Bring the Kingdom....

The Root of My Sin

2012-01-26T11:37:00.004-06:00

This past Sunday, preaching through Revelation 3, the issue of Repentance was front and center. The churches in Sardis and Laodicea were both in desperate need of waking up to their true condition and turning back to God. As a pastor, if Im' being honest, repentance is a whole lot easier to preach than it is to practice.

The day before, I had just dug in to J.D. Greear's new book, "Gospel". It only took a few pages for me to know that these were words my soul needed to hear at this crossroad in my life. But somewhere near the end of Chapter 2 a painful realization began to take place. Greear shared that he had begun to investigate what recurring sins were present in his life. He started down his list: worry, anger, overworking & neglecting his family, depression, lying.... His list was very troubling to me. Not because of judgment. But because of identification. His list was my list. And that stung. But then we moved from the sting to the blow to the head (or maybe I should say, the heart). Greear began to humbly confess that, while these sins are exactly that - SIN - there was a deeper root to them. They were just symptoms of a much greater, deeper-rooted corruption. All these recurring rebellions were simply the ripple effect and byproduct of his need for people's approval. Listen to what he says:

"My problem is that my heart so craves the approval of others that these sins come as instinctively to me as breathing! I delight more in the approval of others than I do in the approval of God. I am an idolater. That is my depravity."

I sat there in my chair in the corner of my bedroom, broken. Exposed. Humiliated. And at the same time, somehow beautifully and wonderfully relieved! How could I not have seen this? How could it not have been crystal clear? I had spent so much time and energy trying to trim off the branches and snip the limbs of a diseased, dying tree rather than digging down to the root of it all, pulling it up, and carrying that filth out of my yard. No more! I'm not called to live this way. And neither are you. And if the tree keeps showing signs of rot, decay, or death, it might be time to check the roots.

I am so grateful for my church family. As I stood there this past Sunday, having to confess that the underlying root of most of the sin in my life is "the need for your approval and admiration", never did I feel condemned or isolated. I felt loved. Forgiven. Hopeful. Relishing the truth that "the Gospel shows me a God who is better than the approval of others and a God more valuable than their praise. The Gospel shows me that God's presence and approval are the greatest treasure in the universe." (Greear) I don't need their approval. Or yours. And my church family, they don't need mine. We are all in desperate need of God's approval. And in Christ Jesus, I am found righteous, purified, and redeemed. Approved! Thank You, Jesus!

Have you taken time to dig below the surface of your "sins"?
Is confession and repentance a regular part of your life and walk with Christ?

"God made him who knew no sin to be sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Corinthians 5:21

Read the Books You Read About In Books!

2012-01-17T20:19:00.000-06:00

I like to read. When I was in school (and by "school", I mean at any institution where I was being told what to read) I was not a fan of reading. And by "not a fan" I mean I hated it. And by "hated" I mean loathed! You get the picture. But then, something magical happened. I graduated from seminary and it was like I had been set free from my nonfiction prison, ready to spread my wings and fly through the pages of my own choosing. (Any analogy where you get to be a bird-like person is a good one!) So for the last 13-14 years of my life, I've been a reader. I like to read.

Several years ago, I was reading a book from Louie Giglio. I kept noticing him referencing this A.W. Tozer guy. Then, not long after this, I was reading someone else's book. And they were quoting Tozer as well. Who is this Tozer fella? (That's what my country brain would have said.) It suddenly dawned on me that if these guys I genuinely respect, follow, and look to for advice in areas of spiritual maturity, guidance, and leadership are all quoting this guy, I should probably find out who he is. Find out what he's written. And read it! And so I did. And OMG! if this Tozer guy didn't rock my world! (And still does.)

This was not the only time this happened. This is how I discovered Dallas Willard, as well. I remember some of my friends (while we were in college) asking me, "Who is this C.S. Lewis guy?" After a mild scolding, I began to inundate them with the greatness of "The Chronicles of Narnia" and "Mere Christianity". Only to later realize that I had only seen the iceberg above the surface when it came to Lewis's works: The Screwtape Letters, The Great Divorce, The Problem of Pain...the list goes on.

Here's my point: If you're a reader, and you see an author (or moreover, authors) mentioning another author, investigate. When you repeatedly see names like Mark Noll and Seth Godin and Malcolm Gladwell and A.W. Tozer, there is probably something to that. Then when you read 3 authors in a single year referencing The Tipping Point, you'll know exactly what they're talking about. AND...you'll know exactly WHY they're referencing it. When you love, respect, and read a writer, and they make it a point to tell you who they are reading, pay attention. You might learn more than ever expected.

What writers or books have you discovered from other writers and books?

Planting the Gospel

2012-01-16T12:12:00.003-06:00

When I arrived at The Brook almost 3 years ago, as I began praying about the vision the Lord was going to place on my life for our church, there were a few things that I knew for certain. One of those things was clear: I believed the Lord desires us to be a church that plants churches. I firmly felt the conviction that we were (and are) to be a community of believers who are always searching out how God desires us to expand, grow, and launch new works that expand His Kingdom. And sometimes the Lord will give you a vision - a clear picture of that preferable future - without filling in the details. That was definitely the case in this situation.

A year ago, our Youth Pastor, Josh Britt and I began talking more in-depth about this calling for our church. And Josh began filling in some of the details I referenced a moment ago. While I knew WHAT the Lord had ultimately called us to do, he was hearing from the Lord on HOW it would unfold. And over the last 2 months all our talking and praying began to gain serious traction. Josh (and his wife, Michelle) started seeing the Lord answer and affirm one question or uncertainty after another. It's truly been awesome to watch as God has made His calling clear to Josh and Michelle: the Lord is calling them to step out in faith and plant a church. We are so incredibly excited about what's ahead!

While many details are still being prayed over and discerned, there are some important things we do know:

Josh and Michelle will serve through February 2012, with Sunday, March 4th being their last official day at The Brook.
While our campus is located in the far NW corner of Madison, Josh has sensed a very specific leading to plant a church in far South Madison off of Zierdt Road - a 5 mile stretch with ONE church. And that's in the Bible Belt!
Friday night, February 10th, we will be hosting a Vision & Prayer gathering where Josh will be sharing several ways people can consider partnering with them in prayer, financially, or even in stepping out in faith and being part of this new work.

We are incredibly excited to continue to share more with you as the Lord continues to allow His plans and direction to unfold over the next weeks and months to come. We would covet and appreciate your prayers in a few specific areas:

For the Britts - that the Lord would continue to unleash His vision, wisdom, guidance, and provision on Josh, Michelle, and their boys during this season (&) that the Lord would surround them with the core of people He is calling to step out in faith with them.
For The Brook - as we not only walk with Josh and Michelle, partnering with them to plant the Gospel in our city and community, but also as we will soon begin the process of searching for the person God has planned to join our team to passionately reach, lead and disciple students.

"How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? and how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!'" (Romans 10:14-15) Our prayer is that we are always fertile soil - that our lives are constantly ready - to plant the Gospel - to bring His Kingdom - everywhere we go!

Down In Flames

2012-01-12T13:41:00.002-06:00

I love counseling. And I don't mean I love to counsel people - although that's part of my calling as a Pastor, and I do enjoy it - to an extent, anyway. What I mean is, I love to receive it! [Proverbs 15:22 and 19:20 both teach us that seeking Godly counsel and advice from others is a great sign of wisdom.] I consider it a great privilege to be able to seek someone's advice - to pour out my heart to someone who's trained to listen - who can help me sift through the dirt to find that one little nugget of gold. I love counseling so much that I'm going tomorrow. My counselor, who's not only a LPC, but a retired Pastor, is named Mark. And last week as Mark and I were talking, he said something that got my attention. It was for all intents and purposes a warning. This is what he said:

"Brian, I know you've known people who've experienced burnout. Well, you're not there. In fact, I don't think you're even growing in that direction. But I do think - after listening to what you're telling me - that right now, you're tilling the soil and prepping fertile ground for burnout. Now is the time to stop that dead in it's tracks." (My paraphrase)

Needless to say, Mark was dead on in suggesting that I absolutely do know people who have not just burned out, they've gone down in flames like the Hindenburg! And that "tilling the soil" he spoke of - I've felt the tiller cranking up and beating the life out of the ground inside me at times, knocking my teeth together as it reverberated through every tip of my existence. He was right. And I was ready to hear whatever he was going to tell me that would begin to loosen my grip on the tiller. I do NOT want to go down in flames! And I'm pretty sure you don't either. That said, many of you physically go home at the end of every day. But mentally, you're still at the office. Your brain not only ignores closing time, it punches in for double-overtime! Some of us, our weekend is no longer about relaxing, unwinding, and refueling. It's more about further exhausting ourselves, refusing to believe that the train needs to pull over at any passing station. Like me, some - if not many - of you may not necessarily be going down in flames. But one of your engines is about to catch on fire. (You've seen one of those movies, right? You know what happens when Engine 1 goes out, don't you? Apparently Engine 2 is a total follower!) I want to encourage you: DO SOMETHING NOW! Take action. Get some objective advice. And allow me to grace you with a freebie.

After informing me of my "tilling the soil" issue, Mark asked me a question: "What do you do at the end of your Thursday?" (You see, Thursday is my Friday, Friday is my day off, Saturday is my Sabbath, and Sunday...I work.) So again, the question: "What do you do at the end of your Thursday?" I sat confused for a moment, looked at Mark, probably made a weird face, and told him, "I go home". And in all honesty, that's exactly what I do. I pack up and head home, ready for a great, relaxing, fun-filled weekend with my family. Except somehow, that's often NOT what I experience. Because so many times I find myself on Friday and Saturday thinking about Sunday and Monday. (Been there? I'm betting you have.) And this is where Mark gave me some really great advice about CLOSURE. Essentially he told me, "Brian, at the end of my Friday, I will clean off my desk, make a To-Do List for Monday, prep my calendar, make sure everything's in order, and I go home. And I've closed the day and week out knowing that work - the things that will await me on Monday - can wait for Monday." And like a sponge, I sat and let that soak in for a moment.

CLOSURE. Bringing a definitive and satisfying ending to something.

That's it. This week - my Sunday through Thursday - needs closure. It's over. It's a week. That's why God gave us weeks. He knew we weren't cut out to live in months. We can't sustain that. We're not wired that way. We'll go down in flames! And that's not in my long-term plan for my life. So beginning today - this cloudy, rain/sleet-filled Thursday - I will be laying a week to rest. It's over. I'm satisfied. And I have meetings to lead, a sermon to write, blogs to post, conversations to enjoy, and decisions to make next week. But they can wait. They can and they will.

What are you doing to avoid burnout?
What steps do you take to bring CLOSURE to your day or week?
Would love to hear your thoughts.

Theology Matters

2012-01-09T13:39:00.000-06:00

Early last year I received an email from someone who'd visited our church. In the email they asked me a pretty loaded question: "My partner and I have visited a couple of times and are wondering if your church welcome homosexuals?" My response was probably not what they were wanting to hear, but it was the truth. I told the person: "Anyone is welcome at The Brook. Our desire is to share the love of Christ with everyone. That said, we firmly believe that part of that 'love' is boldly proclaiming His Word and holding firmly to the truth of scripture. And we believe that scripture clearly teaches that homosexuality is a sin. You will hear that taught and preached at The Brook, just like you will hear that adultery and lying and drunkenness and cheating on your taxes is sin as well." Again, I am fully aware that this is not the response they were looking for. But the reality is, this is not just an issue that arises with a person struggling (or settling) with homosexuality. In truth, an enormous percentage of nominal Christians want to simply say, "I'm not really concerned about theology and doctrine. I just love Jesus. Can't we all just agree on that?" And the very simple answer to that incredibly naive question is "No".

This issue resurfaced yesterday when someone who was visiting The Brook shared that they really liked it here - especially that their kids loved being in our Children's Ministry - BUT they were concerned that we might not see eye-to-eye on some doctrinal issues. Major Issues. Like creation and evolution. Issues that call the validity and integrity of Genesis - and ALL of scripture - into question. Apparently they had come from a church that held to a "loose interpretation of the biblical account of creation". (Not being part of this conversation, I'm not really sure where or when their red flag went up since I was preaching out of Revelation. But something alerted them to the fact that we might not be on the same page in some major areas of theology.) I'm seriously hoping and praying to be able to have a conversation with this person (couple or family) for a couple of reasons:

First off, I believe that while we may disagree on Day/Age Theory - that the first "day" wasn't a 24 hour day, but a period of time - that's one thing. But to start leaning - or in their case, having jumped off the cliff - into Theistic Evolution - that God created, but He chose to do it through evolution - puts us on 2 completely different sides of an enormous chasm. [To call the Creation account - that "God made man in His own image" - into question, calls ALL of scripture into question. Think about it: Did God come to earth as a monkey only to "evolve" into the "Son of Man"?] I hope to have an opportunity to explain to them why I believe their theology is incredibly dangerous.

And second, with all the love in my heart and with every ounce of compassion and grace the Lord gives me, I would encourage them that, if this is firmly the belief they hold to, we are definitely NOT the right church for them. Doctrine is that important. Theology is that vital! And that's what has shaken me to the point of needing to say this:

To hear "Christians" ignorantly say things like, "I'm just not concerned about theology" is not only alarming, it's frightening. We have to comprehend what's actually being said:
I'm a "child of God", but I don't really care about the "study of God".
I'm a "child of God", but I really don't care about actually KNOWING Him.
I'm a Christ-follower, but just don't bother myself with understanding what it actually means or looks like to follow Christ.

Are we serious?

It doesn't work this way. It also doesn't hold water to say things like, "I don't really care much about the Old Testament. I mean, we're living in the New Covenant, right?" Uh, no. Actually yes, but no. To begin to understand that the Gospel is the whole message and story of the redemptive history of the God of all creation reconciling people back to Himself through His Son - and that the Old Testament is just as much a part of that story as the New Testament - we come to the conclusion that scripture - from Genesis to Revelation - are the life-giving, mind-transforming words of God. They are Truth. They are LIFE!

If you're looking for a church - for a new church home - a church "family" to belong to - doctrine and theology aren't important; they're essential!

And if you're a Christian - a follower of Jesus Christ - theology is not something that should trouble or bother you; it should CONSUME you! The opportunity to know and to understand the God of the Universe - to know Him more today than we did yesterday (as feeble and minuscule as our attempts may seem) - is a privilege we don't deserve. But we've been given this opportunity because of the Cross of Jesus Christ and because of the power of His Holy Spirit illuminating scripture, piercing our hearts, and transforming our minds.

Theology matters.

Throw A Curve In Your Workout

2012-01-06T15:32:00.004-06:00

I've been really encouraged this week hearing many of my friends talk about their excitement to start exercising, working out, and getting back in shape. And of course, I've enjoyed watching all the new faces migrate into the gym. Hopefully most of those folks will still be there next month. In light of all this, one thing I've noticed - especially this last week - is so many people who've leaped the biggest hurdle of them all - just getting there - only to evidently have no idea what to do now that they're there. Let me make this clear from the start: I am NOT a trainer, an exercise expert, or anything more than a recreational athlete, BUT...exercise is an almost-daily part of my life, I've spent the last 10 years getting in better shape, and I consider running and weight-lifting to be 2 of my favorite things to do. So, with that, I want to share some tips for anyone who might be diving into a workout routine for the first time (or) even diving back into it after some time off (or) just looking for a way to shake things up and bust out of the routine. Here we go.

First off, when you go to the gym, have a plan. I see so many people that walk in, wander around, and barely break a sweat over 45 minutes. If you're going in the morning, map out or decide WHAT you're going to do before you even go to sleep. Take a flash card if necessary. Have a plan!

Another thing to take into consideration is that if after 15 minutes - regardless of what you're doing - if you haven't broken a sweat, it's time to pick it up! I don't know how people who walk 2.2 mph on the treadmill think they're burning fat. If their goal is to make sure their legs aren't dead, then maybe they're successful. But if you're there to burn fat, build muscle, and pump your heart, you better be bringing a towel with you.

After you've been working out and exercising awhile your body stops being fooled - your muscles get used to what you're doing - and it needs to be tricked. Throw a curve in your workout. Swim laps, go to Spin Class, take Zumba (but don't expect me to be there). Shake things up! One thing I love to do at least once every 3 weeks is circuit training. If you're not familiar, here's a page-full of examples on LIVESTRONG. Basically, it's moving from one exercise to another, spending about 3-5 minutes on each one. For me, I'll usually do something like this:
Stretch/warm-up - 5 minutes
Treadmill - 1 min/walk, 2 min/medium, 1 min/fast, 1 min/walk
Abs - 4 min
Stationary Bike - (repeat Treadmill routine)
Weight station - 4-5 minutes [Example: mix up 2 different dumbbell routines]
Arc Trainer - (repeat Treadmill routine)
Leg Press - 4-5 minutes [pyramid down]
Start Over at Treadmill, repeating whole "circuit" 2-3 times.

If at this point I'm not throwing anything new out at you, here are some other simple ways to amp up your time in the gym:

- Put your water bottle on the far side of the gym so you have to walk to get to it
- Regardless what you're doing, every 5 minutes run in place for 30 seconds
- Pick someone out at the gym in a little bit better shape than you and determine to do everything harder & faster than they do (Keep this to yourself!)
- Set goals - REAL goals - and reward yourself for achieving them
- If you're addicted to your iPhone or Blackberry, leave it in the car! No one else in the gym wants to hear your incredibly important conversation (&) that smartphone - in the gym - is just making you look dumb.
- Buy some new workout clothes or shoes. First off, it can be a self-motivator. But also, there's a chance your old workout clothes stink.

Here's the bottom line to it all: DO SOMETHING!
You owe it to yourself - and to those who love you - to take this body that the Lord has given you and do something! Have fun! Your couch can massage your butt for hours and yet, it won't get it in shape. DO SOMETHING! Break a sweat. Get your heart rate up. Take care of yourself.

What ideas did I leave out?
Would love to hear your thoughts. Inspire and motivate us!

WHY...All Over Again.

2012-01-04T16:12:00.001-06:00

This is a guest post from Karen Walther, our Preschool Minister at The Brook.

On Sunday Brian spoke about the question, "Why?" Why do we do the things we do? So many times I catch myself going through my day on auto-pilot, doing things a certain way just because that is the way I have always done them. I have caught myself parenting the same way. I tend to have the same schedule with my children every day. I ask them the same questions each day, "Do you want peanut butter and jelly or turkey on your sandwich? Do you want milk or juice?" I don't even think about it anymore. Heck, sometimes I don't even ask!

What I once put great thought into when they were little, I let pass me by without a glimpse. Do you remember when your child was young and all your decisions about this little one were firsts? I really thought about them. When do I put her to bed? Why that time as opposed to the time my girlfriends put theirs to bed? How should I discipline her for the first time? How will this impact the way she sees things? How do I talk about God with her? What do I let her watch on TV? Do I even let her watch TV? I mean, I thought through EVERYTHING. Now…not so much. Why?

This year I will begin asking myself WHY all over again. Why do we do homework right when we get home from school? Why don't I sit down with my kids more often? Why do I discipline them the way I do? And after that I will ask my Heavenly Father to help me discover the reasons WHY and if they aren't good enough…then I'll be asking where I go from there.

What are you asking yourself this year?

Start With Why

2012-01-03T16:46:00.000-06:00

At the recommendation of a friend, I started reading a book recently called, "Start With Why", by Simon Sinek. While the book is intended to help leaders inspire and motivate, rather than deceive and manipulate, it's also just a simple, straight-forward idea: So much of WHAT we do and HOW we do it ultimately fails or fizzles out because we don't start with the most important question of them all: WHY?

[I hit on this subject a couple of weeks ago in a post called "Early Resolve".]
Let me give you an example.

If I told you, "I need to work out more" - and you kindly inquired as to "Why?" - and I proceeded to tell you that 1) I really want abs like Brad Pitt's and 2) my favorite jeans don't fit so well anymore - while those might be honest answers, they really aren't going to sustain me or ultimately inspire or motivate me. But if I told you, "I need to work out more" - and you asked me "Why?" - and I told you that my doctor said I needed to lose 6-10 pounds, exercise at least 4-5 times a week, and make some drastic changes to my diet so that my family's heart, cholesterol, and blood pressure history didn't sneak up on me - so that I could be here to watch my kids grow up - you would probably guess that this WHY is going to sustain and motivate and inspire me a whole lot longer than my Brad Pitt poster. (Not that I have a Brad Pitt poster. Anymore.) You see, it all has to start with WHY!

WHY = The purpose, cause, or belief that determines the WHAT.

This was the New Year's Challenge I gave this past Sunday in my sermon. If you'd like to check out the podcast, you can listen or download it HERE.

Are you starting a new diet? Please make sure & determine WHY first.
Joining a new gym? Better get your motivation straight.
Need to be reminded of WHY you should daily be walking with Christ - WHY you should be seeking and pursuing Him? Check out these scriptures:
2 Peter 1:3-11
2 Corinthians 13:5
Matthew 13:18-22

Early Resolve

2011-12-19T21:10:00.000-06:00

As of right now, we've got about 2 weeks until 2012 arrives. If you're like every other human being, you'll be making at least some sort of New Year's resolution. I'm all for this. God is all about making things new - new starts and fresh beginnings. I love the first few weeks of the year at the gym because there are always a ton of new faces I've never seen before. The bad part: 3-4 weeks later, many of those new faces seem to suddenly disappear. I'd love to be able to give you some across-the-board reason why this happens. Not possible. It's different for everyone. That said, I want to give you a word of encouragement to ensure that your January 1 proclamation stands the test of time.

You've almost certainly already begun thinking about the monumental change you're planning for next year - the new habit you're going to start (or) the old habit you're going to break. One way to give yourself a serious shot of motivation would be a reminder of WHY you made the resolution in the first place. Call it intentional early resolve! So here's what I propose:

Over the next 2 weeks, as January 1st is rapidly approaching, keep a journal. If you're planning to quit smoking, write down how you feel 15 minutes after you smoke every cigarette. If you're going to stop overeating - or stop eating too much of something - write down how you feel 5 minutes after you overeat. Keep and journal and very specifically take note of how you feel after you've indulged. If you need to start spending more time in the Word, if you need to start exercising and taking care of yourself, if you need to start getting your house in order, getting to bed earlier, watching less TV, praying with your wife - whatever it is - spend the next 2 weeks taking note of WHY.

When February 1st arrives, whether you've faithfully hung in there or fallen off the wagon, you'll be inspired and motivate by your own reminder of WHY you needed to make this significant change in your life. You have to finally come to the place where you decide, "I must do this!" No one can decide for you. And by the way - in case you've forgotten or no one's ever told you - you're worth it! You've only got 1 life. Stop waiting on next week...and next month...and next year. 13 days from now...make it happen!

What change do you know needs to be made in your life?
Whatever it is, keep reminding yourself WHY!

Unrealistic Expectations

2011-12-14T14:15:00.000-06:00

Expectation [ek spek TAY shuh'n] (Noun)
The act or state of looking forward to or anticipating; looking forward with assurance.

People have expectations. People around you, people who know you, people who follow you, and people you haven't actually even met yet - they all have expectations. And like it or not, they have expectations of YOU!

Do you know what they are? Do you know what people expect?
Are there unrealistic expectations that - if you simply addressed them - could be cleared up and brought back home to reality?

Or what about very realistic and fair expectations? Are we living up to those?
For instance, it's completely understandable for my son to believe that I should spend time with him. And that I should do it often! But at times my wife and I have to address an unrealistic expectation that I (or she) should spend every waking, living, breathing moment doing the exact thing that will thrill his soul and make him happy.

2 different expectations. 1 is reasonable and attainable. The other is neither.

We are often misunderstood because people have expectations of us - reasonable and unreasonable - that we will fail to live up to. Sometimes it's due to the fact that we had no idea anyone expected this of us. Other times though, it will simply have to do with the painful fact that we failed. Knowing this, I believe there are some key things we can do to prevent failing to live up to people's expectations, and as a result, being (once again) misunderstood:

1. Be CLEAR about the expectations you have of yourself.
If you're the pastor of a church of 500 people (or 200, for that matter) - or the leader of an organization of 300 faithful - you can't possibly meet all of those people's needs. You can't personally shepherd or equip or disciple that many. (At least not affectively!) But you probably don't expect yourself to do that. So make that clear to everyone! I know I need to do a better job of communicating to the people of my church that I have a few very clear, overarching expectations of myself as Lead Pastor of The Brook:

Faithfully preach the Word of God and set the pace of spiritual growth
Cast vision of WHERE our church is headed, WHY we're moving in that direction, and HOW we're going to get there (&)
Lead, equip, and empower our staff and leaders - being available and proactively pouring into their lives

Yes, I counsel people. I (sometimes) read and respond to incredibly lengthy emails. I directed traffic in the parking lot at Brooktoberfest. I spent 4 hours one day moving rocks around on our property. I'm leading our mission trip to Guatemala this summer. While all these things are important - and I LOVE doing (most of) them - I have to make it clear that these can't be everyone's expectations of me. I'm not a professional counselor. I'm not an engineer.

2. If someone makes their unrealistic expectations known to you, address it.

As Scott McClellan said in his recent post, The Decision To Do Nothing, you can "decide not to address it". But make sure you understand ahead of time, your decision to do nothing is still a decision. And in one, possibly awkward, but totally necessary conversation, you could clear it all up. And for worst case scenario's sake, let's say the person doesn't agree with you - that they think you should live up to their expectations. Well, in that case, all you can do is lovingly let them know that you're going to have to disagree on this matter. And you - deep down, personally, where it hurts - are going to have to be OK with the fact that sometimes, no matter how hard we try, we are going to be misunderstood.

What else can we do to clear up unrealistic expectations?

Don't Misunderstand Being Misunderstood

2011-12-13T12:25:00.000-06:00

This is Part 2 in a series on being "Misunderstood". If you missed Part 1, I suggest you read it first. You can find it HERE.

The feeling of being misunderstood can hurt - this idea that you've been unfairly represented or that what you've said or who you are has been misinterpreted. Especially if you're someone who desires integrity - that what people see is an honest picture of your true character - the thought of your character or your actions being called into question can wreck you. I don't think anyone would argue. But I'd like to submit to you that there's another reason we (as leaders, pastors, or simply just as humans) at times feel misunderstood, when in reality, that's not really what we're feeling at all. To put it this way, I think we can misunderstand being misunderstood.

This past weekend was significant in the life of our church. We affirmed our first 2 Elders. One of the reasons I am so stoked about this (other than the fact that it's the biblical model of church leadership) is because I do NOT desire to lead alone. While, as the Pastor, there's no denying that I am the chief visionary and leader of our church family, this does not mean that the Lord desires for me (or any other leader) to attempt to carry out or champion that vision alone. On a completely different note, I often bear a burden in prayer for our people - a burden to place them before God in prayer. I can't bear that burden alone. We aren't called to lead ALONE! And if we're being honest - taking a deeper look at the patterns of our actions - there are times that, because we've chosen to walk out on limbs by ourselves and place a gigantic target solely on our own chests - we wind up thinking that we've been misunderstood. And while that may be the case, the weight of what we're feeling and the burden we wind up being crushed under isn't really the feeling of being "misunderstood" at all. It's the painful, agonizing, isolating feeling of being ALONE.

I was once told (and have heard it said many times since) that as a leader, there are times you are going to feel "lonely", but you don't need to feel alone. If you're a person who believes God has given you a vision for taking and leading a group of people - especially if that group is the church - to an unknown, "never been there before" destination, there's no way around it being a bit lonely at times. No one else can see inside your head or fully understand all of what's wrapped up in your conviction. But here's the thing we've got to get clear on: Feeling lonely and being ALONE are 2 totally different things! Those times as a leader when I "feel" alone, I need to be able to lean on other leaders around me. I need people in my life who are fulfilling Galatians 6:2, sharing and bearing my "burdens, troubles, and problems". If you're a leader, you are NOT called to walk the road ALONE.

Don't make the mistake of feeling misunderstood when what you're really feeling is the (often) self-inflicted consequences of going it alone. If you start arrogantly thinking, "I'm just going to take a bullet for the team!", get off your high horse and realize that you're not doing anyone any favors or any good, especially yourself. You weren't called to take one for the team, you're called to LEAD the team...together!

Is there a chance you've thought you were misunderstood, when what you really were was alone?

Misunderstood

2011-12-12T17:20:00.003-06:00

There are moments, days, and situations - possibly even weeks at a time - where as a pastor and even just as a person...I feel misunderstood. Someone's reaction, comment, email - or the secondhand information received about someone's reaction, comment, or email - causes me to think, "Wait a minute. That's not what I said! At least, that's not what I meant to say. And that's definitely not how I intended (or hoped) someone would translate or receive it. I've been misunderstood!" And so it goes. Have you been there before?

Over the next few days I'm going to write a series of posts discussing this subject. Ideally, I'd like to start a conversation about how and why this happens - not just to me, but to countless people in numerous leadership positions. The reality: Jesus was misunderstood. I don't say that to insinuate that being misunderstood automatically makes you or me like Jesus. Sometimes when I'm misunderstood it's because I didn't communicate properly. (Or to put it a bit more bluntly, I miscommunicated. Funny how one mis____ can so easily lead to another mis______.) And for sure it doesn't mean that because Jesus was misunderstood I can or should use that as a license to just say what I think or do what I want. (In that case, I'm the one who misunderstood Jesus' instructions!) That said, Jesus was at times misunderstood because of people's misled expectations and/or perceptions of WHO He was and WHAT He had come to do and accomplish. This happens to us as leaders. It definitely happens to pastors. So what can we do to minimize all this misunderstanding?

I remember several years ago meeting with the Personnel Team at my former church. I was used to my yearly review/evaluation being mainly a time of affirmation and encouragement. (And that's putting it lightly.) Which is why it was such a punch in the gut the first time I was informed that more than one person had mentioned that there was a slight possibility at times that I could maybe come across in a way that made it seem like I was....well...UNAPPROACHABLE!

[I pause here, yes for dramatic affect, but also to give you a moment to allow that word to absorb. I had never even heard that word - unless maybe someone was referring to the status of a grizzly bear in the wild. I had no processor for this. I wasn't prepared to receive it. My defenses went straight up! Unapproachable? Me?]

And there it was. Unapproachable. Like a scarlet letter U on my chest. How had an extroverted, Christ-follower, people-person-pastor who loves people become - BIG LUMP IN THROAT - unapproachable? After weeks of licking my wounds - humbly realizing that this was not the end of the world, but someone who loved me actually pointing out that there had been something that creeped into my character that they were certain I didn't desire to be there - I suddenly began to realize something. On Sunday mornings - especially those Sundays when I was the one preaching, and my mind was completely bent and wrapped around the message I was preparing to deliver - there was a distinct possibility that if someone "approached" me, it might seem like I wasn't fully engaged in what they were saying. Put plainly, it all of a sudden became incredibly clear to me that on days when I was about to deliver a sermon, my mind was fully, completely, and wholly focused on ONE thing: preaching. And if you tried to talk to me at 10:41 (and the service was starting at 10:45), good luck. I'm out. I may love you and genuinely care about what you want/need to say to me, but not right this moment. I'm like a squirrel running straight across the road after that nut sitting beside that tree - tunnel vision at it's premium. And it all started to make sense. And I began to wonder not just how many people had walked away feeling ignored or insulted, but how many had simply stopped even trying to engage me. This was starting to sting and hurt a bit.

Here I sit several years later, in another town, in another church, (both of which I love!), and not long ago I heard that word again. Unapproachable. But this time, without reacting or jumping to conclusions, I simply began to pray about it. I asked the Lord to show me what I needed to do to deal with this head-on. After some serious prayer and reflection, I reached a few conclusions - about myself and people's perceptions - and also felt the Lord lay some very specific and tangible things I could do about this in front of me. A few things I decided and realized were:

People need to know WHO I am and WHAT I believe I'm called here to do.
On Sunday mornings, in a church the size of ours, I firmly believe my priorities are to 1) preach the Word of God, and 2) be available to meet and greet guests, and 3) be available to counsel if needed.
Most of the time people were attempting to engage me in conversation about things deeper and weightier than the color of my shirt, it would be a leader. This prompted me to ask our staff and leaders to please not bring any administrative/business/strategy question (or anything of the sort) to me on Sundays. I told them (and still tell them) that if what you need to tell me is important, I want to be fully present and engaged. On Sunday morning, I will NOT be fully engaged.
I am much more aware of the way my actions can be perceived. And a huge lesson for ALL of us is simply put this way: MY INTENT does not always equal OTHER PEOPLE'S PERCEPTIONS. Fair or unfair, people's perceptions matter!

We're all going to be misunderstood at times. But there are certain things we can do to reduce the potential of this happening. And we can also make sure and not jump to conclusions about others.

Have you been misunderstood?

More to come....

Spiritual Worship

2011-12-08T15:00:00.001-06:00

There's a great article (cover) in the latest edition of Christianity Today, The Good God Who Came Down. The basic point is that morality and religion could never bring us what Christ brought - salvation. As I read Michael Horton's thoughts and arguments, it brought another issue to mind that I believe greatly parallels and is incredibly prevalent in the Western Church. I believe much of what Christian culture describes as "worship" today - the corporate gathering of God's people - a "church" - to lift praise and adoration to Him in song - can be (and often is) merely a faint glimpse of what it could and should be. Much like we've been told we can only access a fraction of our brain's power, it seems that we're only tapping into a portion of the Spirit-filled worship that we're intended to experience. Allow me to explain.

In Romans 12:1-2, the Apostle Paul says,
"...present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."

In most churches across America on any given weekend, worship is much about the feelings we're overcome by as we sing praise to God. We feel elation, comfort, release, empowerment, conviction - a chasm of different emotions. And these emotions are not bad. In fact, they are often evidence that God is moving in our midst and in our hearts. But here's the thing: It can't stop there! If you re-read Paul's words, notice that he doesn't say anything about feeling, or experiencing, or even singing. But he DOES mention our "spiritual worship". And he exhorts us to do things like "present" and "test", and says that much of the transformation God desires to bring in our lives comes through the "renewal of your mind". All of this leads me to a conclusion: We are entering into worship much more focused and concerned with the emotion we feel than we are with the actions we're called to take beforehand. I've heard a lot of people say things like, "Let's not get bogged down in theology. We all love Jesus! Let's just find that common ground." That's fine and all, except that it's spiritual laziness! I understand where they're coming from. We can't let nonessential matters of theology divide the Body of Christ. Agreed! But if you and I claim to be worshiping the God of the Universe while simultaneously doing nothing to seek to know Him more and understand His Word, we aren't really participating in "spiritual worship". We're merely looking for something to stir our emotions.

How much of our worship includes "testing" and "discerning what is the will of God"?
Have we really presented our bodies - which includes our eyes, our minds, our thoughts - to God as a "living sacrifice"?

Much of the argument from science and academia against Christianity has been rooted in the premise that it's irrational and emotional - that it doesn't embrace logic and practical facts. While this argument or idea holds no water (because TRUE Christian faith, the Word of God, and much of evangelical theology is rooted in deep, weighted truths), many secularists have managed to patch some of the holes in their boat with the mindless faith of many who call themselves Christians. We aren't all called to be C.S. Lewis or A.W. Tozer - or to wear a corduroy blazer with patches on the sleeves and begin going by our initials - but we ARE called to engage our mind in our faith. Paul prayed for the Colossians (2:2-3) that "their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of the full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." Does it sound like Paul was hoping and praying that their Sunday gathering would be powerful? Or that their pursuit of God would be relentless? That they might discover the deep mysterious treasure that can only be found in knowing Christ? I think it's evident. (When this happens, you can guarantee that what happens on Sundays will be powerful!)

Where am I going with all this? Simple: Don't check your brain at the door. Don't underestimate what God desires to do IN and THROUGH your life if you search the depths of His Word to know Him. Don't forsake that our calling to worship has much more to do with how we've lived our lives and presented them back to Him the other six days of the week than it does whether we sing loud and lift our hands on Sunday.

Be TRANSFORMED by the renewing of your mind!

The Need

2011-12-07T10:25:00.001-06:00

This week our church begins a two-week challenge of generosity. It doesn't take much effort to look around and realize that there are countless people in our own cities, communities, and even neighborhoods who are hurting financially, emotionally, and spiritually. For many, the pain begins with the battle of trying to make ends meet on a daily basis - struggling to pay the rent - wondering if they can put food on the table for their family. At the same time, most of us can take a seconds inventory and realize that we've been blessed beyond measure. We have ALL that we need! And because God has met The Need in our lives, we are called to meet The Need in the lives of others!

This year we are incredibly excited that our Christmas offering will be used on a local, national, and global level. We are always blessed to partner with Inside-Out Ministries as they reach out to people right here in our own city to help pay the rent, put staple food items on the table, and even provide budget counseling. We are also incredibly excited to begin partnering with Ryan McCoskey and his core team as they plant The Seed, a brand new church in the heart of downtown Wichita, Kansas. And as we give to the Cooperative Program (supporting and funding missionaries around the world), we are also PUMPED to start a brand new relationship with Casas por Cristo as we build a home for a family in need in Guatemala. At home and around the world, The Need is great. We are grateful to the Lord that we can partner with Him to meet The Need in others lives for the sake of His Kingdom!

Is your family doing some special to give your time or funds this year?
How is your church meeting The Need in others lives this Christmas?
Would love to hear your stories!

Click HERE to learn more about how you can give to The Need.

Keep Simplifying

2011-12-05T13:04:00.001-06:00

My recent revival of purging and attempting to simplify my life appears to be contagious. Morgan and I spent several hours this past weekend clearing out our closet, drawers, and the nooks and crannies where we had clothes buried and hidden for that supposed "rainy day" that never seems to come. You know what I'm talking about, don't you? "I've got to keep this Hawaiian shirt in case I somehow get invited to a luau next summer when I might take that trip to Tahiti I've been planning for years but can't afford because I keep wasting my money on crap - like Hawaiian shirts." While much of my argument in my last post for minimalism and simplicity was an aim at removing chaos from our lives, I want to take a very pointed angle on the subject - I want to look at this from the perspective of being a follower of Christ on a lifelong mission. Because when I look at our lives, it doesn't really appear that we're on much of a mission.

In Luke 10:1-12, Jesus sends out seventy-two of his followers to alert the people in the cities and towns that "...the Kingdom of God is near". Before He sends them on their way, He gives them very specific instructions. And part of what He tells them - in contrast to what you would expect to be told in preparation for a journey of this type - speaks volumes: "Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals..." Jesus essentially tells them, "Travel light. Don't take a backpack loaded with things - I'll provide what you need along the way: food, shelter, clothing. Keep your mind on the mission!" And in my perspective, as I examine my own life and the lives of those close to me, this is not a reflection of the approach I seem to have taken for this mission. I have by no stretch of the imagination been "traveling light". My closet, my drawers, my garage, my attic, my refrigerator, and my trunks and totes all speak otherwise. They're an indictment that I can't refute. At least not a week ago. Then I read Becker's intro to Principle #7 in his book, Simplify: "You don't need to chase everything you've always wanted if you already have everything you need." And there you have it.

Reflecting on Matthew 6:25-34, it's obvious that Becker isn't saying anything new - especially to a Christ-follower who has read the Gospels numerous times. Jesus makes it clear: Either you're going to live your life consumed with YOUR mission and everything it requires and demands of you - and walk down the paths where it leads you - OR - you're going to be focused on MY mission...to advance a kingdom of another kind. A Kingdom where God's economy dictates what we have, what we keep, what we hold tightly and loosely, what we give away, and how we live and see this life. And to just put it bluntly, I'm sick and tired of trying to live on mission carrying all this baggage on my back. And if you don't think that all the STUFF crammed in your closet, your drawers, your garage, under your bed, and looming overhead in your attic is weighing you down, I just dare you to spend 1 hour throwing some of it out. Take 1 hour and go through your closet. Empty 3 drawers onto your bed, sort it out, and only keep what you NEED. See what happens. Watch as you begin to feel as though some weighted chain that's been holding you down was suddenly broken. As I said, I'm sick and tired of attempting to live on mission with all this baggage on my back (and in my closet). And whether you know it or not, I bet you're exhausted from it as well.

It's time to simplify. And when you do, KEEP SIMPLIFYING!
It's time to "Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness (KNOWING THAT WHEN I DO) all these things will be added" to me. He'll take care of me. Do I trust Him? Do you trust Him? Do we trust the Great Provider to provide?

How are you going to simplify? Where are you going to begin?

Simplify

2011-12-01T14:54:00.001-06:00

"The more stuff you own, the more your stuff owns you."

I have too much stuff. There, I said it. And this is coming from a person who routinely gives clothes away and throws junk out. It's therapeutic! Yet, I still have too much. If there are 64 shirts in your closet, but you only wear 20 of them, that's a clue. If you have more shoes in boxes than in your shoe rack, another possible indicator. If our attics and sheds and garages are packed airtight...and we still need to rent from U-Store...is this not a HUGE waving red flag? It's not necessarily junk. It's not crap, either. It's just STUFF. And we have way too much of it.

I just started reading Simplify, by Joshua Becker. (The Kindle version is $2.99) This was a dangerous idea. Like Dick Vitale reading a book called Yelling. Or Joan Rivers curling up on the couch with 10 More Reasons You Need MORE Plastic Surgery. Dangerous! I've been convinced for years that simplifying my life is essential. But Becker has spelled out a few things that have made it even clearer why striving to live a (rationally) minimalistic life just makes so much sense. I wanted to share just a few highlights with you that I've read so far:

"What our heart believes and loves always determines the path of our life." This sounds incredibly familiar, doesn't it? Like Jesus saying, "Where your heart is, there your treasure will be." (see Matthew 6:19-21)

While many of us get caught in the trap of thinking we need more money, "...the real secret to financial freedom is spending less. If you live a life that accumulates less stuff, you will spend less." Novel concept. Because the reality is for most of us, if we do wind up getting more money, we just wind up spending more money. And low and behold, we wind up with more...STUFF!

"Minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of anything that distracts us from it." Did you catch that? It's not just about making space or cleaning up - it's about intentionally pointing to the things that you believe hold the most value. It's an exercise in priorities; an opportunity to determine what's going to control us. Or maybe more importantly, that (other than the Holy Spirit), we're not going to be "controlled". Because let's just get it out there in the open: "The more stuff you own, the more your stuff owns you." I know there's a snowball's chance in hades you might wear that shirt again, but could someone else be wearing it much more often? I know that I can rationally justify that I have 3 brown jackets - they're different shades of brown, thank you very much. But isn't someone else out there in need of a jacket?

Here's a thought that Becker throws out in his book: Find 2 different countertops; 1 that's clean and free from clutter (&) the other that has dirty dishes, knick knacks, & food stains all over it. If you just stand in these 2 kitchens for a few minutes, what completely different emotional responses do you think it will invoke in you? Try it.

What have you done in your life to simplify?
Do you have any tips for the rest of us to simplify?
Or are you still hanging onto your stuff - and your chaos - for dear life?

A Reminder of WHY

2011-11-29T13:22:00.001-06:00

Lately I've been shopping, hunting, exploring, and giving thought to the idea of completely redesigning my blog - like hitting DELETE and starting from scratch. There are a lot of reasons behind this - mostly having to do with my inability to stare at the same thing over and over for too long without going completely crazy. Ideas are still on the table. I'll keep you posted. But one very good thing this has all caused me to contemplate is a simple question: Why am I writing this blog, again? Why do I spend my time with this? Why did I start this in the first place? Is that reason still the same reason I have for continuing on? And (thankfully) after much soul-searching and prayer, I believe the Lord has rejuvenated my heart through the simple reminder of the small seed of a thought that ignited this in me just a few years ago. Jesus put it this way: "The Kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed, nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or 'It's over there!' For the Kingdom of God is among you - in the midst of you - is IN YOU!" The Kingdom of God has arrived. Not with pomp and circumstance or through some mighty wave of military strength. Through the coming of His Spirit, God has strategically placed His Kingdom in the hearts and lives of His people. And wherever we go...it goes with us.

The thought occurred to me just a few years back that I'm called to see every facet and aspect of my life through the lens of the Kingdom that I'm living in - that's living in me. It changes the way I see things - the way I talk to people - the motive I carry into the relationships I build. And maybe my lens has gotten a little dirty and needed some cleaning.

Kingdoms exist to advance a cause and to exalt a king. The Kingdom we live in - HIS Kingdom - overpowers them all! But not through physical might or force, but through the power of the movement of the Spirit of God in the hearts and lives of His people. And if you're a follower of Jesus Christ, that's YOU!

I want to see life through this lens.
I want my life to look different - like something has changed me. Not as a facade, but because it's actually changed me. HE has changed me!
I can't help but see things differently.
His Word won't allow me to just keep looking at it all the same.

I love how the NLT phrases Matthew 6:33:
"Your heavenly Father already knows your needs, and He will give you all you need from day to day if you live for Him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern."

Seek first the Kingdom of God.
Wherever you go...BRING THE KINGDOM!

Seeing Our Sin

2011-11-22T12:08:00.001-06:00

Sin is blinding. Like a Chuck Norris knuckle punch straight to the eyeball.

Sin taints our view. It keeps us from seeing clearly. Like when my son borrows my sunglasses for 10 minutes. It's as if someone told him, "See how many fingerprints you can smear on those lenses. Hurry! And make sure, whatever you do, don't touch any other part of the glasses except the lenses! Your Dad loves fingerprints!" Forget about it. You're not going to see your hand in front of your face. This is sin. It completely distorts and corrupts the way we see things. Everything!

Sin settles. It removes us from the presence of a Holy God. It refuses to "abide in Him". Sin causes wandering sheep to run like cheetahs away from their shepherd. Although I would love to see an actual sheep in a dead 60mph sprint, when that sheep is you or me...and we're moving in the opposite direction of our Protector and Provider...it's dangerous.

Sin excuses. It whispers excuses in my ear. It gives me multiple reasons and rationalizations - all of which are still, at the end of the day, sin.

Sin not only refuses grace - turning it's back on grace extended - but it also refuses mercy - turning it's back on extending grace. Sin blinds us to our own shortcomings, while magnifying everyone else's. Sin points fingers. Sin points very big, stiff fingers.

"Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is a log in your own eye? Your hypocrite, first take the log our of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye." - Jesus (Matthew 7:3-5)

"You know that He appeared to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin. No one who abides in Him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen Him or known Him.... No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God." (1 John 3:5-6, 9)

When sin blinds, distorts, excuses, settles, and corrupts our view, there's not enough Windex in the world to wipe those windows clean. ONLY the blood of Jesus Christ is sufficient.

Lord, help us to see our sin when it separates us from You. And to restore our brothers and sisters when they are led away. Transform us! Help us to see our sin...and to remember that Your Cross and Your resurrection wiped it away. Thank You, Jesus, that You have given us victory over sin and changed our view forever!

Dig Deeper
1 John 1:5-2:6
Hebrews 9 & 10
Romans 6 & 7

(More) Conviction Confusion

2011-11-17T07:48:00.001-06:00

I think there's been some confusion. And if I'm being honest, I think I may have contributed to the confusion. When you come to that realization, there's really only one option: attempt to clear it up. Over the last weeks I've written several posts on "Convictions". When I use this word, I'm referring to the idea that as a follower of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit leads us and guides us into how we should act, speak, walk, and live. Decisions aren't made flippantly by rolling dice or flipping a coin like Two-Face on Batman. We've been given the Word of God and the Spirit of God to birth conviction in our hearts over certain matters. Not only in a recent blog post, but in previous posts and in sermons, I have made the statement that there are 2 clear biblical principles when it comes to the issue of alcohol and drinking:

1. Drunkenness is a sin.
2. Drinking is not a sin.

What I need to convey in this post is simple: Principle #2 is not always true!

Romans 14 begins with Paul telling us that some of us will be convicted not to eat or drink certain things and others will sense the God-given liberty to partake of those foods or drinks AND the one person should not judge the other for their abstinence or their liberty. So when your interpretation of the scriptures is that drinking is permissible for some, and your personal conviction is that God has given you the liberty to drink, you come to the conclusion that "drinking is not a sin". While that may be true for you - if you've actually prayed over the issue and sought out the leading of the Spirit - for the person who has also prayed over the issue and sensed clearly that they have NOT been granted that liberty, for that person, to drink would simply be sin. So to make the blanket statement, "Drinking is not a sin", is a short-sighted, sometimes UNTRUE statement. This is another great example of why ALL of scripture has to be taken into account. If you read on in Romans 14, Paul also says, "Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind" and that "each of us will give an account of himself to God". He goes on to say that "...whoever doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin."

Here's the skinny: If you've prayed over an issue like drinking - asking God to reveal to you what He is allowing in your life - and you sense a liberty to partake, do it with faith, and do it with sensitivity to those it might cause to stumble. But, if you have prayed over this and clearly sense a call and conviction to abstain from it, to partake of it is sin. Plain and simple.

Have you asked the Lord what He desires of you in these matters?
Are we respecting and trusting others to seek the conviction of the Spirit?

"So then, let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding."
"So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up."
Romans 14:19

A Welcomed Warning

2011-11-16T18:23:00.001-06:00

I love how life can often seem to swing things from one end of the spectrum to the other. Quickly! My last set of posts were addressing the issue of convictions - not only praying over our own, but trusting the Holy Spirit to speak to other Christians in certain areas. And understanding that my convictions are not always going to be everyone else's. It's not supposed to be that way. (Why am I going off on this again?) Back to the reason for writing today. I'm seeing more and more evidence that there's a clear lack of understanding with some Christian's that there's a difference between a brother or sister in Christ confronting sin in your life (&) someone simply being judgmental. I have a few thoughts about this and would love to hear your input.

First off, scripture makes it clear that if we call ourselves Christ-followers - if we claim the Spirit of God is living within us - we have opened ourselves up to the confrontation of sin in our life. Obviously our first desire should be that our life be rid of sin (Romans 6, 1 John 3). Along with that, scripture not only exhorts us (Hebrews 10) to "admonish one another", it even gives us clear instruction on HOW to approach and confront each other when sin has taken root (see Matthew 18:15-18). What kills me is when I hear someone, after being confronted over sin in their life, say, "Who are you to judge me?" or "Didn't Jesus say we aren't supposed to judge each other?" What this shows is not someone who's been immersed in scripture and being led by the Spirit, desperate to know the heart of God on in their life, but someone who's living in sin, possibly apathetic in their faith, and defensive from being called on it. There's a HUGE difference!

Jesus speaks clearly when He tells us in Matthew 7 that "with the judgment you pronounce, you will be judged". Understood. But admonishing and confronting a "Christ-follower" to stop walking in sin is not judgment: it's (supposed to be) a welcomed warning! And we're called to usher this warning to our brothers and sisters in Christ. In 1 Corinthians 5:12, Paul says, "For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge?" In other words, when a person within the body of Christ is living in sin, the body of Christ is called to confront the sin. (Paul actually even goes further with it and tells the Corinthians that if there isn't repentance, "Purge the evil person from among you!") How's that for judgment?

Here's the thing: As a follower of Jesus Christ, if there is ever anything in my life that even resembles sin, I want to know about it. Because I want to purge it from my life and get as far away from it as I possibly can. I want to constantly have a heart like David in Psalm 139 as he cries, "Search me, O God, and know my heart. Test my thoughts. See if there is ANYTHING offensive in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. And if my response to a brother (or brothers) in Christ coming to me in love (which takes a TON of courage, by the way!) to confront sin in my life is to defensively cry, "Who are you to judge me?", all this does is affirm it loud and clear. That's not humility and holiness talking. That's pride and apathy. That's sin.

Do you want biblical instruction, correction, and exhortation in your life? Do you welcome the warning? This is a question - as Christians - we have to answer.

Conviction Confusion

2011-11-07T16:34:00.003-06:00

My last 2 posts have dealt with our convictions and how we express them. I feel I need to clarify that this is NOT commentary on whether or not we should preach the Gospel &/or speak words of truth to others. That is our calling as Christians. But it is also our calling to "speak the truth in love" and to trust that it is the Holy Spirit that actually does the work. Sharing our faith and imposing our convictions are 2 completely different subjects. In this post, I'm focusing on the latter.

We could grab one of a hundred different issues: gambling, what movies or TV shows we watch, the music we listen to, dancing, and on and on and on.... These issues (and countless others like them) are what we can label GRAY areas of scripture. The reason for this is because there is no "Black & White" rule in the Bible that says you can or cannot participate in these things. What scripture does teach is that we have been given the Holy Spirit to discern what God desires of us in these matters. And because I believe it is probably the most sensitive subject in this area, let's taking drinking as an example.

There are 2 major Biblical principles regarding drinking:
1. Drinking is NOT a sin.
2. Drunkenness IS a sin.

That's it. That's what we have to go on. And as Christians, we are to rely on the Holy Spirit to guide us in knowing whether or not we have been given the freedom to participate or the conviction to abstain and refrain. But because this is not a post on Drinking, I'm not going to go much deeper into that subject. What I do want to look at is Paul's directive to us about our convictions and how we live by and share those convictions with others.

There are 2 people in this world that will be subjected to your life and convictions: Christians and others (or "the lost", as we all them). It's important to understand that the idea of imposing our "convictions" - Spirit-led beliefs - on someone who isn't even filled with the Spirit is ridiculous. If someone is not even aware of their sinfulness, they're not going to see it as sin. And your convictions aren't going to get them there either. The message of Jesus Christ and the power of the Word and Spirit of God - the Gospel - are the ONLY thing that bring "many sons to glory"! But back to those 2 types of people, the others are Christians. And in Romans 14, Paul puts it this way: "As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand." To further expound, the NLT translates that last verse as, "The Lord's power will help them do as they should." Think about this for a moment: Often, when we impose our convictions on other Christians, it's because we don't trust them to make the right decision. If we're being honest, we think, "There's no way they've prayed about this!" And we might be right. But if Paul's statement is true - that the Lord is able to make each of His followers stand - that it's the Lord's power that causes us to do as we should - isn't it in all actuality that our imposition is exposing that we don't fully trust God? Isn't it that we really, in this person's case, just don't think He can handle bringing conviction into their life as He's done in ours?

So again, let me make sure a few things aren't misconstrued:

If you're under 21 years old and drinking, you're in sin. (See Romans 13)
If you're providing someone under 21 with the opportunity/ability to drink, you're in sin. (Read Romans 13 with group 1)
If you're using your so-called "freedom to drink" to get drunk, I will go out on a limb and tell you that I don't believe for a second you've prayed about this conviction. You're just living how you choose to live. There are consequences! (See the whole Bible)

But, if you and I wind up at the place where we believe that everyone should hold the same convictions about every issue that we do...the bottom line is...we aren't trusting God. His Kingdom doesn't look like this.

Agree? Disagree?

Would love to hear your thoughts.

HOW Overpowers WHAT

2011-11-02T14:49:00.003-05:00

In my last post I talked about the danger of our own convictions becoming a "hill to die on" - becoming our "cause" - which in turn leads us to believing that everyone else should share our convictions. Romans 13 says there is danger in this. If you missed it, read that post first: When Our Conviction Becomes Our Cause

Yesterday I talked about my neighbor's posted front-door protest: WE DO NOT OBSERVE HALLOWEEN! Which was followed by an explanation of why you shouldn't either. Some things just rile us up, don't they. We go from sensing that something is not quite right for us (or for our family) to believing it is our mission in life to convince the whole world that our conviction is most certainly what God intended for the whole of humanity. And sadly, we don't know how we even arrive at that place. We just wind up there. On a corner with a poster. In a free speech area with a bullhorn. Posting a sign of protest to our front door. And as I said in my last post, our motive and intent is nowhere near being rooted or grounded in hate. But - whether we intended it or not - that's how it's coming across. And this is why we have got to begin realizing that if HOW overpowers WHAT, our message will never be heard.

99% of the time a politician gets publicly angry...and it shows...I stop listening.
When I discipline my children in anger, I wind up hurting them more than helping them.
When we post signs of protest, 99.9% of the time...NO ONE reads them!

And when we attempt to communicate the love of Christ to the world through judgment rather than love, our message is never heard. More important, HIS message is never heard! Remember that Jesus himself said, "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him." (John 3:17) Trying to communicate a message of LOVE in a spirit of ANGER makes no sense. ZERO! Yet, people do it every day. We stop paying attention to HOW we're speaking, walking, communicating, acting, living...not realizing that the most important WHAT in the history of the world - the love and redemption of God through His Son, Jesus Christ - is being buried, covered, and smothered. Lost in translation.

And all of this hinges on another vital question: WHO are we trying to communicate with? If we're hoping our message reaches the eyes and ears of the lost, what is the message going to communicate to them? More on that later....)

Have you seen HOW overpower WHAT?
Have you been guilty of this in your own life? (I know I have.)
What steps can we take to walk and live in intentionality to share the love of God and the message and hope of Christ with others?

When Our CONVICTION Becomes Our CAUSE

2011-11-01T15:15:00.000-05:00

Not many people thoroughly read and study Romans 14. I don't know this because I walk around asking or surveying; I believe this with great certainty based on the evidence I see in many of our lives - and moreover, our attitudes and reactions to other people's lives, habits, and convictions. I also strongly believe this because of the tendency with many to believe that their convictions should be everybody else's. And as this happens, our conviction turns into our cause. We move from personal (private) conviction to open (public) soapbox. And sadly, what is most likely our motive - defending what we think is right - becomes not only clouded and muddied, but invisible and completely lost in translation. Let me give you an example.

Last night Morgan and Libby went "Trick or Treating". (Already, someone has read this and winced.) In our neighborhood, they approached a house where the lights were on, the family was in the yard having a good time, but there was an enormous sign on the door that read: WE DO NOT OBSERVE HALLOWEEN! (followed by a descriptive explanation of WHY you shouldn't either.) My wife watched as a few very young kids approached and said, "Trick or Treat!", only to hear one of the family members mumble under their breath, "Can't you read?!" My first thought upon hearing this story was, "NO. They CAN'T read! They are 6 year olds!" But what's more painful in this story is the stark realization that I don't believe for one second that my neighbors' desire in all of this was to communicate hate or anger. But that's exactly what was coming across. And the plain and simple reason why this happened: Their conviction had become their cause!

Please hear me: I'm not saying that there aren't some things in this world we aren't supposed to speak out against. Standing up and saying that abortion is wrong - yes. Defending the orphan and the widow from oppression and hunger - absolutely. Doing everything in our power to eliminate slavery and human trafficking - without a doubt! But the lines begin to blur when our personal conviction over whether or not to dress up like a Power Ranger and roam the neighborhood in pursuit of sugar (or) to lock our doors, turn off our lights, and pretend we're not home becomes our mission in life. When we start thinking that everyone else needs to care about the environment as much as we do or that everyone else should give to the humane society or that every living breathing human being owes it to the world to protest gambling, prohibit the sale of guns and alcohol, or to publicly renounce Halloween, our conviction is no longer our conviction - it's our cause. And when we MAKE our conviction our cause, we begin to believe that it should be everyone else's conviction. And there is grave danger in this!

"Those who think it is alright to eat anything must not look down on those who won't. And those who won't eat certain foods must not condemn those who do. For God has accepted them. Who are you to condemn God's servants? They are responsible to the Lord, so let Him tell them whether they are right or wrong. The Lord's power will help them do as they should." (Romans 14:3-4)

I've wrestled and struggled with this before myself. Have you?
Has your conviction become your cause?

More to come....

Bringing Home Our Little Brother

2011-10-27T10:59:00.002-05:00

When Morgan and I began to sense the Lord was calling us to open our hearts up to adopting, there were countless questions and concerns that flooded our hearts: Adopt from where? Where do we begin? How will we pay for this? That's just a sample. But the one question that loomed over us and that we constantly prayed about was plain and simple: How will Libby and Nathan respond to the idea of having another brother? While I don't want you to think for a second that there haven't been questions (and even concerns) raised by both of our kids (who are 9 and 7, by the way), we have been blown away by the evidence that the Lord was preparing their hearts just as He was preparing ours. He's like that, you see. Faithful. And today I want to share with you the vision and plan that my daughter Libby has for bringing a little brother she's never even met home.

Clean Hands * Pure Hearts Hand Sanitizer
Made with all natural products (right in our dining room), coming in 3 scents (Vanilla Pomegranate, Green Tea & Cucumber, and Tangerine), and sold for a suggested donation of $5 a bottle, every penny will go to fund our adoption and to raise awareness of the thousands of children right here at home in the US who are waiting to be united with their family.

Here's Libby to share with you a little bit more about her plan & product:
Clean Hands * Pure Heart Promo

Here's our Facebook Page: Clean Hands * Pure Hearts

Here's how YOU can help us:
- Go to our Facebook Page & hit the LIKE button
- Share our story with anyone and everyone you know
- Pray for our family - that in the Lord's timing and in His ways He will lead us in all of this and we will ultimately be united with that little boy He desires to be part of our family!

Details coming soon on WHERE & HOW you can purchase & promote Clean Hands * Pure Hearts. Stay tuned.....

Dealing With Discouragement

2011-10-26T13:35:00.003-05:00

What do you do with discouragement?

I guess you have several options. Like the most commonly chosen coping method: pretending that "Everything's fine". We tell ourselves to just not think about it and - for heaven's sake - don't let anyone else know that we're feeling beaten down and weary. Of course there's also the classic "If my day (week...month...) is going to suck, then your's is going to suck, too!" mentality. There's the tendency from some to evidently believe that their misery really does need some company. LOTS of company! We all handle it differently. There's no right-or-wrong textbook blueprint: What To Do When You're Discouraged. [If there is, please pass it along!] That said, I see God's Word give us some very clear instruction and encouragement of how we're to handle times like this - and some evidence as to why we wind up feeling the way we do when discouragement appears to be eating away at our soul. So here are a few words I've reminded myself of today (as I've felt this way for a few days) that might encourage you as well:

We aren't created to face it ALONE.
In Galatians 6:2, the Apostle Paul says, "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." (ESV) The NLT puts it this way: "Share each other's troubles and problems...." Again, even though you don't want to "bother anyone else with your problems", that's exactly what you're supposed to do! We are called to carry the weight with each other. To pray for each other. To listen. Don't think you can lock it away. Discouragement knows how to pick the lock! [For more, see Romans 12:6-21]

We aren't created to face it FOREVER.
No matter how heavy or hard it's weighing on you, and no matter how longs it feels you've endured it, it will NOT go on forever! 2 Corinthians 4 tells us that we may feel beaten down, but we won't be destroyed, and that while we may be afflicted, we will not be crushed. And Paul says that our "light and momentary are preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison." The LIGHT will overcome the darkness. It will! Hold on to Him and trust.

If you're discouraged, reach out. Don't even try to walk it alone.
If you're discouraged, hold on. God is faithful.

"David said to Solomon his son, 'Be strong and courageous and do it. Do not be afraid and do not be discouraged, for the Lord God...is with you!" 1 Chronicles 28:20

Grateful

2011-10-25T15:31:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow will mark 2 weeks since my shoulder surgery. Spending these last 13 days trying to learn to do most everything one-handed and with one arm has caused me to do some serious reflecting. It's helped me to be extremely grateful for some things I normally take for granted - some of which I didn't even begin to consider to be as important as I do now. I wanted to share with you some of these things that I now have a heightened sense of appreciation and gratitude for. And hear what might be on your list that isn't on mine. Today, I am with enormous anticipation looking forward to (and grateful for) once again being able to:

Tying my own shoes
Lifting weights, running, stretching, and seriously exercising
Wrestling, throwing the baseball, shooting baskets, and countless other things I do with my son
Driving my car and shifting gears
Giving my daughter big bear hugs
Putting on my own shirt without wincing
Brushing my teeth with my right hand
Enthusiastically shaking hands with someone (I like enthusiasm!)

This is a snapshot of some of the things I now believe to be much more precious than I realized them to be beforehand. I am grateful for these things. And I'm looking forward to doing them again very soon. VERY, VERY SOON!

What about you?

What are you grateful for today?

Healing Hurts!

2011-10-20T11:23:00.000-05:00

8 days ago I had arthroscopic surgery on my right shoulder. For over 2-3 years now I've put this off, not wanting to deal with everything that came along with it. I didn't want to pay for it. I didn't want to take the risk - hearing one person's radical transformation, but then listening to the next person's nightmare horror story. I had all these excuses why I just didn't want to mess with it. But beyond any other reason or excuse, there was one that paralyzed me more than any other: I didn't want to go through the healing.

I exercise regularly - I love to run. But over the last couple of years I have grown to enjoy weightlifting more than anything else. (I know - you were looking at me and wondering, "Does he take steroids?") I knew that having surgery on my shoulder was going to mean that at minimum, I would be out of the weight room for 6 weeks. And when I go back, it will be a LONG road. I didn't want to deal with this. I didn't think I was patient enough to go through the healing. And physical therapy? Forget it! Those folks are sadistic torturers! To put it straight: I spent several years just "dealing with the pain" and furthering injuring myself because I didn't want to take time to heal. And as I sat in my recliner last week with ice plastered to my shoulder, I began thinking: How many people are in this same position in their lives? How many of us are in desperate need of healing, but because we don't want to go through the pain...we just keep on walking, keep on hurting, fooling ourselves into thinking that we're just fine "dealing with the pain"?

I don't know if you've got a back injury, a wounded ego, or even a broken heart, but whatever it is, you can't just keep walking without doing further damage. I know it hurts to deal with it. Sometimes, it can even feel like you're ripping the wound open all over again. But when a cut doesn't heal properly, often it has to be reopened so that real healing can actually begin. And typically, that hurts a little. To put it plainly: Healing hurts! But you do want to heal...right?

David praises God in Psalm 30, saying, "O Lord my God, I cried to You for help, and you have healed me." Jesus Christ is the Great Healer. He is faithful. And whatever your wound or hurt, He can touch your life and bring healing. But just like David, you have to cry out to Him for help. You have to come to the point of saying, "I've had enough, Lord. Whatever you have to do to restore me, here I am."

Where are you in need of healing in your life?
Are you convinced you'll just keep "dealing with the pain"?
What are you waiting for? Cry out to Him!

From MINE to OURS

2011-10-18T14:55:00.002-05:00

When you have kids, you begin hearing the word "Mine" more often. I used the word "hearing" very intentionally, in that we as adults don't necessarily say the word as much as we think it. Nonetheless, my 2 children have not yet accessed the filter that tells a person, "I really don't want anyone to know how selfish I am!" We just blurt it out: "Hey! That's MINE!" As a parent, every time you hear those words echoing through your home, it's like a defeating punch in the gut. You're tempted to say things like, "Oh yeah! Who bought you those toys? That's right - I did. And I'll give 'em away if you're not gonna learn to share them!" Ever said anything like that? Those kinds of things come out of my mouth more times than I can count. So the question remains, how do you teach your kids to move their heart and mind from MINE to OURS?

One way that Morgan and I have determined to teach this in our home is simply by modeling this mentality and heartbeat. We try to intentionally show Libby and Nathan that every single thing we OWN, we don't really own - that everything we have is a gift from God that He's entrusted to us so that we can bless others with it. For example, this summer we hosted 2 soccer coaches -from the British Soccer Camp Nathan attended - into our home. They lived with us for 6 days. We loved it! Matt and Tom very quickly became part of the family. We told them, "Whatever we have, it's yours if you need it." They used our shower, slept in our guest room, ate our food, stayed up late talking and watching American TV with us - they even drank my Red Bull! I actually loved this because it affirmed to us that they felt the way we wanted them to feel - like they were at home! And we try to model this on a constant basis. Many of the kids on our street come in and out of our backyard like they own the place. We love it! We WANT them there. And for that to happen, you have to start caring less about your grass, your furniture, and your fence. (Sometimes, I even think the fence just needs to come down!)

We travel a lot as a family. When we do, knowing that my car may be sitting in the garage for 7-10 days, I would rather someone who needs it get some use out of it. So I try and loan my car to friends who may not have their own. Again, it's not MINE in the first place! The Lord blessed me with that car so I could be a blessing to others. And I trust and believe that my children are not only hearing what we're telling them, but that they're watching us live it out, and that eventually...it's all going to click. That's what I'm praying for!

If you're still struggling with ownership, I encourage you to read Matthew 5:19-21.
If you're feeling defeated as a parent - feel like you're continually teaching, but it's not sinking in - I encourage you to read Proverbs 22:6. And do NOT give up!

What steps have you taken in your life to move from MINE to OURS?

One Thing You Should ALWAYS Be Doing...

2011-10-10T21:06:00.000-05:00

There's one thing you could (and should) always be doing. Maybe right now you're feeling adrift - like you really have no idea what you want to do with your life. Almost all of us have been there, 1/2 way through college, questioning, "Do I really want to major in Philosophy...and minor in Art History? What am I going to do with this?" While I would seriously have zero advice for you about what the heck to do with your Art History degree, I would start with another question: What are you doing right now? Whether you're struggling with your degree choice, your upcoming career, making a job change, going back to school, starting that business, or whatever it may be, what are you doing RIGHT NOW? Because there is ALWAYS this one thing you should be doing. If you're a follower of Jesus Christ, you are called to "make disciples". And this means you should ALWAYS be investing in someone. ALWAYS!

You might add or ask, "How can I invest in someone - how can I "make disciples" - if I don't even know what the heck I'm doing with my life?" While you may not know what you're doing with your career, as a Christ-follower, you should clearly know what you're doing with your life. Jesus said, "Come, follow me." And you said, "OK!" But somewhere along the road we lose sight of that and get wrapped up in our own chaos and confusion. We begin being consumed with the DOING and lose focus on the BEING. Our world starts revolving around things like my major, my career choice, and my promotion...and as a result, we abandon the mission and path we embraced when we put our faith in the carpenter from Nazareth. Have you found yourself there? Has your vision in life been blurred?

If you're feeling lost or confused, second-guessing everything in your life right now, I would encourage you to make a simple commitment: Begin investing in someone else. Meet them for lunch once a week and talk about life. Walk together through a book of the Bible (like Philippians or Ephesians). Find an opportunity in or with your church to serve together. Do life. Invest in them! When you do, a lot of other things will begin to come clear.

Have you witnessed or experienced this in your own life?
Would love to hear your story!

Change...Or Die!

2011-10-06T14:02:00.002-05:00

This is the 2nd post I have written in response to Dr. Henry Cloud's book, Necessary Endings. You can read the first post HERE. I recommend you read it first.

Let's talk about a familiar subject that many of us love to hate: CHANGE. In his book, Necessary Endings, Dr. Henry Cloud quotes Julie Shimer, CEO of Welch Allyn (the world's front-running medical supply manufacturer). As she described the events and processes that led to this 100-year old innovator reaching the conclusion that, while they were still the leaders in their field, and their customers were happy, and they were incredibly comfortable with their position and their products, they could suddenly see a time in the future when WHAT they were doing would be obsolete. They (or actually, she) began to realize that "the way we were doing it could not bring about the future reality that we wanted. We had to change!" And whether we like it or not - no matter how long we fight to prolong the inevitable - it's the same for every single one of us in leadership: CHANGE...OR DIE!

I've seen more church workers and ministry leaders than I can count reach a point of indescribable loss - a point where they have absolutely no idea how they got where they are and (more importantly) no idea where to GO from there. Let's face it: If you don't know where you ARE, it's pretty tough to figure out where you're going. Going further with it, another key principle in us moving, growing, and changing is (as Shimer puts it) being able to "picture an ideal future". What does that look like? If the world is changing, this doesn't mean that people will - as a result - be changing with it. The world is changing BECAUSE people are changing! And if the mission of the Church is reaching those "changing" people with the Gospel, we have to determine what that's going to look like 10 years from now. Are we moving in that direction? Or are we ignorantly riding our Sit 'n' Spin, thinking we're going somewhere, while we remain immobile?

Do you know anyone who's stuck? Is it you?Dr. Cloud suggests that there's a way out of this hole. Better yet, a way to determine that you won't wind up in this ditch in the first place. He puts it this way: "The first step that will motivate you to do what is necessary is to see that what you are doing has no hope of getting what you want." He goes on and adds that "...it does not take courage to stop doing what you know is not going to work." Let that soak in for a moment. If we are seeking, pursuing, and seeing the ideal - and we are courageous enough to see things realistically, for what they really are - we will have a much better opportunity to not only determine our desired destination, but just as crucial, the path and steps that will get us there. And hidden in that last statement is the key: We have to see things as they are, not as we want them to be. Not future things, but what's right NOW - what's staring us straight in the face. Jack Welch - arguably the greatest CEO of the 20th Century - had a first rule of business: "Face reality". This drives a stake straight into the heart of what I mentioned a moment ago: You have to know where you are to know where you're going. Not where you want to think you are - what your desired Utopian reality is - but the actual state of things in your life, your business, your marriage, or your church.

Can you see things clearly? If not, what's clouding your vision?

I highly recommend Dr. Cloud's book to anyone in a position of leading - a family, a business, a church or ministry, or any situation of leadership.

Sifted Like Wheat

2011-10-04T21:31:00.001-05:00

This past Sunday we started a brand new series, A Misplaced Joy. This series is based off a brand new book (of the same name) written by a close friend of mine, Ryan McCoskey. I'll be sharing with you really soon how you can get a copy of the book. And trust me, you really want to read this book! This post stems from my first message, The Betrayed & Denied.

Have you ever wondered how Peter could have arrived at the point of denying Jesus? How could the man closer to Christ than any other human wind up disowning Him - pretending he didn't know Him? [Hang with me for a moment, but think about Job. Do you remember that God literally asked Satan, "Have you considered my servant, Job?" In other words, "What do you think about Job? Have you seen how he reveres and trusts and follows me? What are you going to do about it?" Other than saying, "You can't kill him", Job's Creator basically gave the devil access to do with him whatever he wanted. He let Satan test Job.] Now, back to Peter. How could he wind up in this dark place? I'd like to suggest and submit exactly how this happened. Check out Luke 22:31-32:

"Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers."

Peter - Satan came and asked me if he could have full access to you. He wants to see what you're made of - to see if you'll stand. I didn't say no. I didn't turn him away. BUT...I'm praying for you! You have to walk through this fire. You have to find out for yourself what it means to follow me. And Peter, when - not IF - but WHEN you turn back to me, strengthen your brothers and your friends.

So here's the thing: If you're a follower of Jesus Christ, there will be a time - mark it down - when the Lord will allow you to be "sifted like wheat". He will allow the Enemy to find out what you're made out of - to see if you will stand. And in the sifting - in the testing - you may find yourself beaten down, feeling alone and desperate, ready to give in and give up. But...you will NOT be alone. And as Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 4, you will NOT be crushed. And WHEN you come through the fire and walk through the testing, you will actually be stronger. And Jesus longs for us to hear His words and His heart in these moments: I will restore you. And even though you don't understand this, you need this. It won't be easy. In fact, it will possibly be the most painful thing you've ever endured. But...I'll walk through it with you.

Have you been "sifted like wheat"?
Are you prepared to walk through this in order to truly follow Jesus?
This is what it means to live in the Kingdom.

Ready (Once Again) to Bring It!

2011-09-30T20:44:00.002-05:00

I'm not sure how long it's been since I've taken a week off from the blog, but it's been awhile. Incredibly ironic that just a few weeks ago I finished reading and reviewing Bryan Allain's new eBook, "31 Days to Finding Your Blogging Mojo!", that I would decide now to take a break. In all honesty, it's been a blessing. I've stepped back & really assessed the question, "Why am I writing this on this blog in the first place?" It's been a breath of fresh air for me. I can't wait to start a brand new conversation with you about HOW and WHY and WHERE we see the Kingdom of God springing up all around us, IN us, and THROUGH us! So, I'm ready - once again - to bring it!

My Men's Group is reading the book Spiritual Discipleship, by Oswald Sanders. I believe this is a foundational book for any Christ-follower (along with Spiritual Maturity & Spiritual Leadership). This morning I was reading through what Sanders lists as the core principles of a disciple of Jesus Christ. As he's talking about the example Christ set for us, he makes this observation: "Only twice in scripture is Christ specifically stated to be our example: once in connection with service, and, significantly, the other in connection with suffering (1 Peter 2:21)." He goes on to say that "most of us would have no objection to being a master or a mistress, but servanthood and slavery have little attraction. And yet that is the way the Master went. He knew that such an other worldly concept would not be welcomed by an indulgent and ease-loving world of men. But He did not reduce His standards to attract disciples."

I've been challenged to ask myself (deeply) lately, "Is this the Jesus I'm following?" In fact, there are times I wonder if maybe I've - without realizing it - been expecting Jesus to follow me. This wouldn't look the same. My way would be easier. A LOT easier! Jesus served. Jesus suffered. And Jesus told His disciples, "No servant is greater than his master." (John 13:15-16) So, what Jesus am I following?

What Jesus are you following?

The Death Penalty

2011-09-23T11:35:00.002-05:00

Troy Davis was executed in Georgia this week. He was charged for the 1989 murder of an off-duty police officer. This case brought the open wound of the death penalty painfully back out into the public eye and, as a result, provoked countless conversations and arguments on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. As a pastor and as a Christ-follower, my views about the death penalty have changed over the last few years. As the news of Davis's death spread all over the internet and local and national news on Wednesday evening, I posted this on Twitter:

I do not support the death penalty. Hard to go to sleep when justice is perverted.

My comment raised some reactions and questions. Some asked, "In this situation or in every situation?" Others wanted to know how I came to this conclusion. What about the Old Testament? Genesis 9:6 says, "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image." (ESV) To put it into everyday language: "...you must execute anyone who murders another person, for to kill a person is to kill a living being made in God's image." (NLT) While this is true, we also know that Christ came along and established a NEW covenant with us - his people. An eye for an eye was addressed head-on by Jesus in Matthew 5. So are there times, situations, or circumstances where retribution is justified? When the death penalty is OK in the eyes of God? Here are my thoughts.

Jesus said in John 3:17, "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him." As Father Demetri Kantzavelos puts it in The Revolution: A Field Manual for Changing Your World, "The church can minister to living persons, corrupted as they may be. But the Church cannot call the dead to repentance and cannot visit and minister to them as Jesus taught." There are murderers every single day who come to repentance and faith in Christ. If they were dead, this wouldn't happen. Are there times when an individual has so severely brought the hallways of hell to someone else's doorstep that they simply deserve to die? I don't know. Those are difficult words for a control freak to say, so I repeat them: I DON"T KNOW.

What if the accused - the judged - is actually innocent? Do you know how many death row inmates have now been cleared because of DNA evidence? In all honesty, I don't know the number. All I need to know is ONE.

What if the Lord desired to use their repentance to bring others to faith? Again, I don't know. What about a man like Dennis Rader, the BTK serial killer? I lived in Wichita, KS, for 10 years and watched the aftermath of this man's capture, trial, and imprisonment. Does he deserve to die? Does he deserve the death penalty? Probably. But I'm pretty sure that Paul was explicit in Romans 6:23 that "the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord." Apparently, I deserve the death penalty as well. How do we wrestle these things out?

That's the point. We have to wrestle with these issues. We have to dig into the Word and ask the Holy Spirit of God to give us wisdom and discernment...and love and compassion. And you don't have to sit still while you labor through this. Grab a friend from church and get involved in local prison ministry. Write someone in jail a letter. Pray for them!

These are my thoughts. What are yours?
What do you think about the death penalty?

Name-Changer...or Game-Changer?

2011-09-20T13:32:00.001-05:00

Last night I'm catching a little TV and start noticing that Twitter (at least in my little realm & world) is about to blow up with news that the SBC (Southern Baptist Convention) "has announced the appointment of a presidential task force to study the prospect of changing the 166-year old convention's name." While I will admit the name "SBC" is not anything life-changing in itself - and I completely understand the baggage that is accompanied with this name from years of bad press, party affiliation and political intimidation, and just plain flat too much rhetoric AGAINST too many things - I still don't believe this is the answer to the real issues at hand. [BTW - Considering the idea of appointing a presidential task force of my own, just because it sounds so awesome.]

If you know computers - and especially if "You're a Mac" - you know that Apple has gone through some major transitions over the last 15 years. The main one being Steve Jobs returning to the company to focus on (what is now) the MacBook. Let me give you my totally unprofessional (maybe amateur's a better word for it) perspective on this history and situation. Some fundamental decisions had to be made at Apple: We are NOT selling a computer for data, spreadsheets, or mass networking - we are creating and marketing a desktop publishing, creative-thinking, right-brain, top notch machine. We know our target audience and we love them. We are going to do a few things and do them well. And they did. And they still are. Just look at the last 10 years of Apple's rise to the top. Yet, in all of that, take note of this one fact: Changing their name wasn't part of the equation. And most certainly there was years of frustration and baggage that were stapled to their name and identity. The name didn't need to be changed. It needed to be reborn!

Here's my theory: If the Southern Baptist Convention wants to take a serious, relevant, and realistic look at repairing the reputation of the denomination and beginning to reach thousands (if not millions) whose views and perceptions are tainted (at minimum), then changing the name doesn't mean squat. It's time to make some fundamental, grassroots changes - mainly in the realm of HOW you do things. It hasn't been the WHAT that's damaged the SBC's name - it's been the HOW. It's become known for what it stands against, and (worse) HOW it stands against it. It's become known as the Republican Party's Godfather, with the Religious Right standing in the wings, waiting to pounce. We've been shouting on street corners for 3 decades now - first against divorce, then abortion, then homosexuality, followed by gambling, then abortion and homosexuality. We've protested and denounced Disney (while on vacation there). Some in the SBC lash out at Rick Warren, while others deify him. The name - three little letters - isn't the problem. And it's certainly not the solution. Let me give you a few more examples:

Chad Ochocinco - Yeah. That was helpful.
Chaz Bono - Sorry, but I still know you're Chastity and God intended you to be a woman. Now I'm just scared of you.
Cru - Possibly the most ridiculous thing I've heard in a LONG time!
John Cougar - John Cougar Mellencamp - John Mellencamp (I'm confused.)
Prince - The Artist Formerly Known as Prince - ?????????? (You do have to admit, that symbol was catchy!)

I could go on. You get the point. And I'm fully aware that biblically this is a very familiar, even significant concept - name-changing. Saul became Paul. Simon became Peter. Abram became Abraham. This is by NO means an idea that God is opposed to. That said, it's very difficult for me to believe that until the very fundamental makeup and fabric of HOW things are done is changed - AND this becomes a very present and evident reality in the eyes of those previously hurt, wounded, or offended - no one's going to be fooled. Here's the bottom-line: If this name change is begin considered simply because of the baggage that goes along with it, it is senseless. You still have to tend to the baggage! But if this is being considered because the SBC is saying, "It's time to begin a whole new season and era of ministry and living out the Gospel together"...then I might see it differently. SBC: Do you want to be a name-changer? Or a game-changer? Figure that out first.

What are your thoughts?

A False Gospel

2011-09-16T13:19:00.002-05:00

If you want to stir up a hornet's nest (which would be a really stupid thing to actually attempt) or cause some mild controversy, just start talking bad about who or what's popular. My last post, I Love Joel Osteen, started several "conversations" on Facebook and (especially) Twitter. This completely reinforces my conviction that I need to further explain the dangers I see in the false gospel that is being preached today and kicking the borders of this conversation out even wider than they already are. So if you didn't read the first post, start there. If you have, let's keep talking.

We know that 2 Timothy is one of - if not THE - last letters that Paul wrote before his death. Near the end of his letter (4:1-4) to his young disciple he writes, "I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus...: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For a time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching - will no longer listen to right teaching - but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths." (ESV) Or as the NLT puts it, they will "look for teachers who will tell them whatever they want to hear." Friends, that time is no longer coming. It's arrived. The reason, plain and simple, that millions of people flock to see and hear Joel Osteen and trip over themselves to get his newest book is because he's telling them what they want to hear. YOU are good. YOU should be happy. You DESERVE to be happy. In fact, GOD wants you to be HAPPY! And if you just believe it, name it, and claim it - if you just make that declaration of what it is you want God to do for you - then for heaven's sake, He's going to do it. Every day can be Friday! (Whatever the heck that means.) And as you've surely heard by now, you can start living "Your Best Life, Now!"

While I know some are deeply struggling with understanding how this can be bad and wrestling with accepting that this is a stone cold lie, I want to spend the next few posts conversing and discussing why this is a FALSE GOSPEL and is leading people further away from the TRUTH.

Let's start simple. In Matthew 16:24, Jesus tells his disciples, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross, and follow me. If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will find true life." (NLT) In essence, Jesus says to the withering crowd who have expressed deep interest in following Him, "To be MY follower, you have to put yourself, your interests, your ambitions, your wants - your LIFE - on the cross. If you want to know what real life looks like, you've got to give yours up." Does this in any way, shape, form, or fashion sound like Jesus is saying, "You know, if you would just believe it and claim it, God will make you happy. He wants you to be happy!" I'm not reading that in there anywhere. Not seeing it. And in light of the message being preached at Lakewood and elsewhere - a message that is encouraging people to believe that God wants to "bless you" with all that stuff you really want - Jesus goes further here and says, "For what will a man profit if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?" (ESV) For those who watch, read, or listen to Joel Osteen, I would submit this question to you: Have you EVER heard anything mentioned about your soul? About denying your wants for the sake of being used for the Kingdom of God? Have you ever heard anything said about "taking up your cross"? [Think about it.] Hold this up to the light against the titles of many of Joel's books:

"YOUR Best Life Now"
"It's YOUR Time!"
"Becoming a Better YOU"

This is the clearest, most compassionate way I know how to state it: When the Gospel I'm believing is not calling me to advance GOD'S Kingdom, it's because somewhere along the road it has led me to become consumed with advancing, protecting, and defending MY kingdom! And MY kingdom is rusting, decaying, and dying a slow but certain death. (Matthew 6:19-24)

If you hold the Prosperity Gospel up to the light of the TRUE Gospel of Jesus Christ, what is it that you see?

I Love Joel Osteen

2011-09-15T13:38:00.002-05:00

There are days I really feel like a hater. So I think I need to clarify something: I love Joel Osteen. And when I say I love him, it's with the same conviction and compelling that is driven through my heart toward every other human being. As a Christ-follower, Jesus teaches me that I'm even supposed to love and pray for my enemies. And no, I don't consider Joel as one of my enemies. In his defense, he doesn't have a clue who I am. (Although, I think Joel would like me. We both have fairly nice teeth.) But here's where our roads wind up diverging and we end up in 2 completely different worlds: Joel is preaching a false Gospel. And as a Christian, pastor, and one who is called to "preach the word", I am also called to point out and expose ANYTHING claiming to be the Gospel that misses the mark. [See Colossians 2:4, 2 Timothy 4:1-5, 2 Peter 3:13-17]

Last night I happened to catch Robin Roberts' latest interview with the Houston mega-church pastor. You can watch it HERE. Incredibly, for a few brief moments, Joel was actually sounding a bit orthodox. But of course, that all came crashing down in an instant. When asked about the massive multi-million dollar production that is Lakewood Church, and the well-oiled production that goes into their services, Osteen made this statement: "If Jesus were here today, he'd have the big production; the lights." (Wha....?) While Jesus spent his entire ministry saying things that turned more and more people away - while He repeatedly insisted that people who were healed NOT turn the spotlight on His works - while He got on the floor, wrapped a towel around His waist, and told His disciples that if they truly wanted to lead they had to serve - somehow Joel walks away from that Jesus in those Gospels with the idea that He would welcome the LED's, flashers, and spotlights all being pointed at Him. This is only the latest in a multitude of misguided comments that lead me to wonder if Joel Osteen really knows who Jesus Christ is and what He calls us to as His followers.

Joel: "God wants you to be happy!" (Interview)
Jesus: "God wants you to be holy." (1 Peter 1:14-16)

I do NOT hate Joel Osteen. But I do hate, abhor, and detest anything that presents itself as the Word of God or the Gospel that is not ROOTED in the truth of God's Word or the sin-redeeming, life-changing, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Much more to add to this conversation.
What are your thoughts and views on this?

31 Days to Finding Your Blogging Mojo (eBook Review)

2011-09-14T11:24:00.000-05:00

Here's the deal: I'm a blogger. There, I said it. I blog. I purposefully and intentionally created and write on this site for a reason. I'm constantly compelled to (and love to) challenge and encourage people - particularly Christians - to see the world through the lens of the Kingdom of God. I want to encourage every person who calls themselves a Christ-follower to see the everyday opportunities to Bring the Kingdom of God wherever they go! That's why I blog. So, yes...I'm a blogger. Wow! That felt good.

I don't think I've ever had the courage and wherewithall to actually state those words. Until now. Why? Simple. I just read Bryan Allain's brand new eBook, "31 Days to Finding Your Blogging Mojo". And to put it simply, it's awesome! If you aren't familiar with Bryan, the first thing I'll tell you about him is he's hilarious! Not funny. My hairstyle (or lack of) is funny. Bryan makes me LOL, ROFL, and throw out a few OMG's almost every time I read something he writes. Along with his high score of 9 out of 10 on the Humor Meter, Bryan is a blogger. For 10 years he's been pumping out content that is encouraging, challenging, and most of all...will make you laugh until it hurts! In this eBook he not only gives a ton of insight and wisdom into the world of blogging, he has packed it with 31 days (thus the title) of practical tips, exercises, and plans-of-action to take your blogging skills to the next level.

Now I have to be honest - I shot through this eBook in 2 days, mainly so I could write this review. But I now plan to go back through it with a fine-tooth comb. That said, I have already been reinvigorated and reminded of WHY I blog, been challenged to make sure that I remain focused on WHO I'm writing to and WHY, and get even more specific about the question, "What is it you blog about?" Bryan packs this book with tips on content, audience, writing perspective, staying fresh and creating new ideas, learning to utilize the cosmos-sized resource of the internet, and tons more. And he gives all of this to you in bite-size, daily digestible servings - ALL crammed packed with one-liners that you'll wish you thought of. Like I told you: Hilarious!

If you're a blogger, consider yourself a writer, think your voice needs to be heard, or even if you're just considering an entrance into the world of blogging, "31 Days to Finding Your Blogging Mojo" is a MUST-READ!

You can pick it up on the books website: 31 Days to Finding Your Blogging Mojo
Or grab it on Amazon for your Kindle: Kindle Version
Go get it. NOW!

Sometimes, I Suck!

2011-09-12T20:43:00.001-05:00

In reality - if I'm being honest - I don't really think I suck. But it sure feels that way. Sometimes, as a parent, it just feels like you must be the most clueless individual on the face of the planet. You think, "Lord, I discipline my children. I teach them right from wrong. I don't exasperate my kids and try and rule over them, but I'm not trying to just be their buddy either. I'm giving this my everything!" And sometimes - on those days that come for all of us - it just seems like our everything isn't enough. It's like a punch in the gut. Or the face. Or maybe a kick to the gut and a punch to the face. All at the same time. And you put them to bed, sit down at your laptop and think, "Man. Sometimes, I suck." Been there?

We all feel this at some point. At least anyone attempting to raise their children to know the Lord and to walk in obedience and be respectful is going to face this day more than once. Some of us go from having those days to having those years. This is why Solomon said: "Train your child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it." (Prov.22:6) When he's old?! How long do I have to wait on this? That's what we're wondering, those times when we feel like we're giving it our all and our all seems like one quarter of everyone else's all. But this is a lie from the enemy and the pit of hell itself. It's deceit. It's misperception on our part. But it's also evidence that - even if it's just for a brief moment in time - we've started trying to do this on our own strength. It probably wasn't intentional, but most likely, while wallowing in my parental self-pity party (which is a satan-born idea as well) I've started trying to do it myself. I've stopped praying. And I don't mean the pre-dinner acknowledgement that we're still aware that God's there and He's huge and "we thought we'd throw a big shout-out to you for the food, big guy!" I'm talking about begging the Spirit of God to pour out wisdom and discernment and patience and strength on us like we've never known before. "Jesus! Help me! Help me to be the father they need! Help me to have the courage to teach them and discipline them, even when it stabs me in the heart like a dagger! I'm helpless without You!"

That's the kind of prayer I'm talking about.
That's the kind of prayer I'm praying right now.

[And now a special word to a group of people I love with all my heart.]
Teenagers: I love you. And it's out of that love that I say this to you: GROW UP! Respect your parents. Their love for you is so HUGE that it sometimes makes their heart want to explode! They can't explain it or describe it to you if they tried. And even if they did, you wouldn't believe them. Give them a break. Stop adding more drama to your life than a crappy daytime soap opera. Enjoy life! And do it while being obedient and respectful to these human beings who are humbly trying their best to prepare you for life! One day - and I hate even hearing or seeing these words come out of my mouth - you're going to understand. The lightbulb will go off. And you will humbly and painfully realize, "OMG! They were right!" (Cue laughter)

So, coming back to the point, being a parent is hard work. It's the hardest job on the planet! And sometimes we feel like we're so lousy at it that we might get fired. If that's possible. But thankfully, God's grace and love and power are so much greater than our inadequacies and our failures. Thank You, Jesus!

Been here lately? Feeling this way now?
I'd love to pray for you!

Necessary Endings

2011-09-08T12:14:00.004-05:00

If you frequent my blog and have wondered or thought, "Brian sure isn't saying much lately", people who are closest to me would probably retort, "Call it a miracle and count your blessings!" Truth is, the last few days and weeks I've just felt overloaded and - at times - even overwhelmed. Not with things to do, but with ideas, thoughts, and issues running through my mind. Trying to take the Proverbs to heart, I've considered it wisest to keep my words to myself as I'm trying to even process what they are. All that to say, I've been doing quite a bit of thinking and praying.

Earlier this week, (as I've attempted to resurface from my internal think tank) at the recommendation of Tony Morgan I've started reading the latest book from Dr. Henry Cloud, Necessary Endings. Only a little over 1/3 of the way through the book, I can already tell you that it is affirming much of what I have already believed and practiced, challenging me with several new ideas and viewpoints, and will be a tool I use with our staff in the coming weeks and months. While I will go into more detail in future posts, I wanted to simply throw a very general (yet life-changing) idea out to you as this new season is approaching:

What is there in your life right now - what relationship, circumstance, habit, routine, practice, misuse of time, method (you get the picture) - that if it came to an end...would be a benefit to you?

So many things in life come to an end. My son finished preschool a year and a half ago. He initially didn't want to go to Kindergarten. But (call us crazy!) believing it was in his best interest - and the law - we sent him on to school. Now he LOVES school! (Which I'm planning to get him to testify to on video so I can show it to him a few years from now.) Preschool had to end so school could begin. Often, a not-so-bad habit has to begin so that a great one can take root. Many times, a relationship that has become toxic in your life has to come to a (painful) close so that healing can take place and new - BETTER - relationships can grow.

In a few weeks I will cut back several of the bushes in my yard. To the non-gardner it will possibly look like I just went crazy, whacking them to pieces. But what I'll be doing is trimming off the dead weight, getting rid of every bit of mediocre growth. The result: When Spring arrives, only the best, choicest limbs and vines will be the recipient of what the roots have to offer. And those bushes and flowers will come back even stronger and more beautiful than ever before.

So here's the thought or question: What necessary ending could take place in your life RIGHT NOW to begin the healing, restoration, or growth that you desperately need?

nothingwrong

2011-09-01T12:19:00.000-05:00

We kicked off our fall season at The Brook with a brand new sermon series called nothingwrong. We've had several people ask, "What in the world is this about?" I wanted to give some insight into the purpose and meaning behind this series, share a little about what we've experienced so far, and see if it resonates with you.

I'd like to tell you that every sermon series I preach is inspired by a weeklong journey out into the desert with nothing more than a Camelbak and my Bible. That would be a bit of a stretch. Sometimes I am fully inspired by very lengthy times alone in God's Word. This is especially evident when doing a series like Nehemiah or Numbers. But with this series, it all hit me in the gym with my headphones blaring in my ears. Truth be told, I owe this one to the Holy Spirit and Jimmy Eat World. The lyrics of their song, "Nothingwrong" hit me right in the gut: "We've done nothing wrong, but we've done nothing. We can't look away, but we're just looking. It's second nature to say, we've done nothing wrong!" As I'm lifting weights, this idea and conviction becomes pretty clear to me - this is our default nature. So many times we're so subconsciously hung up on doing nothing wrong that we don't do anything at all. And as a Christ-follower, I have this deep reaching conviction that at the end of my life I would rather be counting the risks I took and the sacrifices I made rather than being pridefully disillusioned by my (false) innocence.

Jesus drilled this point home in the Parable of the Talents. The guy who stuck his head in the sand and buried the Master's money was rebuked and kicked out of the Kingdom. That's SERIOUS! And what he'd been given was taken away and given to the faithful servant - the one who risked and sacrificed. Which servant do you want to be?

So far in our series we've looked at Peter's willingness to step out of the boat (Matthew 14) and walk on water. Peter wasn't paralyzed by the possibility of sinking, but captivated by the idea of getting to Jesus no matter the risk. James and John nearly got punched out by the other disciples because of their audacity to ask Jesus for something ridiculous like "sitting at his right hand" in heaven. Sure, we know it was arrogant and misguided, but they didn't. At least they had the guts to ask! (James 4:2-3). Last week we looked at Thomas - you know, "Doubting Thomas" - and his honesty - and saw that while he struggled with doubt, he never stopped seeking Jesus. Our doubts don't disqualify our faith, they actually strengthen it! (And I need to interject here that I've been overwhelmed by the feedback from this sermon and the response this past Sunday as a result. It was awesome!)

If you'd like to listen to any of these messages, you can go to our website, download the Sermon.net App for your smartphone, or grab the podcasts off iTunes. They're ALL available right HERE!

In the following weeks we'll be looking at Anger & Confronting, Wisdom & Understanding, and the call of Reputation Risking. I'm wondering, what areas of life do you most wrestle with apathy or complacency? When and where do you find yourself paralyzed in fear rather than empowered with courage...ready to sacrifice for the sake of Jesus Christ and His Kingdom? After all, if we get to the end of our life, look back and think, "I've really done nothingwrong", then most likely, we've just done nothing!

The Most Amazing Thing

2011-08-30T13:25:00.001-05:00

Being used BY God FOR His Kingdom is an amazing thing! To see the God of all creation - who created you just as He wanted you, with His own purposes in mind - take your life and use it for the sake of His glory is mind-blowing. And yesterday I wrote about the way He faithfully fills us and equips us with just the right tools to accomplish whatever it is He is calling us to say or do. But today I want to put a WARNING label on that idea and call your attention to something that we must guard our hearts against as God is working THROUGH us. There's a story in Luke that brings it all to light.

In Luke 10 there's a story of Jesus sending out 72 disciples - appointed messengers. They were sent out to preach the Gospel and announce the coming of the Kingdom of God. When they return, they are awestruck and dumbfounded. Some of them even tell Jesus, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!" They were like little kids who just learned how to ride their bikes - only they could ride a wheelie the first day. "Jesus, this is AWESOME! We were healing people and telling demons to 'Go to hell'! Thanks for the powers!" Remember when Peter Parker first figures out that he can jump, swing, and fly? He goes a bit overboard. He forgets about the "responsibility" part because he is so captivated by the "power". Some of these disciples came back the same way. Knowing their hearts and sensing the potential danger, Jesus cautions them. He essentially says, "Yes, I've given you authority over the earth and even the enemy. And I've given it to you for the sake of MY NAME!" But then He goes on and says to them, "Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." Jesus wasn't trying to burst their bubble. But He wanted to make sure that they weren't losing sight of the most amazing part of it all. Jesus brought their eyes back to the big picture. He was saying, "Don't you dare miss the most amazing thing about all of this!"

Ultimately what Jesus was communicating to these messengers was this: While it's amazing to be used BY God - to see Him work THROUGH your life by the power of the Holy Spirit - this pales in comparison to the fact that your names are now written in the Book of Life. Seeing the Lord use your life for His Kingdom doesn't even touch the fact that because of what Christ has done, we are now actually part of His Kingdom. We are sons and daughters of the living God! He has called us His own! We are a treasured prize! And while we may be residents of this decaying earth, we are now citizens of Heaven! What God desires to do THROUGH your life is undoubtedly indescribable. But what He does IN our lives to take us from death to life - from sinful and depraved to sanctified and victorious - is the greatest news to ever touch our ears. (There's a reason we call it the "Good News"!)

I hope and pray that the Lord uses you (and I) for great things - to change the world around us for the sake of His Name and His Kingdom. But more than that, I pray we live daily in awe of the miracle of redemption in our lives - that Jesus has purchased us with His life, His body, and His blood. The payment was enough. It was made in full. And because of Him, I'm now a citizen of Heaven. AMAZING!

The Right Tools

2011-08-29T16:58:00.002-05:00

For my birthday this year my wife got me an inversion table. AWESOME! And after 3 weeks of waiting...it finally arrived at the house. As excited as I am about being able to use this potentially life-changing device, it was like a sucker punch to the gut when I read 2 of my least favorite words in the whole world on the box: ASSEMBLY REQUIRED. (There should be a law against having to put your birthday present together. I'll save that issue for another day.) I finally got the nerve to open the box, spread out all the parts, dive into the Instruction Manual, and give it a go. Once I had all the pieces laid out in front of me, I noticed this really obscure looking tool. It looked like a reject from the Catalog of Stupid Tools. Not that there is such a thing. But if there was, this tool would be on page 2 or 3. But I thought, "Well, it's in the box. So It must be good for something!" You would think that would be the case. But you'd be wrong. After 15 minutes of trying to use this stupid wannabe wrench, I was ready to throw it through the wall. I finally gave up in frustration and went and got a monkey wrench & a crescent wrench and tried to fake my way through it. (Just so we're clear: the inversion table is still in pieces on my bedroom floor.) So, my first point in all of this is simple: I believe the words ASSEMBLY REQUIRED will be on the wall in hell.

While my frustration with the unnamed manufacturer who failed to give me the proper tools OR instructions is still eating away at me, this little incident has reminded me of one of the incredible aspects of God's greatness and love toward us: He NEVER calls us to anything - to do or say or accomplish anything - that He doesn't also equip us to fulfill. NEVER! Now there are some things we have to be mindful of in our understanding of this. God equips us for HIS purposes, not our own. He calls us to HIS mission, not the things that we temporarily get all excited and fancy about. He gives us words when we feel like we have none. He gives us courage when we think we're ready to wet our pants and pass out. God takes armies of 10,000 and reduces them to 300 so that it's crystal clear that HE brought the victory, not us. HE is the one who equips. And He does it fully and completely and however He sees fit. He ALWAYS gives us the right tools! The thing that He asks of us: OBEDIENCE. Answer the call. Step out in faith. Say "Yes, Lord!" even when "No way!" seems like the only logical and reasonable conclusion. OBEDIENCE. And faithfulness. And don't wait. Often, He doesn't hand us or fill us with what we need until the moment we need it. He's like that sometimes. It's so there won't be any wonder or confusion in the matter about who deserves the credit and the glory. Cause we're like that sometimes.

Is the Lord calling you to step out in faith right now?
What's He calling you to do? Where is He calling you to go?
What's stopping you?

I wish God had designed and packaged my inversion table!

FOR RENT

2011-08-17T12:37:00.003-05:00

As a homeowner, there is one thing you loathe to see pop up in your neighborhood: the dreaded FOR RENT sign. It's like a 50-foot tall diseased weed, attaching itself to everything in sight and spreading horror all over suburbia. (OK. Maybe I'm blowing this a bit out of proportion. Humor me.) The reason why we cringe at the sight of this beacon of temporary commitment is because more often than not, it brings with it an array of unwanted "issues". For instance, a friend of mine's dad has a rental house. Recently the tenants moved out after a couple of years of renting. When they went in to clean it up, to ready it to be put back on the market, they were floored. The house was like a war zone. The yard was unkept, the carpets and floors were disgusting, and the house was almost unlivable. And inevitably, the neighbors around this house were forced to put up with this for the duration of their stay. There is a vast chasm between a house that's FOR RENT...and a home that's FOR SALE. And going beyond the nature of our living spaces, it seeps into our spiritual mentality as well. Let me explain.

Right now, all over America, there are people who are "church shopping". This Sunday, singles, college students, families dissatisfied with their current church, and even those who are desperately seeking for authentic community who will walk out of their house, get in their car, and (essentially) go shopping - looking for the church that meets their expectations and matches their checklist. And let me be upfront: this is not necessarily a bad thing. Prayerfully and carefully discerning where it is that the Lord wants you and your family to invest and connect is of enormous importance. But where this can go awry - when it begins to become an "issue" - is when you start thinking that the church is FOR RENT. When you just keep dating the church rather than putting all your cards on the table, fully committing yourself. There comes a time when you have to pull the sign out of the yard, make a commitment and say, "This is where I'm investing, where I'm going to grow and serve, and these are the people I'm going to partner with to fight for the Gospel!" It's not an apartment - it's the Body of Christ!

FOR RENT is short for "I'm willing to make a temporary commitment". It's the road paved with "I'm IN, but I want a way OUT." And don't get me wrong - if you're only going to live in town for 9 months, burying yourself in a 30-year mortgage would be (putting it nicely), stupid. This is why they build apartments, why Hertz is in business, and why I go to Lowe's and pay $29 for a post-hole digger for the day. Most days, I don't need a post-hole digger. Seriously. There is a time and a place and a purpose for renting. But your "partnership in the Gospel" and your commitment to the church are not it. The church is NOT FOR RENT.

Are you fully committed to your church family? Do they know it?
Are you still "dating" the church? Are you "renting" a seat on Sundays? Or are you ALL in?

Conduct A Premortem

2011-08-16T16:15:00.005-05:00

Postmortem - After death. Depressing, huh. If you watch enough crime shows you know that the postmortem exam is done to determine the cause of death. Gary Klein, in his book "Sources of Power: How People Make Decisions", says that conducting Premortems are a much better idea. In fact, they can keep you from ever having to fool with wondering about the cause of death! In his new book, "Enchantment", Guy Kawasaki (former 'Chief Evangelist' at Apple) references Klein's idea and explains that the "goal of premortems is to prevent the potential problems in order to increase the likelihood of success". I can think of no better place to put this into practice than in your small group!

If you're a group leader, and you've been following along in this series of posts [The Day the Small Group Died], what a great preemptive tool for you to use to head off those pesky small group killers. Here's how you can put this to work for you and your group:

As you begin to meet, talk very realistically with your group about the potential hurdles, distractions, or reasons why your group might begin to decline.
Go further with it: Ask each group member to prayerfully identify some things that might begin to cause them to be inconsistent or unfaithful to their commitment to the group.
As you identify these potential "killers", determine as a missional community to prayerfully watch for these distractors and to have the wisdom to avoid them at all costs.
You can also meet with other group leaders to collectively conduct premortems, giving each other encouragement and accountability to defend your group from declining, imploding, or dying!

When we learn that certain things cause cancer, you'd think that everyone would quit doing those things. But we know differently. There are still countless millions of people smoking cigarettes as we speak. But you - as a leader with conviction for your calling and love for your people - know better. We can identify the issues ahead of time, head them off at the pass, and raise the God-given potential of the community He has placed us in. Don't ever face The Day the Small Group Died! Fight for biblical community!

What are some other ways you could conduct Premortems?

Inward To Outward

2011-08-15T15:46:00.003-05:00

This is Part 3 in the series The Day the Small Group Died.

There is a trend - a movement - right now by many pastors and churches, striving to lead their people in true and authentic biblical ways. This trend is doing away with some of our church language from the last 10-20 years. In fact, it actually somewhat kills the title from this series. (Bummer.) Many churches are doing away with small groups. Yes, you heard it right! No more small groups, life groups, cell groups (never understood that one anyways) and birthing missional communities. This is not to say that they don't HAVE or DO small groups, but that they are no longer calling them by that name. The movement of missional community and one of the core purposes and visions behind it exposes another one of the deadly "small group killers". If you want to ensure that a group will at some point dissipate, implode, or ultimately DIE, here's another way to make sure it happens: Never move the focus of the group from INWARD to OUTWARD. Let me explain.

When you examine the first "small groups" - or being more simplistic, when you look at the first church in the New Testament - there was no segmentation of worshiping, growing, or serving. In other words, you didn't have one group of people you dug into the scriptures with, another that you went out and served the community or did service projects with, and a whole separate group of people you hung out with at the temple. You did LIFE together! You LIVED ON MISSION! And the reason why many groups cease to exist today is that while they got really good at gathering collective knowledge of the scriptures, they never experienced the life-changing transformation that comes with serving each other and serving together. There is a bond created when we serve for the sake of the Kingdom that cannot be forged down any other path. I think Jesus made it clear in John 13 and Mark 10 that not even He "came to be served but to serve, and to give up His life as a ransom for many." The pathway to greatness is through serving. And the road that bonds us together like no other in Christ is that of serving others for His Name sake.

And to take OUTWARD in a bit of another direction, groups have also always got to be purposefully and intentionally taking steps to grow - to reach more people, and to send people out. Groups are called to grow groups! And this doesn't have to mean the stereotypical group "split" that horrifies so many (for just reasons!). But if our groups aren't reaching people, is this not exposing that maybe what we're considering "growth" in our life is actually something counterfeit? The deeper the Gospel is rooted IN us, the more it spreads out FROM us! This is not to say that biblical, missional, small groups will cease to grow inward - that they will stop growing personally or individually. But it does mean that if the focus never moves to being equally OUTWARD, the group is being driven by something other than the Gospel and the Great Commission.

Is your small group moving toward missional community?
If so, would love to hear the intentional steps you're taking in that direction.
If not, what's holding you back?

Raising Up Leaders

2011-08-12T13:32:00.003-05:00

This is Part 2 in the series The Day the Small Group Died. Make sure you read Part 1 first.

Another way to ensure that your small group will eventually bite the dust is to ignore the need - the biblical mandate & calling - to raise up another leader. I don't care how "called" or equipped you are to lead your group, there will come a day, even if it's just for a season, that you are going to need a break. A rest. And someone else will need to step in and lead. Anyone who argues this is just fooling himself. But hopefully this isn't our main motivator. The unstoppable force that should be driving us to invest in, disciple, and equip another believer is that it's what Jesus modeled, exemplified, and told us to do!

Forgive me for (feeling like I'm) beating a dead horse, but for far too long we have underestimated and devalued the importance and significance of pouring ourselves into one person. Let's face it: We're a "Kill 2 birds with 1 stone" society. Right? We're multitasking microwavable people! 1 person? Isn't that like massively underutilizing my resources? While it may feel that way here in our Western 4G Intel Processor world, the long answer is...NO!

As a pastor and as a leader of leaders - as someone who believes with every fiber of my being that I am literally called to carry out Ephesians 4:12 - not many things pains & grieves my heart more than seeing a small group dissipate and die. It's not only an indictment on the leader, it's a wake-up call for me as the leader of the leader. This is why from Square One we have to be unwavering and determined that we are raising up leaders with passionate conviction who will stand their ground, dig in, refuse to bail out, and will pour their heart, soul, and life into that of another. We can do all the Sunday Schools and small groups we want to, but if lives are not being invested in one-on-one, the fruit on the tree (if there's any there at all) will eventually begin to wither and die.

To speak practically for a moment, there a hundreds of ways to go about this. You don't need to take a person to lunch, look them deeply in the eye and drop the bomb on them: "I want to equip you to lead so that eventually I can hand the group off to you and I can sit back in my chair and take it easy." Uh, no. If you're a leader, you already probably have a great idea who it is in your group that has potential to lead. Ask them to co-lead with you. Take them to lunch once a month and simply invest in their walk and in their faith. Dig deeper into scripture with them - deeper than you do with the rest of the group. If you're going out of town, ask them to lead the discussion while you're gone. You don't need to throw them into the deep end all at once. Walk them slowly out into the ocean...and enjoy the stroll. Don't get me wrong - this will require some patience. It probably won't go as quickly as you want it to. And it could even get messy! But it will all be worth it when you watch the Lord use you to raise someone else up that He begins to use. It's powerful! And humbling. And life-changing. Their life...and yours!

Who are you investing in? Pouring your life into?
Did someone make this investment in you as a leader?

The Day the Small Group Died

2011-08-11T10:05:00.003-05:00

Let's face it; for some reason that goes against everything we hope and desire and know to be right in this world, some small groups die. And sometimes we don't even see it coming. But if we're being honest and realistic and shooting straight with ourselves and each other, most of the time you can see it coming a mile away. In light of this, we need to start a conversation - we need to get down to the bottom of why this happens - so that we no longer have to dread the arrival of The Day the Small Group Died!

In this first post I hope to shed light on some motives of leadership that can play a significant role in the success or failure of a group. This week in our Leader Huddle we talked about 3 Motives of Leading & Serving: Guilt-driven, Needs-based, and Passionate Conviction. Many people step up (and out) to lead or to give of themselves with the greatest of intentions - their motives (as far as they know) are completely pure. And other times, while people come forward to serve, there isn't a clear understanding as to WHAT they're volunteering to do. This may be their fault for not reading between the lines. Or it may be someone else's fault, for making the fine print so small that a microscope can't find it or even detect it. Regardless, when it comes to leading a small group - leading, loving, enduring, and fostering true biblical missional community - it is essential that we know WHAT it's going to demand of us and WHY we're even signing up to begin with. With that, let's talk about these 3 Motives.

Guilt-driven leadership is fairly simple to understand: someone put you in a position or made you feel like you had to do it. We've all been driven to do something by guilt. And it's not always bad. If I do the laundry for my wife because I'll feel guilty if I don't, well, that's OK. I should have done it anyway! When you say "Yes" to that kid in your neighborhood who rings your doorbell and pleads, "Do you want to buy some flower bulbs to help me raise money for a new tetherball pole for our playground?", it's not because you actually WANT flower bulbs! (Or maybe you do. If so, no offense.) But when it comes to stepping forward to lead a small group, if you took that responsibility out of guilt, a few things are ultimately going to happen: 1) You're eventually going to burn out, get frustrated, probably wind up bitter with the person who guilted you into it, and walk away from your group. There will be more damage and wounds than there is growth and life-change. 2) And the people you've supposedly been leading will wind up hurt, feeling betrayed, and probably a whole lot less likely to open themselves up to being part of true community again. If you're currently leading out of guilt, get out NOW!

Leading or serving from a Needs-based perspective is all too common. So many of us are rescuers that we see a need and we respond. And in many cases, this can be a good thing. A GREAT thing! Maybe your church desperately needs preschool workers for the summer - a 10 week commitment - and you know that you can see this through. Awesome! Sign up today. I have a friend who is about to embark on his first coaching experience - 5 year old boys soccer. There's no one who will coach the team. So he's going to do it, if for no other reason than for his boys to be able to play. The unique aspect of these situations is that there's an end in sight. They know that this is going to be over in 10 weeks. 8 weeks. 6 months. But if you step in to leading a small group simply because you "saw a need" and thought you'd be the one to rescue everyone, fasten your seatbelt. It's eventually going to wear you out! Because leading a small community of believers in life together (as I see it in Acts) doesn't have a 9-month contract. Don't get me wrong; there's an END. It's called the return of the King! The only way for the leader and the group to survive or sustain (or much less GROW) through a temporary leader is if that leader pours their heart and soul into raising up a NEW leader who steps forward to go the distance. REMEMBER: If you really want to meet people's need, what they really need is someone who shows patient endurance and faithfulness. They need to know you're not going to bail!

Finally, the leaders that wind up being used by the Lord to significantly impact others for the Kingdom are those leading out of Passionate & Compelling Conviction & Vision - those individuals who know and believe, "Even though I'm scared to death...and don't feel equipped to do this...I know that God is calling me to step out in faith and see this happen!" Leaders who determine that "I'm in this for the long haul!" are the ones we're looking for. This doesn't mean your group won't disappoint you. It doesn't mean that you won't have to confront inconsistency and lack of commitment. It doesn't even mean that everyone in your group will show evidence of growth. In fact, you can rest assured that those things WILL happen! And that's when and where your passion and conviction and vision will keep you on your face and wholly dependent on Jesus to sustain you and strengthen you.

I'm pretty sure that NONE of us want to wake up and face The Day the Small Group Died. So in order to avoid this happening, we all need to ask ourselves, "WHY am I doing this?"

WHY are you currently leading or serving where you are?
WHAT will be the ultimate or eventual outcome of that decision?
Is it time for you to step up? Step out?

Turn Up The Heat!

2011-08-10T11:49:00.001-05:00

Capsaicin is the active agent in chili peppers. It's what makes them HOT! And they've found several other ingenious uses for this spicy substance. One being, they turn it into a liquid or creme that you can rub onto sore muscles and joints. The heat goes deep my friends. And it works! [And if you ever unwisely get this liquid fire in your eye, just start screaming like a girl. We'll all understand.] The trick with using this remedy is surviving the first day. Because when you initially apply it to your skin, it will at some point in the first 3-18 hours begin to feel like someone immersed that area of your body in lava. But ironically, when you wake up the next day and it still burns and you think, "There is no way in holy Hades I'm putting anymore of that evil sauce on my body!", that's exactly what you have to do to make it stop burning: Keep applying heat! No, I don't understand it. But it works. The very thing that makes it stop burning is the same thing that made it start burning. Go figure.

Last night I met with many of our Life Group leaders. We talked about some of the tensions that come as we invest in people and disciple them and equip them to step out into leadership. And leading groups of people - being the one who takes responsibility for corralling and fostering community and pushing spiritual growth - can be a tough road. A very long, tough, rocky, frustrating road. And as a leader of leaders, our natural tendency is to want to make that road smoother - to make the pain go away or to turn down the heat. We want to make it all better. But here's the reality: We can't.

If I'm being honest, we probably could. But we can't! It won't ultimately help. In fact, the very thing(s) causing the frustration, the burn - the things that are making the road so rocky - are the tensions that will bring growth, endurance, patience, and conviction. These are the things that God allows in our life to refine us - not just as His people, but in order to be the leader that He's calling us and shaping us to be. In his book, "Life Together", Dietrich Bonhoeffer makes the statement, "It is only when he is a burden that another person is really a brother and not merely an object to be manipulated." Our leaders are going to face frustrations and heartache with the people they're leading. This isn't something to be fixed - it's part of life.

Let me put it this way:
Leaders can't just bail out when things get tough.
And leaders of leaders can't bail out their leaders when things start to get tough. We can't pity them or smother them in sympathy. We have to lead them. And we have to let them know that the heat they're feeling is OK. Sure, it might burn. But the only way through the burn is to keep walking through it.

Have you been tempted to bail?
Press on! Keep going. Don't give up.
2 Peter 1:3-9

Perspective

2011-08-05T11:57:00.005-05:00

We're all familiar with the "Do you see the glass as 1/2 full or 1/2 empty" question. It's a fancy way of decoding optimism & pessimism. Or some would argue it's more about realism and idealism. Either way, we get to face each day, each crisis, each uncertainty - every moment for that matter - with perspective. We have to decide how we're going to look at things. And one thing that drives me crazy is when I live from day-to-day like my perspective is schizophrenic - like I just can't make up my mind how I'm going to see all that's in front of me. And for me, as a Christ-follower, what it really boils down to is what (or WHO) is controlling me. WHO am I living for? Am I seeing all of this through His eyes...or my own.
Here's a sample of 2 completely different perspectives I can have on my day, my circumstances, and my life in general:

Perspective 1

I have a herniated disc in my lower back, a bulging disc in my neck, and scar tissue in my shoulder and if I'm being honest, it really sucks to 38 years (and 364 days) old and be stiff as a board and creak like an old rocking chair.

I'm seeing so much of myself in my children...and it drives me nuts!

Why does it have to be cloudy? I'm sick of the rain! Where's the sun?!

I could go on, but let's not beat a dead horse. (Stupid horse!)

Perspective 2

Lord, thank You that even though it feels like my body is falling apart sometimes, I can still walk, talk, sing, hear, see the beauty in front of me, wrestle with my son, dance with my daughter, and wrap my arms around my beautiful wife! Thank You that I can still exercise and take care of myself.

I see so much of me in my children, and at the same time, I see so much of You, Lord. I see You growing them and shaping them into these magnificent and unique individuals - like no other person who's ever walked this earth. Give me strength to teach them, disciple them, and love them.

Lord, somewhere in the world someone is begging for rain. And here I stand, watching it fall from the sky.

How could I possibly be any more blessed and privileged than I am right now? You provide, protect, strengthen, comfort, and choose to use me. I'll never fully understand why.

What's your perspective?

Do you need a new view of the same scenery?

Remember: The grass isn't greener; those are probably weeds!

Just For Men (Part 2)

2011-07-21T10:39:00.004-05:00

If you missed yesterday's post, read it first: PART 1

While I could go on and on with other lists of things I think we as men need to take care of and attend to, I think I need to skip all of that. Let's get down to business. Over the past several years I've been incredibly frustrated, burdened, and broken over how many women I see spiritually leading their families. And yes, some of them are single moms, who may have been walked out on and left to teach, raise, and provide for their children on their own. I pray that we (as the church) step in and become family for these families. But I'm being a bit more specific with this post. I'm referring to a woman I watched for 10 years, raising her 2 daughters to be Godly servant-hearted women. Modeling what it looks like to be a selfless loving wife and mother. Walking into church every Sunday. Alone. While her husband was ______________. Fishing? Golfing? Sitting on his dead a$% while she faithfully showed her daughters the importance of walking with the Lord. What is this?

I'm thinking about another mom who tried to fight the same battle for her daughter and son - battling (warring) against college football and the country club. And another mom I'm watching fight the same battle right now. These are just the ones that I see - the ones that are right under my nose. How many thousands of women right this moment are walking the road of raising their children to know and follow Jesus Christ...and walking the road alone. Dad's there - physically. But not spiritually. Dad usually even professes faith in Christ. Dad says, "I'm a Christian". He's got proof. He showed up on Easter for crying out loud!

If you're a man, and you call yourself a follower of Jesus Christ, and you're not spiritually leading your family, you're fooling yourself.

I'm not writing this to chastise you, condemn you, or judge you. But I am writing as a brother in Christ to warn you: You are missing the greatest opportunity of your life - to love, teach, and lead your wife and kids to follow and trust in the ONLY One worthy! There will be no regret in your life of greater significance than if you look back and realize that you forfeited this responsibility and privilege. We are called to "make disciples". That begins under our own roof!

If you want to be a man, love the Lord, walk with Him, and lead your family.

Just For Men (Part 1)

2011-07-20T07:45:00.007-05:00

Disclaimer 1: This blog is aimed at no one person. No friend or acquaintance inspired (or provoked) these thoughts or words. So if you read this and wonder, "Is he talking about ME?", No. He is not. This is for ALL men.

Disclaimer 2: Ladies, This post is addressed to men. It is for men to read. But it is also for you - so that you don't have to be the one to say these things. (Or maybe because you're not willing to.) Either way, you probably don't want to read this, but (I hope) you'll be glad I wrote it.

Guys: There are some things that I think all men need to know. And most of these aren't going to be super-spiritual - or spiritual at all! Some of them are (or should be) common knowledge, but it's obvious and apparent that that's not the case. So I'm taking the liberty of sharing some things I think we all should know. If you disagree, great! Would love to hear about it. Hopefully you'll find one golden nugget of semi-mind-blowing proportion in this that will change things a bit for you. (And also note: I have no interest in you becoming the next metrosexual casualty. But it's time we understand that being a MAN doesn't mean you need to be a foul-mouthed, un-groomed barbarian.) Either way, here we go.

1. NO woman wants to know that you trim your EAR & NOSE HAIR - but even more so, they don't want to know that you don't! Some of you may be thinking, "I don't have any hair sticking out of my nose or ears!" Great! But someday, you probably will. And NO ONE wants to see it! That's the reason they make these things called Ear & Nose Trimmers. They're not geniuses; it's just their way of telling us, "Hey buddy. We don't want to see that!"

2. Take care of your FEET! This will not be the manliest thing you ever do. And I'm not telling you to bring it up in the locker room or at the barber shop. But if any other human being besides you has to look at, smell, touch, or be in the same room as your nasty feet, do something about them. They make a thing called a FOOT FILE - it's like sandpaper on a tongue depressor. Buy one. Go on the back porch. Use it. [Repeat] Get the 8 years of dead skin off your feet and - prepare yourself for this one, you big sissy - put some lotion on those bad mommas! Remember: In Jesus' day the thing they took most care of was their feet. So if you're wondering WWJD...? He would tell you the same thing!

3. Stop talking like you're still in high school. Allow me to be more specific: YOU AREN'T IN HIGH SCHOOL ANYMORE! I know, it was cool to fling all sorts of profanity and expletives out there just to get people's attention and create some shock value. The shock has worn off. Seriously. Your use of the F-Bomb or "@#$%*!" in a sentence does nothing other than make you look like an undereducated idiot. And you're not an undereducated idiot! (At least I don't think you are.) So don't talk like one.

What would you add to the list?
More to come....

READ...OR DIE!

2011-07-18T16:34:00.001-05:00

I don't know about you, but when I was in school I hated to read. And when I say "school", I mean all 20 1/2 years of it! K-Seminary. But this crazy thing happened once I finished that part of my journey - once there was no one telling me what to read of that there would be a quiz over it next Thursday. I began to love reading. I started seeing all these windows opening to viewpoints and ideas that I hadn't thought of before. And sometimes I would even read things and think, "I know this already", which is good because it actually makes you feel a little bit smarter. And I'll take all of that I can get. While the 10 years or so after I stopped paying to be a "student" were filled with a newfound desire to read, the last 2 1/2 years of being a pastor has brought me to an even greater level of hunger to be challenged. And I've come to the realization that as a pastor and leader, I have a very simple but profound choice: READ...OR DIE!

Maybe death sounds a bit harsh or drastic to you. Maybe it would help to know that I'm not (necessarily) talking about physical death - like you're going to catch a horrible disease or get pummeled by a train. I'm talking about the death that sets in due to mental or spiritual apathy - the toxic numbness that can spread in and through leaders and pastors who stop being challenged to ask "Why" and who cease to press their creative imagination as to HOW they're reaching people for Christ and HOW they're leveraging the indescribable responsibility of communicating God's Word to those who are willing to listen. We must read or die!

[And before I go further, please understand that everything said in this article is me living under the assumption that you're already disciplined and relishing every moment that's available to you to spend in God's Word. If not, don't read another word of this blog! Go spend time in the Word!]

I wanted to share with you a few books that I've read (or re-read) lately, a few that I consider to be a must-read for anyone in the position of pastoring or leading people, and even a few that you may not like at all.

Lately I've been reading:

"Life Together" by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. (Re-read) I don't know that I've ever read a more foundational mandate for and accurate description of Christian community as it should be. This book challenges me on many levels.
"The Unity Factor" by Larry Osborne. If you're a new pastor or church planter, you can't afford to miss this book. Larry shares so many retrospective insights into his first years of pastoring and how we can effectively develop and cultivate our leadership teams. (Anything he writes, read it!)
"Elders and Leaders" by Gene Getz. Only a chapter or two into this one. While I still consider Strauch's book "Biblical Eldership" to be the best (next to the Bible), so far this seems like it might be a pretty good compliment.

Some books that I believe EVERY pastor &/or Christian leader should read:

"Spiritual Leadership" by Oswald Sanders. My pastor (Dr. Gary Smith) recommended this book to me 12-13 years ago before I left for my first full-time ministry position. I've read it at least 3 times! It is such a pointed and deep insight into the character, integrity, and discipline of a Godly leader.
"Next Generation Leader" by Andy Stanley. Like I said with Larry Osborne, if Andy Stanley writes something, read it. (I would read his diary if he let me!) Number one lesson almost every pastor has to learn is "You can't do it all!" This book reminds us that we were never called to do it all.
"Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire" by Jim Cymbala. If you aren't living a life of prayer, everything else is void. Awesome book!

More books that have made incredible impressions on me:

"Crazy Love" by Francis Chan
"Don't Waste Your Life" by John Piper
"The Radical Cross" by A.W. Tozer
"Church Unique" by Will Mancini
"Visioneering" by Andy Stanley
"The Pursuit of Holiness" by Jerry Bridges

What books are you reading?

What would you recommend?

STOP DIGGING!

2011-07-14T14:02:00.002-05:00

My Dad had more stories from his time in Vietnam than he was willing to share. But one story that he told me on several occasions still sends chills down my spine. One insanely hot day (which in my understanding was descriptive of just about every day he spent there) my Dad had been ordered to finish digging a foxhole. Assuming that, like me, you've never been in a foxhole, this is a large hole in the ground where soldiers can take cover or rally when under fire. (Never actually heard of a fox being in a foxhole. That's weird. Moving on.) So my Dad is digging this foxhole and he's probably about shoulder to neck deep when he throws a pile of dirt and notices in his periphery that the "stick" in the dirt was moving. Not thinking much of it, he just kept digging. Until he noticed out of the corner of his eye that the "stick" was now sitting upright and staring at him. [This is where it gets good.] As you've most likely figured out, this was no stick. No, my friends, it was a king cobra! The mother of all venomous nastiness was staring my father straight in the face. And all he could tell us after that was that he jumped straight out of the hole, ran for his life, and never looked back. [Some 40 years later, that shovel might still be laying in that hole!]

At some point in time, we all start digging a hole. It may be that we get really used to doing something a certain way and don't even remember WHY we started doing it. Maybe for you it started with something you said or did - something you should have humbly shut down, apologized for, or even repented of - and you just kept right on going. Addictions don't start that way; they originate with bad choices and bad habits. This divide didn't grow between you and your spouse because of an argument last week. That was just the final pile of dirt that you hoisted over your shoulder. And if I ever have a heart attack, it won't be because of that one order of waffle fries. You can blame the 10,000 waffle fries that paved the way. So many times there is such a simple starting place for us - the solution to begin growing, recovering, restoring, repairing, or breathing new life is as simple as this: STOP DIGGING!

Here's reality: Most of us aren't going to have a 30 pound poisonous snake to awaken us from our slumber to pry the shovel out of our hand. And while most of us aren't stupid enough to wish for that, what we don't realize is that it might be the thing that saves our life. Or our marriage. Or our career. Or our church. STOP DIGGING! And unless you have said snake drop in to shock life back into you, you're going to need a fresh perspective. And not wanting to drop another bomb on you, but YOU will probably not have that fresh, objective perspective. It will have to come from someone or somewhere else. You may have to ask someone to tell you what you really don't want to hear. [But you DO want to hear it, because you know that you're tired of digging this hole that's leading you to absolutely nowhere!]

Are you currently digging a hole?
Is there a shovel that you know you need to put down?

Take My Advice...

2011-07-12T11:49:00.007-05:00

"Take my advice..." Have you ever heard those words? Have you heard them lately? Sometimes we hear them and roll our eyes, probably because the person saying them says them regularly. People who walk through life constantly trying to give everyone else advice most likely have no concept of how to ask for, take, or even hear anyone else's. Sure, those people are out there. But let's forget about them for a minute. What about the others - possibly many others - who have actually been there, walked through it, have experienced it, and could shed some serious wisdom and light on things for us? Are we listening to them? Taking their advice?

Proverbs 12:15 tells us, "The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice." Wisdom is not only evidenced by seeking out advice, it's often FOUND in the advice. It's discovered in the simple willingness to ask for it. And most of us probably have nothing against hearing advice, yet we sit here rarely receiving any. Why? If we know we could most certainly benefit from the wisdom of others, why aren't they sharing it with us? I think the answer is pretty simple. Here it is:

WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR IT!

Most of the people you know whose advice is probably worth heeding, listening to, and at minimum, prayerfully considering, are also most likely endowed with enough humility that they're not going to come (at least more than once) and try and solicit it to you at your doorstep. They need to know you want it. They're not vacuum salesmen, they're friends. They may have also read Proverbs 12:23, that tells us, "Wise people don't make a show of their knowledge..."

If you've finally reached the conclusion that there are those around you who potentially have something fruitful to share with you, ask them to share it. Don't expect them to just know you're waiting anxiously for them drop their advice bomb on you. It won't happen. If you're never receiving any advice - any Godly, humble, fruitful, prayerful advice - then you're probably not asking for it.

Who's given you good advice lately?

Dig Deeper
Proverbs 13:10, 13
Proverbs 14:12, 15:22

Rested

2011-07-11T15:39:00.002-05:00

It's great to be back home, in the office, and getting back into the swing. But I enjoyed - and desperately needed - that vacation! Several days of mindlessly roaming the beach, playing with my kids, laughing with my wife, eating some great food, and meditating on God's Word were like medicine. Like medicine you actually want to swallow. I'm grateful. And rested. Now let's do this!

Several things to blog about. Start posting tomorrow.

Hope you've had some time to unwind and let the Lord renew your heart!

Miscommunication

2011-06-28T13:43:00.001-05:00

If motive or intent led to actualized and realized perception, we would never miscommunicate. But they don't. So we do. Miscommunicate, that is. At the end of the day it doesn't really matter what you MEANT to say or what you THOUGHT you said. What matters is what people HEAR! What's going to count is what the sponge actually absorbs. And this doesn't just apply to those of us who speak to or communicate with a crowd or the masses. If you're married, this is you! If you lead someone - even just one person - you're in the game. And so for those of us who rely on reducing what gets lost in translation to a microscopic minimum, we have to figure out a way to decipher what is actually getting through. We have to find a path where what we're trying to say begins to parallel what it is we're actually communicating.

One way of reducing the discrepancies is to ASK. Look the person in the face and ask them, "I know what I intended to say here, but what did you understand me saying?" And it may sound juvenile, but it can be life-saving in the long run to even request, "Could you repeat it back to me?" When I look at my 6-year old son, bend down, and say in that loud-talking parent voice, "DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M TELLING YOU?" and he looks back and says, "Uh huh", I haven't finished the job. I know this because most of the times he tells me he understands, he proves not long after this that he really didn't. What I need to say is, "If you understand what I'm asking you to do, explain it to me. What are the consequences if this doesn't happen?" Engage. Ask. Connect.

As a pastor, if I'm not looking for evidence that what's being taught is actually being absorbed, embraced, and lived out, I'm not really shepherding the people God has placed under my care. I'm just barking at them. If we don't search for honest, untainted, objective feedback from those we're attempting to communicate with, we'll go on potentially sounding more and more like white noise. And if the message is as important as we say and believe it is, we better spend a bit more time weighing the method.

Here this: There is a distinct possibility that regardless of your intent or motive in what you're saying and why you're saying it, all the other person may be hearing is "Blah blah blah blah blah"!

QUESTION 1: HOW are you communicating these days?
QUESTION 2: HOW do you know?

Filled

2011-06-27T15:11:00.003-05:00

"...be filled with the Spirit." (Ephesians 5:18)

So, are you? You know...filled with the Spirit? We asked the question yesterday in our services, "What is the Spirit of God doing in your life right now?" Is He bringing you comfort? Convicting you of sin? Leading you on in your understanding and obedience to God's Word? If we claim to be Christ-followers, yet the Holy Spirit is seemingly absent from our daily lives - if everything in our life is explainable - then aren't we missing something? Christ himself told His disciples, "It is to your advantage that I go away" so the Holy Spirit could come and guide us, comfort us, and fill us. Yes, FILL US. That said, what the heck does it mean - what does it look like - to be "filled with the Spirit"?

Paul opens his letter to the Philippians by telling them "...it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and be so pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God." (v.1:9-11) When we come to faith in Christ, we are instantly overtaken by the Spirit of God. Our heart becomes His home. But this doesn't mean we have allowed Him to invade every nook and cranny of our life. We have to willingly surrender every piece of ourselves to Him. Daily. And every time we lay down our life and our self - every time we allow ourselves to be emptied at the foot of the Cross - is an opportunity for the Spirit of God to invade us, indwell us, and to fill us. And evidence of this begins to take shape. Paul wrote explicitly about it in Galatians 5 as he described the "fruit of the Spirit". He says, "Here are the things to look for that will evidence you're growing in your walk with Christ". More importantly, Christ spoke about this as well. Check it out:

"I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.... My true disciples produce much fruit. This brings great glory to the Father. I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. When you obey me, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father and remain in His love. I have told you this so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!" John 15

Don't miss it: The growing doesn't happen without the pruning. The filling doesn't happen without the emptying. But if we allow the Lord to prune us, refine us, empty us...we will be FILLED! We will overflow! And yes, OBEDIENCE leads us to being filled. When you obey God, He will fill you to the point you can't even contain it! I don't know about you, but I want Jesus Christ spilling and spewing over the top out of me, splashing onto every person I come in contact with.

So, what is the Spirit of God doing in your life right now?

Empty

2011-06-23T22:19:00.008-05:00

I just spent a week preaching at a youth camp. It was incredible! I hope and pray that the Lord used me half as much as He taught me. It was a HUGE encouragement to watch a friend leading - and not having to lead. I made some great new friends and had some amazing conversations. I was truly blessed by the students who were there from FBC Cleveland (TN, that is). Camp Cherokee was a much needed experience for me.

Now...I'm exhausted!

I don't think it hit me until this afternoon how absolutely wiped out I am.
At some point when you're not paying attention - like a 10 minute window - you all of a sudden get like 10 years older and your body mocks you. Not just physically, but emotionally as well. Like someone pulling the drain plug out of the bathtub. A really old bathtub.

Empty.
But a GOOD empty!
Emptied so that He can fill me again.

D.L Moody said, "I believe firmly that the moment our hearts are emptied of pride and selfishness and ambition and everything that is contrary to God's law, the Holy Spirit will fill every corner of our hearts. But if we are full of pride and conceit and ambition and the world, there is no room for the Spirit of God. We must be emptied before we can be filled."

Thank You, Lord.

Are you taking time to be filled?

Have you been emptied at all lately?

Update on Mom

2011-06-18T08:07:00.003-05:00

These are pictures of Mom's car as it sits in it's new home, the automobile graveyard. Thankfully she is in better shape than the Accord.

Mom was transferred to Parkland Hospital in Dallas. After further X-rays they determined that her L-3 Lumbar was crushed. Ouch! After seeing the pictures of her car and hearing her recount what happened, it's an absolute miracle that her whole body wasn't crushed and that she is still alive. As you can see, the car didn't turn out so good. But what it is is a tangible piece of evidence of the hand of God protecting her. Her first words after the car finally came to a stop: "Thank You, Jesus, for letting me live!" We appreciate your prayers and want you to know how you can continue to lift her up to the Lord. Here's what all this means:

Mom will be in a back/neck brace for quite some time. She is not allowed to bend.
She won't be released from the hospital until she can put the brace on herself. This could take a few days!
With an injury like this (in her case) they believe the brace will allow the lumbar to heal. There is no surgery planned at this point.
On the one hand, Mom will eventually need a new car. On the other hand, she won't be able to get behind the wheel for awhile, so no hurry!

We are still waiting, praying, and discerning what we need to do to help. I am headed to eastern Tennessee today to preach at a youth camp. While I'm praying for my Mom, I know she's praying for me, that the Lord will use me to boldly preach the word to these students. I plan on it! Thanks for praying!

Praying For My Mom

2011-06-17T08:15:00.002-05:00

Friends,

Thanks for praying for my Mom. While she has some minor injuries, probably some scrapes & bruises, and most likely is still somewhat in shock, it is 100% clear that the Lord protected her and spared her life. Here's what happened:

WHAT HAPPENED: Driving back home to Arlington yesterday, she was on I-30 near Commerce/Greenville. (This is about 35-45 minutes NE of Dallas). She saw debris in the road - probably from previous wrecks that day - and swerved to miss it. When she swerved she hit a lot of gravel, causing the car to spin, slam into the wall, and ultimately flip over. ALL the way over! She received immediate help from drivers who saw what happened. I talked to her before she ever got in the ambulance. They took her to the hospital in Greenville. One of my close friends grew up there, so I immediately called him and he sent his dad up to check on mom. He called me and said, "It sounds like she's acting just like Pat!" That's a good sign.

STATUS: They are transferring Mom (or probably already have) to Parkland Hospital in Dallas. (I did tell her that things didn't turn out too well for JFK at Parkland. Not sure if she thought that was as funny as I did.) Her X-rays showed a minor fracture (or "crack", as she puts it) in her lower back. Parkland will most likely do a MRI to make sure there are no more internal injuries. When I talked to her late last night she said that her back was the only thing bothering her. I'll be talking to her again late this morning. Her friends are heading over to retrieve everything out of her car. The car, however, will not be returning home. I don't think "totaled" is going to describe it. Probably more like "destroyed"!

I would appreciate you continuing to pray for Mom. Also pray for Morgan and me, as we try to discern how to help and what to do. I begin preaching at a youth camp in TN tomorrow night. If needed, Morgan may change her plans and fly to Dallas. We're just waiting on some direction. I am grateful to the Lord that Mom is alive. The outcome could have been completely different. Thank You, Jesus!

God's Calling. (Provision Follows Obedience)

2011-06-16T11:46:00.001-05:00

Erwin McManus told a story where he was preaching at a conference. A girl approached him afterwards and told him that she had sensed "God's Calling" to go into the mission field. But she was waiting. Waiting on the money to come through. Someone had told her that if the Lord wants you to go, then He'll provide the funds first. McManus - as compassionately as he could - looked at her and told her something to the effect of: "I don't think it happens that way. Who says God will provide all of that first? How do you know He isn't waiting on you to STEP OUT - to ANSWER the call - so that He can provide every last thing you need?" So, knowing that God "will supply all of our needs according to His riches" and that He won't call us to anything that He doesn't equip us and strengthen us to do, how does all of this work? What comes first? His provision? Or our obedience?

In the Gospels there's a story about Peter walking on water. People who've never even read a Bible have heard about this story. [Christians have been exploiting it with cheesy t-shirts and bumper stickers for years.] I believe in that story of provision, protection, obedience, and power lies a glimpse of the answer to this question. When Jesus told Peter, "Come to me", he didn't tell him, "Peter, I'm about to do something with you that people are going to talk about for thousands of years!" He didn't say, "Get out here and let me teach you how to surf barefooted!" He just said, "Come to me". And Peter did. He stepped over the threshold, jumped out of the boat, and he walked on water. AWESOME! Provision follows obedience.

When God told Abraham to take his only son, Isaac, up to the mountain and sacrifice him, He didn't give away the ending. He didn't leak the news to Abraham that He was going to provide a ram for him to sacrifice instead. He just told him what to do and where to go. And he went. And when Isaac asked his dad, "Where's the animal for the sacrifice?", Abraham looked at his son and told him calmly, plainly, and with all the confidence in the world, "God will provide". And He did. Provision follows obedience.

Right now - or maybe in the very near future - the Lord may call you to do something - or go somewhere - that comes along with a GIGANTIC question mark. HOW will I pay for this? WHERE will this ultimately lead me? WHO will go with me? Or will I go it alone? WHY, Lord? Why me? WHAT do you want me to do when I get there? A HUGE question mark. Question marks are OK, but you can't let them determine your steps or decrease your faith. You can't always wait for the question mark to be erased. Sometimes, it will never be erased. If God calls you to plant seeds, you may not seem them grow...or even watered! But HE will water them and HE will grow them. HE will provide! And whatever He may be asking of you, remember: Provision follows obedience.

Have you discovered or experienced this in your life?

God's Calling. (I think.)

2011-06-15T09:24:00.001-05:00

This is the 2nd post in this series. If you haven't read the 1st one, take a second and start HERE.

I started leading worship around the age of 20. I got serious about it when I was probably 22-23. I loved it! At times I could envision myself doing that for a long time. But if I'm being honest, I have to admit that some of my love for this was married to the idea that I enjoyed feeling like, even though I wasn't drowning in the ocean of being a rock star, I at least had my foot in the water. It's very hard to discern God's calling when you're still daydreaming about yourself in lights. So at that point in my life, and even up to 8-10 years ago, if you had told me that the Lord was preparing me to preach and to pastor I would have laughed in your face. Not that I didn't believe, but it was that I didn't WANT it.

Looking back I would say about 4-5 years ago it began to be very clear to me that the Lord was preparing me for something else. I still loved pastoring students, had a vision for what we were doing and why we were doing it, but I could feel this distraction inside me. (Different than my ADD kicking in!) And I had grown to not only love preaching, it was what fueled my heart. I could empathize with Paul saying, "Woe to me if I don't preach the Gospel!" This freaked me out. So as I approached this potential crossroad - asking God, "What is it you're preparing me to do" - I looked for wisdom. And yes, I started in the scriptures. But I kept reading in the Word that it's foolish not to "seek wise counsel", and that the "advice of the wise is like a life-giving fountain". Proverbs 15:22 plainly tells us that "many counselors bring success". And every time I thought I had the answer, I would follow it up with, "I think". So I asked the Lord for wisdom to know who I should consult. And He led me to those people.

I remember asking my brother, a couple of my friends in ministry, and even some of my former students who knew me well, a very pointed question: "If you were advising me to do ONE THING - to commit to leading worship (or) to preach and to pastor - what would it be?" [For dramatic purposes I would love to tell you that everyone came back with different answers, just confusing things even more, leading me to take a 6-week journey into the wilderness where I ate berries, drank from leaves, and get alone to find the answers. Didn't happen.] Every single person I talked to gave me the same response: PREACH! It wasn't like they were scratching their heads saying, "I'm going to have to pray about this and get back to you." It was instantaneous! And it was backed up by reasons and wisdom from individuals that I trusted, respected, and loved - individuals who not only loved me, but loved Jesus Christ. I knew this affirmation was from Him. God's calling is often affirmed through the counsel of the wise.

Now be careful - YOU are the only one who can ultimately determine and discern WHAT it is the Lord is calling you to do. But He's put others in your life to help you discern this. Others who will pray with you, lead you to places in scripture that maybe you're overlooking, and (possibly) most important...bring an ounce more objectivity to the matter than you'll ever have.

But here's where I'm still questioning: If person after person after person gives you the same counsel, advice, opinion, or whatever you want to call it, yet you still don't agree with their advice, what do you do?

If it's clear to everyone in the known universe that an individual is "missing their calling", and person after person has boldly and lovingly attempted to shared this belief with the person, yet they "just don't see it that way", what's left to do? Maybe a more pointed question would be, how do you argue or debate with someone who says, "God's calling me to _________"? For this reason I will give anyone the advice: Be very careful who you use those words. If you aren't 100% sure it's "God calling", don't you dare write His name on it.

In answering God's calling on your life, what role will the advice and wisdom of others around you play in your decision making? Love to hear your thoughts....

God's Calling. (Are you going to answer?)

2011-06-14T13:23:00.001-05:00

At more than one time in my life I've said the words, "God is calling me to _________." You can fill it in with several things. At age 18 I surrendered to God's call on my life to full-time Christian ministry. In 1999, at age 26, Morgan and I sensed He was calling us to move to Wichita, Kansas, to pastor students. In 2009, God called me to come and pastor this incredible church I'm now part of in Madison, Alabama, called The Brook. God called. I answered. But what the heck does that mean?

In Genesis, God audibly told Noah to build a boat. He repeatedly woke Samuel up in the middle of the night just to see if he was listening. God sent an angel to tell Mary what He was about to do. And Jesus blinded the Apostle Paul, knocked him to his knees, and spoke loud and clear. God called. They answered. While that was awesome for them to experience (and for me to read), here's the thing: I've never heard Him speak with my ears, talked 'mono y mono' with an angel, or much less been blinded by Jesus on a dirt road. (Although I did see a billboard once that I could have sworn God was trying to use to get my attention.) And I hear other people say all the time, "God's calling me to _________" or "I really don't sense the Lord calling me to __________." So it's all got me wondering...what the heck is the "Call of God" and how in this world do you know it's actually Him calling?

I believe there are a number and series of things God uses to reveal Himself, His will, and His guidance to us as His people. The first - and probably most obvious - is His Word. More than rules and regulations, He's given us standards, principles, and an all-consuming mission to carry out in and through the pages of scripture. He will NEVER call us to do something that conflicts with or contradicts His Word. That's why it's so essential that we KNOW His Word! Many people wait years for this special, individual "word" from the Lord of what it is they're supposed to do, while He's probably sitting there saying, "I've already told you. It's in the Bible!" For instance, if you keep praying about whether or not you're supposed to be a missionary and move to Kenya, yet you have all this unconfessed sin in your life, I think you're missing your calling. Right now, your calling is to confess your sin and repent. God won't usher the calling of WHAT we're to DO until we've responded to His calling of WHO we're supposed to BE. Let that one soak in for a moment.

One way God sends out His calling on the lives of His people is through His Word.

Have you ever clearly sensed the Lord leading or calling you to do something through the revelation of scripture?

More to come...

Share It With the Rest of Us!

2011-06-09T07:50:00.001-05:00

Hey friends! Now that we're neck-deep into the summer, I'm wondering what has inspired you this year so far? What blogposts have you written (or read) that stand out? What books have captivated you on a new level? What scriptures have you been meditating on, seeing the Lord open your eyes to more of Himself? I would love for you to share it with the rest of us!

So, how about it? What scriptures, books, songs, blogposts do we need to know about?

I Needed That Pain...

2011-06-08T08:39:00.000-05:00

This year I finally started watching "Lost". I know - I'm a few years late to the game. I also know that if you were wrapped up in the show like I am now it's not news to you for me to say that this is one of the greatest shows to ever hit TV. Period! I mainly catch single episodes while I'm hitting the elliptical at the gym. I'm now well into Season 5. And yesterday, in the midst of my sweating and running, I was struck by an exchange between 2 of the main characters. It went like this:

Sawyer: "Don't you want to go back there? Do things over?"

Locke: "Why would I want to do that?"

Sawyer: "To save yourself a world of pain!"

Locke: "No. I needed that pain to get to where I am now."

I don't really remember much about the episode after that. Those words just kept spinning through my mind. And this morning in scripture, the reason became clear. In Romans 12:2, Paul says, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." Here it is in simple fashion: If you want to get where the Lord desires to lead you - be WHO He desires you to be - KNOW what He has to reveal to you - there is only one pathway to that place: by testing. Through the pain - not around it. Weathering the storm - not avoiding it. And yes, even choosing and embracing the suffering rather than fearing and despising it. This is what drove Paul to confess not only his willingness, but his longing, to "share in His sufferings". He wanted to know Christ at any and all costs. Bring on the pain...if that's what it takes. And when we read Romans 8 we realize that it's the unknown, the unseen, the suffering, even the pain, that drives us to HOPE and to PRAY. If there was no testing...there would be no hoping!

I don't know what you're walking through right now, but if you're trusting in the Lord and clinging to Him, keep trusting and clinging. Don't for one second even think of giving up! Know that through the darkness, the unknown - through the pain and (YES!)...by testing...you will know more of Him. You will see more of Him in you. You will be transformed and renewed! You will know "what is good and acceptable and perfect." Whatever the pain is, you'll need it to get where it is that the King desires to take you. And wherever that may be, it will be good!

Is there pain - testing - in your rearview mirror that you now see differently?

Would love for you to share....

Teach Someone A Lesson

2011-06-06T18:09:00.001-05:00

If you're not on staff at a church, I want to let you in on a little secret: Sometimes, church staff members get frustrated with people. Even though our whole calling in life from the King for His Kingdom is about people, we lose sight of this and forget that - just like us - people drop the ball, forget they signed up, get their priorities out of whack, and [GASP!] sometimes....just plain flat blow it! And when this happens, and we forget the aforementioned truth of the matter, if we don't guard our hearts with humility and prayer, we turn around and do the exact same thing. Just plain flat blow it! There's one particular way that this can flesh itself out that we have to be aware of as leaders in the church. If your motive in decision making or in your actions EVER becomes to teach someone a lesson, watch out. The person who winds up suffering is rarely ever the person you're aiming at with your strategic, passive/aggressive, beating around the bush "lesson".

This can be hard for some to swallow, but even ministers, pastors, and church leaders can get so frustrated from being let down and having their hopes and expectations crushed that we actually think, "You know what: If I do THIS - or maybe don't do THAT - that'll teach'em. That'll show them what it feels like to get hosed and shafted." We can be tempted to be vindictive, vengeful, and just downright stupid. Human, I guess you could call it. But here's the problem: It's unacceptable! Tempted, sure. Everyone is. But give into it? Nope. Can't do it. Because our ministry and purpose is to be used by the Lord in the lives of PEOPLE. So if we're indirectly lining up innocent bystanders as collateral damage simply because we're trying to teach someone a lesson, we better stop dead in our tracks and think again.

If the Lord leads you to teach someone a lesson, do it eyeball to eyeball, face-to-face, with the courage to call it like it is and lovingly teach them. Matthew 18 says nothing about subversive tactical warfare strategies to indirectly communicate with a brother who's wronged us. It says to GO to them and speak the truth!

Have you been there? Do you agree? Want to teach me a lesson? More to come......

Across the Pond

2011-05-29T13:40:00.001-05:00

Hey friends! We made it across the big Pond. Spent a couple of days & nights in London. Walked a LOT. Rode the Underground everywhere. Saw "Stomp" (AMAZING, BTW!), the London Bridge (that didn't fall down), Big Ben, Parliament. You know - all the good stuff. Went to church this morning at Holy Trinity Brompton (where Tim Hughes leads worship). Caught the train back to Redhill today. Spending the next days with my brother and his family. Heading to the coast and taking lots of pictures. Much love!

The People of Walmart

2011-05-24T14:53:00.000-05:00

As most everyone close to me knows, I have an allergy to Walmart. Actually, it's not really an allergy as much as it is a hatred. And sadly, I've never been able to fully explain the reasons why I would rather be gouged in the eye with an icepick than be to dragged into Roll Back hell. But today, I think I've found a way to further shed light on my prejudice. This pretty much says it all!

I hope to see you at Target.

Faith Breeds Fear

2011-05-19T16:14:00.001-05:00

About 16 months ago I became friends with another pastor in my area. As we got to know each other, he began to realize that his church was reaching the eleventh hour of planting a new work just a few miles down the highway from our church campus. He called me and asked if we could go to lunch. When we sat down, he very graciously began explaining that he wanted to make sure I knew that their church wasn't trying to invade our territory or steal people away from us - that they very strongly believed in what the Lord was doing through us and our people and didn't want to take away from that. Understanding (and greatly respecting) the heart of what was being said and the one who was saying it, this is how I responded:

"If the Lord has very clearly laid on your heart - and the hearts of your people and your leaders - that He is calling you to step out in faith and start a new work here in this city, in that spot on the highway, who am I to judge this? If the Lord begins working in the heart of a new movement - stirring the hearts of people - and someone at my church feels drawn to be there, so be it. This isn't about territory, like it's the Oklahoma Land Rush. These are peoples' lives! This is about reaching the lost for the Kingdom of God. Plant that church!"

Just the other day I spoke to a friend who had recently begun to sense God calling him to be part of a new work - a church plant. When the Lord moves in this way, it's almost bizarre the range of reactions that come from different people. But particularly when church plants come out of an already existing church, there's always someone who's thinking - and some who are even voicing - "Well, what if so and so leaves and goes with them?" A sense of fear will always be knocking on someone's door, begging them to wonder and question how it's fair for these people to "steal" our members. I felt led to preemptively encourage my friend to make sure he was alert, prayerful, and discretionary about WHO he listened to and WHAT he would allow to be worth his attention. I gave him 2 words of caution:

Do NOT listen to anyone who speaks out of FEAR. Wisdom and discernment, spoken from the mouth of a Godly friend or mentor are completely different than words of fear spoken from someone who is too paralyzed to actually take the steps of faith that you're preparing to take. We have to be discerning of the motives of the people who give us advice. And...

Do NOT let anyone tell you that if what the Lord does through you takes people away from somewhere else that this is a bad thing. Yes, people leave churches all the time to go and be part of new works that the Lord is doing. This can be for several reasons. But any pastor, elder, deacon, or church member who claims the ownership of a person, and is more concerned with their continued "membership" than they are with that person pursuing the call of God and going where the Spirit is working and moving, is a toxic poisonous voice. God will ultimately silence them.

Here's what I know: When some step out in radical faith it causes others to tremble in paralyzing fear. To put it even more simply, FAITH BREEDS FEAR. This is why people like Joseph and Daniel and David had so many enemies. They were disrupting the comfort and complacency and (most importantly) the agendas of those around them. That's dangerous. Faith is dangerous!

As Christ-followers, we have to decide which one we will be. We have to determine if our lives are about our own agenda and comfort...or about His glory and His Kingdom.

Is there an area of your life where the Lord may be asking you to step out in faith? Make sure you listen to His Spirit and His voice more than any other.

You're NEVER Going to ALWAYS Get It Right!

2011-05-17T13:23:00.001-05:00

Sometimes parenting is hard. It stinks being the bad guy. Not only that, it really stinks to be the stupid bad guy! (Insert insecure, strong-willed, overly-independent 13-year old) But disciplining your kids - teaching them right and wrong, what's truth, and the realities of the consequences of bad decisions and mistakes - is part of the responsibility. A HUGE part! Some of you are doing this alone as single parents. You carry a great weight. I'm praying and hoping that you have a support system around you - that you have a church family to lean on and walk with you. But whether you're a single parent or you've been faithfully married for 25 years, one thing is true: You are never going to ALWAYS get it right! There are going to be times you make the wrong decision - jump to the wrong conclusion. You're going to yell instead of speak and discipline out of anger rather than calmly confront. You'll even have to go back to you kids every once-in-awhile and apologize. This isn't weakness. It's modeling humility. And so knowing that there's going to come a time that you may look back and wonder if making your son sit in the corner for 6 hours was a little excessive...or grounding them from using the bathroom might have been a bit overboard...I believe there are some things we can do as parents to discipline our kids the right way. Here are some thoughts:

Unity. If you & your spouse are still in this together, knowing that there are going to be times you get it wrong, the best thing you can do is be wrong together. Your kids need to see that Mom & Dad are a TEAM. They need to know that they can't undermine one of you or play both ends against the middle. It's needs to be clear that you are seeking the Lord's wisdom TOGETHER. The reason why teams start losing is because they stop being a team. They start operating as individuals. This can destroy a home!

Patience. I use this word only because I don't know how to describe the antithesis of Panic. I know that feeling, when your child does something and you're so overwhelmed with frustration that you feel like if you don't lower the whammy on them RIGHT NOW the world is going to come to an end! [Pause for deep breaths.] Stop fooling yourself. There is absolutely nothing wrong with you saying to your son or daughter, "I need to go sit on the front porch and pray about how I'm going to respond to this decision you've made." There is zero weakness in telling them, "When your Mom gets home we're going to discuss what consequences you have to face because of this." Kids don't see this as weakness. In fact, they begin (even at a young age) to see the strength it must take for you to restrain yourself and calmly, patiently wait.

Communicate. Taking both of these mentioned above (and the countless other words of advice I've left out due to my own ignorance), there is no greater tool that we have as parents, friends, husbands and wives, than to communicate. Talk. Confess. Admit. Share. We have to let each other know our thoughts, feelings, fears, regrets, doubts, and desires. We can't sit on the sideline and expect our spouse to do all the work. Communicate! Turn off the TV and talk about how you're going to handle things...BEFORE they happen! Be preemptive. You were a kid once. And it wasn't during the Depression. Think back. You know some of the stupid things they're going to do and say. (Lord help me!) Start talking NOW about how you're going to deal with those bad decisions. Are there conversations you can begin having with your kids ahead of time to cut some of it off at the pass? Not talking about it isn't going to keep you from having to talk about it. It's going to happen. If your kids are human beings, they're going to mess up. And they may even do it with gusto! And your ignorance about it is not bliss; it's unacceptable! Communicate.

Those are my limited words of wisdom on the subject.
What do you think? What other pieces of advice would you share?

God Wants to Rebuild...

2011-05-11T15:50:00.000-05:00

In my city, in my neighborhood, just down the street, there's a church building. The building is really nothing to talk about. It's pretty plain and simple. But it did have a steeple. A very large steeple. And two weeks ago as I watched a tornado forming right over my house - standing paralyzed in my front window as the debris began circling the sky right in front of me - it turned north. And rather than destroying my house or ripping off my neighbor's roof, as if it was hungry and hunting something specific, it swooped down, grabbed the steeple off that church building, and tossed it to the ground like a piece of tin. And until last week, that sad steeple just laid there in the yard. Broken. Bruised. Tossed aside. And over the gigantic hole that was left in the roof is a blue tarp. An enormous blue tarp. A talking blue tarp. A blue tarp that says, "Don't you worry. I'm just temporarily filling in. I have no plans to stay. They're going to fix my friend the steeple. And they're going to make him bigger and stronger than ever! He'll be back. You'll see!"

As you drive across Alabama right now, through areas of wreckage and destruction, you'll find many church buildings just like the one down the street from me. Steeples ripped from the roofs. Brick and mortar swallowed, chewed up, and spit out. Buildings now on top of pews. And some of them - several of these church buildings - are just gone. And hopefully there are hundreds - even thousands - who have been reminded that their building was NOT the church. They are! That "their" pew and "their" seat and "their" whatever it was was actually never "theirs" in the first place. And that the steeple was a big, pointed, wooden image. That's all. We know this, right? I sure hope so. I'm praying so. And if it is so, I'm praying for a HUGE "What if...."

What if...churches everywhere, who are meeting right now to determine and figure out how to rebuild or replace that steeple instead decided to simply patch a hole and give that money for Kingdom purposes?

What if...churches who are still sifting through the debris decided that rather than spending millions to completely rebuild a building...they could move into the old theater or strip club or grocery store and REDEEM that space?

What if...churches - you know, the actual PEOPLE OF GOD - decided to refuse to just do what comes instinctively, naturally, and comfortably...and determine to get on their faces and ask the Lord if He possibly has a much bigger plan? What might happen?

I am praying that Jesus Christ will set hearts on fire for His Kingdom in such a way that churches everywhere will begin seeking and searching for the heart of God like Nehemiah did - standing in the midst of the rubble. He was ready to rebuild, but more than that, he was desperate for God to be made known.

God wants to rebuild those churches! He desires to redeem and restore lives.
But does He want to rebuild those buildings? Does He want to replace that steeple? I don't know. I can't answer that. But I'm praying that those responsible will ASK before they ACT.

Images of Destruction

2011-05-05T17:42:00.002-05:00

Thought I would share some of the photos, images, and scenes from the devastation caused by the tornadoes that hit our area. If nothing else, I have learned over this last week that these awesome forces of nature do NOT discriminate!

relief :: recovery :: restoration

2011-05-04T10:56:00.001-05:00

It was one week ago today that a series of violent storms and tornadoes swept across Alabama and changed our lives. Almost 300 lives were lost. Almost 800 were seriously injured. Many of our church family were directly and indirectly affected. There has never been a greater opportunity for us to give of ourselves for the city!

In light of this, we wanted to let you know of the opportunities you have to GIVE and to SERVE during this time of need. Every penny of offering we took in this week after paying the bills went straight to tornado disaster relief - to help families in our church like the Reeves (who lost their entire home) and the Cornwells (whose 15-year old daughter Katy was killed in one of the storms) as well as other families in our church and community. The needs are great and they are many! Because of this, we are partnering with Casey Graham (www.caseygraham.org) and our friends at Crosspoint Church in Decatur to raise funds. Casey set out to raise $10K for relief. As of yesterday the amount had crested $100K! This next Sunday (5/8) we will GIVE 10% of our entire offering to the victims of this disaster. The website is www.immediaterelief.org. God is moving and stirring people's hearts to give! Will you join us?

If you're looking for an opportunity to SERVE, we will be meeting at 8:00 AM every morning this week (5/2-5/6) at Capshaw Baptist Church to send out a group from The Brook. They will provide breakfast before we head out. If you can't make it at 8:00 AM we will regroup after lunch at 1:00 PM at Capshaw. If you have skills with roofing, chainsaws, construction, or even just a strong back, we can use your help. You must be 18 or older. Please, do NOT show up in shorts and flip-flops. If you're coming to work, be dressed and ready to work! For more info contact Randy Silver: 256-527-8116.

If you would like to donate basic staple items please check this list at Inside-Out Ministries or contact Deborah Ward: 256-325-5193. We encourage you to give generously and serve wholeheartedly as we walk through this rebuilding together.

Refuge (After the Storm)

2011-04-30T10:30:00.001-05:00

To begin to sum up the thoughts and feelings from the last few days is impossible. I don't have words. Living in Kansas for 10 years, I saw plenty of devastation from weather and tornadoes. But it never hit this close to home. A tornado formed over my house! People I know and love are homeless. I've driven through areas 5-10 minutes from my home that have been sucked off the face of the earth. It's insane. And while we are broken over the 250+ lives that were lost during these storms, this also means that the Lord spared and saved some 4 million plus lives! I guess it's about perspective.

In the days to come I look forward to sharing with you the story of the Reeves family. It's a miracle that they're still here. Until then, this is the video that Meagan shot just seconds before the tornado hit their house and then just moments after it was over...and the house is gone! The time in between - the lost footage - is probably between 60-120 seconds. It only took that long. But as they will tell you themselves, the Lord is truly a refuge for those who seek Him! See for yourself:

April 27th Tornado

Fruit Salad...

2011-04-26T13:57:00.002-05:00

This week I've been devouring fruit salad. (And sadly when I do, I can no longer help but hearing that stupid "Fruit Salad, Yummy Yummy!" song from the Wiggles. One of the beauties of parenthood.) I only eat this in the summer. But for years now my wife has been making it just the way I like it - strawberries, blackberries, and pineapple. Oh yeah! I don't want raspberries in there. Or bananas or apples. Or even grapes. I want those 3 fruits. I believe them to be the sweet nectar of God's delicious creation. And in my opinion, anything else added to the mix is not only unnecessary, but it takes away from it's greatness. So I guess what I'm saying is, I want my fruit salad, but I want it MY way!

This weekend I came to the conclusion that I approach my spiritual life this way as well sometimes. The difference is, you can't just go pulling the fruit you don't like out of the bowl. God has a plan here.

Like many other stories, verses, and principles in scripture, I think the Fruit of the Spirit passage in Galatians 5 has been diluted. For many of us, we start reading these verses and immediately bust into that stupid song someone made up so we could teach little kids to remember the fruits of the Spirit. (If you've somehow managed to go unscathed - you don't have this tune tormenting you - just be grateful and leave it alone.) When you read Paul's exhortation here what you realize he's saying is this: There is solid, visible evidence that we are living Spirit-filled lives. If you want to walk as Christ did - live your life being guided and controlled by His love and power - then your life will be characterized by LOVING other people, finding JOY when happiness isn't present, knowing the PEACE of God that is being human comprehension, somehow discovering PATIENCE when you know you don't have any on your own. KINDNESS begins to fill your heart toward others, you desire GOODNESS to saturate every corner of your life and your heart, in discovering God's faithfulness you long to be FAITHFUL to Him and to others. And then there's GENTLENESS - that one that I really didn't want in my salad at all. Until I began to realize that it's absence was spoiling the rest of the fruit. Seriously! One fruit left out of the mix...and it all seemed rotten! And last, but certainly not least, SELF-CONTROL - learning that as the Holy Spirit consumes and controls your life, you must gain control over your reactions, responses, and decisions. This is the evidence. And you can't just pick the fruits you like. They're forever divinely linked. Mixed together. Stop picking out the kiwi!

I had to confess to the Lord that I've been guilty at times of unknowingly telling Him what I did and did NOT want in my bowl. I'm learning that He says to us, "You may not like this one particular type of fruit. It may seem bitter to you at first - or maybe it's too sour or sweet. But I put it in the bowl for reasons you may never know. Eat it. Feast on it!" As David says in Psalm 34, "Taste and see that the Lord is good!"

Is there anything you've left out of your fruit salad?
You might want to throw it into the bowl.

Itching Ears

2011-04-21T12:07:00.001-05:00

He called me again yesterday. It freaks me out every time. Maybe he's called you, too - that freaky automated voice from CVS pharmacy. Almost makes me want to take my prescriptions off of auto-refill. Thankfully I recognize the number now - I know it's him. I've tried to surprise him when I answer, but he just starts talking and keeps going. And then he has the audacity to try and convince me that this is a "courtesy call". If he had any courtesy he'd shut up and listen when I'm trying to respond and converse. No such luck. He regurgitates his spiel, hangs up on me, and like clockwork, calls me back 30 days later. And freaks me out all over again.

The reason why this computer-programmed automated informant makes my spine tingle is not because he sounds like a computer or a robot. In fact, there's not even a hint of droid in that voice. It's just the opposite. The thing that freaks me out so bad is that it sounds WAY too much like a real live human being. And I don't like being deceived!

Sadly, I'm often reminded of (burdened and frustrated by) the fact that there are some out there (probably many) preaching something that sounds a LOT like the Gospel - it is even packed and wrapped with words like "Jesus", "Spirit", and "Blessing". But at the end of the day it finally shows it's ugly face and we realize that this "gospel" that's being sold is rooted in and leading others toward something other than the Jesus Christ who said, "If you would come after me you must deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me". The false gospel always points back to ME. And discovering true LIFE is dependent on me finally realizing that I have absolutely nothing to offer myself but sin, selfishness, and death. Nothing. ZERO!

In 2 Timothy 4, Paul warns Timothy that "the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth..." Itching ears love to hear things like, "God wants to bless you". Sure, He does. But WHAT He desires to bless me with is the key. The blessings He has in mind are holiness, righteousness, mercy, love, generosity, and sanctification - not more and more and more and more stuff. The false gospels abandons and neglects teaching us that the greatest prize of all is simply KNOWING Jesus Christ. It's ALL about Him!

I encourage you to ask God to give you ears to hear Him - to know and discern the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ - not ears that itch for someone to tell you what you simply want to hear. Don't settle for something less. Don't be fooled. It's ALL about Him! Always has been. Always will be. Are your ears itching yet?

Motive & Meat

2011-04-20T16:40:00.001-05:00

PREFACE: This blogpost is NOT in 3D.

Most Americans have grown bored (if not weary) with 3D. This movie craze was big in the 80's and very quickly died. And then for some reason over the last few years, someone decided to try and resurrect it. And most moviegoers who've been asked would rather it just crawl back in the grave. Yet, what are many churches doing this Easter? 3D. Where do I get my glasses?

I'm sure I've said something before to the effect of: "There's a fine line between being creative and relevantly communicating the Gospel (&) feeling like you have to reinvent or market the Gospel." And if I haven't said it before, I'm saying it now. But I'm not really sure there's a line. I don't think there's a balance or anything else of that sort either. I believe there are 2 key forces at work: motive and meat.

Let me be the first to admit that for years I have been part of (or led) creative teams - put together to bring creative, fresh, and unique approaches or ideas to the table for HOW we present the message from scripture. We ask questions like, "What songs have the most relevance with this message? Is there a video that brings this point home even further? Can we use visuals on our stage that capture this idea?" You get the point. But one thing we are NOT trying to do is make the message fit into our creative bubble. We are NOT under the delusion that the Word of God needs our help - or that the Spirit of God is not the one that draws hearts and changes lives. This is our MOTIVE: creatively and uniquely preach the Word.

In doing this, as a pastor it is my calling and commitment that in our quest to be creative and relevant we never sacrifice or dilute or distract from the message clearly presented in the Bible. Over the last 2 decades the idea of "seeker sensitivity" has prevailed. In response to this I've always wondered (and even asked), "Sensitive to what?" Are people who are seeking the Lord - searching for spiritual truth - somehow more easily offended? Are lost people who are looking for hope in need of better entertainment? Are they seriously sitting at home on Sundays wishing there was some good music to listen to? "What I really need to fulfill my life would be a semi-inspiring motivational speech with a witty video in the middle of it!" [I don't think so.] What they need is the Gospel! What they're searching for - and many times don't even know it - is the TRUTH and POWER of God's Word and the life of Christ to eternally change them. And I am by no means saying that churches who are being creative in their methods of communicating this are wrong. But when the creativity is the thing you use to bait and hook people rather than the Gospel itself, you begin to play with fire. You begin to walk toward an approach that dangerously borders on what Paul told Timothy was aimed at "telling people what they want to hear". The meat - the substance of the Word of God - better not be sacrificed. If people aren't going and growing deeper, that's an indictment on the one who's taken the responsibility to preach the Word. At my church, that's me. And my commitment is this: we're going to eat MEAT!

Again, please don't misunderstand me: I'm all about creativity. In fact, I wish I was 10x as creative and innovative as I am. And there are churches out there right now who are not only creatively knocking it out of the park, they're doing it while powerfully communicating the scriptures. But, there are also churches out there today that are putting on a pretty good show. And that's it. And at some point, the curtain will come down.

I'm praying that this Easter the Word of God is preached boldly, compassionately, and that the Spirit of God moves and changes the hearts and lives of people everywhere. Including you and me.