Focus

Luke 16:10

10a"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with
much...."

In the passage above, the parable is on the topic of money, but I
think that principle can be applied to many different aspects of
ministry.

In this season of growth, God is slowing me down and giving me a
greater focus. He's teaching me how to harness my passion, fire,
drive, gifts, and abilities and make them most effective. I shared
with my coaching network that while I have a giant/big picture vision to
reach for, God is placing two or three individuals in my
life. I feel like He's telling me, "If you are faithful with these few
individuals and focus your time and resources on sharing Me with them,
then I'll give you the opportunity to reach many more."

Hearing that clear direction from God is huge for me and our church
plant. I believe that God will bless us with access to thousands of
people in our community and online if we are faithful and serious
about reaching the tens or hundreds He's blessed us with in the
beginning.

What Biblical principles has God shared with you lately?

Photo by zgodzinski

My Wife is Talented

My wife Melissa has become quite the professional photographer as of late. I'm really proud of her work. She has a natural eye for the shot she wants. You can check out her work here: M.HillPhotography

Volunteer Chain Gang

A few thoughts for those of us who are struggling to find volunteers.

- If this is the way your team looks when you "serve" at your church, don't expect everyone around you to jump on board.

- Why would someone want to join a group of volunteers who look and act like they're performing court-ordered community service projects?

- When you see prisoners on the side of the interstate picking up garbage with a sheriff looking over their shoulders, are you ever compelled to jump in and help out? Of course not.

- When you read verses like this one, shouldn't people see the contagious excitement and expectation of God's transforming power on your face?

- "People Don’t Respond To Need–They Respond To Vision. When a leader talks about a need SOME people will respond. BUT…when a leader can cast a compelling vision about what SHOULD BE…and with God’s grace and our participation WOULD BE…CHANGE HAPPENS! Many times a team leader will drift off course…NOT because they are lazy and/or pathetic…but because maybe they have forgotten why they do what they do…and a shot of vision will cure that every time." - Perry Noble

- A good attitude makes the big problems easier to deal with and the small problems almost disappear.

We Live in a Beautiful World

I was going through some mobile pics and found these.

Check out You Just Don't for free

This is some new music from my great friend and old band mate, Joshua Manis, from Knoxville, TN. Find out more about You Just Don't here. Enjoy!

You Just Don't

Toothache

It's funny how our bodies respond to pain. I woke up a couple nights ago with a toothache. Now, the part of my body that was causing the pain was probably a tiny nerve. The effect that tiny nerve had on my entire body was epic. I couldn't see straight. I couldn't walk straight. Heck, I couldn't even stand up straight. Why? There was one tiny little nerve hindering my entire body from working properly. The smallest problems in our lives can cause some major effects. The question at which I arrive is this: What seemingly small, neglected problem in my life needs repair before it sneaks up and completely ruins me?

Letter to Zac

This is Zac. Last month, he told his story for the students at Newspring Church. Take five minutes of your time and watch. It just may change you.

Letter to Zac from NewSpring Production on Vimeo.

You can follow Zac's journey here: www.hello-righton.com

Before. After.

Here's a before and after shot of our Sunday mornings at The Ridge. When we show up at The Double Tree Hotel in Oak Ridge, TN at 7am, the room undergoes a full transformation.

New Layout

I'm trying out a new layout for the blog.