Matt Emmons is an American shooter who competed in the Athens Olympics in 2004. He held a commanding three point lead in the Olympic 50-meter three-position rifle final. All he needed to preserve a gold medal win was to safely hit the target. Any shot close to the bulls eye would suffice. A perfect score — dead center in a bull’s-eye that is smaller than a dime — is worth 10.9 in the final round. Matt only needed an 8.0 for gold. From the standing position, Matt squeezed off his final shot. It was good enough to retain the lead and earn the gold. However, the score did not register on the scoreboard. He gestured to the judges, as if to suggest something was wrong with the target. The judges huddled and confirmed the worst. Matt shot from lane three, but hit the bulls eye in lane two. He dropped from a certain gold medal to eighth place.
Perfect execution doesn't count if you are perfectly executing the wrong things. Missional alignment is all about accomplishing goals that are truly mission critical. Consider this as you develop your task list for this week. If you and your church perfectly execute your plans, will the mission of God be directly advanced? Thom Rainer urges leaders to "say no to almost everything." Ruthlessly say no to the extraneous this week. This will buy you the time you need to make a more significan impact on behalf of your mission.
As for Matt, he landed on his feet. A Czech shooter, Katy, was watching the Matt's match. Katy felt so bad for Matt that she approached him later that day to console him. The chemistry between the two was instant. They began dating, and the couple married in 2007. They competed together in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Rich Johnstone, DOM
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