Tonight I got into a conversation with my wife about all the people we have invested into over the years. As I began to reflect on the investment I have made, not just in conferences and speaking to people along the journey of life, I also started to once again remember the past investment of all the sons and daughters we invested into as well. Perhaps I should explain that so you fully grasp what I mean.

We started and ran a school of ministry for over 12 years. We had a high attendance of 45 students teaching 450 hours in a first year and 70 additional hours in a second year. This along with 2 services a week and hours weekly in mentoring and spiritual father the students. Because we housed students and our offices were right there, and with our open door policy we spend a lot of time investing. It would be equal to almost 10 years of teaching in a weekly church service done in one year. In other words a lot of investing and more than most leaders could ever imagine. These students for the most part became my sons and daughters.

Over time some students left and moved on with life. Some to go out and only be involved in life. Still others to do ministry and have impact around the world. A few went backward to old mindsets. Over the years I have been asked a single question repeatedly. How do you keep investing when so many seem to later deny the investment in their lives and dishonor you in their decisions? I hear this about every 3-4 months minimum. Well first they dishonor Gods investment in their lives and second the next person coming along deserves the same chance of investment as the previous ones. You see it’s not me to decide what to do with the investment, it is up to the individual. They will one day have to give an account for was given to them.

Recently we had a prophetic word “do it all over again”. My first thought was “really God are you serious.” You see before we started over 50 schools internationally. We did 3-4 major conferences a year drawing a couple hundred people. We ran a daily school, traveled overseas at least 2-3 times a year with teams and traveled speaking in conferences. All in all raising a family, birthing ministries and coming along side leaders all at the same time was quite the task. I have started down the journey again and even though most think things are moving I feel we are just getting started and are at the beginning stages.

Today the investment continues but this time it is different. This time God has brought me not a bunch of young adults but more mature and seasoned. He has brought me leaders from across the nation who are serious about investment and who immediately put it into practice. God is bringing the prequalified. In all honesty I feel honored by those I’m currently investing into, following my post, listening to my message, and reading my books. It is very different this time in many ways. The influence of Gods working grace in my life makes me feel humbled and very much serious about the next steps to take as we will “do it all over again”.

But what I am investing now is greater wisdom and revelation than any time in the past. Within the last 2 years I feel what I am releasing now does not compare to what was invested in times past. It seems like all of the past was training in “how” and now is the release of “what”. Now what I am believing for is the “who”.

The prophetic word said “Young people would come from all over the nation and live here at the BASE to be spiritually fathered”. I’m believing for another group of young adults, another group of radical warriors, a group that has been presorted instead of post sorted. I believe for those God would relocate here to be a part of things not just for a season, but possible long term in building a Midwest center, a major ministry in Iowa. God has put in my heart to build his throne here in Iowa in the heart of the nation, the first place his throne is really built is the heart. To build a dwelling, to build a spiritual community, to build a people into true sons and daughters who are active not just in faith but in impact.