I had a great time last week with Bishop Jim Bolin.  It has been 25 years since he started Trinity Chapel and they continue to reach several thousand people in the community of Powder Springs.  Here are a couple of his thoughts…

• “Anointing and power attract.  If you don’t have safeguards in your life than it is the recipe for the perfect storm.”
• “Build bridges.”  Help people get to the place that God desires for them to be - one step at a time.
• “Don’t get comfortable with success. As your community develops and changes - you will have to re-invent yourself in order to reach those who are far from God.”
• “Keep your stories and help people remember how you got to where you are.”
• “Never short-change the power of God and never stop celebrating the Awe of God.”
• “Jesus is more than a principle to follow!”

If you are a church planter/pastor/staff member of a church - he made an unbelievable statement that I will never forget.  The funny thing is that I can’t write it on the blog.  It’s a variation of the three most common temptations and it is good stuff.

If you want to know what it is - let me know and I will tell you.

I very rarely repost something that someone else has written, but I couldn’t help myself with this one.  Pastor Steven knocked this one out of the park.  Here it is…

One of the most devastating effects of sin is the way it strips away our confidence.

I think it’s impossible for a pastor to confidently lead his congregation to trust God for the unknown while he’s nursing known sin in his life. 

Many fathers are unable to fully lead their families to seek and worship God because they’re aware of their own hypocrisy…and it strips confidence away layer by layer.

Unconfessed sin will chip away at your confidence until you find yourself backing down from Christ centered challenges, and settling into survival mode. 

Walking in purity activates a boldness that enables you to follow Jesus with a holy swagger.

Be pure…and be bold.

1 John 3:21
Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.