My Official #MLB Picks for the 2011 Season (Thick Sarcasm Warning***)

It is once again that time of year when, as a rabid MLB Baseball fan, I make 2 sets of predictions:

1.  The teams I, as an unbiased realist, actually believe will win their divisions and the Wild Card &

2.  The teams in each division I’ll be rooting for over the next 6 months, and why.

So without further adu, here you go:

The Realist List:

AL East: Red Sox – Listen, when you spend more money then the national debt of our nation, like the BoSox did this off season, you better win your division. If Boston doesn’t win 100 games this year, they should demand their money back from their 5 highest paid players.  (104-58) ** (By the way, I have officially invoked the “Keller Scoff” every time I or my kids hear the name “Carl Crawford” all year. The last time we did this was the year after the Phillies beat the Rays in the World Series, when we invoked the “One Year Grudge” against the Phils.) I’m scoffing right now, actually.

AL Central:  Twins – I think this is the year that the Twinkies put it all together. Morneau will have a come back year, Mauer will be Mauer and everybody else will dominate. (94-68) More on them below…

AL West: Rangers – This will once again be the year of “Everything’s bigger in Texas.” Josh Hamilton rules like a Roman Emperor, and C.J. Wilson will find himself like a college freshman. (93-69) Trust me that will be enough to win the AL West.

AL Wild Card: Rays – You may not believe me with this one because I’m such a big Rays fan, but I’m just tellin’ ya, I think they’re going to surprise everyone! For one Reason: Joe Maddon. The guy is simply brilliant. He’s by far the smartest manager and best leader anywhere in baseball. Just watch him handle Manny Ramirez without so much as a blip on the “Manny being Manny” radar. (94-68)

NL East: Phillies – My goodness, if they don’t dominate with that Starting Rotation, then fire everyone including the clubhouse attendants & the girl selling CheeseSteaks in section 123! They arguably have the greatest rotation in the history of the game. The only caviat in this pick is keeping their position players healthy. Come on Utley and Victorino, keep the big boy pants on all season. We know you can do it! (98-64)

NL Central: Cardinals – Ahhh, this one kills me quietly, because I’m a born and raised closet Cub fan transplant in the Sunshine state, but I think the Red Birds in the central will rally behind King Albert one last time before he departs for NY. Because let’s be honest, every great player from a small or medium sized market ends up in NY in Pinstripes. But as for this year, the Cards will win the Central by the skin of their teeth. (88-74)

NL West: Giants – It’s go time again for the Orange and Black from northern Cali. They got this on Attitude alone for cryin’ out loud. Who doesn’t like watching players with beards the size of small states and infielders named after animals you can only find in a protected area at the zoo. Come on Giants, do it again. (94-68)

NL Wild Card: Braves – I just love how they have patiently developed a new generation of ball player in the ATL. These young guys will thrive under Freddie Gonzalez’s new style of leadership and be the lasting legacy of one of the greats, Bobby Cox. (93-69)

Now, for the 8 teams I’ll be rooting for: 

(The logic is this: If I pick 1 team in each division then everyday I have close to a dozen games that matter to one of “my teams.”) I’m convinced this is what True Fans of the MLB do. (And truthfully, growing up a Cub Fan, you either learn to root for a lot of teams or just live with depression for 6 months…) So here ya go…

AL East: Tampa Bay Rays – Oh yes, I am wearing my Rays Jersey as I write this right now! They’re going to surprise everyone because all eyes will be on Boston & NY killing each other this year. And the Rays will silently stay in contention and then pounce like CC Sabathia on a Cheese Burger in September. Jeremy Hellickson is going to take his sleepy lookin’ face and win 15 games for the Rays and the rest of the Starting Rotation will finish with more wins than the Yanks, I guarantee it. Trust me. It’s true. Anyway you slice it, the words “Rays Win” will be said more times than everyone thinks.

AL Central: Twins – Not only do they Spring Train 2 miles from my house,  which makes me an automatic fan but I just like the way they’ve built the entire Twins Experience. From Player development to Fan experience at Target Field to Reputation in general. The Twins are just one of the finest Franchises in the game today.  And they deserve my cheering all season long.

AL West: Rangers – I guess I’ll root for them because let’s be honest the A’s don’t deserve it… bad ballpark, ugly uniforms and they have a letter as a name. The Angels are a disappointment being in such a major market. I mean really, where are you from really? Anaheim or Los Angeles or California or Orange County? Really? Heck, my vote is to name them after Rick Warren’s church! Call them the Saddleback Angels of Anaheim just south of LA. Why not the Purpose-Driven Life Angels?!? And Seattle is underwhelming. I guess the Rangers win by Default. Go Josh Hamilton. Love his testimony and life-story.

AL Bonus Pick: Royals – I know it may surprise you, but I will actually be a closet Royals fan this year. I think they’re building a quality franchise the right way (by that I mean, their not spending $200 Million buying every super star like NY & Boston). The Royals are growing up guys from the ground up, renovating the ball park and are just a good up-the-middle small market team.

NL East: Braves – I can’t wait to root for this young team. Heyward is sick. Flat out sick. Are you kiddin’ me? That duffer doesn’t know the word “Can’t.” Uggla is a great addition. And I got to know Derek Lowe a little bit over the off season. His son was on my son’s Little League team and so we shared some moments watching and talking baseball this winter. Derek is a quality guy and a cancer survivor by the way, which is personal to me now with my Nephew, Joey’s fight still going on daily! Go Braves!

NL Central: Cubs – I have to root for the Flubs again this year. First, because they’re my childhood team. And although my 2 boys don’t share my affinity for the Chubs, still I will root them on. Second, they have 2 former Rays in Matt Garza and Carlos Pena, and it will be fun to say all season long whenever those 2 guys do something good, “Yeah we gave you those guys because we didn’t need ‘em… you’re welcome!” Carlos Zambrano is a crazy man and I don’t see the leadership potential that everyone else seems to think is there with him. I think Garza and Pena will bring so much Maddon-like Leadership to the Cubs that it will actually pay off more than perhaps their play on the field.

NL West: Rockies – I like the young guys… Tulowitzki, Carlos Gonzalez, and Jimenez just to name a few. Come on Rocks you can do this! They just gotta put it all together which at the end of the day comes down to leadership. I hope their manager can motivate the young guys like they need to be. Leading the young generation is way different than in decades past. It takes a new kind of leadership and I hope the Rockies Manager can do that. Great stadium too, by the way.

NL Bonus Pick: Reds – I gotta go with the Reds. What a fun team to watch last year. And I really believe that if anybody can beat the Cardinals it will be them. The Brewers don’t have enough. The Cubs are rebuilding and the Pirates and Astros will once again be the laughing stock of the division. But… The Reds have what it takes to compete. Votto is stud. Brandon Phillips has just enough Oprah-like confidence to be effective and I think there’s just a good chemistry in that clubhouse. I’m always a sucker for small market teams. Come on Cincy, do it again. And yes, bring back the Baseball-Headed Cartoon Logo as often as possible! You know kids and adults alike are crazy for that little guy!

So there you have it. The Official Matt Keller MLB 2011 Picks have been published. It’s gonna be a great year.

And if you need me over the next 6 months, try checking a ballpark cam, because I’m probably there or at the very least watching a game somewhere. After all, we don’t sing “Take me out to the ballgame” at all 2,430 games each year figuratively. As real baseball fans, we mean it. We really can’t wait to go!

See ya at the ole’ ballgame soon,

Matt Keller

We're in the Middle of the Miraculous!!!

If you're apart of Next Level Church in anyway then I want to encourage you with a word today.

We're in the Middle of Something Miraculous!

Over the course of the nearly 9 years that Sarah and I have been pastoring, we've come to recognize that there are seasons in the life of a church. There are stretching seasons, sacrificial seasons, sowing and reaping seasons, harvest seasons, etc.

Next Level Church, we are currently on the front end of a Season of the Miraculous! I believe we will look back in the years to come and see these next few weeks as nothing short of miraculous!


Secondly, though we must be aware that we're in a Spiritual Battle. We can't be naive to think that Satan is at all happy with what God is doing. In the last few years, satan has had some big victories in Southwest Florida. There has been a lot of pain in people's hearts. Divorce rates have skyrocketed. And a lot of churches have closed in our area.

So as we walk through these weeks of transition into our 1st Permanent Facility, we have to know that it's not going to come without a fight. Get ready for battle, Next Level Church. Satan loves to attack in weak areas, unguarded areas, or unsuspecting areas.

But here's the good news: We have nothing to fear! The Bible makes it clear that the God who is IN us is greater than the enemy we fight against! Study Ephesians 6. Put on the whole armor of God and stand your ground because something miraculous is taking place!

Finally, I want to encourage you to Don't Miss It! When Jesus was in the Garden praying on the night before He was crucified, the disciples fell asleep. History was literally changing right before their eyes and they missed it!

Don't let that happen to you! What God wants to do is so big, so amazing and so miraculous in the lives of so many! Don't be asleep!

Next Level Church, this is a season to invite your friends, neighbors, co-workers, classmates, relatives, waitresses, anybody! God is going to touch so many lives during this season, don't miss it!

Get ready, the miraculous is already beginning to happen!!!

Pastor Matt

Hey Next Level Church, Here are 3 Things I'm Excited about Right Now

I wanted to take a moment and share w/ all of you in the Next Level world 3 things that I'm super excited about right now.

1. I'm excited about our 1st Permanent Facility.

     Plain and simple, I'm just telling ya, it's gonna be sweet. The design is first class, the spaces are extremely functional and there's nothing like it anywhere. It's totally Next Level. It's gonna feel like us in every way. And... (and don't tell anyone) but I think we're going to be giving some Sneak Peak Tours to many of our Connection Groups in the next few weeks. I hope you're in one!!!

2. I am excited about the huge ability we've been given to reach those in our relational sphere of influence. 

     The new facility is going to give us a unique, once of a kind opportunity to invite those who we've been investing in relationally to come and experience God like they never have before. Our Grand Opening Weekend is scheduled for April 9th and 10th! You've got to start inviting everyone you know who needs hope, or purpose, or meaning in their life. We're gonna present Jesus in a big way that weekend, and that gets me excited!!!

3. I'm excited about the ability we're going to have to reach unchurched, dechurched and lost people in a new way.

     Like it or not, having a permanent facility for our weekend environments is going to matter to a lot of people in our community. They're going to come to see what this whole "Next Level Church" thing is all about. And that means that we get 1 chance to show them a different perspective of God then perhaps they've ever had before.

At the end of the day, our new facility is just a tool. It's never been about bricks and mortar, it's always been about creating environments where lost people can be found, hurting people can be healed and found people can grow.

So let me just say thanks to everyone of you who are sacrificing and giving and praying and believing for the harvest in the coming days. I have a feeling Jesus is going go blow our minds in the next few weeks. I firmly believe that there has never been a better time to invite someone to experience God with you at Next Level Church.

Just think one simple invitation could be the difference maker in their eternity. Awesome isn't it?

I don't know about you, but that gets me excited.

Pastor Matt

Ready or Not, Here it Comes!!! - Part 3 (Repost)

Today we finish an article on How to Slay the Monster of Sunday. I would love to hear your feedback. Feel free to leave a comment,

Thanks,

Matt Keller

Taming the Monster of Sunday

(Help for Pastors under Pressure)

7. Use a Wall of Sundays to organize your thoughts. The way to see the long-range rhythm of your year is to have a place to put your creative thoughts when they come to you. We started doing this about 3 years ago and our wall of Sundays has become life to me and our team. I have to see things big and as a team, we need to plan ahead.

Here’s a picture of our most current Wall-of-Sundays.

8.  Practice your messages. Some pastors will say they want to "make sure the emotion of the moment comes through on Sunday," or that "you can't rehearse the anointing." But I think that's just an excuse. You wouldn't say that to your worship team. If we want our worship team to rehearse and come prepared, then so should we. It took me awhile to get used to practicing my messages out loud, but for me, there's no better way to actually get the content into your mind and spirit.

I can't tell you how many times I will be practicing my message in my home office on Saturday night and hear myself say something a certain way. In those moments, I'll actually stop and say out loud, "That didn't sound right. Don't say it that way again." ThenI’ll go back to the beginning of that section or story and practice saying it a different way.

By the way, for those of you who do multiple services, remember, first service is not your practice. We can either sweat in preparation or bleed in battle. I don't know about you, but I would rather sweat in preparation.

The Result:

As a communicator who now speaks 150 - 200 times/year as well as writes consistently, it is vital that I have a sustainable rhythm for message preparation and content. There's no way I could live out my calling otherwise.

If you're a communicator, begin to strategically work on developing your own rhythm. It will serve you well for years to come.

Ready or Not, Here it Comes!!! - Part 2 (Repost)

On Monday, we began talking about the burden of "Every 7 days, ready or not" in the ministry...

Here's part 2...

Taming the Monster of Sunday - Part 2

(Help for Pastors under Pressure)

4.  Learn to write to 80%. When I say that I'm 4 to 6 weeks ahead in message prep, this is what I mean. I have a goal to have the main points, verses and illustrations laid out (or 80% of the message) weeks in advance. This gives me peace of mind knowing that on any given week, I'm simply microwaving the message up to 95% on Monday morning, rather than trying to start from scratch every week.

5.  I write on Mondays. The common theme for most pastors is to want to jump in front of a bus on Mondays, but I have found that if I can get in the zone and think of it as a continuation of the day before, I'm actually capable of some pretty amazing creativity. The benefit of locking in my message on Monday is:

• I feel extremely productive. Doing what I do best on Mondays, rather than all the to-do list stuff, makes me feeling like a million bucks and sets me up for a more productive week.
• I don't feel as swamped later under all the details of church. Church work can drain you. And carrying the pressure of Sunday's message on your shoulders while I'm dealing with detail stuff during the week can be overwhelming. Details put me on edge, which is not good for my team.
• I have a clear mind to lead and make decisions. When the pressure of Sunday is off, the more confident I feel in my decision making. The bigger our church gets, the more pressure I feel on a decision making level. Having a handle on Sunday early in the week, helps me feel more empowered to make decisions that need to be made during the week.

6.  Learn to see "Sparks" everywhere. For any communicator, the distance from zero to a creative spark is infinity, but once you have the spark, the rest of the content for a message can flow pretty quickly. If you have to communicate on a weekly basis, you'll have to develop the art of seeing sparks for messages everywhere. I see sparks everywhere, so much so, that there are lots of messages that I never have opportunity to develop or preach anywhere. But just developing the discipline of seeing the sparks helps me as a communicator.

The second key to seeing the sparks is having a place to put them once you see them. That's where the Wall of Sundays comes in for me. Whether I use them or not, at least I know I have somewhere to put them.

Part 3 comes on Friday...

Ready or Not, Here it Comes!!! - Slaying the Monster of Sunday (Repost)

This week I am reposting an article I wrote for pastors & leaders who feel like they can't get ahead on their Sunday Message content. There's hope for you...

I hope this helps,

Matt Keller

Taming the Monster of Sunday

(Help for Pastors under Pressure)

One of the most taxing things about being a lead pastor is the drain of having to come up with completely new, creative, thought-provoking, challenging, engaging, funny, life-changing content every 7 days. I like to call it the Monster of Sunday. It's always licking at your heels and if we, as the primary communicators of our church, can't figure out a way to tame that monster, it will eventually become our undoing & hold us back from reaching the full potential of our calling.

Over the past eight years, I’ve learned a ton about my rhythm as a communicator. Hopefully these tips will help you as well…

1. Learn your Personal Rhythm. My personal rhythm is 6 weeks. After that, I need a change. If I speak more than 6 weeks in a row at Next Level Church, my creativity, drive and passion begin to sag. I know I’m not giving our people my best. Consequently, as a rule, I will not speak more than 6 Sundays in a row.

2.  Get out of your own reality. In order for me to remain creative, I need a change of perspective. Therefore, I build into my yearly schedule the opportunity to travel and speak in other churches a few times a year. Being away from home, helps me keep the greater vision of THE Local church in my mind. I can get tunnel vision otherwise.

I highly recommend for pastors to “sow into another man’s field.” For me this looks like developing relationships with pastors who are "a couple of steps behind us” and offering to pay my own way to come and invest in their church for a weekend.

When I travel and work with other churches, I learn from them as well. I get fresh ideas and perspective when I get out of my own pulpit.

3. Get 4 to 6 weeks ahead in message preparation. One of the ways I avoid the Monster of Sunday is by staying 4 to 6 weeks ahead in my message preparation. We short-change our content and our people when we write messages the week of. There are just some creative ideas that need time to marinate. And writing a message on Saturday afternoon, isn't sufficient time enough for that to happen adequately.



We'll continue with Part 2 on Wednesday...

Raising Up Communicators - Part 3 (Repost)

This week we're talking about a common problem that many pastors have, which is not having the confidence in other members of your staff to carry the day with the message when you're gone or need a break.

This is the final installment of an article I wrote last year. Hope it helps,

Matt Keller

Raising Up Communicators - Part 3 (Repost)

4.  Work with them before, during & after. When they're scheduled to speak, we worked up the big idea and spark for the message together. Then they flesh out the raw outline. They bring it back to me and we talk through. This allows me to run it through the filter of our people, because as the guy who talks to them the most, I know their aptitude best. After we meet, they bring the talk up to a mature form and we meet one more time where they “pseudo-preach” it to me in my office.

I stay involved in the process the day they speak as well. We will meet in the green room backstage between services to tweak the content even more. I want them to know what I’m thinking in real time.

Finally, the week after they speak, we debrief and listen to the audio CD or watch the video back together. I thoroughly dissect it with them. Good, bad and ugly.

Here's what I've learned: If I want them to do what I do, I have to be willing to slow down enough to allow them to see how I do it. From my experience, most pastors aren't willing to do this. They just want their other guys to watch them and then just "get it." I wish that were true, because we’d all be much better golfers after watching Tiger Woods every Sunday.

6. Teach your church that they are a teaching hospital. We are committed to seeing young leaders reach their full potential. If you're looking for perfection, you're gonna need to find another church. From the beginning, we have taught our people that they are apart of a Divine Experiment and things won't always go perfectly. We would rather fail trying then never take a risk.

7. Put them inside of a series you're already doing. Including them inside of a series allows them to leverage a greater credibility and allows them to "continue" a thought instead of trying to build a stand alone message. Second, It communicates that you are a teaching team, not individual communicators.

8. Use the word "we" as much as you can. For example, "at Next Level Church we believe" instead of, "at NLC, I believe..." Its a subtle difference but over time, it helps shape the culture in your church's mind.

9. Use somebody other than you, to be the "Campus Pastor" in your service. Even if you only have one campus, we have found it helpful to use another pastor on staff, to close the service. This gives them a pastoral and credible voice, and over time, establishes their voice to the people.

10. Use other pastors to lead things like communion, child dedication, and baptisms. I want our people to know that I'm not the only one, (or the best one for that matter!) to lead these important pastoral elements. I want our church to be comfortable with the other pastors ministering to them in spiritual moments, like communion, baptism, etc.

The result:

3 years later, the results have been amazing! Our church people have become accustomed to me not having to be up there 52 weeks a year. This new reality has enabled me to get the rest I need, speak in other churches, and help other pastors in great ways! The benefit of having confidence in other communicators on your team will far outweigh the time and energy it takes for you to get them there.

Begin NOW to develop your strategy to raise up other communicators who can do what you do in your church. It's worth it.

Raising Up Communicators - Part 2 (Repost)

Continued from Monday...

Raising Up Communicators - Part 2 (Repost)

4.  Work with them before, during & after. When they're scheduled to speak, we worked up the big idea and spark for the message together. Then they flesh out the raw outline. They bring it back to me and we talk through. This allows me to run it through the filter of our people, because as the guy who talks to them the most, I know their aptitude best. After we meet, they bring the talk up to a mature form and we meet one more time where they “pseudo-preach” it to me in my office.

I stay involved in the process the day they speak as well. We will meet in the green room backstage between services to tweak the content even more. I want them to know what I’m thinking in real time.

Finally, the week after they speak, we debrief and listen to the audio CD or watch the video back together. I thoroughly dissect it with them. Good, bad and ugly.

Here's what I've learned: If I want them to do what I do, I have to be willing to slow down enough to allow them to see how I do it. From my experience, most pastors aren't willing to do this. They just want their other guys to watch them and then just "get it." I wish that were true, because we’d all be much better golfers after watching Tiger Woods every Sunday.

6. Teach your church that they are a teaching hospital. We are committed to seeing young leaders reach their full potential. If you're looking for perfection, you're gonna need to find another church. From the beginning, we have taught our people that they are apart of a Divine Experiment and things won't always go perfectly. We would rather fail trying then never take a risk.

7. Put them inside of a series you're already doing. Including them inside of a series allows them to leverage a greater credibility and allows them to "continue" a thought instead of trying to build a stand alone message. Second, It communicates that you are a teaching team, not individual communicators.



We'll finish our discussion on Friday...