention.
This is why we share about Jesus and our church to our friends.
This is why social networking has a positive influence.

This is HOW we exhibit LIVE. LOVE. SERVE.

You make it happen, so THEY can connect to Jesus.

That's a WIN.

Have a great week,

Pastor K

Grace is Not a Gamble

It's not very often that I write a blog prior to speaking on the same topic, but that's exactly what I am going to do today. Sunday, we will continue the fourth week of what has been a fun and challenging series, "How I Met My Father" as we learn to find a couch and share our story.

Your story includes some incredible moments, and it also includes some very stupid ones. Our toughest days can be an element of consequence, but more often than not, the resulting embarrassment is by our own ridiculous choices.

I am no different. I'm going to share with you Sunday a story that you have never heard before, and it shaped me for who I am.

It took a fight - yes, a physical one - to get me back in church and ultimately right with God. I paid a lot of "stupid tax" on purchases in my early years by using a credit card. My attitude, ego and self-control was so mismanaged that I hurt a lot of people on the way to finding what God had for me, and there are days I regret a lot of things in my past even though grace has allowed me to be forgiven. The skeletons in my closet don't need to be brought out when I can hear the rattle of the bones in my own head.

And chances are, you are there too.

Grace is not a Slap Bet

In the show How I Met Your Mother (CBS), "Barney" is a high-strung, character-flawed socialite who carries the show. He's funny, but that's because he's a mess. He gambles with his mistakes and has an ego bigger than the moon. But his gambles can get him in trouble, and one day it goes to an extreme.

His friend Marshall is pretty laid back, but Marshall is a lot bigger and more intimidating than Barney. So in an argument, Barney takes a gamble on what he believes to be truth - and he's wrong. A "bet" between friends leaves Barney with a choice. He can either be slapped 10 times consecutively by Marshall immediately, or he can be slapped five times - with no warning - at any point from then until eternity.

Barney is a rebel, so in the "slap bet" he takes the five slaps at random intervals. To this point in the show, Marshall has used four. He has knocked Barney from a seat at the table, across the living room floor, crashed him in front of their friends, and buckled him over furniture. There is ONE slap bet left to dish out, and Barney has no idea when it's coming.

Crazy as it sounds, the slap bet is a stupid way to dish out punishment, but it causes Barney to live paranoid. Marshall tortures him, faking the slap, or sending him an email with a screensaver countdown to the next one. Barney fears the anticipation more than the slap itself. Watch for yourself. (The video is from an independent site, so the links and content is not on me...)

And this is exactly how Satan intends for you to live when you make a mistake. He is torturing you, making you live in fear when your mistakes are going to come back and slap you in the face. Barney SHOULD HAVE taken his dose and ended it. But he CHOSE to live in fear when it could have been over. Christ died for your sin, so quit carrying it for all of your life!

Take your medicine, and move on!

Peter was an apostle of Jesus. He was by and large the most stubborn one, violently defending Christ and yet bold enough to challenge Jesus about his words when he did not understand. But Peter made a horrible decision, three-fold, denying Jesus at the very moment he had a chance to defend him. Peter's words were so cutting, cursing...echoing through the night as the apostle declared with force, "I do not know this man."

Jesus ultimately was crucified and Peter retreated to the boat, not just to his former profession but back to the sea in a moment of sheer regret and skeleton-shaking horror as he contemplated what he had done. Regardless of the words of Jesus planning to return, to resurrect, to see them again, here was the village idiot soaking in his own self-pity in the boat. Is it harsh to call him the village idiot? Of course it is. But I am using that phrase for the own self-deprecation we feel when our mistakes come crashing down. We are guilty, and we know it.

Peter got a second chance, and I want to tell you about that Sunday. You are worthy of a second chance, not because of how righteous you are, but because grace is not a gamble. Jesus died to set the very thing free that you beat yourself up with over and over again.

Peter's story later emerged from utter disaster to incredible blessing. After Jesus ascended to Heaven, it was Peter who led 3,000 people to the gospel after the group emerged from the upper room. Peter saw a lame man walk again with the power of "Jesus Christ of Nazareth" in his right hand and his words. Peter stood before the high council and upheld Jesus after denying he knew Jesus in front of a few people in the courtyard.

Set it free!

God didn't send his son Jesus to die for your sin just so you could use his grace as a get out of Hell free card. But he also didn't send his son to die for your sin so you could wake up every day and sulk in how worthless you are.

The devil (Satan) is a master at false conviction. He tempts you to believe you can never be loved, never be saved, never be set free.

Well, he's got one slap left, and God's holding the keys to hell and death. In the meantime, forgiveness comes with some tough earthly consequences. Your relationships may have been damaged, and you are likely going to face saying you are sorry. Some things you may never get back, and some hurts last a long time. But let it BECOME your story, not CONTROL it.

Tell Satan you didn't gamble on grace. Your debt is paid.

If anyone is going to get a spiritual smack in the face, let the arrogant one who thinks he's bigger than God take his own medicine.

I'm perfectly thankful Christ took mine.

You do not want to miss Sunday.

Pastor K