I guess I’m just a hopeless optimist. Ever since we moved into our neighborhood I’ve bought candy to hand out to the kids on Halloween. But no one ever comes. Not one kid in twenty-three years.

I can’t really blame them, though. We live at the end of a 200 foot driveway lined with trees and shrubs. Docile by day, these guardians of the driveway turn into an ominous force at night, especially through the eyeholes of a Batman or Spiderman mask. Truth be told, there are times when I’d rather not wander down my driveway at night either! Indeed, it takes the courage of a real Batman or Spiderman to seek a treat from the Gates’ household.

If only these wanna be superheroes in my neighborhood knew what awaited them at the end of that darkened trail. If just ONE brave soul had mustered up the courage to call on our house, they would have been showered with so much candy they’d be in sugar nirvana. And since I was alone this last Halloween evening, I would have thrown caution to the wind and given them the whole ten pound bag. (Better they eat it than me.)

Pursuing our dreams is like that too. Many of us stay in the comfort and safety of bright lights and well worn paths. We’d rather run up to the door behind others, receiving a metered out portion, while just a short distance away, a treasure awaits, untouched. Jesus told His followers that they should choose the narrow gate, because “small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).

No worthwhile pursuit is on the easy path. To find it, you must don your superhero courage and trek into the scary unknown. And when you do, you’ll find God there delighted that you came to receive His extravagant blessing.

What courageous next step do you need take to pursue your dream?

[If you're ready to turn down the road toward your dream, why not join us at the next Dream Intensive on December 2nd? Readers of this blog can receive a discount, simply by asking.]

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If you’re a pastor in the Twin Cities area, you won’t want to miss out on a very unique opportunity for some serious goal setting. On Thursday, May 13th, I will be conducting, for the first time, a pastors-only version of the highly-regarded Year of Living Courageously workshop.

The Year of Living Courageously workshop is a thoroughly biblical approach to goal setting. I’ve taught it numerous times over the last several years to Christian men in the marketplace. Now, for the first time, I’ll be leading professional clergy through a more intense and extended version.

Why a version just for clergy? Think about it. Most men in the marketplace have a community of other like-minded men with whom they can confide in, explore, and seek support for their God-given aspirations—the men in their church. Unfortunately, that same opportunity doesn’t exist for most pastors. From my discussions with numerous pastors, they often feel uncomfortable sharing openly about their fears, failures and fatigues—the very threats all of us face in the pursuit of courageous goals. As a result, many church leaders find themselves isolated from the very support structure that others in their congregation enjoy.

The Year of Living Courageously: Pastor’s Edition is designed to address that need. Pastors will be provided a unique “sandbox” in which they can explore some of their dreams in the context of a non-threatening community—other like-minded peers. If you’re a pastor longing for a structure and support system for pursuing your goals, the Year of Living Courageous: Pastor’s Edition is just for you. If you’re a lay-person, but want to show your support, let your pastor know about this unique workshop.

The Year of Living Courageously: Pastor’s Edition workshop will be held at Berean Baptist Church in Burnsville, MN on May 13th from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The cost to attend is $65 and includes a lunch and program materials. For more information, testimonies, videos, and to register, visit www.livecourageously.com

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Courage is a popular virtue. Amazon.com lists over a half-million books for sale with “courage” in the title. Yet, for all the popular wisdom these books offer, one fact remains. Courage is a confident display of power—to engage when others cower. And those questioning Peter and John that day saw an incredible display of courage, uncommon for “ordinary men.” It wasn’t something that mustered up in them, but rather Someone that rubbed off on them. Exposure to the ultimate source of power (Jer 32:17) gave these ordinary men extraordinary courage.

Your thoughts? How has being with Jesus given you extraordinary courage?

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When confronted with danger, we tend toward one of three responses: fight, flight or freeze. The same responses apply to benign but overwhelming situations as well. Whether we need to confront someone’s misbehavior or tackle a challenging project, we either rush in, ignore it altogether, or stare at it like a deer caught in headlights. If a task seems overwhelming to you, remember you only need to muster enough courage to take one small step. The momentum from the first step can make the next ones so much easier to take.

Your thoughts? What overwhelming challenge do you need to take a courageous small step forward?

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You’ve heard the saying, “The best Defense is a good Offense.” Yet often, as professing Christians, our focus is more on sin management—not dropping the ball—than building a thirst for the end-zone. It’s as if we only possess a Defensive Playbook—worrying more about being scored against, than scoring. But vision, daring, courage and adventure are in the Offensive Playbook. And the more we practice plays from that book the less our Defense needs to be on the field.

Your thoughts? What Offensive play could you call on to execute today?

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