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6 Foundational Convictions for a Healthy Church

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You tend to base your decisions on one of four motivations in life: circumstances, conveniences, criticisms, or convictions. Yet only decisions that are based on your convictions will last and leave a lasting legacy. The people who have made the greatest impact on this world, for good or bad, are those who had the deepest convictions. They weren’t necessarily the smartest people, the brightest people, the most educated, the wealthiest, or even the most famous. If you’re going to build convictions, you need to build them on something that’s going to last. Everything changes. Fads change, fashions change. Psychology changes. Even science textbooks change. We keep learning more and more. There’s only one thing that never changes. That is the truth of God. If it was true a thousand years ago, it will be true today and it will be true a thousand years from tomorrow because truth does not change. The Bible says this in Isaiah 40:8: “The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the Word of our God stands forever” (NLT). Saddleback Church has been built on six biblical convictions that are all based on God’s eternal Word. I’m willing to go to the mat for all six convictions. Here they are.

1. It’s all about God.

It’s not about me. It’s not about you. It’s not about profit, politics, or anything else. It’s all about God. Until you understand that, life and ministry are never going to make sense. In Romans 11:36, the Bible says, "For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory" (NLT). What’s the implication of that? If it’s all about God, and it’s not all about making money or being popular or anything else the world thinks is important, then the implication is that it is more important to love God than anything else. It’s my very first priority. Jesus said in Matthew 22:37-38, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment” (NIV).

2. Only the church will last forever.

Nothing on earth will last forever—no business, government, or nation. But the church will. Jesus said in Matthew 16:18: “I will build my church and all the powers of hell will not conquer it” (NLT). A thousand years from today, there may not be a United States of America. No nation lasts forever—no empire lasts forever. Where’s the Roman Empire today? Where’s the Greek Empire? A thousand years from today, there probably won’t be a Microsoft. A thousand years from today, even many of our good Christian organizations will be gone. Nothing man-made lasts. Nothing but the church. I'll give my entire life to serve the church—Saddleback and the global Body of Christ. That matters more to me than anything else in the world. All of our staff tithes their time. That means 10 percent of our time goes to help other churches. We’re not in this just for our church. Over the years we’ve trained more than 400,000 pastors from 163 countries. What does this conviction mean for you and me? If we’re all going to live together forever, we'd better get along. It’s not enough just to love God. You must love the church—despite all of our differences. The Bible says Christ died for the church, the whole church, anyone who has made Jesus Lord of his or her life. Love is more important than personal differences in the family of God. Love is more important than political differences. We need to love our brothers and sisters in Christ.

3. God expects me to love everybody else too.

I don’t know if you see the pattern here, but it’s all about love. Life is not about the acquisition of things. It’s not about achievement. It’s not about popularity. It’s about learning how to love. If you miss that, you miss the lesson of life. God is love. And he says the most important thing is to love him. The second most important thing is in Mark 12:31, “The second most important commandment is this: Love your neighbor as you love yourself” (GW). So who is our neighbor? That’s not a new question. It was asked right after Jesus said this. That’s when Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan. The short answer is everybody is your neighbor. There is nobody you’re allowed to not love on this earth. That means you’re to love the unlovely, those who are different, difficult—and even dangerous. You’re supposed to love everyone. It’s easy to love people who agree with you. It’s easy to love people who are cool. And it’s easy to love people who are safe. But God says that he wants you to take it even further. He says we’re to love even our enemies (Luke 6:35). It’s tough to love people who are treating you poorly—or love someone who believes something totally antithetical to what the Bible teaches. But God says we’re to love even our enemies.

4. The whole world needs Jesus.

The whole Bible testifies to this, particularly the Great Commission. In it, Jesus tells us to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19-20 NIV). Does it say, go and make disciples of some nations? No. All nations. Does that include Syria? Yes. Does that include North Korea? Yes. Does that include Iran? Yes. No nation is off limits. As Christians, we report to a higher authority—Jesus Christ. I’m not a politician; I’m a pastor. If Iran opens the door, I’m going. There is no place I won’t go. I’d go into hell if I could bring people out with me. There is no place I would not go. If the whole world needs Jesus, then we have to share the Good News. To keep it a secret would be criminal. If you knew the cure for a dreaded disease—like cancer or AIDS—and you didn’t share it, that would be criminal. We have something better than that. We know the cure for the human heart. We know the cure for the deepest needs of mankind. We need our past forgiven, a purpose for living, and a home in heaven—we need Jesus. You may be a pastor, yet you’ve never made this truth your own. It’ll change your life. How? First, it’ll change your priorities. You no longer live for yourself; you’re living for Jesus. Then your perspective changes. You no longer regard people the way you used to. They’re not objects; they’re priceless souls that Jesus shed his precious blood for. They’re worthwhile and they’re valuable. I don’t care if the person is a drug addict in the alley, he or she is valuable to God. We must look at people not as objects but with a broken heart.

5. Everything is possible with God.

The Bible says, “Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible’” (Matthew 19:26 NIV). Why did we launch the P.E.A.C.E. Plan? What makes us think that Saddleback Church could lead hundreds of thousands of other churches to go after the five biggest problems on the planet? The answer is we have a big God. Jesus also said: “According to your faith let it be done to you” (Matthew 9:29 NIV). You know what the implication is? God’s waiting on you. God is waiting for you to trust him. God wants to use you. He wants to bless you. He wants to do amazing things in your life. He wants you to be a world changer. You just need to stop saying, “I can’t.” That’s a lie. All things are possible to him who believes God. God gets the most glory when we trust him for the impossible.

6. History’s conclusion is inevitable.

I believe this with all my heart. It’s a fait accompli. It’s done. It’s finished. There’s no doubt. I’ve read the final chapter. The Bible tells us how it’s going to end. One day, God’s going to wrap it all up here on earth and he’s going to take his children who've trusted him to heaven for ever and ever. In Matthew 24 the Bible says, “The Good News about (God’s) Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it, and then, finally, the end will come” (TLB). It’s a certainty. Fellow pastors, we are not trying to bring in the Kingdom here on earth. It’s not going to happen here on earth. What we are trying to do is populate the Kingdom of Heaven. We want to take all our friends and everybody else with us. We want to get people into the Kingdom of Heaven, where they’re going to be for eternity. These six convictions of mine are behind everything we do at Saddleback and everything I say. It’s all about God’s glory. God gets glory when I love him with all my heart. He gets glory when I love you and other people in the family of God. God gets glory when I love my neighbor and the people I’m least likely to love. He gets glory when I love my enemy and when I treat them with dignity and respect even though they disrespect me. God gets glory when I share the Good News with everybody. God gets glory when I trust him with problems in my life that cannot be solved except through a miracle. And God gets glory when I know and trust that the end is inevitable and, in the end, he wins.

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How to Refuel Mid-Flight

During the Cold War, the Strategic Air Command operated 24 hours a day as a shield of protection for our nation. This meant that at any point in a given day, there were combat-configured bombers flying to assure the safety of our nation. To extend the range of these planes, the military perfected mid-flight refueling, which allowed the planes to fly longer without running out of fuel. A refueling plane would actually fly up next to a Strategic Air Command plane, dock in, and refill the plane’s fuel tank.As a pastor, you need to learn how to refuel your life in mid-flight. You can’t just hop off to Tahiti every time you get tired and discouraged. You need to keep going. You have to learn how to recharge yourself by reconnecting with God in the middle of your hectic lifestyle. The fact is, ministry takes energy. What do you do when you run out of energy? The Living Bible paraphrase of  Psalm 94:19 says, “Lord, when doubts fill my mind, when my heart is in turmoil, quiet me and give me renewed hope and cheer.” Are you ever quiet? Americans are afraid of silence. It makes us very uncomfortable. The moment you get in your car, the radio goes on. The moment you get home, the TV goes on. Very little of your life is honestly quiet. But the Bible’s wisdom, in effect, says this: “If you want to lower your stress, it’s as simple as this: Shut up. Be silent. Stop talking and start listening.”Once a day, go outside, sit down, and just be quiet. I’m not talking about reading your Bible (though you also ought to read your Bible every day). I’m just talking about getting alone for five minutes a day and being completely silent. Ask God a question, and then just sit there and listen.Sometimes people say, “God, I really need your guidance on this,” and then they get up and walk off. They don’t wait for an answer. If you never hear from God, it may be that you never listen.Learn to take mini breaks during the day. When you feel your pressure rising, just stop and say, “God, I want to tune in to you again. I want to focus on you.” This doesn’t have to take 30 minutes. Take even 15 or 20 seconds—just little mini-breaks—where you stop and be quiet.Why is this important? Because the race of life is tough. Inevitably, ministry is tough. We get distracted, discouraged, and start to doubt. And you start wondering, “Maybe I shouldn’t be pursuing everything God is calling me to do in ministry. Maybe I should just coast for the next couple of months.” When you coast, you start heading downhill. You go the wrong way.Discouragement leads to doubt. How do you defeat doubt? Here are three things I remember when I’m discouraged that you can remember too:1. I remind myself of God’s goodness yesterday. I make a list of all the things he’s done in my life, and I express my thankfulness. The attitude of gratitude is the healthiest emotion you can have.2. I remember God’s presence today. I remind myself that he’s with me right now. Even when I feel like I’m completely alone, I’m not. I’ve just forgotten that he’s there with me. I remind myself that God has promised things like, “I’m here. I’m going to help you. I’ve promised I’ll never leave you or forsake you. I’m with you right now in this crisis.”3. I remind myself of God’s promises for tomorrow. There are more than 7,000 promises for us in the Bible. Each one is like a blank check that I can write out: “God, I am claiming this one today. I’m turning in this coupon.” He has said, “I will give you strength. I will give you the necessary tools to accomplish the task I’ve given you. I will give you the wisdom you need in this situation if you’ll just call on me.”I don’t need to doubt God’s goodness yesterday, God’s presence today, or God’s promises tomorrow. I don’t need to doubt. I don’t need to be discouraged. I don’t need to be distracted. I can let God renew my spirit daily.If you want to last over the long haul of ministry, you need to learn how God can help you recharge yourself spiritually, emotionally, physically and mentally. 2 Corinthians 4:16 says, “For this reason we never become discouraged. Even though our physical being is gradually decaying, yet our spiritual being is renewed day after day” (GNT). God promises to renew your spirit daily. So you need to figure out what renews you. Make a list of the things that keep you going, the things that re-energize you. Then do those things over and over.

Essential Conditions for Fruitful Ministry

Most people are interested in productivity. But the Bible doesn’t use the word "productivity;" instead, you’ll find the word "fruitfulness.” God wants us to have fruitful ministries, so this week I want to show you some principles that will produce a godly fruitfulness in your life. I believe there are four conditions that are essential for a fruitful ministry.First, you must cultivate roots.God says there’s no fruit without roots. You need roots, particularly when your resources are limited, for when times of drought come along.Drought, as you know, is a long period without rain. We had one here in California that lasted seven years! A drought in your life is whenever you must do without something you need, such as time, energy, money, or support. There will be times of drought in your ministry. Perhaps you’re even in one now.Second, you must eliminate the weeds in your life and ministry.The weeds in your ministry, and in your life, are things that hinder or limit your spiritual growth. Weeds are the things that choke your relationship to Christ or that prevent you from further growth.How much effort does it take to grow weeds? None at all! You don’t have to cultivate weeds. In fact, that’s the difference between a weed and a vegetable. You feed, water, and cultivate a vegetable, and sometimes it still dies! Pay no attention to a weed, and it still grows.Weeds are a sign of neglect. I’ve found that when I neglect my quiet time, when I neglect my personal maintenance, like walking and staying physically fit, and when I neglect key relationships in my life, the weeds start to grow and begin choking my productivity.Third, you must cooperate with God’s pruning in your life.What is pruning? Pruning involves cutting off not only dead branches but also living ones in order to improve the shape of the plant and stimulate growth. Pruning is essential for increased productivity. It’s not optional. If you’re going to be productive in ministry, God will put you through times of pruning. He prunes you for fruitfulness. In your life it’s not only the dead wood that God cuts off; he also cuts back areas of success, even areas that are bearing wonderful fruit. When he does this you might struggle to understand why, but the reason is he is preparing you for even greater ministry.Fourth, you must wait for the harvest.Growing fruit takes time. It doesn’t come automatically. You don’t plant a seed in the ground and harvest it the next day.My wife loves nasturtiums. I bought her some seeds two years ago, and to this date, we still don’t have any flowers. The reason is because the seeds are still in the pantry in an envelope!It’s common sense: Seeds must be planted first. You’ve got to cover them up with dirt, and then you wait and pray and expect growth.Just as a seed creates new life out of death, for you to be more effective in your ministry there’s a dying to your old nature, a dying to your own desires and ambitions in the waiting process. Growth takes time—but don’t give up. Stay plugged in to Jesus Christ.Maybe you’ve been dormant in your ministry for some time. My prayer is that you’ll give yourself to Christ, saying, "Lord, I want to work on these four things: cultivating my roots, eliminating the weeds, cooperating with your pruning, and waiting for the harvest. God, I trust you with what I’ve planted, and I trust that what I have sown I will inevitably reap a harvest for you.”That is the law of the harvest.

8 Questions to Define New Ministries

As I’ve mentioned before, I didn’t start most of Saddleback’s ministries. They were launched by people in our church who felt called by God to address a particular need they saw.The job of our staff and me was to help equip those lay leaders to succeed. One way we did that was to help them define their ministries so that the ministries would be more effective.  Ministry is too important for us to do it haphazardly. Eternities hang in the balance. We can’t just say, “I’ll give it my best shot!” Instead, we should think through the ministries we’re launching so they have the best chance to make an impact. Jesus told his followers to be “as wise as snakes and as innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16 CEV). Jesus expects us to be strategic in our work. That’s why it’s important to walk through the process of defining a ministry with its leaders before you launch it. These eight questions will help you and your leaders do just that.1. What does the ministry do?Every great ministry starts with a clear purpose. If you don’t know what you’re trying to do, you’ll never know if you’ve succeeded. A thriving ministry will define its purpose in a way that answers two key questions:What are we here to do?What are we not here to do?Remember, no ministry can do everything. When you clarify your purpose, you focus your energy on what matters most.2. What values drive the ministry?Values are like the DNA of your ministry—they shape every decision and action. Whether you realize it or not, every ministry is driven by values. The question is, are they the right values? At Saddleback, we learned early on that values shape culture. They define what’s important to us and what makes us unique. For one of our values, we chose humor—taking God seriously but not taking ourselves too seriously. It worked great for our children’s and youth ministries but looked different in our grief support group. That’s okay! The key is to define the values that best fit your ministry. 3. Who are you trying to reach?Every ministry reaches someone, but no ministry reaches everyone. At Saddleback, we used five concentric circles to define who we were trying to reach: Community, Crowd, Congregation, Committed, and Core. I’ve always taught that you need to be clear on which group you’re targeting. Are you reaching the unchurched in your community? Or are you helping mature believers grow deeper? Knowing who you’re trying to reach helps you design a ministry that actually connects with them.4. What is your plan?Here’s a mistake I see a lot of leaders make: They plan out their strategy before they pray. But Proverbs 16:9 reminds us, “We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps” (NLT). At Saddleback, we taught our leaders to get alone with God, pray, and ask him questions like:Where do you want this ministry to be in six months?If nothing was impossible, what could this ministry look like a year from now?Then, just listen. God’s vision is always bigger than ours.5. What steps will you take to improve the ministry?Every ministry needs systems. Just like your body needs systems to function—like your nervous system and circulatory system—your ministry needs systems to grow healthy and strong. Systems bring consistency and scalability. They keep you from reinventing the wheel every week. Ask yourself:What systems will help this ministry operate smoothly and effectively?How can we improve our existing systems to work smarter, not harder?How will we measure our success and learn from our failures?When you build effective systems, you build a ministry that lasts.6. Who do you need on your team?No ministry is a one-person show. If anyone in history could have built a ministry on his own talents, it was Jesus. Instead, he built a team of 12. The question your leaders need to ask themselves isn’t, “Who can help?” Instead, they need to ask, “Who has God already prepared to be a part of this ministry?”Look for people who are passionate about your purpose and who share your values. God will equip those he calls to come alongside you.7. How will the ministry serve people?Every ministry exists to serve people in some way. It’s important that ministries understand the core needs they are meeting.In Luke 2:52, the Bible tells us, “Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men” (NKJV). The four areas of growth seen in the life of Jesus (intellectual/emotional, physical, spiritual, and social) provide a framework for leaders to think about the ways their ministries are helping people grow. 8. How does the ministry fit into your church’s structure?Every new ministry your church starts should fit into the congregation’s overall structure. At Saddleback, we always asked, “Which of the five purposes does this ministry support—worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, or evangelism?” Ministries that complement the church’s mission have the greatest impact.Answering these questions will help your ministry leaders get a good grasp of the ministries they’re leading. But remember, the goal isn’t to get busy; it’s to be fruitful. When you define your ministry with clarity, you’ll see God do more than you ever imagined

Overcome Ministry Fears with Honesty

Ministry is deeply relational. Just about everything you do as a pastor—preaching, leadership, evangelism, and more—hinges on your relationships. But fear threatens those relationships. Relationships are built on trust. So if you can’t be honest in your ministry relationships because you’re afraid, you can’t thrive in ministry.  As a pastor, you face a tremendous amount of pressure to hide important parts of who you are. Many times, your congregants don’t want you to be honest. They want to put a halo on you and pretend you’re never tempted. They want to think, “Of course my pastor doesn’t fall to temptation—he doesn’t face what I do!”But you and I know that’s not true. Still, we’re afraid to let those we lead see who we really are. You can’t overestimate the damage that kind of dishonesty does to your ministry relationships. Three specific fears—all borne from our desire to hide who we really are—are particularly problematic for leaders. Fear of Your Faults: The Trap of DefensivenessWe don’t like to admit weaknesses and mistakes. As pastors, we know some people won’t understand, so we hide our failures. Sometimes we even blame other people. That’s what Adam was doing when he said to God, “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it” (Genesis 3:12 NLT).Adam accused and excused—two very common reactions when we’re confronted with our weaknesses. We accuse someone else and excuse ourselves. We become defensive. Defensiveness creates walls instead of bridges in ministry. It will undermine your trust with your congregation, your staff, and even your family. When pastors can’t own their faults, it sends everyone the signal that image matters more than integrity.Don’t be that pastor. Confess your failures. Be open about your weaknesses. Honesty makes you a more credible leader.Fear of Your Feelings: The Isolation of Emotional DistanceOur inclination as pastors is to hide our emotions. You may believe that leaders shouldn’t show emotion—particularly hurt, anger, or disappointment. So you just stuff those emotions deep inside. Sharing our emotions, we believe, is a liability we can’t afford.That instinct goes all the way back to the first pages of the Bible. When Adam and Eve sinned and God confronted them, Adam’s first response was to hide: “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked” (Genesis 3:10 NLT). Fear led the first couple to withdraw, just as we’re tempted to do.But when we hide and suppress those emotions, we don’t eliminate them. They don’t disappear. They deepen. That hurt festers into resentment, and resentment hardens into bitterness. Unresolved disappointment erodes our joy and isolates us from the people we are called to lead.  In more than 50 years of ministry, I’ve learned this: Vulnerability isn’t a liability—it’s a strength. Let me share an example of how openness can enhance ministry instead of hindering it.In Saddleback’s early days, we struggled to secure land for a permanent home in Southern California’s expensive market. One time, after 18 months and $100,000 of investments from our congregation—many making significant sacrifices in order to give—the deal fell through. We lost all the money and time.I felt deeply discouraged. I felt like a failure. I could have hidden those feelings, but instead, I shared them with the congregation.“I don’t know what happened,” I told them. “We did our best. I’m discouraged. We stepped out in faith. We believed we were following God, and I don’t know why this happened.”That moment of raw honesty rallied the church. They saw the setback as a shared challenge—and it prepared them for what was ahead. It became a turning point in Saddleback’s history.Fear of Losing Control: The Demands of PowerWhen we experience insecurity in our ministry relationships, we make demands. We try to micromanage our team and our congregation. Insecurity demands that we stay in control.Again, there’s nothing new about the impact this fear has on human relationships. God tells Eve in Genesis 3:16: “You will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you” (Genesis 3:16 NLT). That kind of control—from both men and women—destroys marriage relationships. In the work of a pastor, it leads to a domineering leadership style that stifles creativity and trust within your team. The result is that your ministry becomes about serving you, not God. Be HonestHonesty is the only way you can overcome these fears. First, you must be honest with yourself. You can’t open up to anyone else about these fears if you aren’t honest about them to yourself.Then, come clean with God. He knows your failures already. They don’t surprise him. But he wants you to take them to him. Finally, be honest with others. Resist the urge to project perfection. That doesn’t mean you tell every person in your life every failure that you’re struggling to come to terms with. But it does mean that you don’t consciously try to hide your faults, emotions, and insecurities. Don’t let hiding become the overriding focus of your ministry.That decision to be honest with yourself, with God, and with others will be one of the most important ministry decisions you ever make.