Giant Slayers

It's hard to believe it, but The Mission Central Project's beginning phase is almost complete.  What a journey it has been!  I can't even begin to express how humbled I am to hear of how God has moved in the lives of Skyline's people.  I have heard stories of God's challenge as people have asked the question, "Lord, what would you have me to do?"

He has been challenging people to sacrifice in BIG ways for the funding of The Mission Central Project and many have chosen to respond to His direction.  He has been challenging people to step up in making a difference in ministry.  He has been challenging people to turn their lives over to Him.  For me, it has been one of the most incredible experiences in ministry I have ever had.  I pray it has been the same type of experience for you as well.

This past weekend, as I spoke about the giants in our lives, I couldn't help but think of how many in our church family are facing some serious Goliaths.  Whether in the financial realm, the personal realm, or the spiritual realm...these giants can cripple us if we allow them to.  That said, I will echo the points of the message from this past weekend.  God grants us victory through faith as we OFFER OUR SELF TO BE USED.  God grants us victory through faith as we OFFER WHAT WE HAVE TO FIGHT THE BATTLE.  And He grants us victory through faith as we BELIEVE THAT HE CAN DELIVER THOUSANDS FROM GOLIATH.....even through our seemingly insignificant nature.

As we approach May 6th and as we pray that question, "Lord What would you have me to do?", I am praying He will urge the people of Skyline Church to make a difference.  I am praying that God would challenge each of our families to step out in faith financially so that we can make preparations for the future.  Even through the seemingly insignificant, God can do mighty things.  It will take every one of this to make this happen by approaching the throne of Grace through Faith and trusting God as our protector and our provider.

The beauty of The Mission Central Project is that this same question, "Lord, what would you have me to do?" is not limited to our financial commitment.  While the leaders of our church have been challenging our people to make those financial commitments, the challenge has been so much more.  It is a challenge that is always at the forefront of EVERYTHING we do and that challenge is to make a difference.

A simple 3-year sacrificial financial commitment does not fulfill our mission.  That is only a piece of it.  As I have stated over and over, it is not about a piece of land...it is about changed life.  These giants we face, that's where the changed life happens.  May we as Skyline Church be so committed to the vision and mission that God has laid before us, that we would stop at nothing to see the power of Christ prevail in the hearts of those around us.

As we move forward with The Mission Central Project, may we step up financially like we never have before...may we step up in ministry like we never have before...may we step up in reaching out to those around us like we never have before.  When we step up and step out in faith in all of these areas, God moves and giants are slain in both our lives and theirs.

Mission Central Sacrifice

As you go through the process of seeking God for your level of involvement in The Mission Central Project, you may have found yourself wondering, "How can we make a difference?"  For some, the answer is easy because God has blessed your family financially more than others.  On the flip side, there are many who may not have that luxury and their level of sacrifice may be more difficult to determine.

This past weekend I spoke a lot about the idea of sacrifice.  A sacrifice could be extreme like selling everything to enter the mission field or something not quite as life altering as adjusting our spending habits.  In reality, sacrifice in its purest form, is defined as "giving up something you love for something you love even more."

For Heather and I, it has been a process of restructuring our budget.  It has not been a painful process in the least for us, but it does involve sacrifice.  Many of your family's are going through some of that same process.

I want to share with you some examples of things people have done to be involved in The Mission Central Project as well as other stories I have both seen and heard about in the past.

For one Skyline family, that decision has come in the form of both large and small sacrifices.  "Small" sacrifices have included a monthly gym membership, a subscription to Netflix, switching coffee brand from Starbucks to Foldgers, and a few more little "sacrifices".   In their mind, it is more important for their family to impact the Kingdom than to brew Starbucks in a coffee pot.  Their decision has also included larger sacrifices such as postponing the purchase of a new car for a couple of years so that the payment could be applied toward The Mission Central Project.

Others have looked at their dining budget to make a difference.  Instead of taking their family to a restaurant 2-3 times a week for a meal (which could cost upwards of $50 for a family), they elect to go out once a week.  Imagine the difference this could make over the course of three years.  $100/wk x 156 wks = $15,600.00...WOW!!!

I have seen people decide to forgo their morning Caramel Macchiato every day.  Let's do the math.  $4.00 per day x 5 days a week = $20/wk.  $20/wk x 156 wks = $3,120.00.  Who knew we could invest so much in Caramel Macchiato.

I know people from my past who have went even further as God has led them.  I know people who have invested a portion of their retirement accounts, sold extra vehicles, cleaned out their garage for a yard sale.  The list goes on and on.  Some of these approaches should not be entertained without seeking God, but as God leads we should follow.  As I have challenged before, ask God what He desires from you and your family.

Below are a few stories from other churches where people have sacrificed to pursue God's mission in their respective churches.  You may find some of them "extreme", but as God leads...he also provides.  Maybe these stories will inspire you to seek God in a deeper way than you thought you might.

Ø   Dave in St. Charles, MS - Emptied his entire college savings account (w/two pre-college students just a year/two away from entering college) in response to the vision and the challenge to sacrifice.  He and his wife believed that it was a necessary step of faith in order to both be obedient to God's leading and to show their children that their total dependence was on the Lord.

Ø  Single Mom - Living on a limited income and trying to raise young children, the vision of the church absolutely captured the attention of a single mom.  She prayed, pouring out her heart, telling God that she wanted to be a part - which she wanted to sacrifice, but needed to have Him to show her how.  She had an ability to bake whole wheat bread that everyone loved.  During her time of prayer, God impressed upon her that she should bake bread and sell it - something she could do from home, without taking on another "job."  She expected to sell a few loaves a week at best.  Very quickly, as others learned that she was baking, she had orders for 100 loaves/week!  By the end of the three years, this single mom had given over $25K to the stewardship journey!

Ø  Bellevue WA - In a recent campaign, an elderly couple in the church, who had previously flown beneath the radar, committed $2M to their church's stewardship journey.  The church was tackling three major projects for children - one locally, one regionally and one cross-culturally.  At their age, they saw this as the opportunity of a lifetime to embrace God's vision for the church while leaving a legacy that will last for eternity.  They have since completed nearly all their commitment in actual giving - less than 10 months after having made it.

Ø  Rita - From a senior pastor in FL.  An elderly lady named Rita, called the office, requesting an appointment.  Rita's husband had passed away recently; both having been in the church for years.  Seemingly a couple of meager means, they had nevertheless been faithful in serving.  Kirk was busy and reluctant to accept the appointment.  He did meet with Rita however, and was overwhelmed when she explained that the church had had a significant impact in her life and the life of her husband over the years.  In fact, he had given his life to Christ as a result of that ministry.  At the conclusion of the story, Rita handed Kirk a check for $1M for the stewardship campaign.  Rita and her husband had been living meagerly for years in order to invest in the work of God at a defining moment.

Ø  14- Year Old Bulls Fan - During the closing weeks of the campaign, a father was leading his family each evening over dinner in a discussion and prayer time concerning their family's expression of sacrifice for the campaign.  The 14-yr old son, an avid Bulls/Michael Jordan fan, had tons of Bulls memorabilia covering the walls of his room.  One evening, the father returned home from work to find the Bulls stuff mysteriously absent from his son's room.  Upon questioning his son, the father learned that "Jonathan" had taken the jerseys, cards, basketballs, etc., to the sports collectible shop after school and sold it all!  At the point in the story, Jonathan pulled out a wad of $100 bills.  The father was on his way to becoming furious, asking his son what had caused him to do such a thing.  The son replied by saying, "Dad, you've been asking us to consider sacrifice - giving up something we love for the work of God at our church.  This is what I love - the Bulls/Jordan stuff.  It's all I had!  I am learning that I should be more concerned about the Kingdom of God than my stuff - this is my expression of sacrifice."  It took a 14-yr old son to drive his parents back to their knees to reconsider their appropriate expression of sacrifice.

Ø  Church in IL - During the vision casting that accompanied all campaign events, a prominent local businessman sensed God speaking to his heart about not only a financial commitment, but an ongoing commitment of ministry service.  In response to the compelling vision, the man and his family made a very significant financial commitment; then took an early retirement in order to volunteer his services in full-time ministry at the church!   As we talk about another primary campaign objective being the expansion of leadership capacity, this story is the personification of that objective.  The church has reaped significant benefits by having this keen business mind on board the staff team.

Ø  Jay and his wife are in public school administration.  As leaders in the campaign, they were committed to lead effectively, i.e., commitment to sacrifice.  At their current stage in life and financial situation, a commitment of $5K for three years was truly an expression of sacrifice.  They saw no way, apart from God's help, that they would be able to complete a commitment that size.  Within one month after making the commitment, their son was home from college for the weekend (Ohio State).  The son asked Jay if he could borrow the family car to take his girl friend to the Cleveland Indians game that night.  Jay had other plans, and told the son that he would have to drive his own car - a "beater" Chevy Cavalier to the game.  On the way to the game, the car was broad-sided and totaled.  The kids were not hurt.  A few days later, the insurance company called Jay to say that they had placed a check for $6500 in the mail.  Jay explained that there must be some mistake; that the car wasn't worth that much.  The insurance company insisted there was no mistake and a couple of days later, the check arrived in the mailbox.  Jay and his wife drove to Home Depot where they were going to buy several things for the house, etc.  As they were getting out of the car at HD, they stopped, looked at one another, and realized that the Spirit of God was speaking to their hearts.  They had prayed during the campaign that God would lead them to an expression of sacrifice, and asked God to make provision.  God was providing all they needed, and here they were, nearly ready to spend it at HD.  They got back in the car, drove to the church, and paid their commitment in full - about six weeks after having made the commitment.  Over the three years, they were cheerfully able to far surpass the original commitment level in their giving.

Ø  CCV (Christ's Church of the Valley) 5^th Grade Student - In a recent campaign follow-up meeting with church leaders, the senior pastor reported an inspiring story of a 5^th grade student who took the challenge to sacrifice to heart.  He committed $2K to be given over the TWO years of their campaign.  At the end of December, he was able to come to the senior pastor and report that by taking on odd jobs in the neighborhood, after school, on weekends, and after sports practices, that he had just completed his entire commitment - 8 months after making it!  His sacrifice was "time" - the time he normally would have spent with friends, going fun places, relaxing, etc.  In those eight months, he behaved in an "extraordinary manner" for a 5^th grader - in order to focus on a "reprioritized" life that had Christ and the Kingdom of God in first place.  The young man intends to continue his new habits and his giving to the stewardship campaign, obviously surpassing his initial $2K pledge.

Ø  East 91^st St Student Ministry - The student ministry leadership team spent significant time casting vision and teaching biblical stewardship during the church's recent stewardship journey.  The students responded with a high degree of passion and enthusiasm; embracing the vision and wanting to have a significant role in seeing it achieved.  They prayed and determined that rather than making individual commitments, they wanted to make a "student ministry commitment;" an expression of sacrifice that would be personally challenging and inspiring to the entire church family.  They have purposed to "lead the way" by committed $250K as a student ministry, knowing that even at a young age, they have the unique privilege of leaving a legacy that will last for eternity!

These examples span a tremendous spectrum, but they communicate different ideas of sacrifice and the creativity that some people use when they are committed to the vision of changed life.  Maybe God will allow these stories to inspire you as you seek His will in The Mission Central Project.

A Strong and Courageous Church

I have been challenged throughout the process of The Mission Central Project.  I have been challenged as I prepare and deliver each message for the series.  I have been challenged as we prepared for this part of our journey.  I have been challenged as my family has sought God's guidance in our level of financial sacrifice and I have been challenged through our 21-day Prayer Devotional.

Today's devotional asked a simple question, "Are you dangerous?"  Many of us have never asked that question before, not in the context of our predisposition toward violence or anger, but are you dangerous in the context of the spiritual battle for broken hearts.

Joshua 1 echos a theme of strength and courage.  That's what it takes to be dangerous.  As we seek collectively to take the steps of faith outlined in The Mission Central Project, and even further as we proceed to actually take those steps of faith, spiritual warfare ensues.  When we ask God for direction and begin to follow that direction...that is when we become dangerous.  That takes strength and courage.

It takes strength and courage because when we step out, Satan often steps in.  I have always said that Satan attacks those the most whom he fears the most.  When we take bold steps in life, when we take bold steps in ministry, in faith, in any area...that sends the evil one into a frenzy of fear.  We become dangerous.

It takes strength and courage to press forward.  God's Word says, "no weapon formed against me shall prosper."  It doesn't say maybe or could be....it says NO WEAPON formed shall prosper.  When we commit to God-sized things, when we pray God-sized prayers, and take God-sized steps of faith...no weapon formed against us shall prosper.

With strength and courage and God at our side, we will see GREAT things happen through our sacrifice and our commitment to the vision of life change he has charged us with.  This week, I am praying for strength and courage for each person who is on this journey with the church.  May we do as Joshua did and cross over the river to conquer the opportunity that has been presented to us.

Biblical Design

First off, allow me to give a little shout out to Pat Osowski for putting together our 21-Day Mission Central Project Prayer Devotional Guide.  I'm only in day 3 and am already being both blessed and challenged.

I thought I would take a moment to share some of my thoughts on Day 3 "Giving Worship".  Throughout this entire process, I have reflected upon 1 Chr. 29: 10-20 a lot.  It has certainly been a source of inspiration and instruction for me.  I do challenge every person of Skyline Church to read through that passage and let it speak to you, but also let me challenge you to read a little more of the context.

Take a moment to read 1 Chr. 28 & 29.  There you will begin to see some familiar themes.  David was making preparations for the Temple to be built.  Notice some of the things he does.

1. He casts vision for what God desired to do. (1 Chr. 28:1-8)
2. He plans the cost of the project. (1 Chr. 28: 10-18)
3. He offers encouragement. (1 Chr. 28:20-21)
4. He challenges the people to both commitment and sacrifice...the same commitment and sacrifice he was willing to make.  (1 Chr. 29:1-9)
5. He leads the congregation in an intense moment of worship acknowledging the fact that everything we have comes from God and it is His to use as He guides us. (1 Chr. 29:10-20)

Sound familiar?  I am reminded, yet again, today that what we are doing follows a Biblical Design and as we commit our selves to God's guidance, He most certainly can do greater things through our people.

"The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord.  David the king also rejoiced greatly."  1 Chr. 29:9

I am rejoicing in advance for what our entire church family is about to do.  Let us intensely seek God on this journey so that He may guide our hearts in what we are to do in this time.  Let's live radically for Him.

The Mission Central Process

This weekend we kicked off The Mission Central Project at Skyline Church.  The Mission Central Project is a spiritual journey that we are taking as a church family that will lay the groundwork for ministry spanning generations.  This period of time is certainly a defining moment for us as a church that will challenge us as a congregation and as individuals.

Throughout this process we will be raising funds that will provide us with the opportunity to acquire land upon which we will build the initial campus of Skyline Church in the future.  That said, it is so much more than an opportunity to raise funds.  It is a spiritual journey through which God will do miraculous things.

The challenge for you is to begin an intentional conversation with God that will involve Faith in Him as our provider.  It will involve a commitment to the Vision of life change.  And it will involve Sacrifice of time, talents, and treasures.

Through this intentional conversation, it is my prayer that, each person who calls Skyline Church home will allow God to further challenge them.  As a family, allow God to challenge you and be willing to follow where He is leading you.

We are asking the church to do three things that will help propel our mission forward.

1.)Begin the journey through intense prayer as an individual and/or family.  Take time to seek God's will through both prayer and fasting.  Devour His Word.  Listen to His still-small voice.  Do this as an individual.  Do this as a family.  I believe it is imperative for families of the church to take this journey arm-in-arm.  Engage God in this conversation as a family.  Bring your children into the conversation and ask God to guide them as well.

2.)As you pray, I believe God will guide you to a commitment of time, talent, and treasure.  Financially speaking, we are challenging the church to make a 3-year commitment of sacrificial giving above and beyond normal tithes and offering.  These gifts can be made via weekly gifts or monthly gifts.  God may even stretch your faith in this commitment, but as we keep God as our Provider in the forefront of our minds...He will show up in ways that will bless our families and our church.  These commitments will be presented collectively during a very special service on May 6th (Commitment Sunday).

3.)In addition to a 3-year commitment, we are challenging the people of Skyline Church to pray about an initial offering we are calling a "First Fruits Offering" that will be given during the three-weeks following our commitment service on May 6th.  Would you seek God in bringing the largest one-time gift you have ever given to Him during this time?  This gift should be considered part of your total commitment during the three-year period.

As you seek God and as you browse through the information that has already been provided, you certainly will have questions.  We want to do everything we can to answer them for you.  Each person should receive an invitation to an "Epic Event" that will take place over the next couple of weeks.  During these events, you will have the opportunity to hear more about The Mission Central Project and you will have a chance to ask any question you may have.  I am asking every person who calls Skyline home to attend one of these events.

If for some reason your family does not receive an invitation by next Sunday, please let me know so we can get an invitation to you.  In addition, if you are unable to attend your specific event we will have another opportunity for you to attend.  Please let us know so that we can get you into another scheduled date.  We certainly do not want anyone to miss out on this opportunity.

Let me thank you in advance for allowing God to move in your heart through this process.  I am praying for Him to do incredible things through your life and as He does, we will see even more incredible things happen in our church.

Let's make our God-sized dreams become reality through Faith, Vision, and Sacrifice.

Epic Weekends And New Chapters

I have spent the better part of this week reflecting on what happened at Skyline Church this past weekend.  Just a few weeks earlier, I challenged the people of our church to make it happen in a BIG way for our Easter service and I cannot express how humbled I was to see that our people stepped up to the challenge.

The energy was high from the moment we opened the trailer door.  The volunteers who arrived early, were primed and ready.  When the crowd began to arrive, the ministries of the church served flawlessly.  As newcomers pulled into the drive, they were greeted with happy hearts.  As the children entered the ARC area, they were loved.  As the band played the first note, Jesus was honored.  As I say "Thank You", every person who experienced that moment says "Thank You".  The people of Skyline, allowing God to move through them, made Jesus famous that day.

We saw our largest day ever in the history of our church.  There were more people in total attendance, more people in the auditorium, and more children in our children's ministry than ever before.  By the time the service was over 320 people were there to experience God's love (238 in the auditorium alone), 82 people in ARC (65 children), and most importantly 11 people gave their lives to Christ.

What a better way to kick off the next chapter in the Skyline Church story!  Two weeks ago, I let the cat out of the bag...We are taking HUGE strides in acquiring land that will become Mission Central for the ministry of Skyline Church.  This weekend we begin "The Mission Central Project" and it will be a journey that none of us will ever forget.

That is exactly what "The Mission Central Project" is...it is a journey of epic proportions as we not only continue to dream God-Sized dreams, but begin to see some of those dreams become reality.  During this 4-week series, we are laying the ground work for our future.  During this 4-week series we, as a church family, will be challenged like never before.

We will be hearing more about the vision of our church and the plans that will make that vision a reality.  I do want to challenge you to keep one thing in the center of your minds and hearts as we begin this journey...OUR VISION IS NOT ABOUT LAND AND BUILDINGS.  THE MISSION CENTRAL PROJECT IS NOT ABOUT LAND AND BUILDINGS.  The journey we are taking together is all about LIFE CHANGE.  The Mission Central Project is about a tool that will help us to make that happen in bigger ways than we ever thought possible.

This 4-week period is not an end...it is a beginning.  It is a beginning of even greater things.  Greater things are still to be done in this city and throughout the world as Skyline pursues the mission of life change.

As you read this, you are to be challenged to prepare yourself and your family.  TOGETHER, we can make this happen.  TOGETHER, with God's guidance and provision, we can make this happen.  TOGETHER!

Be prepared for the challenge that awaits you as we begin "The Mission Central Project".  Pray like you have never prayed before.  Pray for our church as we all seek the sacrifices God is calling us to make.  Pray for your leaders as we provide guidance through the process.  Pray for our city that God opens doors for us to make a difference.  Pray for our world as we are called to go forth and share the Good News.

This journey is about faith in God, who is our source of power and provision.  This journey is about a vision that is bigger than our selves, carrying on a legacy to generations.  This journey is about sacrifice of time, talents, and treasures. TOGETHER we are taking this journey!  I can't wait to take this journey with each of you!  Are you ready?

Fixing My Fear

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to share a message that is near to my heart. It was all about the locked doors in our lives. After Jesus' death on the cross, the disciples were full of fear and confusion and uncertainty. What did they do? They did what every one of us have done at times...they locked themselves behind a closed door.


No doubt we have physically locked a few doors in our life to escape the pains of the world, but we have locked them metaphorically as well. I have done that more times than I can count. I hold a lot of fear in my life that I really shouldn't. Specifically, I struggle with the fear of inadequacy and I have tried my best to mask that fear often.  


During the message I shared that I sometimes wish to retreat into my office (if you want to call my basement surrounded by concrete an office) and just lock the door. I do that sometimes just to escape, but I do it primarily so that I can seek God in order that He might "fix" me.


Earlier this week, I got an email from one of our Skyliners that shared an interesting thought...one that I truly took to heart.

"When you mentioned desiring to retreat to your office, it made me think that if even though I believe that the Lord is more than able and willing to fix anything that I bring Him, I too would rather He fix me in private. However, were the Lord to fix me where I was hiding, all the things that drove me into hiding would keep me from coming out of hiding and telling about it. I believe the Lord would rather fix me in the open so others can witness His loving redemption."

WOW!!!   No truer words have ever been spoken. While I do still see value in seeking God in a very private way, entering into a closet if you will, this thought stirred my heart. It made me think of two scary words...Accountability and Transparency.


I encourage everyone to seek accountability. Seek people with whom you can be COMPLETELY open and honest with. Seek people with whom you can share your struggles with, your failures with, and your fears with. I personally have three people in my life that fit the bill. My wife first and foremost, but I also have two trusted MALE friends who know everything about my life and keep me accountable putting my feet to the fire if necessary. They counsel with me, pray with me and for me, and are there when I am tempted to lock the door of my heart. Every single believer needs this kind of accountability in their life.


I also encourage transparency. Granted, there are some things you can't be specifically and detailingly (a word taken from Lance's unabridged dictionary) transparent about with every single person. However, I strongly believe that people should understand that we are no different than other people in that we all struggle with or have struggled with things like fear, doubt, guilt, and hurt. If you are a Christian, you are not Superman. You are a human being that deals with your humanity everyday.


Allow God to "fix" your brokenness. There is some privacy needed in pieces of that process, but if those around you can't witness what God is doing in your heart...what good is it for them. As they see God restore hope and purpose in you, they too can understand He can provide the same for them.