Disclaimer II

Eddie Cox http://www.eddiecox.org/ is founding pastor/planter of Marathon Church, Easley. In most anyone's terms he has accomplished a lot for God. He started with a small God-called group of people in 1997 with the mission to Love All, Serve All (inspired by Hard Rock Cafe'). Over 3000 people worship at Marathon each week. Hundreds cross the line of faith, surrendering their lives to Jesus Christ each year as a direct result of the influence of Marathon Church.

Eddie is one of those leaders . . . you know, the kind that are out to disprove themselves (see yesterday). He and his ministry team just finished reading Geiger's book Simple Church. Geiger is coming to S.C. April '08. Eddie is so excited he can't stand it. He and his team have set out to re-do the entire approach to ministry and discipleship at Marathon inspired by Simple Church principles.

Leave it alone Eddie. You are the founding pastor/planter of Marathon. You are there, man. Don't you know that? You're a rock star. Many of us dream of being where you are. I give up! I've watched Eddie lead for five years. My words to Eddie will fall on deaf ears. He just doesn't get it . . . because he is one of those kind of leaders.

Best thing about yesterday in Columbia was . . . I survived. Love to hear the passion of my boss, Marshall Fagg. He burns with a love for God and a desire to see people discover Jesus. Today, more meetings. Hopefully I will find new ways to disprove myself. Sunday's coming!

Disclaimer

I don't necessarily agree with everything I say. The previous quote from Canadian media expert, the late Marshall McLuhan, appeared in USA Today last week. At first, I thought it was funny, and it was. Then, I began to think about the implications. I probed deeper than McLuhan http://www.marshallmcluhan.com/ ever intended.

A real leader is out to disprove himself. Today, he is confident that his strategies and tactics are effective. A curiosity though, maybe a holy dissatisfaction, remains deep in his heart. My mother used to rant, there's got to be a better way!

You may be riding a wave of success today. Bravo! Ticker tape! You da man/woman! But, can I tell you something? If higher level is the goal, then, there's got to be a better way.

Greg Surratt, founding pastor of Seacoast Church http://www.seacoast.org/ in Charleston, compared good ideas to milk. They all have expiration dates. Hold your successes with an open hand. Surround yourself with people who are better at "it" than you. Keep moving forward. The target is always moving.

Columbia yesterday. Movement makers. Time with the kind of people God uses to change landscapes. Today is the worse meeting day of the month. I need to take a shower and set out to disprove myself.

How Real Leaders Get Thrills

Not my idea but I can't get it out of my mind . . . maybe you need it, too. Tri Robinson is founding pastor of Vineyard Boise. In his book Revolutionary Leadership, he gave advice he received from his father about two ways to climb a ladder:

He told me some leaders aggressively fight their way over all those on the lower rungs, stepping and climbing over as many people as possible until the top is finally achieved. On the other hand, he said there are some leaders who would encourage and even physically help people around them climb upward until everyone is on top . . . Which leader would you like to follow?

When coaching others, a powerful processing question is, Who can help you accomplish this task? How? My Mother Teresa, powerful question of the day is: Who can you help? How? Look around. Think backward, to people from your past. Take a small action step toward them this week. Experience the thrill of helping someone else one step higher.

Yesterday I was in Columbia, working on the rest of the year. Planning is a frog I don't enjoy eating, so I saved it until last. That is what you are supposed to do . . . right? I love October - Fall, Football, and Procrastination Season. Now, you can officially put things off until first of the year! As Homer Simpson might say: Woo Hoo!

Bag Recycled

John Wooden (as cited in Reveal: Where are you?) had a sign in his office at UCLA that stated, When you're through learning, you're through.

So, I recycled by reading bag this weekend. I am at work hoping to learn from the following fun titles:

Playing for Pizza (Grisham)
My third Grisham (Bleachers, Skipping Christmas) -- about a pro quarterback trying to make a comeback through the Italian NFL playing for the Parma Panthers (real team btw, I am thinking about taking them on).

Ten Eternal Questions (Sallis)
Not a Christian book, but a great idea for a sermon series. Easy read. Zoe Sallis interviews a group of famous people from Jack Nicholson to Bono asking them questions such as: What is your concept of God? Do you believe in an afterlife? If not a sermon series, a lot of quote material.

Experiencing Prayer (Blackaby & Blackaby, son of Henry, I think)
Another Blackaby devotional book (those guys are busy). At this critical time in history, we don't need simply 'more prayer' from God's people; we need specifically the kind of praying exemplified in the life of Christ. Sounds like Blackaby. I thought we just needed to pray more!

Reveal (Hawkins & Parkinson)
Willow Creek writes an expose' of themselves! Must read for those passionate about making disciples. Extensive research began in 2004 from those who attend Willow Creek Church. Results were profound. The implications could revolutionize the way you think about church and the apparent results we are getting (or not).

Great weekend that included my second viewing of the movie, Underdog, with my daughter Anna; a visit to Tropicana Cafe (my favorite cheap place); Books-A-Million; final primer coat and first finish coat on the Ugly Door; yard work; preaching and lunch at Northpointe, Greenville (Tommy Vandiver); a little football (love watching the Irish lose); family group at Subway.