Daryl Strickland

I’m pretty excited about this weekend. Lots of cool things going on at Lifepoint and I get to do something that is difficult to do in my business… go to church somewhere else. I am traveling to Charlotte today to meet up with Chunks Corbett the Executive Pastor at Elevation Church. These guys are a little over two years old and reaching over 4000 people. I am going to observe, ask questions, learn as much as I can and I am praying that God grows me and stretches tremendously over the next couple of months.

Ten years ago today Kelli pushed this little guy out and guess what I did… I cried. It seems like just yesterday yet it scary to think how fast they grow up.

I totally enjoy being this guys dad.

Happy Birthday Noah!!

I love investing in people, coaching people, encouraging people however, I have not done much of that for a while. That is why I am so excited about the next 8-10 weeks. I will be leading two groups of awesome people through, Developing The Leader Within You by John Maxwell. One group is the Lifepoint Staff (these guys and gals are winners) the next group is 12 guys that I see God using, growing and developing into strong leaders. The guys group has committed to meeting at 6:30AM during the summer!!! Did I tell you that I was pumped.

Shane Duffy’s new post is slamming! Put your big boy pant’s on.

Click here  Do Work

You learn something new everyday. Last Saturday I thought I was going to see two awesome friends get married but I was actually getting introduced to an awesome game that I knew nothing about. It’s called Corn Hole and it’s sweeping the nation (or at least all the cities with sweet tea). It’s pretty amazing. You take bags of corn and you try to throw them in a hole (horseshoe style). That’s crazy!!

Below is a link to the rules that I pulled from the American Cornhole Association (ACA).

How To Play Cornhole

I was just watching TD Jakes and this stuff was to good not to share:

Here is some of what he shared:

• Dare your cancer to come to church with you today cause Jesus is in the house. I could be healed today, I could be revived today.
• If Jesus is in the house, something is going to happen.
• God needs something to work with. Bring some expectation with you. Enter His house with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Don’t come laid out like a mummy, expecting a miracle.
• Wherever there is a promised move of God you can expect opposition.
• You face your greatest opposition when you are closest to your biggest miracle.
• Faith must always past the test of discouragement.
• You have to go through a period of wanting to quit.
• If you are in anything and have never wanted to quit it, you are not in much.
• If you understand what I am saying you don’t shout when you get the miracle, you shout when you get the opposition.
• He is hurting me now. He just said most of us get stuck in the first dimension of faith (Simply Saved).
• Second dimension of faith. ARISE (live in victory in all areas of your life).
• Salvation is the root…Resurrection is the fruit. You can’t be saved and be flatlined.
• Third dimension of faith. You take hold of the things that had hold of you.
• He just said that’s so good, I’m going to get the tape myself.
• More on this one later.

This is better that biscuits and gravy!! Maybe it’s just me.

Yesterdays message at Lifepoint was the third in our LEGO series and it was about going the distance. At one point in the service Jeff encouraged people to write on a 3X5 card what they felt like was keeping them from going the distance and being who God created them to be. They then came forward and pinned them to a cross, symbolizing that they were giving it to God. Check out some of the the things that were on the cards.

• Sexual abuse
• Building relationships based around being physical
• Drugs (there were a lot of these)
• Hatred for my mom
• Seeing children sexually abused
• Alcohol
• Mates past experiences
• Baggage from past marriage (there were a lot of these)
• Being abandoned by my mom makes me feel insignificant and bitter
• My father was never there for me
• Insecurities (a ton of these)
• Friends
• Struggling with staying pure
• Spouses addicition
• Not forgiving his past
• My weight
• Fear
• Self-confidence
• I think that I am not smart
• Forgiveness
• Trust
• No fire in our relationship (multiple)
• Communication
• My past
• Finances (multiple)
• Anger
• Lies
• Time management
• Discouragement
• My Job
• Surgery
• I am in love with someone who is in love with someone else
• My mind
• Selfishness
• Lack of disipline
• Jealousy
• Lust
• Being to busy
• Fighting (multiple)
• Fear of committing
• Partying
• Patience
• Fear of missing God’s will
• Laziness
• Affair
• Time with spouse
• Being tired
• Lack of hope
• Temptation

There were hundreds more with the same theme. I am so glad God is drawing hurting people to Lifepoint and I am so glad He is in the resurrection business!

Read Perry’s notes from PDC at Saddleback.

link

Do you know what is better than a strong leader? A strong leader with soldout followers. I think what you are getting ready to read is one of the most effective things you could do for your pastor or team leader.

God has opened my eyes as to how many opportunities the church has missed because of lack of support of their leaders or worse: undercurrent that works against the house . I have viewed this first-hand in every area of leadership that I have ever been in.

We see all through scripture how God gives a person a vision and the ability to lead and then He sends people to support that vision. The more people that cheer on their leader, lift load off of their leader and support their leader’s vision, the greater the impact the leader and the church has.

A beautiful example of this is geese flying in the V formation. The lead goose is working his tail feathers off leading the way and his leadership reduces turbulence for all the others. Research shows us that because of this setup, geese can fly 71% further in this formation than alone (that’s crazy). But the best part is what the other geese do, they honk like crazy affirming the lead bird’s efforts and this encourages him to keep it up!

I am going to say this as clearly as I can. If you can’t support your leader 100%, get off the team now (99% doesn’t cut it when souls are on the line). Lack of support will cause one of the following things to happen: 1) No Growth In Your Ministry, 2) Slow Growth In Your Ministry, 3) Leader Burn Out In Your Ministry. The above mentioned things all effect your church’s ability to reach people that are destined for hell.

If you find yourself in this spot, resign today. It doesn’t mean you are a bad person, but maybe you’re in the wrong ministry. Or perhaps you have some issues that you need to deal with personally. Either way, don’t slow down growth because of selfishness; lives are on the line and this is serious business.

If you’re in the V formation and you’re honking loud to cheer your leader on, keep it up!! Continue to lighten their load by helping out with anything you can! Continue to encourage and cheer them on! Focus on your leaders’ strengths instead of their weaknesses. Don’t bring them problems, bring them solutions. If you do this, watch out, your church will be positioned to reach it’s potential!

Love this song by Rush Of Fools. The lyrics are both a prayer and a reality in my life. Thank You Jesus!!

I am an arrow, I am a rocket
I am a river and nothing can stop it
Cause You are the target and You are the atmosphere
You are the ocean that keeps pulling me, You’re pulling me here

And I, can’t get away, can’t get away
Can’t get away, can’t get away
I can’t get away, can’t get away
I keep running into You
(repeat)

I am a beggar, You are the table
I am so helpless, God You are so able
And when I get turned around You change my direction
You’re so perfect, I’m so broken, here You come with arms wide open
Chasing after me down every road
You’re always waiting there

Even when I close my eyes, I can’t help but see
There’s no place that I can hide, You’re such a part of me
I can’t get away cause I keep running into You
I can’t get away