Why wait until Thursday to be thankful?

'Tis' the season to be thankful, but as a Christ follower every day should be filled with thanks giving and thanks living! Last weekend my Pastor said that the opposite of thankfulness is not being un-thankful it's being entitled. I realize that no one starts out feeling entitled. It comes after being un-thankful and ungrateful for a long periods of time. Over the last few weeks I have been pondering a question that I shared with my infusers during the retreat... "What am I holding on to that I'd have to let go of in the presence of God?" We hold on to a lot of junk that all leads to entitlement but it all starts with being thankful and making an deliberate choice to practice thanks living. A great way to jump start thanks living is with thanks giving. So with that in mind what are you thankful for? Maybe you want to post something below. I thought I would post my own list of what I'm thankful for....

1. I am thankful for Jesus. I say this every time I teach on priorities..."It will really help your ministry to know Jesus." I'm not talking about knowing about Him I'm talking about knowing Him, following Him, serving him but also dying with Him. Here's a great question for you..."Has there ever been a time in your life that you were more in love with Jesus than you are right now?" If so you are the only one that can fix it. I'm at a new place in my life where my walk with Christ is more important to me than my ministry like it should have been all along.

2. I'm thankful for my family. My wife, my girls, my sons-in-law, and my grandson. They are not only my favorite people on this earth but they are the greatest encouragers of my life. I'm a better person and even a better Christ follower because of them in my life. I don't know ho I ever did ministry without them. They are my bright spots! I'm also thankful for my mom and for Jesus moving me back to the south so I could be close to her in these later years. I am so proud of how my family trusts Christ and how they desire to serve Him with their lives. I'm also thankful for my extended family on both sides. 

3. I am thankful for my church, World Outreach Church and for my Pastor G. Allen Jackson.
I have never been a part of a place that loves people more than this church. I love being a part of a team that is truly a team. It's been a blast not only working with kids but also with teens, college, & family ministries. I am getting to serve some of the greatest young people and families I have ever known. I am so thankful for their lives! I also love living in Middle Tennessee. I am very thankful for what I'm learning and what I get to be a part of here each and every day. Tennessee is a great place to be alive!

More to come...

Happy Birthday To theClub!

It's November, and twenty years ago this month I began doing something that changed my minister course. I started teaching leadership to children's ministers. In 1992 most of the emphasis in children's ministry was on what we did to minister to kids only. God started dealing with me that there was one group of kids I had to work with and three groups of adults I had to be effective with to be successful. 
Since that first lesson there has been thousands who have been a part of my monthly club lessons. 

I first called theClub the Children's Ministers Leadership Club. It was first done on cassettes. I remember when I switched to CD's folks told me they would never catch on. 
Now a days the club is hosted on it's own website where members can download audio leadership lessons at anytime. I've also added several other resources to help you be a better leader.

In 2007 I started giving theClub away free to leaders under thirty in a program that I call "Young Guns" I want to help anyone who wants to learn but I feel my marching orders are to help the next generation of Children's Ministry Leaders learn what I've learned over the last thirty years in a fraction of the time.

I had no idea this idea would last twenty years and counting. It's been a tremendous ride. I would like to thank everyone who is presently a member of theClub as well as a thank you to everyone who has been a part at any time.

To celebrate theClub's birthday I'm running a special on my books during the month of November. Order as many as you would like and enter the code: "theclubis20" and get your books for 50% off. This is a great opportunity for you to buy a copy for all your key leaders as well as yourself. 

If you are not currently a member of theClub you should be. Go online here to join.

Thanks so much for coming along side me over the last twenty years.
I'm so excited about the further of theClub
I hope you'll take advantage of theClub's birthday gift to you!