I was believing a lie and it kept me from having the family, the church, the life I wanted.

One of the myths of improvement that I used to believe with all my heart is, "If I work harder, it will get better". However, after 47 years of life and 25 years of leading ministries and business ventures, I have found that statement to be totally false. Working harder, does not make anything better. 

Lets think about it for a moment. 

If you are out of shape and you want get into shape, going to the gym and working hard for two hours on Monday will not get you in those jeans you used to be able to fit into. 

If you want a better marriage, getting away for one weekend at the beach, will not make your marital issues go away. 

If you want to take your business to a new level of financial growth this year, having one sale on a Saturday is not going to make it happen. 

If you want to reach more people every Sunday morning, working hard and preparing a great message this weekend is not going to grow your church exponentially. 

The truth is working hard does not make anything better. However, working smart over a period of time will. 

I like to say it this way .... 

INTENSITY will not take you where you want to go, but CONSISTENCY will. 

Working out for two hours in the gym on a Monday will not help you. But working out for 20 minutes a day for 12 months will. 

Taking the time to get away for one weekend, will not change your marriage. But taking time to talk for 30 minutes every day over a cup of coffee will.

Having a big sale this Saturday will not take your company to a new level, but doing a weekly meeting on how you can better serve the needs of your customer will. 

Doing one great message is not going to build momentum for your church. But if you empower  your people to daily do the work of the ministry, so you can have time to prepare a life changing message every Sunday, you will not have enough chairs in your auditorium. 

Intensity does not change much, but consistency will eventually change everything. 

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Application Questions:

What do you want to improve?

What short term "work hard" initiatives have you tried to make work in the past? 

What are three things that would make a difference if you did them consistently?

What has been keeping you from doing those things?

Do you want to improve bad enough to change whatever you need to change in order to do those three things on a consistent basis?

I would love to hear from you!

Comment below or drop me an email at growmoore@gmail.com

Five things you need to know before you START.

Every Tuesday at 12noon Pacific Time, I do a free Six Minute Seminar on my Facebook wall. This weeks seminar was for people that are getting ready to start a new venture, program, business, or idea. 

Here are the notes from the seminar. 

The five things you need to know before you start your next venture all wrap around five words. 

Calling   Mission   Vision    Team   Initiative. 

1 - Calling:

If you can do anything else and be content then don't start this new thing. 

What do I mean by this? If you want to start something, but you could take it or leave it? If you do it, you would be happy, but you also could be happy doing something else …then don't launch this venture. 

There is a difference between a career, a job and a calling. If this idea you have in your head is ever going to really work, then it has to first be in your heart, you have to be ate up with it. I can’t shake this, This is a sign that you are actually called to do it. When you are called, you are less likely to quit when times get tough…. and they will. 

2 - Mission

Know why you are doing what you are going to do.

In launching and being successful at any endeavor you have to know, why you do what you do.

The WHY must always come before the WHAT. 

Here is a tip that will help you discover your WHY. Answer the question, what problem are you going to solve? When you know the problem you are solving, you know, why you are doing it. 

3 - Vision

Know what steps you are going to take to accomplish it. 

When you know the why, the next step is to know the steps you have to take to accomplish it. 

If you are going to help people find a home they love, help educate underprivileged children, or supply affordable print materials to businesses across the country, you have to know how you are going to do it. What steps are you going to need to take on a consistent bases to accomplish your mission?

4 - Team

Don’t try and do alone. 

Nothing can be done alone.

Let me say that one more time, nothing can be done alone. You have to build a team. 

To launch and run whatever initiative you have in your heart, there are probably about 10 to 15 tasks that will need to be done on a regular basis. However, you are only good at about 2 or 3 things at most. I know you think you are gifted at more than 2 or 3, but you’re not. Just because you can do something, doesn't mean you are good at it, or that you even should do it. 

If your idea is going to work, you have to surround yourself with people that have the skillsets and initiative to complete the tasks that have to be done … but you cannot or should not do. 

No matter how strongly you feel about your skillsets and call to complete the task, you are not good enough to do this alone. Build a team.

5 - Initiative

Nothing is going to happen until you start. 

You can dream, plan, talk, and prepare all you want, but at some point you are going to have to get up off the couch, push away from the white board, and actually start. 

You and your team are going to have to start making the website, start making the cold calls, start writing your messages, start training more teenagers. Nothing is going to happen on its own, you are going to have to start. 

How I've walked this out.

In the past few years, there has been two major things that I've launched. One is Youth Ministry University, a one year online training platform for Youth Pastors and the other is The Church - a body of believers that are giving our lives to bring people to Jesus and help them live like him. 

For time sake, I can’t break down the details of both today, so I will take just a few minutes to walk you through how we applied these 5 things to launch the church. 

1 - Calling

In 2012 I started to feel this stirring in my heart to launch churches, train leaders, and send shepherds out to launch more churches. I tried to forget about it, but I could not shake the idea. During this same time, I had other opportunities thrown before me. I was offered to stick around and possibly Pastor the church that I was serving in. Close friends in ministry threw out the idea to come serve on staff at other churches around the country. However,I just could not do those things. I had this one burning desire … to plant TheCHURCH.

2 - Mission

I live in a community where statistics say around 94,000 people are not following Jesus. And a lot of the people that I do know that go to church, have not actually turned, changed or decided to  follow the teachings of Jesus in a personal way.  That is a real problem. So we knew that God was calling us that would be both evangelistic and discipleship driven at the same time. Our mission is to “Bring people to Jesus and help them live like Him”. That is the why that drives our what. 

3 - Vision

The way we would accomplish our mission is by walking out Acts 2:42-47. Gathering on the weekend, Growing in a group, Giving to Gods kingdom, and Going back out into our world. Each week would would simply inspire and equip people to gather, grow, give, and go! This is our vision. 

4 - Team

Even as passionate as I was, I knew there was no way in the world could do this alone. So I started contacting and learning from my ministry mentors that were way farther along that I was. We set up a board, we trained up our worship team leader, media director, kids ministry team leader, and first impressions director. We had a small but passionate team of leaders ready to walk our vision. 

5 - Initiative

We did not have much, but we had enough to start. So we did. We started meeting in our home all the while using social media as a platform to release our online sermons to the masses. We started growing so we rented a facility on the weekends. We filled out the legal proper paperwork, raised money, and started TheCHURCH. 

Today, a few hundred people call TheCHURCH their home. We have incredible team members serving in our ministries and disciples are being made every week. 

This has happened … because we know we are called, we understand our mission, we built a team to walk out our mission, and we just started. 

Three hard truths that few people will tell you when you are starting a new program, ministry, church, or initiative. 

1 - You are not going to be the next big thing. 

You are going to make a big difference in the lives of people. You are going to accomplish your goal. But you are not going to be famous, well known, or the next big thing. If those things are your motivation ... you will not last long. 

2 - You are going to fail more than you think you will. 

It is not if you fail ... but when. You cannot have great success, without failing. Their are two keys in failing, 1. Don't make the same mistake twice. 2 . When you fail ask yourself and your team is, "What can we learn from this". 

3 - Not everyone is going to like what you do. 

The other businesses in town are not going to cheer you on. Other churches most likely will not be calling you to say, good luck. In fact, family members and friends might even think that you are crazy. We don't what we do for the pleasure of those around us, we perform for an audience of one. Our creator. 

When you know that you are called, develop a strong mission, walk out your vision, by building a team, and simply starting. 

Good luck!

Three things your daughter wishes you knew, but will probably never tell you.

Dad, your daughter needs you.

More than anyone else, it is you who will set the course for your daughters life. She needs you. She needs your strength, your intelligence, your courage, your assertiveness, your self confidence and your leadership. 

Dad, your daughter needs you.

Here are a few things your daughter wishes that you knew. 

1. You are the most important man in her life.

Your daughters is never lukewarm in your presence. When you enter the room everything about her changes. Her eyes, her mouth, her gestures, her body language. You girl might take her mom for granted, but not you. She will light up - or she will cry. She watches you intensely. She hangs on your words. Whether you notice it or not, she is hoping for your attention, and she waits in frustration - or despair until she receives it.  She is looking for a gesture of approval, a nod of encouragement, or even simple eye contact to let her know you care. 

When she is in your company, your daughter tries harder to excel. When you teach her, she learns more rapidly. When you guide her, she gains confidence. I think if as fathers we fully understood just how profoundly we can influence our daughters life, we would be terrified and possibly overwhelmed by the weight of it. Boyfriends, brothers, and even husbands can't shape her character the way you do. You will influence her entire life because she gives you an authority that she gives no other man. You are the most important man that she knows. 

2. You are her first love

Your daughter identifies easily with her mother, but you are a mystery to her. You are her first love. Because of this the early years of your relationship with her are crucial. The love you give her is her starting point to understanding what love actually is and how it is to be lived out. You have other loves in your life, but she doesn't. For better or worse, every man who enters her life will be compared to you; every relationship she has with a man will be filtered through her relationship with you. You are her father. You are her first love. You are the most important man in her life. 

3. She wants a hero

When you were a little guy, people started asking you, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" I'm sure your first thoughts were Football Star, Batman, Superman, Cowboy or a PoliceO Officer. When you were little, you wanted to be a hero. Well now you have that chance. Your daughter is looking for a hero ...and she is looking right at you. 

Heroes persevere. Heroes protect. Heroes are faithful to their convictions. Heroes understand right from wrong and then always do what is right. Heroes are strong, humble, and larger than life! 

When your daughter is born, she recognizes that your voice as deeper than her mothers. As a toddler, she looks up to your large frame and realizes that you are big, smart, and strong. In her grade school years, she instinctively turns to you for direction. And in her teenage years even though she may not show it, she is looking for you to stand strong in your convictions in the face of her rebellious heart. 

Whatever outward impression she gives, her life is centered on discovering what you like in her, and what you want from her. She gives you authority because she needs you to love and adore her. Many times it is hard for her to truly feel good about herself until she knows that you feel good about her. Use your authority carefully. Your daughter doesn't want to see you as an equal. She wants you to be her hero. She wants you to be wiser, steadier, and stronger than she is. 

She is looking for a hero ... and she is looking at you! 

Special Note: 

I have two daughters. At the posting of this blog. Mikayla is 18 and Lilly is 10. A few years ago my wife and I were at a bookstore and I picked up the book "Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters" by Meg Meeker. As I stood in the bookstore reading I knew this was a book that I had to get and apply. This blog is based from one of the chapters of Megs book. I highly recommend that you pick up a copy and start applying it today! Here is the link CLICK HERE TO ORDER

One of the things we are doing as a church to help people with their finances.

Statistics say that most arguments in a marriage come from financial strain. Whether you are married or not, you know that grip that financial pressure can have on our lives. At TheCHURCH we have created a short social media series called "Today Money Moment" to help people start a journey toward financial peace. 

We will post it on our Facebook Wall, Website Giving Page, as well as our Youtube Channel. You are welcome to watch and share each week! 

Here is week one of today's money moment. 

To find out more about TheCHURCH ...

CLICK HERE FOR WEBSITE

CLICK HERE FOR FACEBOOK PAGE

Eight things you "must do" to make a lasting impact. (Don't read this if you don't have thick skin.)

This morning is our weekly Leadership Session as a team. Today I am going to be talking about Eight things you "must do" in order to make lasting impact. 

Here are some of the bullet point notes, from the session. This conversation is for people in the context of local church ministry, however, even if you are not in "ministry", I have no doubt that you can apply these same eight things in your life, leadership and field of expertise. 

1. Make up your min.  

What do you want to do? Do you want to serve? Do you want to preach? Do you want to be a campus pastor? I don't know what you want to do, but I do know what you need to do. You need to make up your mind! For God's sake and for the sake of those around you, stop vacillating between, I do and I don't, God called me, but nows not a good time. There is a community full of people that need help, need love, and need hope. Are you in or out? Make up your mind. 

2. Go get it. 

What do you want? Go get it! We live in America. You can do almost anything you want to do. You can accomplish almost anything you want to accomplish. You can get almost anything you want to get. But no one is going to give it to you. Let me say that again, no one is going to give it to you! If you want something, you are going to have to go get it. 

3. Put your work clothes on, because it won't be easy.

Leading a group of people, starting a ministry, finishing a project, or making a difference will never be easy. More often than not, it will be a tough, depressing, and hard. If anyone tells you differently they are lying to you! To accomplish anything you are going to have to push through pain, have faith in the midst of failure, and get used to disappointment. It won't be easy, but it will always be worth it. 

4. Forget about being the next big thing. 

I am sorry to burst your bubble but you are not the next big thing. Steven Furtick is not going to call you. Relevant magazine is not going to do an article. You won't be hitting the speaking circuit and sharing the stage with the likes of Craig Groeschel, Andy Stanley, and Matt Chandler. When you get into ministry, you are going to be a good leader, in hopefully a great organization that's making an eternal impact in the lives of people.  That's it. That's what's going to happen. You will spend your life helping others become what God has called them to be and chances are not too many people will know about it. Welcome to the ministry. 

5. Stop making excuses.

I'm too busy. I've been hurt by other leaders. I just don't feel like it's a good time. Enough already! Has God called you or not?  Moses was a murderer who could not speak well, Paul was basically a well educated terrorist, and Peter was a fishermen with no formal training in ministry. Yet when God called them, they followed. It's never going to be a good time, people will consistently disappoint you, and there will never be a day in your life where you're not busy. But none of those things change the fact that God saved you from your sin to fulfill His purpose. Stop making excuses and start making a difference. 

6. Never think you can’t do it. 

You are selling yourself short. You think you are not ready, but you are. You think you don't have what it takes, but you do. You think because you have failed before, you are going to fail again. No! The same power that raised Christ from the dead, now dwells in you. It's not your calling, it's His. It's not your talent, it's His. It's not your will power, it's His. You can do this, not because of who you are, but because of who He is! 

7. Pray

Life change is what we are striving for in the lives of people. True life change is an inside out proposition. The only one who can change peoples heart is God. Prayer is something that we know to do but very few people in ministry actually lean in on as a must do of life and leadership. I'm going to be very bold with this next statement, but I truly mean it.  if you can't take the time to pray everyday for Gods purpose, Gods people, and Gods church ... then quit and let someone else take your place that will. Because what needs to be done is something that only God can do.

8. Don't Quit. 

You and I have a tendency to overestimate what we can accomplish in a week and underestimate what we can accomplish in a lifetime. When we don't see much forward progress in the short term we quit. However, when we do this we abort what we could have accomplished had we just stayed the course and kept trying.  

I'd love to hear from you. Feel free to comment below or send me an email at growmoore@gmail.com