Two decisions, like no others, have affected my life as a follower of Jesus.

The first was when I decided to honor God with my finances. I heard a pastor speak boldly from God’s Word in regards to tithing, and I decided to take God at His Word and try it. Years have past, and all I can say is that God has been so faithful to me.

The second decision was the choice to roll up my sleeves to get involved in the church that I called home.

I know this might not be the end all in regards to service as we look at a world that is desperately in need of practical ministry, but I do believe that serving in a simple capacity at church on a Sunday can begin to get people to live beyond themselves.

As pastors, we need to facilitate this by casting a strong vision of what it means to follow Jesus. We hear so much these days about the need to cast vision for a building program, a new ministry venture, or a strategic change that we need to make. Yet I hear too little talk of what the world could look like if God’s people started truly following Jesus.

Let me say at the onset that this is going to take guts

People, especially in America, don’t want to hear about a faith that involves taking up your cross and following Jesus. Yet, this is the message we preach.

If we choose simply to let people sit in rows every seven days and call that the Christian faith, then we have done both Jesus and His church a great disservice.

Read about this and more in my free Ebook… “Top 5 Leadership Mistakes Senior Pastors Make”: