Dr. Chris Stephens

Hey Friends,

The Lord has been speaking to me lately about some areas in which I have been limiting my ministry! I’ll bet the same could be said for every leader reading this blog. Let me explain. Jesus said, “Let it be done according to your faith.” The Scripture also records, “I can do all things…” and, ”Nothing is impossible with God…” I am sure you could quote other verses affirming the power that works in each of us.

At our Pellissippi Campus we are just about out of space, or are we? I determined that 500 was the maximum we could run at our Saturday night service. The truth is, we have 1,050 seats. Why did I SELF-LIMIT our potential? As a matter of fact, I did it years ago. I heard it said that 50% was capacity on Saturday night and I just bought it. I also said 300 was our maximum attendance at our 9:00 am Sunday morning service. Why? Because we had struggled at 8:30 and so many people love to sleep in on Sunday mornings. So, I just confessed that 300 was our max, self-limiting our ability to reach more lost people.

In 12 months we will move into 600 additional seats in our Pellissippi Worship Center and have more space for kids and fellowship. So, we can quit and say we can’t grow until we have more room, or we can believe God will maximize all our services. That means we must hit 750 or more on Saturday night. It also means we have to grow the 9:00 am service. Our God is able and we must believe by faith He can do it and He will use us to accomplish His will.

If we get real, it us usually the leader that is the bottleneck to growth or forward momentum. We can’t allow the gospel to be stifled, stopped, or slowed down! God can burst through the barriers that we all face. What barrier is blocking you? Is there an area in your ministry you are self-limiting?

By faith you can win and go to the next level!

Praying for you.

Love ya,

Pastor Chris

Hey Friends,

Yesterday I wrote a blog about asking the right questions to the right people to get the right answers. I gave you 10 questions I have been asking the Lord about my personal growth. Today let me give you some questions I have been asking Him about the public ministry He has me leading:

1. Where or how am I limiting Faith Promise? Everything rises and falls on leadership. At the end of the day, usually the leader is the bottleneck to growth. If you are not where you want to be, start with you as the potential problem.

2. Where am I blinded by my education, experience, or personal paradigms? Let me give you an answer the Lord gave me. I have been limiting our Saturday evening service because I thought 50% was maximum capacity. I heard this at a conference and it made sense. So, I have been self-limiting that service. How?  I said it can’t grow anymore and quit challenging the people on Saturday night. Thank You, Lord, for Your clear direction.

3. What miracle or gift am I blocking that You want to pour out? If we do not believe by faith then we will miss it – like Jesus in His own hometown.

4. Is an incorrect view of You, thinking, or doctrine taking me down a wrong road?

5. Am I insecure or fearful in following any edict You have given me?

6. Ministry is messy and can easily become the monster that must be fed. Am I missing it anywhere?

7. How can there be a shortage of singers, musicians, or worship leaders in Your body?

8. Am I missing the simplicity of the New Testament?

9. Lord, what is right in front of me that I can’t see?

10. Can Your Word truly be lived out in community?

As I lead Faith Promise to where the Lord has called us, I know how easy it is to miss it! I don’t want to work on the wall only to find out the ladder was leaning on the wrong wall. I don’t mean I doubt Jesus or His Word. I mean we are all prone to miss where He is leading. It is easy to get blinded by your past, success, education, experience, and a host of other things floating around in our heads.

Asking the Lord the right questions and waiting for His direction and discernment are key in walking His path for us.

Love,

Pastor Chris

Hey Friends,

Yesterday, I fired off my first meeting with a new coaching network I established. The goal is to add value to leaders and help people reach their full potential. That is a passion of my heart. I believe it is a biblical mandate. As a pastor of a great church, it is my job to help people be ready for the Judgment Seat of Christ.

There are five in my first group and those guys are hungry! Nothing better than being with people that are hungry to grow.

Hungry people are willing to do what it takes to go to the next level. If you are not hungry then you probably don’t do the work required to change and go the next level – to break through barriers every leader must assault to continue to grow and not become stagnant. How hungry are you? What are you willing to do to grow? What barriers are you facing that must be dealt with?

There are three times when people are willing to change:

• They learn enough they want to.
• They hurt enough they have to.
• They love enough they are willing to.

Halfway through the day I asked @Chuckcarringer to come in and talk to the group. Pastor Chuck is an awesome leader and encourager. As he affirmed the group, he made some statements that caught my attention. He praised the group because they were of the 2 or 3% of people who actually wanted to grow. They proved it by setting aside the time and the money required to go to the next level. You could feel the level of the room rise through the encouragement he  provided.

Chuck said something more important next: “It is great you are a part of the 2 or 3%, but I want to encourage you to be the 1% that actually does the hard work of transformation.” As he spoke I wondered, “Am I still willing to change and do the hard work required to break barriers and become all God has placed in me?” This is a question we all need to address from time to time. Complacency is a fierce enemy to growth and forward momentum.

Where are you on the scale:

Complacent          1          2         3        4         5          6          7          8        9          10              

Hungry                  1          2         3        4         5          6          7          8        9          10    

Your truthful answer matters more than you know!

Love ya,

Pastor Chris

P.S. Chuck Carringer is available for Executive Coaching.  A great leader’s leader to follow and read. Check out his website. This guy makes me better!

Hey Friends,

I have mentioned a few times in the last few weeks how great Wayne Cordeiro’s book, Leading On Empty, really is. Let me give you a quote from the book: “Commitments to a preferred future do not come randomly. They are intentionally established at times when you are thinking clearly and are close to God.” I love this thought. What is your preferred future? What commitments have you made to get to it?

This question will require some serious contemplation and consideration, that is if you want to walk intentionally into the future God has planned for you. In the book of Nehemiah the people came together and wrote down their preferred future. They committed to walking with the Lord in holiness and purity. They made a clear choice about the future of their nation when they were in a good spot with God. As a matter of fact, they wrote down what they perceived to be their preferred future in Chapter 10 in the book bearing his name.

Never make a major decision when you are at a low spot spiritually or emotionally. Hab. 2:2 says, ”Write down the vision and make it plain…” You have to know where you are going to know how to get there. If you have a clear vision written down you can stay the course even when adverse winds blow, and they will blow. To write it down will help you chart and navigate the course. Very few people have their preferred future written down. Where do you want to be in 5 years or 10 years? What are the most important things to you? Your marriage? Your ministry? Your family?

If you do not set your priorities, someone else will. What are the things only you can do? No one can love my wife for me, so that is a high priority for me. You get the picture. What is your preferred future? Get headed in the right direction.

Love ya,

Pastor Chris

Hey Friends,

We had a first at Faith Promise this past weekend. My youngest son, Zac, preached the weekend message. It was amazing. If you missed it I would challenge you to go to our FPC website and watch it.  It will change your life. It was a great weekend to mentor him and help him past his first time in the “Big Room.” He freaked out all weekend.

At first he doubted the Word the Lord had given him. We all did when we first started out! At Faith Promise we are committed to raise up the next generation of leaders in the Kingdom of God. Zac prayed and worked on the message for quite a long time. When it came time for the Saturday night service he experienced a baptism by fire. Not only was he scared to death, but the power went off halfway through the message. That is a serious curve ball for a rookie. As the room went black he told the congregation to remain seated and he would finish in the dark. That is exactly what he did.

I was very impressed and so was the rest of  the church family. You could have heard a pin drop. The power of God was in the room and everyone wanted to hear what the Lord had for us. Zac preached the message again four times on Sunday morning. God moved in a powerful way. God truly is raising up what could be the last generation of leaders in the Church, as Jesus could come soon.

The only way to raise up the next generation is to make room for them. They will make mistakes just like we did. Are you making room for the next generation of young adults? Every Paul needs to have a Timothy. Who is yours?

Just a thought.

Love ya,

Pastor Chris

Hey Friends,

I recently had a conversation with Chuck Carringer, a great leader and pastor on our executive staff. We were discussing the “wattage” of different people. My thought was that everybody has a certain amount of energy or capacity. Some people are low wattage while others are high wattage. I believe I was right (I always do). I found it to be true now that I have C. Diff and Salmonella. Yes, not one, but two horrible bacteria. For the last month I have been running on empty. Pray for me please! I now know what low energy or wattage feels like and I hate it!

My normal high energy level is already depleted by the time I get out of bed. I realized high energy is a gift from God – one I have taken for granted. I realize in my leadership and ministry I have the responsibility to steward my energy. That means I have to prioritize my life and ministry and invest the energy God has given me in the things that matter most! This blog goes well with the blog post this week about blocks of time.

I am a morning person so I give God the best part of my day. I try to sit at His feet for 2 hours in the morning. I also try to give my best energy and creativity to writing sermons that will be used by the Holy Spirit to transform lives. Another jolt of energy is given to thinking about the future of Faith Promise. Where does the Lord want us to go? I think about strategy, leader development, resources and other things that fall to the senior leaders to do. I always try to lay low on Saturday to be ready for the evening service and energized for the Sunday services where I have to speak.

How much energy do you have?

 How do you use it?

 What are the things that you have to do and only you can do?

What are the things you do that give your organization the greatest potential?

When are you at your best?

How can you maximize your time?

My prayer for you is that you are a million watt bulb burning brightly for our Lord. Whatever amount of energy you have, use it for the glory of the Lord. Thank Him for the energy He has given you. There are people who can not get out of bed today. Thank Him for your motivation, for He is good.

Shine on!

Pastor Chris

 Hey Friends,

This question matters more than most of us ever realize:

 WHAT RECHARGES YOUR SOUL?

Our soul is like a battery. We all know that a dead battery is of little use. Some of the things you do suck life and the charge out of your battery while other things you do add power to, or recharge, your battery. Knowing the difference and managing them is a vital key to victory in your life. This goes for both the natural and the spiritual realms. Jesus knew this truth well and managed His ministry and time to stay charged up and ready to give life to others. Do you?

In one more week we are going to start a new sermon series entitled,“Losing the Leaf,” which will deal with intimacy. This series will have a great deal to do with your quality of life. Your relationships are critical in determining your quality of life. Your relationships will also determine the level of charge in your battery. I believe God created relationships to charge our soul “battery.” This is not the only way to recharge but it is one of the major ways.

If the bulk of your relationships are negative they will suck away your life and you will be deplenished, rundown, and the crash will not be pleasant. If the majority of your relationships are life-giving then you will stay charged and life will be great. Where are yours?

I know there are many more ways to recharge your batteries, but this can not be overlooked. I spent this past weekend with my son, Zac, and some great friends at a car show. It recharges my batteries. We spent the weekend eating, laughing, and looking at cars. It recharges me and I love it. I have a list of things that recharge my soul. I make sure they are in my schedule. Do you? What are some of the things that do it for you? Your list could help others.

Many of you reading this are in some form of ministry. In ministry many of our relationships are about helping and giving life. If you’re not careful you will give to the point that your batteries are empty. Don’t you hate the sound when you try to crank the car and your hear, “click, click, click?” You know the noise – dead battery – you’re going nowhere without a boost or new battery. Many in ministry are clicking and running on empty.

Recharge! Jesus did!

Love ya and praying for a long and fruitful ministry for you.

Pastor Chris

P.S. See the red light flasing on the dashboard? It says, LOW BATTERY!

Hey Friends,

I had a new thought, and yes, before you ask it was lonely!

 Humility is essential in raising up leaders.

I had never realized this until recently. It is easy to raise up followers. As a matter of fact, raising up followers can prop up pride and inflate insecurity. Raising up leaders that will be equal to or above you, now that cuts the heart out of pride. John said, “I must decrease and He must increase.” In the process of raising up leaders we must be willing to step back and let someone else have the spotlight. That is not easy unless you are walking in humility.

We all like hitting the winning shot, being the MVP, hearing the accolades, and receiving the pats on the back. All of these feel so good because they feed the flesh. To be able to risk by letting a younger leader take the shot even when he or she might miss it, security and humility are essential. Someone gave you a shot or you would not be where you are today.

Pride is when we feel that it all rests on our shoulders. “I have to preach all the messages, I have to be the one to lead the worship, I have to do all the teaching…” If we think no one can do it as well as we can, then we will “hog the ball.” We will subconsciously raise up followers but we will hold on for dear life to our power and position. You have to give up to go up.

Jesus descended into greatness. Read Phil. 2:1-12 and see how He humbled Himself. If we are going to raise up the next generation of leaders, we will have to step back out of the spotlight with humility and let others spread their wings and fly for Jesus.

This is the only hope the Church has to grow and reach another generation.

Praying for you.

Love ya,

Pastor Chris

P.S. If Jesus was willing to lay down His glory to pay for our sins on a cross, what should we be willing to lay down to see His Church advance?

Hey Friends,

This blog is vital for your survival! I hope I have your attention. I am a pilot and enjoy flying. There are sometimes I want to fly but I can’t. The FAA says my plane needs an “annual.” That is, it must be grounded and checked out by a professional aviation mechanic. This is the law and records must be kept that prove the plane was maintained. This is a good rule! I do not want to be at 10,000 feet and say, “That dosen’t sound good!”

Our souls are the same – they need maintenance. They need to be taken off line regularly for rest and repair. I have watched so many of my friends in the ministry burnout, flame-out, rust-out, or just crash and burn in the leadership position God has placed them. This is just as serious as a plane crash. When the pastor or the leader of the organization crashes, the church suffers serious damage. So, are you doing regular maintenance on your soul?

Wayne Cordeiro, in his great book, “Leading On Empty,” warns about miles with maintenance.  “In 2006 the FAA grounded all DC-10s because on one flight the engine fell off, resulting in the death of 213 passengers. This unthinkable flaw didn’t take place overnight; it was the result of successive time of ignored maintenance.” This is a great picture of leaders pushing it too far and past the limits until the engine falls off. The crash can destroy so many lives.

“But Chris, I must push it to the limit for the Lord.” Yes, we go hard for Jesus, but are you protecting you soul? The Creator gave us rhythms for life. The Sabbath, silence, solitude, daily devotion, rest, your body (the plane) requires maintenance, and the Manual written by the Great Engineer has made it clear. To forgo the maintenance will destroy the plane and most of the people around you. That includes your family, friends, congregation and many others. This is not the will of God.

Leadership or ministry is a marathon and your must care for your soul and spirit.

How are your maintenance records? For many leaders, if you don’t care for yourself the people around you will let you go till you drop. I am so grateful for the people around me, and the Body of Faith Promise, that they care for me as the pastor too much to let me crash and burnout. That is why they gave me a 30-day sabbatical.

How are you caring for the “plane” you are called to command? More on this tomorrow. You might want to pick up Cordeiro’s book for yourself. My friend, Steve Robinson, at Church of the King told me, “The book saved his life.” He is building one of the greatest churches in America. We all need it.

Love ya,

Pastor Chris

P.S. If you sacrifice your soul in a sprint you will lose the long term majesty of the marathon and achieving all the Lord desires and designed you for.