Reaching Company Quotas
The past few days were busy. I worked long hours to “bring home the bacon” and meet the company’s goals. Last month, I almost reached them. All I needed was one more sale! This month, however, I did not even come close to the main sales quota (yes, my paycheck is a vivid reminder of that fact). I did reach the other two main ones!
A sales quota is nothing more than a goal. It is a target you set (or someone else does for you) and then you work hard at reaching. This goal drives you. It motivates you. Goals should help you reach more than you would have done without them. Goals are good for us.
The company that I work for has established minimum goals for every sales rep. We are expected to meet those goals. We evaluate our progress almsot every day. It is a BIG deal. There are times that I get tired of the whole quota process.
Yet, I know they are a necessary evil.
I wonder what would happen in churches if that set some challenging goals and then worked hard to work them. I wonder what would happen if people (both paid and volunteer staff) were actually held accountable in reaching those goals.
It’s time churches get serious about fulfilling God’s mission. Set some goals. Stretch yourself. Hold people accountable. Get it done. It makes no sense to me that businesses all over the world are serious about making a profit and too many American churches are dying a slow painful self-centered death. God, our CEO, has high expectations for us to lead people to become mature followers of Christ.
Now That I’ve Got Your Attention
This past week was really busy. I had three 14+ plus days! Protection One kept me busy, but I made some time today to work on a sermon. This week I focused on how God gets our attention to re-direct us. If you have questions or comments, shoot me a note. Also, if you have a topic you’d like for me to talk about, let me know.
Bible Truths from Sam
Finally, these sermons are on iTunes. Just go to the iTunes store and type my name in the search field. Pretty cool, huh?
Write It in a Journal
Some people enjoy writing down their thoughts and spiritual insights in a journal. There are those who believe that writing in a journal is necessary for real spiritual growth. It’s supposed to be easy to journal. Just buy a notebook, read from the Bible, and write your thoughts, questions, and insights down. As time passes, a journal serves as a great tool for you go back and reflect on what you’ve learned.
I have tried to journal. But, I’m not very good at it. I start out well. Okay. I might make it a day or two before I stop writing anything down. I’ve tried to journal more than once. I just find it difficult to do it, and I’ve felt guilty because I struggle with the whole “journal thing.”
Have you ever felt guilty about a spiritual discipline (like prayer, Bible reading, meditating, fasting, etc.)? Don’t! We can get so hung up on the methods or ways to grow spiritually that we miss the point of it all. God just wants us to spend time with him. Just figure out what works for you and spend time getting to know God.
And by the way, I don’t believe I ever read in the Bible that Jesus ever wrote down a thought in a journal!
Enjoying the day with my sweetheart
Last night Rhonda and I read a devotion about romance. Even though we’ve been married for just over 30 years, we still have to work hard at keeping the romance real. We spent some time talking about it.
Well, I had a chance to practice today. I surprised Rhonda early this morning. Nothing big. Nothing expensive. Just an expression of my love for her.
I am a blessed man.
Bigger than Life Problems . . . a Sermon Short!
I finally made some time to record a “mini-sermon.” It was tough teaching to an empty room, but I did it. The volume is a little low, but you should be able to crank up the volume and hear just fine.
In this mini-sermon I talk about dealing with problems that are too tough for you to handle on your own.
Bible Truths from Sam
It’s Not My Responsibility
I listened to Andy Stanley sermons last week on responsibility. I’ve been thinking about how easy it is for us to say something like this: “It’s not my responsibility” or something like that. In many instances we want to blame someone else for stuff we are responsible for.
I’ve talked with people whose marriages are struggling, students whose grades are slipping, fathers who are having trouble with their kids, and people who have credit issues. I won’t say all of them, but I will say that almost all of them blame someone or something else for their woes.
It seems that marriages are in trouble because of the other one; students aren’t making good grades because of the teacher; Johnny doesn’t mind because he has ADHD (or something like that); and the credit card company charges too much interest. We seem to think that our problems are the result of some outward force that is bend on ruining our lives.
You know what we need to do? We need to just get over it! Look in the mirror. Who do you see? Maybe, just maybe, the real or major source of our problem(s) is staring you in the face. It’s time to take responsibility.
Could you say, “I’m taking responsibilty for my life. (now pause and add a little emphasis on this next word) Really?!?
Got the sniffles . . .
Well, it finally happened. I got the sniffles. I really don’t enjoy having a cold. It’s hard to breathe. It’s hard to get a good night’s sleep. I can get grumpy.
And to think that this inconvenience is caused by a little bitty virus. By just touching something, like a phone, door knob, or countertop, and then rubbing your eyes or nose you can “catch” a cold. Thankfully, the life span of the sniffles is short. I guess I’ll feel better sometime next week.
When it comes to the spiritual side of things, you can catch a spiritual bug that can drain the life out of you. Hanging around negative people can imfect you with an unheathly dose of negativitis. You just might find yourself telling an off-color joke if you spend too much time listening to them.
Those little bitty things we think are harmless can wind up biting us if we aren’t careful!
I Have . . .
a dream! I dream of being the pastor (or staff member) of a church that is more concerned with those not in church than those in the church.
I dream of a church where marriage means something, parents parent, and family matters. I dream of a church that is not afraid to risk failure to impact lives with the gospel of Christ. I long to be a part of a church where children beg their parents to take them to church. I dream of a church where men actually lead. I dream of a church where people matter more than “that’s the way we’ve always do it” or any out-dated tradition.
I dream of a church where everyone is welcome . . . no matter how they’re dressed, what they believe, what have done, what they are doing, or what they intend to do . . . I want to be a part of a church that really welcomes people who are seeking God.
I am dreaming of a church that will do whatever it takes to reach their generation for God.
I have a dream of a church that practices what it preaches. I dream of a church willing to change the way it does church to reach people who don’t do church.
I dream of a church where Jesus really is Lord . . . a place where people celebrate Him and He shows up; a place where sinners find salvation; marriages are saved; dads become dads, moms become moms, and kids love Jesus. I dream of a church where hurting people find hope; forgiveness is more than a word; and relationships are deeper than a shallow creek bed.
I dream of a church where people really love God and people . . . a place where people sing with meaning, shout with excitement, clap with enthusiasm, give money with joy, serve with gladness, and commit with purpose.
I dream of a church that is tired of doing the same thing the same way and expecting different results. I dream of a church that gets out of the building and into the streets. I dream of a church that gets rid of anything that is not helping people become mature followers of Christ.
I dream of a church that brings a HUGE smile to God’s face. That is the kind of church I want to be a part of . . . dear God this is my prayer!
Mini-Sermons Coming Soon
It has been a while since I preached a sermon. I have been wanting to do something on this site, but it has been hard finding time to prepare with my job at Protection One. Of course, that’s just an excuse. You make time to do what you want to do.
Also, I have found it hard to “preach” to an empty room. It’s weird. I really enjoy seeing people. It’s encouraging when the crowd laughs at your stories. When there is no crowd, a laugh track is just not the same. But, when you get down to the bottom of it, this is just another excuse.
So, I’m going to write, record, and publish my first “mini-sermon” later this week. It will be on this site and available on iTunes. These talks won’t the be the same as what I would do in a church setting, but they will be, well, similar. I will teach on a relevant topic for maybe 10 – 15 minutes (instead of 30 minutes).
If you have a topic you’d like for me to talk about, let me know. For now, the first topic will be on the idea of “Read the fine print.”
Taxes Done
Don’t you just love tax time? Like it or not, it comes around every year. I really wish our great union would adopt the fair tax. But, until then, we’ll have to do our taxes every year. I finished mine last night around 11:30 pm (thank you turbo tax). They are e-filed and our federal refund should arrive in our bank account in less than two weeks!
That’s an answer to prayer! My sales at Protection One are down and I like to eat. God is good.