We Stay In Our Lane
I've been coaching pastors across the country for years, and there's one pattern I see repeatedly: the difference between a growing church and a dying church isn't talent, resources, or even location. It's the number of good, well-intentioned distractions they allow to pull them away from their core mission.
This reality hit me fresh while studying 1 Kings 20:40, where a servant's excuse for failure was simple: "As your servant was busy here and there, he was gone." That phrase—busy here and there—captures the spiritual ADHD that kills churches. We get so caught up in good ideas that we lose sight of the great commission.
The Problem with Multiple Priorities
Greg McKeown's book Essentialism taught me something profound about the word "priority." When it entered the English language in the 1400s, it was singular. It meant "the very first thing." For 500 years, it stayed singular. Only in the 1900s did we start talking about "priorities"—multiple first things.
That linguistic shift reflects a deeper problem: we've convinced ourselves we can have multiple top priorities. But Scripture teaches us differently. Hebrews 7:7 tells us "the lesser is blessed by the greater." Focus on the high-priority items, and everything else receives blessing from that.
I learned this lesson from a pastor friend in Kansas whose church was exploding with growth. When I noticed he'd eliminated his choir program (and I'm a choir guy), I asked why. His answer was simple: "I don't have enough people in children's ministry."
Organizationally, kids' ministry trumps choir on Sunday morning. The choir was good, but it was the lesser. And the lesser is blessed by the greater.
Our Lane: Building a Jesus-Centered, Spirit-Filled Church
At Saraland Church, we've identified our lane clearly: we're building a Jesus-centered, Spirit-filled church for all people that is:
Large enough to lead hundreds to believe the gospel every week
Substantial enough to equip believers to build incredible lives
Formidable enough to reshape the spiritual and social culture of our city
To achieve this, we're focusing on exactly four ministry areas: preaching, worship, kids' ministry, and hospitality. These four elements create one thing: a powerful Sunday morning experience. Everything else—no matter how good—gets evaluated against this standard.
The Right Lane Principle
Scripture teaches us there are functionally right lanes for accomplishing God's purposes. In Matthew 7, Jesus said we'll recognize true prophets by their fruit. Grapes don't come from thorn bushes. You can't plant apple seeds and expect oranges.
If you want to get to Birmingham, you don't take I-10. The destination determines the route. Similarly, if we want to reach our city for Christ, we must do the specific things that move us in that direction.
This isn't about limiting God—it's about aligning with how He works. There may be five different ways to grow a church, but you can't just do anything and expect results. You have to pick a lane and commit to it.
Finding Your Commendation
How do you know if you're in the right lane? Look for the Lord's commendation. And here's how you identify it: does it work? Is it producing fruit?
My friend in San Antonio discovered that every time he invested in small groups, his church grew. Every time he put resources elsewhere, growth stalled. Through experimentation, he found where God's blessing rested. That's his lane.
The commendation of the Lord becomes obvious through results. This isn't about chasing numbers—it's about discerning where God's favor rests on your efforts.
Kings and Priests: Staying in Your Role
Scripture reveals a powerful dynamic between kings (marketplace believers) and priests (ministry leaders). When both operate in their proper lanes, cities get shaken by God's power.
But problems arise when people step outside their anointing. King Uzziah learned this the hard way when he tried to burn incense in the temple—a priest's job. His presumption resulted in leprosy (2 Chronicles 26:16-19).
The principle applies today. God gives exceptional grace within your lane, but there's no favor outside of it. Priests shouldn't try to be kings, and kings shouldn't try to be priests. Everyone thrives when everyone stays in their lane.
Making the Hard Cuts
This focus requires difficult decisions. We're ending Sunday school classes and suspending Wednesday night services temporarily—not because they're bad, but because they're not our main thing right now.
Think about Apple in 1997. Steve Jobs returned to a company making dozens of products poorly and cut 70% of their product line. Four products: consumer laptop, pro laptop, consumer desktop, pro desktop. That focus made the iPod possible, which led to the iPhone, which led to the iPad.
Focus creates power. Distraction kills momentum.
The Sabbath Principle
I'm also building sabbath rhythms into our church calendar. We're taking December 28th off and alleviating pressure on volunteers during holidays. Most churches make holidays harder on their people. I want to make it easier.
This isn't about being lazy—it's about sustainable ministry that honors people's lives outside the church walls.
Addition by Subtraction
Sometimes you have to do less to do more. Sometimes you have to go slow to go fast. Sometimes you have to simplify to actually achieve what God is calling you to do.
I've watched auxiliary ministries that meet Tuesday nights at 6:30 PM end up controlling major church decisions. You cannot grow that way. But when you focus and get powerful, the possibilities multiply.
When we stay focused on our mission and see our city saved, we can reach people in every niche, crack, and corner. The lesser is blessed by the greater—and that's not just a principle, it's a promise.
The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Let's stop being busy here and there, and start working our field with laser focus. Our city depends on it.
