InkLink

The "2-2-2" Leader

2012-02-10T12:39:00.001-06:00

The things I have learned in the last 7 years through planting this church are too may to list in any “Top 10” or “Best Of” kind of article. I feel I’ve been in school 24-7! Don’t misunderstand me – it’s a good and needed education. And even though I am a naturally curious person who thoroughly enjoys learning and discovering, I didn’t know what I didn’t know. So this journey has been an eye-popping trek into the wonderful world of sociology and theology (otherwise known as church ministry)!

If I had to boil things down to a single lesson in these first few years, here’s what has been reaffirmed and confirmed over and over to me: Refusing to expand your leadership base through the development of other people is silent sabotage! And while I knew this, I didn’t really know it. Sure, I acknowledged it, applauded it, and even taught it. But living it has been a different ballgame. Yet, it is the living out of that simple principle that, in my opinion, makes church more than one man’s venture. A “2-2-2” lifestyle must be one of our non-negotiables! (2 Timothy 2:2 will clue you in as to what I mean by “2-2-2.”)

Frankly, it matters not if you’re a volunteer deacon or a vocational pastor – leading effectively through expansion and development is the bedrock of health and growth. But what does that look like? And to what does it compare? I’ll use two contrasting labels/thoughts regarding developing others – Command & Control Leadership vs. Expansion & Development Leadership – to highlight what I think are some good ways to live out a “2-2-2” lifestyle as a leader.

1. Control Leadership centers around behavior; Expansion Leadership revolves around process and development. When events go well, schedules run smoothly, and people show up and do exactly what we say, control leaders are happy. Unfortunately, these things can even happen with unhappy and unhealthy people! Jesus encouraged us to deal with the inside of the cup first. This is what “2-2-2” leaders do – they focus on the inside first.

2. Control Leadership is tied into tasks; Expansion Leadership connects to purpose. Expansion leaders see their purpose as relationally centered (people), not event based (tasks). In fact, this is the heart beat of the “2-2-2” leader – he or she is developing a person, not creating a list.

3. Control Leadership is consumed with details; Expansion Leadership is concerned about direction. Expansion leaders make an intentional decision not to get bogged down by details. They don’t neglect them, they just aren’t consumed with them. Keep the ship on course by focusing on the destination, not by micro-managing every mile.

Frankly, it’s in the details where lots of learning and ownership occurs. And if we rescue every up-and-coming leader from the experience of handling the details, we short-circuit the development process. I’m not suggesting we risk everything for the sake of someone else’s learning, but just that we be willing to risk some things. Knowing where that line is drawn is half the fun!

4. Control Leadership is typically reactive; Expansion Leadership is proactive. Expansion leaders set the agenda and use feedback to modify ailing aspects, unlike control leaders who usually adopt the agenda of the squeakiest wheel and enforce it.

When we are a proactive, “2-2-2” leader, the big-picture comes into focus, and we find that the smaller snapshots don’t drive us crazy. We’re pursuing people, not just trying to fix problems.

5. Control Leadership has to do with fear; Expansion Leadership rests on trust. This is the underlying issue behind it all. Become secure and unthreatened, and help others achieve this as well. Trust works wonders!

6. Control Leadership thinks “no risks, no mistakes;” Expansion Leadership thinks “no risks, no impact.” Expansion leaders understand risk reversal; that the ultimate end of a venture is greater than the initial fear or sacrifice at the beginning. Consequently, expansion leaders act as thermostats and set the temperature; control leaders merely become thermometers, reflecting the state of their environment or comfort zone.

One more thing is sure -- I don't have this 'down pat' yet! So don't assume my observations mean I've mastered this "2-2-2" deal. But as each year passes, my commitment to building this kind of culture and environment deepens. May God's grace set my life on this course more and more.

Best of 2011: My 10 Most-Listened-To Messages (on-line)

2012-01-31T11:46:00.000-06:00

Here's a linked list to the 10 most listened-to online messages I preached in 2011. I'm not surprised at what ranked #1; and my guess it would also be the #1 criticism-generating message of 2011. Frankly, it came in all directions that week (Twitter, FB, email, etc) from those who simply don't see the issue of sexuality from a biblical perspective.

Hope the messages are an encouragement!

1. "Pure Living in a Pagan Culture"

2. "God's Sovereignty in Salvation"

3. "Leviticus and the Burnt Offering"

4. "Man's Responsibility in Salvation"

5. "Getting A Grip on the Godhead"

6. "David: Faith That Fights"

7. "God's People Need Increasing Stability: We Are Not Idle"

8. "Leviticus and the Grain Offering"

9. "By Faith: Introduction to Hebrews 11"

10. "A Different Kind of Power"

14 Take-Aways from ER 2

2012-01-26T14:03:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I was delighted to attend a simulcast of Elephant Room 2, an event for pastors and leaders sponsored by Harvest Bible Chapel. While this year's version was, unfortunately, a little tamer, it still yielded healthy discussion and good insights. And here are some of those in sentence form, what I call my 14 take-aways. (Yep, some of these need context to be fully unpacked, but that's why they sell the DVDs). www.theelephantroom.com

1. Don't be defensive with the offensive message of the Gospel.

2. Urgency is an inherant part of the Gospel.

3. Don't front-load the gospel, and don't cloud the cross. Urgency demands simplicity with accuracy.

4. Preaching is theology coming out of a man on fire.

5. Capacity or capability doesn't always equal calling.

6. Getting permission to talk to someone candidly doesn't always produce the courage to actually do it. It's still hard!

7. Go beyond your code (area and zip)!

8. Staff that can self-correct are gold!

9. Restoration to fellowship is different than restoration to leadership.

10. Better to confess than to admit.

11. You can teach what you know, but you will reproduce what you are.

12. Don't let your heart write a check that your calendar can't cash.

13. You can't see your own eye.

14. Don't spiritualize your insecurities.

2011: Best Of ... InkLink

2012-01-23T08:51:00.000-06:00

2011: Best Of ... Books

2012-01-15T07:20:00.000-06:00

I took some time in the early days of 2012 and compiled a list of the top books I read this past year, what I'm calling my "best of" when it comes to the printed/digitized page.

NOTE: Though these links are all to the "purchase" link at Amazon, some of these books are actually free under their Free Kindle Books link. I just used these links since they seemed to hold the greatest amount of info.

1. Unbroken - The great, true story of Louis Zamperini by Laura Hillenbrand. http://www.amazon.com/Unbroken-World-Survival-Resilience-Redemption/dp/1400064163/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326631872&sr=8-1

2. Chosen for Life - Sam Storms is one of my favorite writers, and he handles the subject of election beautifully. http://www.amazon.com/Chosen-Life-Case-Divine-Election/dp/1581348436/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326631971&sr=1-1

3. Deffinbaugh on Leviticus - This is not a "book" in the sense that you buy it, rather a set of downloadable PDF studies. A tremendously deep yet practical guide to understanding the third book of the Old Testament. Great job, Bob! http://bible.org/series/leviticus-sacrifice-and-sanctification

4. Read This Before Our Next Meeting - A quick but jolting read. Could turn the way you run meetings around. http://www.amazon.com/Read-This-Before-Next-Meeting/dp/1936719169/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326632595&sr=1-1

5. Concerning Christian Liberty - One of Martin Luther's classics. There's nothing quite like grace! http://www.amazon.com/Concerning-Christian-Liberty-Martin-Luther/dp/1463704844/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326632646&sr=1-1

6. Is Your Church Ready? - Ravi Zacharias and others collaborate on a good project that will help your church defend and declare what it believes.
http://www.amazon.com/Your-Church-Ready-Motivating-Apologetic/dp/0310250617/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326632691&sr=1-1

7. Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners - John Bunyan's own story of conversion. Though hard to read. well worth it. http://www.amazon.com/Grace-Abounding-Chief-Sinners-Bunyan/dp/1463688679/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326632722&sr=1-1

8. Unplanned - Abby Johnson tells this heart-warming story of her own God-led journey from abortion-rights promoter to right-to-life leader. http://www.amazon.com/Unplanned-Dramatic-Planned-Parenthood-Eye-Opening/dp/1414339402/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326632749&sr=1-1

9. Pastor as Scholar and Scholar as Pastor - Piper and Carson team up for what you'll find to be a quick but effective read on balancing your roles as shepherd and student. http://www.amazon.com/Pastor-Scholar-Reflections-Life-Ministry/dp/1433526476/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326632786&sr=1-1

10. A Failure of Nerve - This book by now-deceased Edwin Friedman made my list for one reason: he is spot-on when it comes to why we're in the mess we're in! Great read, but not for the faint of heart. http://www.amazon.com/Failure-Nerve-Leadership-Age-Quick/dp/159627042X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326632813&sr=1-1

"Real-izing" Christmas (2)

2011-12-23T16:27:00.002-06:00

One of the ways we “real-ize” (yes, that is an intentional hypen) Christmas is through gifts. It’s how we express love tangibly. Yes, physical gifts are a good way to bring meaning to the words we say at Christmas.

In fact, this Christmas Julie already gave me Matthew Wests's new Christmas CD. She knows how much I like the seasonal sounds, so she showed me her love by giving me that gift. (Nice, honey!)

I also recall another gift that is quite a bit older – the watch she gave me 23 years ago (which also served as a wedding gift since we were married the week after Christmas). Both are very different, yet both hold a similar quality in that show me Julie’s love. They help me see how real her love is. In that way her gifts help "real-ize" her words.

The wise men were these kind of men. They real-ized that first Christmas when they made it tangible and physical. How? Through their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. (Matthew 2:10-11)

A few general words about these gifts are in order. Not only were these gifts the physical expression of their worship, I believe these gifts may have also been profitable to them in that may have been used to help Mary and Joseph financially when they fled to Egypt. They were also prophetic. Specifically, gold spoke to Christ’s royalty, the frankincense to his deity, and the myrrh to his humanity, especially his death. For even though myrrh was often used in biblical celebrations, it was also often an embalming spice, ointment, or perfume.

But more importantly, the gifts speak to me principally, teaching me something about "real-izing" Christmas (i.e., making Christmas real, not merely redundant or ridiculous): We must give in a way that is costly and concrete. Truly, that’s what worship is – a costly and concrete giving of all that we are and have to all that God is and does.

Perhaps you're thinking, "Todd, I plan to have a very real Christmas when I give some some costly gifts in a concrete way. Isn’t that making Christmas real?” On a horizontal level and from a chronological perspective, I think so. It’s what we do for those we love each year at this time.

But the worship this passage describes has far more than a horizontal goal. It is vertical in its nature. It’s the costly giving of concrete things to Jesus. Granted – he was right there in human flesh, so it seems they had it easier than us in actually giving something costly and concrete to Jesus. Yet, I think the text lays out a principle that we cannot escape: True worship is both costly and concrete. It was for them, and it should be for us.

Which is why, on this Christmas day, evaluating your love for your family and friends by the gifts you give them on this one day of the year isn’t really the focus of this blog. Rather, I'm here to ask you to evaluate your worship of Jesus and the gifts you give him on all the other days of the year. That’s really the question: Is your worship of Jesus costly and concrete throughout the year?

The answer to that question really can’t be answered without at least one more question, the one most of you are asking right now: How do you give to Jesus in a costly, concrete way? After all, you’re reasoning, he’s not here, and he doesn’t really need anything. So how do you give to God when he isn’t visible or needy? Simply put, you give to his kids who are exactly that – visible and needy! That’s right - you give to God in costly, concrete ways by giving to his people in costly, concrete ways.

Jesus actually taught us this when he said in Matthew 25:40, "And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'”

So,

· When you give to help our Zambian team build, in partnership with the residents, a well in the village Chishiko so the families there can build a sustainable living environment, you are worshiping God in a costly, concrete way.

· When you donate to our benevolence fund to help FF families that are going through difficult times and need help from the body, trusting the deacons as they administer these monies, you are worshiping God in a costly, concrete way.

· When you bring in clothes and food every fifth Sunday that go to help local families in need and also aid the clothes closet at our local men’s and women’s prisons, you are worshiping God in a costly, concrete way.

· When you give your Saturday – or any other day – to roof that house of a friend, make that meal for a neighbor, visit that family, help that sick person – you are worshiping God in a costly and concrete way.

The point? One of the best ways to give to God is by giving to his children. That’s how it is costly and concrete.

Incidentally, this is exactly how God gave to us. Consider the costliness and concreteness of John 3:16:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son…”

Now that’s a costly, concrete gift – a son!

Paul echoed this in 2 Cor. 9:15 when he said, referring to Jesus, “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”

And it’s precisely that gift – Jesus – who gave just like his Father. No doubt the cross is the evidence that Jesus gave in a costly, concrete manner as well. And he provides all the reason we need to give just like he and his Father gave: in a costly, concrete manner.

Merry CHRISTmas!

"Real-izing" Christmas (1)

2011-12-22T14:15:00.003-06:00

Christmas, at least in America, is a time of great imagination. From flying reindeer to a fat man down a chimney to the magic of mistletoe…it’s a season of make believe. Movies like The Polar Express, It’s a Wonderful Life, and Miracle on 34th Street all highlight this obvious seasonal tendency (which, by the way, is a tendency I like and those are all delightful movies I enjoy.) All that to say this – Christmas is rampant with many items not rooted in reality.

This is why I find some elements in Luke's account of Christ's birth – the time we know as Christmas -- very intriguing, for they are elements rooted in the reality of that time. Look at Luke 2, and notice, for instance,

• Caesar Augustus (sounds like a dressing and a calendar had a crash)

• Quirinius (quite a quirky name)

• Syria (no, not the satellite radio, but the country)

• Bethlehem (yeah, the little town known for it's unhospitality)

The real question is ‘Why?’ Why did Luke feel the need to incorporate so many historical markers – “tags” if you will – into this inspired account of Jesus’ birth? In my opinion, it was to bring credibility to what no doubt could easily have been turned into urban legend. It was so that the mysterious wouldn’t become fictitious. After all, as a doctor, Luke wasn't about to lend his name to superstition. So he wrote, under the Holy Spirit's inspiration, with certain first-century "tags" that credentialed the people and places of this incredible story. Think of how we “tag" people in Facebook. It’s one way of “proving” that you were either there, know the person, and/or saw it happen. You know, supporting evidence. And these ancient “tags” were Luke’s unique way of saying, "This really happened in actual time and space. It's verifiable. True. And here's some ‘tags’ to prove it."

These tags are not to say that the supernatural didn’t occur. Not at all! No doubt some supernatural items accompany Christ's birth. His virgin birth, the incarnation, the dreams, the angelic appearances, and the star in the east are all miraculous things. But the supernatural isn't unreal, just more than real. And it happened – and happens -- in the reality of their normal life. Ah, the supernatural intersecting with the natural! Now that's Christmas.

Though I choose not to take the time to "add up" all these tags in this blog, my opinion is that they all lead to the real time and space date of about 6 or 7 BC as the timeframe for Christ’s birth. That’s right – the natural environment that hosted the supernatural event we have come to know as Christmas.

Personally, thee kinds of tags add a dimension of concreteness to my faith. They “shore up” my beliefs. They don’t comprise the core, but neither do they compromise the core. In fact, I find that that the historical reality surrounding the coming of Jesus always serves to support the spiritual redemption that is the crowning significance of Jesus. Truly, the natural and the supernatural work together to showcase the eternal (Ps. 19, Rom. 1). The result? My hope grows and faith deepens.

It’s not just me, though. This is what happened in the account Luke relays to us as well. Remember the shepherds? Yes, their hope swelled. They weren’t left with disappointment, but rather anticipation. Recall their response? "Let's go see!" (Luke 2:15, Stiles paraphrase)

In current nomenclature, they were saying, "So this is what happens when God shows up! Let's check it out!" And check it out they did when they went to real animal stable in a real town to see a real baby in a real feeding trough. Sounds unreal, doesn’t it? But it’s not, no, not in the least; too many tags scream this must be true. Real. Historical. Believable.

Make no mistake about what we’re believing occurred on this real date while a real man named Quirinius was really governing: God became a man. As a baby, of course, to start; but God nonetheless. This was the ultimate merging of the natural and the supernatural, the human with the holy. Theologically, it's known as the Hypostatic Union – two natures in one body. All of God and all of man in one human, Jesus. Practically, however, it’s known as salvation. For when God came to man – when the supernatural chose to invade the natural – when the ‘more than real’ took on the flesh of ‘real,’ one thing was sure – he would save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:21)

Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? Almost impossible, eh? But its not. It’s real. Believable. True. Possible. Frankly, this is what all the "tags of evidence" are pointing to – the reality of what really happened on that first Christmas: God came to man, and he has a name – Jesus – and Jesus saves.

This means a lot to me personally, for there are times when, perhaps in weeks when I am dealing with my own escalating stress, a family’s severe illness, or heightened conversations with a wayward sheep, I quietly question, What if all this is false? Is everything I'm teaching and preaching really true? It's in those times I come right back to this very passage and truth – the reality of Jesus. For it is his historical reality as attested to by inspired Scripture that emboldens my faith and gives it the footing it needs. Frankly, when the whole of the evidence is seen, it is nonsense to place Jesus anywhere else but squarely on the throne. History, archeology, science, and literature, to name a few, actually pour fuel on the fire of my faith and I see, more than ever that my belief in this God-man isn't misplaced at all, but rather focused perfectly on the only One who has ever brought the supernatural to the natural in a prefect, holy manner.

What about you? Faith dwindling a bit this season? See Jesus “tagged” by many people and places in Scripture and let your confidence grow again.

Still holding out that it's really not true at all? Well, are you willing to deny the existence of Bethlehem? Syria? Caesar Augustus? Yeah, even the quirky governor, Quirinius? There are too many “tags” to take time off from reason. Believe, and watch faith ignite in your life.

May we all consider, in this season of advent, not only the scriptural truth of Jesus, but the historical evidence for Jesus. Both are seen and woven in the Bible for this purpose – that in hearing the real message of Christ, our faith in him would really grow (Romans 10:17).

Have a really merry CHRISTmas!

36 Christmas Day Services

2011-12-21T17:40:00.005-06:00

Every time Christmas falls on a Sunday, it seems there is an increase in the conversation about when to hold church services. For some reason, we question our normal operating procedure when the annual "big day" falls squarely on our weekly "big day."

Don't read that and think I'm about to attack the dialogue that occurs among church staffs every 5-6 years. Not at all! In fact, I think it is a conversation you should have. After all, the normal logistical issues of the holidays are exponentially heightened when Christmas lands directly on a Sunday. And knowing how to adjust to have maximum impact is what any good team does. Still, I have found that asking questions or making suggestions about the corporate services on Christmas Day can breed a lot of various opinions.

Additionally, I have discovered, strictly through personal and very informal surveys, that this seems to be a more concentrated issue for churches that 1) have multiple services, 2) hold Christmas Eve service(s), and 3) aren't located in the southeast. [It seems that more churches in that region don't hold Christmas Eve services than do.]

It is to that issue that I relay the following story, not to suggest that what we did works every time or that this type of idea "suffices" for corporate worship. I share it to simply say that what you think may be a day of negative adjustments could be a day of positive additions if you will think and talk through the possibilities.

This was powerfully brought home to me back in 2005, the last time Christmas was on a Sunday. We were just one year old as a church, and were discussing when to have services that weekend. Both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day? Only one day? We were probably only running around 125 in attendance, but our community was very supportive of Christmas Eve services. So we knew we had a strong potential.

Yet, with many traveling, we wondered how we would staff multiple services, not just on one night, but on the next day. Plus, since we were renting space, there were other logistical issues that needed addressed. It was in the course of that discussion that, almost out of the blue, someone said, “Why don’t we just have a Christmas Eve service, then have all our Lighthouses (i.e., our small groups) hold their own service on Christmas Day by taking a gift to someone who has to work on that day?” I could tell there was a play on words there, but something about that idea took root in our group.

Suddenly, the room was abuzz with even more ways to hold a service, ways to minister to people and in places where traditionally they missed church. The people at convenience stores, the staff at the theaters, the hotel clerks and cleaners – these were all people who would be working on that day and could use the gift of someone and something serving them. Smiles and nods continued, and before long we had worked out a plan.

Let me cut to the chase and simply say that on December 24, 2005, our church held a beautiful, traditional Christmas Eve service. But on the next day, December 25, 2005 - Christmas Day - we held 36 “services.” That’s right – 36 places were adopted by our small groups, and each one got a visit, a gift, and a visible expression of the love of God. No, not in our rented facility or on our current site, but in 36 different places around our city where many of God’s people were working. Yep, people who don't normally get to be in a church service on Sunday were served by the people of God in the power of the Spirit and in the name of the Son. It was quite a Christmas "service" that meant a lot for our city and our church.

We're well past 125 in attendance now, and though we're holding a corporate worship service this year on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, I hope we're never too far past serving in Gods name on the day of the year that bears his name best - Christmas!

To all my fellow pastors who have adjusted and tweaked their schedule this Sunday, enjoy your Christmas "service," whenever and wherever it is. Merry CHRISTmas!

Christmas Hope

2011-12-16T09:56:00.003-06:00

Hope. Even the sound of it rings with promise and expectation. And it’s especially vibrant at Christmas.

Webster’s definition of hope, based on their online dictionary, is “to cherish or desire with anticipation.” Of course, there’s nothing wrong with that definition. In fact, this kind of hope, what I call Webster hope, abounds at Christmas. “I hope I get an iPod.” Or, “I hope I get some new clothes.” Sometimes Webster hope reveals itself in more serious areas of life. “I hope I keep my job next year.” “I hope I get married.” “I hope I can beat my cancer.” For sure, Webster hope is not trivial. It weaves its way into all areas of our lives.

But the problem with Webster hope is that, at best, it is based on an uncertainty. For instance, let’s say a couple says, “I hope we get pregnant soon.” That kind of hope is a wish, not a certainty. Granted – you can do everything humanly possible to help that hope along; you can do everything in your power to make that wish come true. But at its fundamental level, it is still simply a wish.

And, unfortunately, sometimes these wishes – our Webster hopes – are left unfulfilled. Do you know why? Because Webster hope, that mere human wish or hunch that something better is just around the bend, is based on an uncertainty.

There is something different about biblical hope. Biblical hope has as its foundation a promise. It is a present confidence about the future based on past promises. I take this from Hebrews 6:19: “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” Believe it or not, the Bible says hope is an anchor. That’s a lot more secure than a wish.

Why is this true? Hebrews 6:18 explains – because this hope rests on an oath made by God. Truly, our hope as believers rests on someone not something. That’s why we can have present confidence about the future – because it is anchored in the past promises of God.

In fact, throughout the New Testament, the early writers referred to Christ as “our hope.” Paul told Titus that “the glorious appearing of our great God and Jesus Christ” is the blessed hope. Paul calls Christ in us “the hope of glory.” And John said, “Anyone who has this hope purifies himself.” On earth, until we see Jesus, our hope is, like it or not, left partially unrealized. But there’s a day coming when we will see Christ face to face. At that moment, our hope will be realized fully. Completed 100%. That’s why the songwriter could write:

It will be worth it all when we see Jesus,

Life’s trials will seem so small when we see Christ;

One glimpse of his dear face all sorrow will erase,

So bravely run the race till we see Christ.

This season, I extend to you the hope of God in the pages of Scripture and in the person of Jesus. From things regarding your eternal destiny to how to get along with your spouse to how to spend your money to how to find the right job, God’s Word and God’s Son hold the key to biblical hope, not only at Christmas time, but all year long. Merry CHRISTmas!

The 12 Days of Christmas (Service Project Style)

2011-12-15T08:08:00.000-06:00

Many student groups engage in various Christmas projects each year. In fact, lots of beneficial projects happen annually. Unfortunately, these projects, while they serve a good cause, are typically short-lived and unchallenging. In other words, most are simply too easy. Here's a way to help your students engage in a project that centers on developing a sacrificial spirit for more than a couple of hours. This project targets the development of a sacrificial lifestyle, the formation of servanthood, and the birth of the courage necessary to combat consumerism during the most commercialized season of the year.

1. To start, think of at least 12 ideas/ways your teens can exhibit a sacrificial attitude during the Christmas season. Bring your top teens together for this, letting them brainstorm various possibilities with you. Sending cards, visiting hospitals, delivering food, collecting coats and gloves, baby sitting, and cleaning houses are just a few ideas. Remember -- the more the merrier!

2. With the list before you, encourage your students to select 12, adopting these ideas as their "12 Days Of Christmas" service project. Ideally, the 12 ideas that comprise this project should be the student's choice. However, you may need to help with appointments, transportation, arrangements, etc. if duty calls for it. Of course, let them take the initiative and do the bulk of the work. Otherwise, it's simply your project with their name on it. Additionally, all involved should start on the same day: December 13. Following this format enables everyone to wrap up his or her 12 individual ideas on Christmas Eve.

3. Beginning December 13th, each student participating in this effort works toward this goal: Accomplish one sacrificial project each day, with an eye to finishing all 12 by Christmas Eve.

4. Each student is to try and do three things each day, but in reality the first one is the one that matters most:

a. Accomplish the specified service project/idea.

b. Call another student on the team and share their experience, listening in return for the blessing received by the other student. This also aids in accountability.

c. Chart their progress and impact by journaling. Students who write down meaningful experiences typically benefit from them longer.

A project of this nature does so much to help young people develop sacrificial habits and attitudes that start becoming part of their lifestyle. After all, isn't that we're after -- believers who sacrifice year round, not just during the Yuletide season?

HINT: Make this project a volunteer-based effort; don't force kids to be involved. Because you're trying to instill attitudes and build habits, ask for only the ones willing to work hard at sacrifice. This will take more than the desire to look good in front of the youth pastor and more than the need to gain a holiday "feel-good" before they open up their 19 Christmas gifts worth more than $600. Once the serious have volunteered, meet together and charge!

The Gift of Simplicity

2011-12-14T06:14:00.013-06:00

Smartphones, with all their flash, features, and advantages, have created dumb people. Yep, I'm one. It seems I have become so dependent on these devices to remember my details that I sometimes can't even recall my parent's home phone number. See what I mean? A smart phone attached to an increasingly dumbed-down man (and a technologically spoiled one at that).

Okay, so I’m being somewhat facetious. But here’s my point. Sometimes flash and image can actually take away something’s original attractiveness: its simplicity. What once was inviting because of its clear focus and simple clarity gets less appealing as it gets "upgraded."

Christmas can get that way sometimes, can’t it? Truth is, life can get that way, eh?

Know what else can get that way? Our relationship with God and our worship of him! It did in Micah’s day, and this is what the final two chapters of the book are about: Simplicity, especially in worship. What should have been a focused response to the character and conduct of God became a complicated and corrupt performance. And it angered Jehovah! In fact, Micah 6:9-16 details the punishment that God brought because they persisted in their corrupt complexity. Their man-made "upgrades" actually become their #1 enemy!

When I read Micah 6, I think about all the "upgrades" that have actually contributed to the erroneous and complicated messages people get about Christianity. About salvation. About God. For instance, be good and you'll get in. Get wet and you'll get in. Get in and you'll get rich.Think positive and you'll get rich (in the name of Jesus, of course). Ad infinitum and ad nauseum. All of it runs contrary and complicates the real message of the Gospel.

Fortunately, Micah writes a last chapter of hope as he closes out the book, and in this last stanza of his prophetic song we see Micah personifying simplicity in his third description of Jesus as our Shepherd. This final "refrain" found in Micah 7:7-20 centers again the Shepherding work of Jesus Christ as the only means by which we can escape our corrupt and convoluted idolatry. Yes, the only way out of our complicated mess is the simple salvation provided by Jesus. He simply saves all who repent and believe. Nothing more and nothing less than grace alone by faith alone in Christ alone.

Remember humility? Taking the escalator down! Remember security? Taking a look up! Here's simplicity -- It's taking a trip to the cross. That’s where it all gets simple!

Merry CHRISTmas!

Christmas and Leadership

2011-12-12T08:52:00.002-06:00

We all know its Christmas. Just look around and you can easily see its December.

But guess what else is going on right now? I’ll give you one guess: (this is where you say) "Elections!" Just check out your TV, inbox, or radio and you’ll see an infinite number of ads for an incredible amount of candidates, at least on the Republican side. And some of the ads are quite interesting…

Rick Perry says he can solve the border problem.
Mitt Romney assures us he can create jobs.
Michelle Bachman claims she can get the budget balanced.
Ron Paul says he will end the IRS mess and finally simplify the tax structure.

If you were an average American, you’d think that people really believed a human was the answer to the mess we’re in! (Now that’s funny!)

That’s no different than what the people in Samaria and Jerusalem were experiencing during the time of Micah and the reign of three kings. They were sure the answer to their real needs was wrapped up in a man – a human leader. But that type of thinking is a fallacy, and Micah attacks this fallacy head-on in chapter 3. He shows them that ...

The kings were cannibalistic (3:2-3)
The priests and false prophets were materialistic (3:5)
The authority was duplistic (3:9-11)

Undoubtedly, the system was broken (3:11). Oh, the price of poor leadership! Everyone suffered because everyone was surfacy! People were thinking that a man was the answer – and the men were enjoying that type of praise – but nothing could be further from the truth. It was a fallacy to think that their real needs could be met by a mere man.

Here’s that same fallacy in today's political terms: “Vote for me, and I’ll make sure your economy is better, wages are high and expenses low, I’ll cut taxes and still increase services, provide perfect healthcare, and keep your social security perfectly safe.” Yeah, right!

In today's church terms, here’s the same fallacy: “As your pastors, we’ll make sure the music is never too loud (or too soft), it’s never too hot (or too cold), you’re never on the spot (but never left out), it’s not too large (or too small)…” Get the picture? Again, yeah, right!

You see, leaders are men at best; but at best, they’re still men. And because of that, men can never really provide what we really need. They can help us with what we temporarily need, but never with our real needs. In fact, I’ve noticed that man-made leadership and God-ordained leadership is often a contrast between what is temporary and what is permanent; what is short-term and what is long-term; what is immediate and what is eternal. Truly, the test of leadership is this: can we get people thinking beyond today? Make no mistake – that’s what real leaders need to do and how they need to lead!

The "beyond today" goal is summed in one name: Jesus. Micah does exactly this in chapters 4-5 when he points them to the shepherd from Bethlehem. He was the only one who could provide all they needed. Yep, all!

And the Good Shepherd is the only one who can provide all we need. So as leaders, especially at Christmas, let's lead people to see through the fallacy of man-based hope to the finality of Christ-centered contentment. Let's look past the gifts and through the ads to the ultimate Shepherd, Jesus.

Merry CHRISTmas!

Taking the Escalator Down

2011-12-10T10:07:00.001-06:00

Few prophets describe humility better than Micah. In the last part of chapter 2, he essentially says...

1. Humble people submit to God’s provision as their Shepherd (2:12). They enjoy his role as supplier, and gladly say, “He takes care of me.”
2. Humble people submit to God’s authority as their King (2:13). They embrace his role as ruler and gladly say, “He rules over me.”

When these things are our mindset, we don’t have piles of pride blocking our view of God. All the ‘stuff’ and ‘self’ is flattened, and God alone is lifted high. We see clearly that God is all we need and God is all we heed!

Jesus did exactly this, and no there’s no better picture of it than the one painted for us in Philippians 2. He humbled himself – he flattened himself – and became obedient to life as a mere man and death on a cruel cross. He took the “down escalator” from heaven’s throne and embraced the Father’s authority and provision. Why? So that we could be saved! Have you allowed his humility to take hold in your life?

Once saved, we can then live humbly like Jesus, our prime example of humility. And I can think of no better time than Christmas – or is it Me-mas? – to model his behavior. He took the escalator down. We can, too!

And that’s really what humility is – taking the down escalator! In fact, I thought back to my first memories of escalators – Wow, I thought. A moving staircase! I don’t know how old I was exactly, but I remember stepping toward the edge, wondering if those metal teeth were going to eat me up. Once I get on, can I get off? What about the end – will my shoes get caught and will I be trapped under the escalator? Yet, my dad was already on it, and if I was going to stay with him, I had to take the ride down. So I choose to step towards the descent, even with my questions and fears.

Humility is like our ride on the ‘down’ escalator – we step towards it and embrace the descent, no doubt wondering what might happen, but always trusting and obeying in our Shepherd and King.

Merry CHRISTmas!

Christmas or Me-mas?

2011-12-09T08:45:00.003-06:00

The current commercialization of Christmas makes me wonder if we shouldn’t call it “Me-mas.” From many angles, December can be an awfully self-centered time of the year, can’t it? It can produce the very thing God hates – self-centeredness and pride. Let’s be honest – when you spend ...

$24,500 on a genuine Lost in SpaceB-9 robot, or
$27,000 on a life-size (6’- 6”) Lego Batman, with only a $2700 shipping charge, or
$98,000 Ferrari Testarossa Two Seater Car for Kids, or
$250,000 on this Dance-On Piano (that’s $2841 per key and it comes with a private one-hour lesson) …

…well, about the only thing that can result is a false and warped sense of our own importance. In a word, P-R-I-D-E!

(NOTE: These are actual Christmas gifts that can be bought (maybe not by any of us). Check http://www.rockymounttelegram.com/featr/content/shared/entertainment/interactives/holidays/christmas_outrageous_gifts/index.html for more outrageous gifts ideas.)

Pride is unpacked rather clearly in Micah 2. After all, it was the pride of his people that God took a stand against (Micah 2:3). It was the fundamental problem in Judah (with Jerusalem as the seed bed), and it was rampant in the northern kingdom as well (Samaria being the heart of the problem). In fact, we see throughout the first two chapters of Micah a clear oracle against the pride of these two capital cities.

But it's especially in chapter two that a more complete description of the proud activities that went on in these cities is given. Things like …

Sinister planning and corrupt use of authority/power (2:1)
Wrongful seizure of property and houses (2:2)
Deceptive deals and contracts (2:2)
Blatant robbery (2:8)
Outright lies (2:11)

For sure, there is some good insight in these verses about pride and how it piles up in our life. Essentially, we need to understand that pride …

Is birthed in selfishness,
Is often heightened with stuff, and
Is usually evidenced by what I say.

The consequence? We’re pulled away from God! Truly, that’s the plague of pride – it piles up in our life and pulls us away from God!

The antidote? Somebody or something needs to flatten the piles of pride around us. That is called humility, and the honor of humility is in this: in the flattening of us and everything around us, we only see God. It loosens our grip. It takes us down. In fact, we should embrace this posture, for we are commanded to “humble ourselves before the Lord” that he may lift us up. Good advice since it is clear that God will if we don’t! Is that scary? Yes. But necessary! So it is “neces-scary!”

This Christmas, embrace humility. Find the flat posture before God. Be content with the escalator down.

Merry CHRISTmas!

O LITTLE Town of Bethlehem (for sure!)

2011-12-03T23:34:00.002-06:00

His name was Phillips Brooks. And the year was 1865. It was Christmas Eve, and Philips was riding horseback from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, where he was to assist with the midnight Christmas Eve service. The memorable journey impacted him, and though he tucked away the inspiration from that night for three years, finally in 1868 Phillips Brooks shared that experience in the song, “O Little Town of Bethlehem.” Originally a 5-stanza poem, he gave it to the church organist, Lewis Redner, who gave the poem its musical background.

In fact, Phillips writes about this experience… “I remember standing in the old church in Bethlehem, close to the spot where Jesus was born, when the whole church was ringing hour after hour with splendid hymns of praise to God, how again and again it seemed as if I could hear voices I knew well, telling each other of the wonderful night of the Savior’s birth.”

Ah, Bethlehem…the Christmas City. Small, but oh, so important. After all, it was the birthplace of a King. It's also the subject of the literary apex of Micah's prophecy (i.e., the climax of what comes before and after) -- Micah 5:2 - "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”

Culturally and geographically, Bethlehem was nothing compared to Jerusalem (Judah’s capital) or Samaria (Israel’s capital). It was a small town just south of the main city. Yet, it would be the centerpiece of the Savior’s birth! (It is actually set against these two major cities in 1:1.)

And Bethlehem isn’t the only small thing going on in this book. Professionally, Micah was not a major player compared to other prophets (like his contemporary Isaiah). Meaning ‘Who is like the Lord?’, Micah was one to do exactly that – lift up the Lord and hide himself behind the great character of God. He never left Judah from what we know, and doesn’t mention a single of Israel’s kings in his opening verse. He was a prophet without much attention.

Politically, his message wasn’t ringing well with the hearers. With all the kings in power at that time of Judah (Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah as described in the books of the Kings and Chronicles), who was going to listen to a lesser-known prophet from the region of Moresheth-Gath?

But God sees things differently, doesn’t he? Possessions, position and performance don’t make me more valuable to God, for he sees through the outer layer to the heart. Could there be any better message at Christmas?

Think about it – When most of the world will be wrapped up in these very things – possessions, position, and performance – does anything speak more powerfully to the message of Micah than a lowly manger in a stable, the air around it filled with the cries of a little baby? What could appear to be more “insignificant” than that? But the reality is this – nothing is more significant or important than the child in that manger!

No wonder the carol “Away in a Manger” became an immediate Christmas favorite when it was published. Though the actual author is unknown, verses 1 and 2 appeared anonymously in Little Children’s Book for Schools and Families in 1885, and verse 3 was later added by John Thomas McFarland. James Ramsey Murray printed all of them together in Dainty songs for Little Lads and Lasses: For use in the Kindergarten, School and Home in 1887. With no original tune, it was sung to tunes well-known already in England and America. Yet, the carol that seems to be a “lucky” collection of words and music from all over captures the heart of what really matters – the significance of a baby in a manger, the Christ child!

That’s where I want to start this Christmas season – and that’s where I want to stay -- at the seemingly insignificant manger in the small town of Bethlehem, where possessions, position and pride are all debunked and where true significance cries. Won’t you join me there this December – at the manger in Bethlehem – and let’s learn to value the significance of small things, not only this month, but all year long.

Merry CHRISTmas!

One Small But Significant Action

2011-12-02T15:26:00.003-06:00

Few people in the early 1900's knew the hidden power of a single, small action better than James Flannigan, a pastor in Omaha, NE in 1917.

You see, while most of America was wrapped up in World War 1, checking the papers daily to see if their boy was on the list of those killed in Europe, Rev. Flannigan was concerned about the orphan boys right under his nose; the lonely, homeless, hungry children who sat right in the path he took everyday to his church.

Know what he did? He invited six of them over to his house on December 12, 1917. And that was the beginning of Boys Town USA. Yes, he simply saw a need – one that most thought was insignificant – and met it. And he's been meeting needs ever since.

Merry CHRISTmas!

The Small Gifts of Christmas

2011-12-01T17:16:00.001-06:00

Small things can make a big difference! And small books can have a great impact. Such is the case with the short, self-titled book by the prophet Micah. In fact, it’s small things that Micah brings attention to throughout the three sections of his prophecy.

Micah is best understood based on its three divisions, each one marked off by the words “listen” or “hear.” And in each division Micah talks about the big, obvious, and loud – possessions and things (1:2-2:13), position and titles (3:1-5:15), and pompous worship and rituals (6:1-7:20). Yet, as an answer to each one, Micah shows that a simple shepherd will arise from a small town and simply save the day!

This shepherd theme runs through each of the divisions, showing us that our Savior was not an executive, a stylist, a showboater, or a self-absorbed egomaniac. He was a shepherd. Common. Plain. Probably ‘small’ in the eyes of man. But real. And really significant. And of all the verses in this little book, Micah 5:2 stands out as the significant text underscoring this principle, for it was the “little town of Bethlehem” that gave birth to the single greatest life in human history.

Truly, significance is wrapped in small things.

Merry CHRISTmas!

Communion and Kids: What's a Parent To Do?

2011-11-30T13:57:00.002-06:00

One of the best aspects of our current 31-week series, “The Story,” is the every-week observance of Communion. It has been a delight to return to the cross week after week, remembering and proclaiming our Lord’s death (1 Cor 11:26). Better yet, because our elementary children are in our service during this time, several parents have had the exciting privilege of leading their children to faith in Christ as a result of our weekly engagement in the Lord’s Supper. It appears the family conversations that stem from Communion are prompting the right kind of questions that lead to repentance and faith. For this we praise God!

However, perhaps some parents, still nervous about their child and an incredibly small cup of juice, wonder if there are some guidelines to help them as they sort out the best way to include their kids in Communion. “After all,” they might ask, “what if my kids don’t understand Communion yet? Should they partake?” These and other questions are legitimate, and so we recommend a few practical pointers for First Family families who wish to make the most of their kids and Communion.

1. Lay good groundwork early. Use the drive to church, or the few minutes before the service, to talk about what is coming up, its significance, and the protocol at FFC. And don’t feel bad for repeating yourself; reviewing is one of the cornerstones of genuine learning.

2. Explain the non-negotiable: It is for believers. So if your child isn’t yet a Christian, simply explain this to them, and have them either 1) wait in their seat if they’re an older child, or 2) go with you calmly without receiving the elements if they’re a younger child. You are not being mean, but simply obedient. And your obedience could breed questions that perhaps God will use to bring conviction unto salvation.

3. Expect correct participation. For families with believing children, model and mandate the appropriate way to engage in corporate Communion. It’s not a snack time, nor is it a laughing matter; it’s not race or a show. It’s a time of remembrance and proclamation of the cross, and our approach and response should be centered in these two words. The Apostle Paul demanded we not take the elements “in an unworthy manner,” so remind your children of this all-important heart issue and instruct them to show their attitude accordingly. (And yes, I said ‘mandate’ on purpose; this is not a time for dad or mom to ‘suggest’.)

4. Pray for them. One of the best ways to encourage the right attitude is to pray for it. That’s right – once you have the elements, place an arm around your child(ren) and pray for them – and yourself -- in a whisper. This way you both hear, but it’s not disturbing to others around you. You have the time to do this while the musicians are finishing up their song of reflection and meditation, so take advantage of it and pray with your kid(s). Specifically, confess your sins. Express your love to God and them. Pray for others. Thank God for His salvation. This kind of genuine intercession will go a long way in getting everyone in your family ready to partake. And even if they’re not able to partake yet, prayer is one of the ways to still include them without violating scriptural directives.

5. Take it with them, not just in front of them. Again, for families with believing children, take the time to assist your children verbally and visually. Get on their (eye) level, and show them how to follow along with the pastor and congregation as they eat the cracker and drink the juice. Even feel free to talk them through it, using words you are confident they understand to explain what each element means.

All in all, intentionality is the essential ingredient for families who wish to make Communion more than a rote ritual for them and their children. And this means you have to start planning, talking, and preparing for each week’s observance in advance. When that’s your overall mindset, Communion will explode with meaning and life for you and your kids.

NOTE: This brief article has not attempted to explain or explore the theological aspects of Communion; it is simply an effort to help parents with the practical side of dealing with smaller children during Communion.

What You See Isn't Always What You Get

2011-11-28T09:09:00.002-06:00

His name was Michael, and the year was 1993. I was a youth pastor in Georgia, and had heard through a another YP that Michael, who was going to be helping us with a local function, was simply “out-of-this-world” when it comes to youth work. Whatever needed doing, I was informed he would be willing and able.

Immediately my mind started racing, painting pictures of a tall, tanned young man with a muscular build. I imagined him as having the loyalty and love of hundreds of teens, being a fabulous speaker, and driving a sports car. In my mind he was single, rich, and totally satisfied with everything in his ministry. But what we think will be is not always what is.

At our initial meeting, it actually took me several minutes before I finally realized to whom I was talking. This can’t be the same guy I heard about? I thought. Unbelievably, he was not like anything I had imagined. Oh, he was tall, but his arms were lanky. He was a bit overweight, and drove up in a Ford Festiva (out of which he humorously unfolded). He had to live on a budget, watch his diet, and work late. In other words, he was just like me. And you. And most other people. He wasn’t Superman, Batman, or the Hulk. And his wife wasn’t Wonder Woman, either.

Yet, what I had been told was partly true. He did have a super youth ministry, teens who loved him dearly, and a zeal and desire to really make an impact on young people. He did have the things that mattered, the things that count for eternity.

So why did I paint images – false images – of what I thought he would be? Could it be that we are geared to believe that successful people in God’s eyes must first be successful in man’s eyes? What is it that ignites the spirit of God in a man -- appearance, riches, performance? Or rather humility, grace, and submission? I was about to learn.

When the meeting was over Michael and I had a chance to talk and fellowship. And over the next few months we became friends. Since we were ministering in the same community, lunch was a weekly thing for us, as well as local seminars and prayer breakfasts. Over the course of time I came to realize that Michael was just like me (can you believe it?) He had problems just like I did. He had worries just like I did. He fought battles just like I did. He failed just like I did. He was actually human.

Like a speeding train rushing by, the wind of what I had just come to realize blew me away. It’s not the things on the outside that make much difference to God; it’s our heart, and its condition. Being used by God depends not upon our appearance, our talents, or our ability; it depends upon one thing: Our availability. When we make ourselves humbly available, God then has an open door to work in us and through us. Nothing more is required. Nothing less.

Isn’t this the point in I Samuel 16? Remember the story? The prophet Samuel has come to Jesse’s home to anoint the future King. Due to Saul’s disobedience and failure because of pride, Israel was in need of a leader. And so God told Samuel to go to the household of Jesse and he would find the future king there.

Jesse is ready, lining up his sons one by one. From the first to the last, they are there, each positive they will be the chosen one. Samuel comes, and after a close inspection, is puzzled by the fact that none have been chosen. He then asks Jesse if there are any more. And suddenly we have an unbelievable incident occurring before our eyes, a chance to see from God’s perspective what is really important. David is brought in from the field, and God speaks loudly and clearly: “This is the one.” Instead of the older ones, the stronger ones, or the obvious ones, God chose the youngest one, the one that everyone else overlooked. Seemingly, God works that way, doesn’t He? The ones we overlook and disregard are the ones He often looks to as His servants and workers.

The longer I am in the ministry, the more I realize that our human perspective is blurred. Really blurred. We look for talent, beauty, ability, and skill. God looks for willingness, heart, love and submission. When He finds that in a person, regardless of what others say, He will use them mightily. The power of God loves a willing heart in which to explode. No matter what men may say, if we are willing, God can use us. Not because of our talent, but in spite of it. Not because of our greatness, but in spite of it. Truly our greatest ability is availability.

Frankly, what we see isn’t always what we get. What we may see is a small child, a noisy teenager, a restless young person, a distracted, disruptive little brat. But what God sees may be totally different. Be careful not to focus so much on the outside that you miss the potential lying dormant on the inside. In God’s economy, our outward performance and ability are not nearly as important as our inward humility and availability.

REFLECT
1. Can you recall a time when you misinterpreted an outward appearance? How did the initial experience affect you?

2. What we see on the outside can often fool us. Read Acts 8:14-24. Do you think Peter initially believed Simon’s outward intentions?

3. When did you last fall prey to appearance-based judgments, whether positive or negative?
What measuring stick can you use if you can’t “judge a book by its cover?”

It's a Matter of Perspective

2011-11-23T09:54:00.002-06:00

Another Thanksgiving has rolled around, and so has the time to stop and consider all the "good and perfect gifts" God had so graciously given each of us. But this year I’ll not glibly say a memorized "Thank you," nor will I half-heartedly show my seasonal appreciation with a long and flowery prayer before the traditional turkey meal. No, this year will be different. For gratitude is more than mere appreciation for good things; it is a divine perspective that causes us to rejoice in the good and bad, the happy and the sad, the lovely and the unlovely. It is the ability and wisdom to see through Heaven’s eyes at the good that has come because of what appeared to be, at first, evil. You see, it's simply a matter of perspective.

A thankful heart is not inherited, stumbled across, or discovered. It is cultivated and developed. Like a rich garden that brings forth precious and sweet fruit, a thankful heart is first tilled and tended to before it produces an attitude of gratitude. Though this is no easy task, it is a vital one if we are to truly understand the essence of thankfulness.

To the untrained eye, what may appear to be a tragedy could actually be a blessing. When you were denied that promotion at work, perhaps you weren’t aware that it also meant a transfer. When that loved one passed away, maybe God knew it was not worth the pain they would have endured to remain on earth. When your girlfriend told you she preferred not to date anymore, maybe God was moving her aside so he could introduce you to someone even better suited for you. Or just maybe it’s not so bad after all that you weren’t able to buy that house. You know, the one you really wanted but would have forced you to scrape and pinch every month just to get by financially. God may have a better house -- and a better buy -- just waiting for you. You see, it's simply a matter of perspective.

Whatever the case, I’m personally convinced you, through the power of the Holy Spirit, will be able to spot the hidden things in your life for which you are thankful. And I don’t mean the material things. Nor do I mean the forgotten things. I mean the things that at first seemed unfair, unjust and hurtful. It's these that require a second glance. And with that glance you may possibly see through the outer layer of your trial at the blessing within. Sounds crazy, I know. But try it. You might be surprised how many blessings you discover that before now simply went unnoticed. You see, it's simply a matter of perspective.

What must I do to gain perspective? I must focus my vision and wipe away the dust from my spiritual glasses; clear my perspective and concentrate on the blessings God has bestowed upon us. But not as years before. This time, look for the blessings hidden behind the burdens, the joys disguised as trials, the happiness discreetly tucked away inside one of your hurts. After all, doesn't the meaning of Thanksgiving go deeper than the surface? Since the Latin root of thankfulness is thinkfulness, let's put this word into practice, mentally searching for the secret blessings. You see, it's a matter of perspective.

Frankly, developing perspective is like walking through a meadow full of green, beautiful grass lying like carpet on the ground. We could behold the beauty and color of it, or the unsightly and frequent piles of cattle waste (commonly called manure) could blind us to it. Both are in the meadow. Both are in your view. How you view the meadow depends on which pile gets your attention. How's your meadow looking? You see, it’s simply a matter of perspective.

The Dad Difference

2011-11-21T14:55:00.002-06:00

Take a long, hard look at America and it’s families, and you’ll see, by in large, there is a leadership void among men. I personally believe the crises in our nation – dysfunctional homes, school dropouts, extreme violence, and teen suicide, to name a few – flow from deteriorating leadership on the part of men. In fact, recent stats tell us that men commit 90% of major crimes, commit 100% of rapes, commit 95% of burglaries, commit 91% of the offenses against the family, and comprise 94% of drunk drivers. Essentially, too many men are dropping the ball and everyone feels the damaging affects.

One such aspect of male leadership that has gone awry in our culture is that of an effective father-son relationship. Consequently, we won’t see the tide turn in America till dad picks up the slack and intentionally sets his sights on raising his son(s) with a strong moral and biblical compass. Fortunately, there are a number of good books and organizations that can help men grasp this all-important truth: A dad can make a world a difference!

The phrase that may best describe the father-son relationship comes from Proverbs 17:6: "…the glory of sons is their fathers." Robert Lewis, in his book "Raising a Modern-Day Knight," helps us understand the meaning behind this verse when he writes:

"As grandchildren are to old men, so a father is to a son: a source of wonderment and delight ... a reason for boasting. A son wants to feel like a champion in the presence of his dad."

But how? How does a dad become the "glory" of his son? Perhaps a personal example -- my father -- will give us a bit of insight into one idea that will help put some flesh to this phrase from Proverbs.

With earned degrees, a high position, and extensive travel under his belt, my father is, to me, the consummate dad. And yet, oddly enough, it’s not those humanly impressive accomplishments that I remember most. What I remember most are the times dad honored me by simply listening. Whether we were riding in the car, playing Wiffle ball in the back yard, enjoying a vacation, talking around the dinner table, or watching a game, dad made listening a common practice, nodding and raising his eyebrows while I chattered incessantly (I’m not sure, however, if my constant rambling was looked at so nonchalantly at that time!). By listening, dad communicated to me that I was important, that my opinion mattered, and that he needed and loved me. He said far more with his eyes and head than he did with his mouth. This, in turn, instilled tremendous amounts of loyalty in me towards my father, which made listening and following his lead a natural result.

Probably the fondest memory in regards to this happened just a few years ago when, upon being offered a prominent position at a Christian ministry, he called to ask what I thought he should do. Wow! I thought. He cares what I think! Whether or not dad really needed my input is immaterial. In the simple phone call, he communicated massive amounts of approval and affirmation, the things every son looks for and longs to receive from his father. It’s when sons receive these things from their dad that he becomes their "glory," their reason for boasting.

So, from a "father-of-four-who-was-once-a-son-to-a-father-of-three," here’s a simple tip for dads: listening actively can help you love and lead your son. Regardless of the arena, whether it’s your home, office, or ministry, make listening a top priority. In doing so you’ll be exhibiting love and exerting leadership in ways that affect him now and for years to come, and you'll have the incredible reward of being the "glory" of your son.

The Real Issue

2011-11-20T05:44:00.001-06:00

Some of my favorite conversations have been "discussions" (i.e., debates) on a current topic. Unfortunately, some of larger frustrations were those very same conversations where I found myself arguing about an issue with someone who’s mind is already convinced! (I suspect they were probably frustrated as well with me and my "made up" mind.)

Perhaps the debated issue is not the issue after all. Is music, preaching style, political affiliation, movie choices, drinking alcohol, and the like really all that’s at stake here? Of course not! In fact, most of these apparent topics would handle themselves if the issue of God’s authority and Lordship were settled. Much of our frustration stems from the fact that we’re trying to change minds, when God wants to change hearts. Bottom line? More of our time should be spent dealing with the real issue at hand – the development of a submissive spirit to God! In a flow-chart breakdown, it might look like this:

1. Issues are only settled when we exhibit increased submissiveness.

However…

2. Increased submissiveness is a result of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

However…

3. A personal relationship with Christ happens only as a natural by-product of a supernatural conversion.

Consequently…

4. Conversion is the seed-bed for all spiritual change.

Four observations emerge:

1. Deep and lasting spiritual change is impossible apart from the work of regeneration. Everything starts with salvation (2 Peter 1).

2. Arguing without a mutual agreement that God’s Word will be obeyed, no matter what, is often futile. It's analogous to going to the doctor for treatment of an illness with no intentions of following through with his instructions -- useless!

3. Issues can be, however, used to focus our attention to the foundational problem(s) (i.e., conversion, a personal relationship, or an increased submissiveness).

4. Issues are never settled out of order. So shoot for the heart. When their heart's allegiance is aligned, adjusting their lifestyle to the issue won't be a problem.

The Adrenaline god

2011-11-18T11:49:00.002-06:00

More and more, people in the new millennium are looking for a rush, a thrill, a high-risk adventure that produces a non-stop flow of adrenaline. Think about it -- the return of Fear Factor, the Amazing Race, as well as various game shows that promise bigger and better prizes are indications that some people "can't get no satisfaction."

Hear me out -- I have no problem with legitimate "rushes" and the moments where our stomach jumps into our throat. But without a doubt it is becoming more of the expected norm as opposed to the anticipated anomalies. Excitement is the catchword; thrills are the hot item.

With society pushing the adrenaline surge to an all-time high, some ministries (and families) are asking: Should we follow suit? Is providing repeated thrills and one high after another the next step for those involved in making disciples and/or raising kids?

Just watch the landscape -- family calendars are chocked full of endless memberships to clubs, teams, and trips, and church schedules often look like the event list at a civic center or arena. Financially and relationally, we're going broke at the expense of the thrill. Our addiction to adrenaline is bankrupting us in more ways than one.

So...what's the answer to the question above? Is it worth it to follow the culture's model and provide an endless array of spine-tingling "rides" for those under our care? A resounding ‘no’ should be heard across the land! "Big-top" excitement is unable to sustain anyone over the long haul of his or her spiritual journey. Why? Concisely, the Law of Diminishing Returns. It is impossible to maintain the increased necessary level of excitement repeatedly. That detour is a dead end road.

What works? Connecting to deep relationships! Both families and churches need to make more of time together, not just time. True, often doing exciting things together does deepen relationships. But you know you've crossed the line from people to programs when, upon realizing that the exciting thing tonight is pizza at home while talking around the table, your kids start a coup to overthrow you. If you suggest that all the gadgets with screens be tuned off for one night so you can all talk and your family -- or small group -- looks up at you with fire in their eyes, perhaps that's a sign that some relational redefining needs to take place. All kidding aside, it's the same old contrast that's been around for ages, only dressed in 21st century garb: relationships vs. rituals. And solid, deep relationships are what grounds people best for a lifetime of involvement in God’s body, the church.

One thing is true: We are doing our ministry, our family, and our church a disservice when we create the false illusion that life is one big thrill after another, and people are only there for the in-between times. Quite the contrary! Life is actually somewhat routine, typically a matter of engaging in daily discipline. And deep relationships – with God and others – is the high point of it all!

Here are a few diagnostic questions to ask yourself as you think through your own addiction to adrenaline:

· Do you sense a lot of physical motion but little spiritual progress?
· Does your calendar dictate more than your purpose/mission?
· Do you, your family, and/or friends “hang out” even when there is no official event?
· Do your family or church events allow adequate debriefing and processing?
· Is there a small group emphasis in place among your sphere of relationships?
· Is your overall spiritual growth plan based on events ("I need to go somewhere!") or relationships ("I get to be with someone - God!")?

Love Win[K]s

2011-11-17T05:06:00.003-06:00

One of the dangers of generalizing something is that you remove most, if not all, of its power. It becomes so generic that it is no longer effective. And when people come in contact with it, it’s as if they’re anesthetized by its vagueness and broadness. In my opinion, this is largest danger lurking in Rob Bell’s newest book, Love Wins. It is dangerously nonspecific and subtly all-inclusive.

Frankly, the Gospel is generalized into “love,” hell into “mistrust,” heaven into “everything in its right place,”, and salvation into a “story.” Not that these words don’t have a place in God’s revelation language, but undoubtedly there is more. Much more! Specific words and concepts like regeneration, adoption, justification, judgment, eternal torment, the New Jerusalem, Lake of Fire, Great White Throne, and the eternal state seem conspicuously absent. Little wonder – it’s hard to be all-inclusive if you get too specific.

It is this unsaid-but-clearly-implied inclusiveness that has a number of trusted evangelical theologians squinting. And for good reason. If, in the end, “love” conquers all, doesn’t that mean you’re a universalist? Sure, he never comes right out and states his position as the universalist one, but the implication is rather strong: “In the end, you’ll finally give in. Then you’ll get in.”

Which begs the questions: Can people repent in hell? Or disbelieve in Heaven? Is it ever too late? Based on the interview with Adrian Warnock, Rob Bell believes it is never too late for someone to repent. Whether in the hell they have created for themselves now or the hell that may be waiting for them later, it is just a place of mistrust until they finally feel the pull of divine love and succumb to all its restorative, healing power.

Final judgment. Eternal punishment. Forever blessedness. These are specific ideas Rob doesn’t want to embrace, but he never comes right out and denies them. He just stays general enough that you can’t really determine what he does or doesn’t believe. Granted – after eight chapters, you’d think you’d know what he believes. But oddly, you don’t. And I’m not sure he knows yet either. In interview after interview, he consistently adds phrases like “It’s all we know right now” and “It’s the best we have so far,” indicating there may be information from God still on the way. This is why he is so general – he is afraid if more revelation shows up, he may be wrong. So keep it general; this way your chances of being right increase.

Expectedly, if you try to pin him down for an answer, as Adrian Warnock did in the interview on Premiere Radio, he becomes noticeably general. Falsely unassuming. Jabbingly questioning. He seems afraid to stand on revealed truth. We shouldn’t be surprised, though. Revealed truth is specific. Clear. Concrete. Absolute. And Rob is anything but that when it comes to his book, Love Wins.

Perhaps his fuzziness is actually the greatest evidence against him, the clearest demonstration that his stand is actually quite clear: You can’t trust the written Word or the risen Savior. No doubt that’s where you’re left dangling when all the wordiness is over. For in Rob’s world, it’s almost as if, in spite of the Scriptures or the Savior, God winks, disregarding everything he has said and done through his Son, and at the last minute pulls the proverbial curtain over the eyes of his followers and lets everybody in after all.

Come to think of it, maybe that’s a better title for his book: Love WinKs.

Just What is a Gospel-Centered Church?

2011-11-16T11:23:00.002-06:00

At its core, a Gospel-centered church is a grace-focused church. It is a church grounded on the biblical doctrine that true spiritual life begins at, and continues from, the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Gal 6:14). Thus, it is essential to know exactly what we believe about this pinnacle event since it affects every single aspect of our existence. How do the Gospel and grace fit together?

In Scripture, grace and Gospel are twins. And both are seen together in the life of the incarnated One, Jesus. After all, Jesus, who is the visible personification of God’s grace (John 1:14) and the historical reality of God’s grace (1 John 1:16-18), fully and perfectly embodies both. He is the grace of God, and his finished work is the Gospel of God. Grace and Gospel are sovereignly seen in the Savior.

Ah, there’s the word we’ve been waiting for: Savior. It’s what he does by grace and through the Gospel -- save sinners! For sure, when it comes to our salvation, our Savior, Jesus, is at the center of everything. He is our source and subject. It is his grace. it is his gospel. So a Gospel-centered church is a Christ-focused church. He is the audience -- the eternally worthy One! -- and we are the earthly worshiping ones whom he has sovereignly chosen to save.

Furthermore, the Gospel continues to be the source of all sanctification and growth after salvation. While, as Peter said (2 Peter 1:5), we "add to our faith" by cooperating with the work of God, it is still, nonetheless, the work of God. He started it, continues it, and will finish it, all through the Gospel. As Tullian Tchividjian says, "The Gospel doesn’t just ignite the Christian life; it’s the fuel that keeps the Christians going and growing every day."

Therein lies the essence of a Gospel-centered church/Christian: It's a life that begins and ends every day at the cross (Gal. 6:14).

A Growing Faith Like Gideon's #3

2011-08-01T14:11:00.002-05:00

"Lord, increase our faith!" was the request of the disciples in Luke 17. How does that happen? A look at the full context of this request (vs. 1-19) will show that there are at least three things God asks of us in order to grow our faith.

3. Praise him for what he’s done (and what he didn’t do).

This concluding true story shows that faith increases even more as we remember its source - God! In other words, worship and praise fan the flames of faith and give it even greater reason to burn brightly. This means we remember what God has done instead of forgetting, and we take the time to return, in grateful praise, to the One who is responsible for any and all results. Ideally, this is the natural outflow of knowing who we are and whose we are -- “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!”

Of course, we also thank God for what he didn’t do -- leave us like we were! Gratefulness sees not only what happened (+), but also what didn’t happen (-). Truly, a growing faith faith rejoices in God’s grace and mercy.

Again, Gideon’s life shows us that remembering matters. For while he lived and judged (i.e., at least 40 years), the nation of Israel, for the most part, stayed on course and obedient. It seems he reminded them well of who they were to worship. But as soon as he died, Scripture says they “forgot” God and turned again to idols. Tragically, their faith stopped growing in power when they stopped remembering in worshipping.

A Growing Faith Like Gideon's #2

2011-08-01T06:55:00.004-05:00

2. Know who you are (and whose you are).

The fact that this story follows the disciples request indicates that Jesus is clarifying perspectives about increasing faith. As faith increases, it doesn’t equate to a rise in power or position. Faith in action doesn’t expect a raise or reward; it’s really the normal life all who call themselves a follower of Jesus. And when we simply act on what we know/use what we already have, we shouldn’t look for credit. Instead, we remain content -- we’re happy to be his! That’s enough for us.

Gideon exemplified this well when, after completely destroying he Midianites, even pursuing the fleeing kings, he refused to be the king of the Israelites. They wanted him and his sons and his grandsons to “take over” and rule them. Gideon said, “No, the Lord shall rule over you.” That’s perspective, and it is essential to a growing faith.

A Growing Faith Like Gideon's #1

2011-07-31T19:55:00.001-05:00

*NOTE: This blog is a follow-up to my message on July 31, "Gideon: Faith That Grows." To understand the blog to its fullest, listen to the message first here.

"Lord, increase our faith!" was the request of the disciples in Luke 17. How does that happen? A look at the full context of this request (vs. 1-19) will show that there are at least three things God asks of us in order to grow our faith.

1. Use What you have (to do what you should)

It’s not the size of our faith that is most important, but the source on whom it is fixed. Even if we have just a little, it is powerful when placed in the solid character of God. Take the faith you have been given by God and simply start obeying him in the smallest areas. Look at what he has given you, and use it in faith to bless others and glorify his name. That’s how faith grows -- when we simply act on what we already know or take what we already have and put action to it. Being faithful in what we already have or to what we already know opens the door for greater faithfulness in larger things later.

In fact, a synonymous phrase for increasing faith is quicker obedience. Let me illustrate. Two men both have to jump just a foot or two off a ledge and grab hold of a branch over a large canyon, then stand up on the limb below them. What will affect their readiness to jump the most? Not who they are, but what the tree is like. Little tree? Slow jump (if at all!) Big tree with firm roots? Quicker jump? You get the point, right? Even a little confidence in the tree can lead to a big jump. And for sure, delay indicates doubt. After all, it’s one thing to analyze; it’s another to be paralyzed. The common factor to both is the state of the tree.

Remember Peter? He was the first one out of the boat, indicating his faith in Jesus was strong. When did he start to sink? When he took his eyes off the source of his faith and onto the size of the waves. Don’t knock him for sinking. Applaud him for such strong faith that obeyed so quickly and showed he trusted Jesus without reservation.

Gideon did this, too, when he simply used what he had to obey what he knew. He took the ten men and cut down the idol his father had erected. While it was important, it didn’t require things out of his immediate reach. He started with what he had where he was. It was small faith that had a big impact.

The Carrot and the Horse

2011-06-24T06:01:00.004-05:00

A brief excerpt from a recent message on Abel and the importance of motives...

Q & A from "By Faith" Series in Hebrews 11

2011-06-23T14:22:00.004-05:00

Q: In your recent message on Abel you said that "God came to us." But didn’t we go to him and accept him on his terms? He is always with us from the time that we are born to the time that we die, right? It is just that we have to accept him, right?

When I speak of God coming to us, I speak, first, of the crucial act of Jesus coming to live among us. God “pitching his tent” in our neighborhood (John 1). Had God not sent Jesus to live among us and die in our place as the atoning substitution for sin, we would forever be lost. We did not (and could not) go to God in heaven and try to reconcile the war between him and us, nor were we (or are we) able to bridge the gap that exists between us and God. It is an eternal predicament that only God can solve. He solved that when he took the step of sending Jesus to us as the sacrifice for our sins and not leaving us in our sin. This was the work of God in coming to us when we could not get to him.

Second, when I speak of God coming to us, I speak of the work of the Holy Spirit upon our lost souls when he opened our eyes to the Gospel (i.e., the truth about Jesus’ finished work on the cross). Ephesians 2 says we are dead; 2 Cor. 4 says our eyes were blinded. But God has shone the light of the Gospel into our hearts (2 Cor. 4:6) so that we could see. He has awakened our hearts from the dead and given us the faith to believe (Eph. 2:8-9) So it was God who came to us in our lost state and raised us up/regenerated us. Yes, we responded to that and experienced conversion – that moment when we “accepted” the Gospel and took our stand on it. But it was God who came to us and opened our eyes, giving us the spiritual capacity to even see/comprehend the Gospel.

When we speak of God always being with us, we need to be careful to distinguish between God being always with us and God being in us. God is “with” everyone in the sense that he is always aware of where they are and in control of them – lost and saved people alike. He is sovereign! Omniscient and omnipresent! But he chooses to reside in those who believe. This is the role of the Holy Spirit – to indwell believers. This is the presence of God that unbelievers do not have. It is God coming to us in a way that lost people cannot access until they believe.

Q: You also stated that, when it comes to the show of church, "nobody is flasher then us." What did you mean and why is that so? Is it because we want people to think we’re a “goodie two shoes” bunch?
By “us” I meant, generally, the western American church, and I don’t know why we have this tendency to impress. I don’t think it is wrong to want to put our best foot forward, but there is a fine line between our best foot forward and a false foot forward. Perhaps we do crave the approval of others too much, so we want them to think we’re something we’re not. I’m not sure if I know the WHY question. But I am fully aware of my own failings and tendencies to cover up any sign of weakness or fault, and God warns against that seriously. Perhaps riches and prosperity have trapped us into thinking that we have to at least appear to have it all, all the time. I just don’t know. But I do know this is the battle we all wage: pretense vs. authenticity.

What Faith Is and What Faith Gives

2011-06-07T05:03:00.001-05:00

Some have asked for a "reprint" of some of my thoughts/notes from my message in Hebrews 11:1-3 regarding faith -- "What Faith Is and What Faith Gives" (mainly because these comments weren't on the slides behind me and I didn't repeat them much). So here's a brief recapitulation of the highlights.

Faith is confidence in God in light of what I do see and in spite of what I don't see (v 1).

Faith gives a vertical commendation, a horizontal understanding, and an external endurance (v 2-3).

Essentially, through we faith we can relate to God properly, reason about life correctly, and react to trials faithfully. No wonder faith is said to be indispensable ingredient to pleasing God!

SundayStats for June 5

2011-06-06T07:25:00.000-05:00

Here's a quick, statistical look at how FFC's YouVersion "live" participants responded to the polls from Sunday's interactive message format on June 5, 2011.

When asked how they think the culture around them generally defines the word faith,

48% said they think the culture defines faith as belief in a higher being.
26% said they think the culture defines faith as positive thinking.
17% said they think the culture defines faiths as a blind leap.
9% said they think the culture defines faith as optimism.

When asked when their faith was awakened (i.e., when did God save them),

24% said they were saved between the ages of 21-30
24% said they were saved between the ages of 31-40
19% said they were saved between the ages of 7-10
14% said they were saved between the ages of 11-15
10% said they were saved between the ages of 3-6
10% said they were saved between the ages of 16-20

Rights or Choices?

2011-06-02T22:13:00.002-05:00

I am more convinced than ever that the fundamental strategy of the homosexual community is to equate sexual rights with civil rights. This is how they intend to infiltrate the legal and cultural systems of our country and change things to accommodate their destructive choices. They’ve been at it for decades, and they show no signs of letting up. And with good reason – it’s working.

The latest evidence that this subversive, slow chipping away of the true definition of “rights” is their greatest weapon of attack is found in the most recent edition of ESPN the Magazine. In the column Voices, Steve Buckley, who himself “came out” last January, predicts that the first big-time athlete to announce his homosexuality while actively playing the sport the in which he excels will face the same discrimination and questioning that – here it is! -- Jackie Robinson faced. Wow! Could he be more blatant? I doubt it! In Steve’s world, the barriers of color and sexual orientation are the same.

What’s more astounding is that he offers this up without any type of evidence or support, probably because he knows it is, unfortunately, a generally accepted thought. But the hard reality is that this type of assumption – i.e., sexual orientation is a “rights” issue because we are born with it -- has no scientific foundation, and an even less biological one. (For those who are Christian, a third strike occurs when you realize it has no biblical basis either.) Yet, Steve not only assumes it’s a genetic issue, he asserts this unfounded theory to his readers. Frankly, a discerning and intellectually honest reader, whether Christian or not, would ask, “Where’s the proof that homosexuality is inborn? Where’s the evidence of this 'gay gene?'” But so many people simply read indiscriminately and believe anything without ever thinking, “Is this really true?” (For a good discussion of how they gay gene theory got its start, as well as other insightful, founded information relating to this topic, listen to this talk I gave a few months back, or check out this entry of my blog.)

Notwithstanding, Steve may be correct in his prediction that the effects of “coming out,” whoever the first active athlete is, may be difficult and trying, just as life was for Jackie Robinson. However, Jackie didn’t face it because of his own sinful choices; he faced it because of the sinful choices of others. The first currently-playing gay athlete, though, will possibly have to face this kind of treatment for exactly the opposite reason – his or her own sinful and immoral decisions. You see, the reasons for such treatment are starkly different, not only in the visibility, but in the causality. But such is the goal of the homosexual activists: to make others appear to be the ones thinking and living wrongly when, in reality, they are.

I know I’m probably in the cultural minority, but I’ll stand on this scientifically, biblically, and biologically: It is a large leap with no substantive platform from which to land or take off to parallel one’s color with one’s sexuality. And each time we let this assumption go unchallenged, we do all true minorities a disservice because we’re letting the homosexuals sabotage the real civil rights movement.

SundayStats

2011-05-30T22:38:00.000-05:00

Over the last two weeks I've been using YouVersion Live as a bonus feature for our church during the service. Once you have the app on your Web-enabled mobile device, it allows you to follow along with me electronically on that very device while I'm teaching; you can read the texts, take polls, answer questions, jot down notes, and even invite others to join you. Even more intriguing is that the polling data is shared with all who are following along live, so you get to see what others in the room are are thinking right then and there, even while everyone's identity is kept anonymous.

Frankly, I'm enjoying it, and I'm not even participating from a listener aspect. But the data is providing some interesting bits of insightful trivia, and in some cases it provides clues to our current situations and demographics. Plus, it's good seeing how others are taking action in light of what they are learning.

For instance, out of our YouVersion "live" participants...

...34% say the Cosby's were their favorite TV family.
...28% grew up in a family of 4, 31% grew up in a family of 5, and 24% grew up in a family of 6.
...45% will express thanks to their parents in person (and include a hug!) for the investment they made in their life, while another 36% will do it via a phone call. 18% will say thanks through a gift. (Maybe that's one of my kids?!?)
...50% reported that, out of the five offerings in Lev. 1-5, the Burnt Offering was the most interesting and helpful to them. The Grain Offering cane in second with 32%.
...only 31% knew that there were about 55 "one another" verses in the New Testament. Most (38%) thought there were over 75.
...42% indicated that the relational aspects of worship (the Guilt Offering principle) were the areas the Holy Spirit was speaking to them about and about which they desired prayer, while 25% said it was the grateful aspects of worship.

These are fun odds-n-ends for a trivia nerd like me...a little "extra credit" from the weekly joy of preparing and preaching.

Nothing New Under the "Covers"

2011-05-28T08:00:00.003-05:00

It’s the same old story told again and again: Success, stardom, then smallville. Hero to zero in 60 months or less. It’s exactly what happened to Samson, and its echo is louder than ever in the current saga of John Edwards (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/26/us/26edwards.html?_r=1&partne...).

I was commenting to my wife just last Thursday morning, as we were welcoming the day and catching some headlines, how startling it is to watch such a spiraling disintegration. From southern gentleman to Senator to VP/Presidential candidate to … well, the rest goes downhill. And fast. Pretender. Adulterer. Liar. Now thief?

I’m not commenting on his innocence or guilt relating to the most recent charges. I’m simply observing that little things make a big difference. Truly, it’s the small matters, left unattended, that, over the long haul, will turn into monsters that eat you alive. Heroes don’t dive to zeroes overnight; we only find out about it that way. This has been the course for all pseudo-shooting stars since time began. Solomon was correct – there is nothing new under the sun (or the covers).

The cameras don’t show you those small issues; they’re unattractive. And the media won’t tell you about the mundane matters; they’re boring. So they print and write about all your glamour. Your perfection. Your “rightness.” But if you let yourself believe you’re as pretty as the pictures show and as great as the articles say, you’re headed for trouble. One of the biblical writers said it like this: “If you think you’re standing tall, watch out! You’re about to fall.” (paraphrase mine)

That’s why it’s best to have real friends around you, not mere fans. Your friends will tell you the ugly truth so that you will avoid an even uglier future. And they’ll help you do, not deny, the small things that end up making the biggest difference in the end. Like daily prayer when no one is watching. Or regular Bible study even though there’s no message to preach. Or faithful giving when no one is around. Being polite when the camera is off. Consistent exercise after the race is over. Saying ‘no’ to the double scoop even when you’re out of town. Not watching the X-rated pay-per-view movies in the hotel on the business trip. Telling the truth to every question. Giving back the extra change when the clerk has counted it back to you wrongly (even if it’s a penny). Yep, the little things that seem insignificant now can end up being quite important later.

Why? Because they form habits. And habits either make us or break us. Negatively, when sexual lust is a hidden habit, we eventually find a way to act on it. It’s called fornication. Adultery. When financial greed is a hidden habit, we eventually find a way to act on it. It’s called stealing. When anger and resentment is a hidden habit, we eventually find a way to act on it. It’s called revenge. Assault. Murder. These sound unnerving and unsettling. But the whirlwind of evil deeds is usually sown by the wind of evil seeds.

The point? Live today like the little things matter. Because they do.

We're Done with Leviticus, But Not With Holiness

2011-05-27T08:00:00.003-05:00

One pastor I enjoy listening to weekly is Kevin DeYoung out of Lansing, MI (University Reforrmed Church). He’s a thought-provoking, theologically-sound teacher of the Word. So when he wrote recently about “The Hole in our Holiness” (http://www.sermoncentral.com/Articles/Article_PrintFriendly.asp?Art...), my ears perked up, especially since we’ve been in Leviticus these past 20 weeks. And with holiness being mentioned over 80 times in that book alone, his article caught my attention.

As I read it, I kept thinking, not only about God’ call to us in Leviticus, but also about our previous study in 2 Peter, and the emphasis there upon our participation in God’s process of sanctification. There’s just no way around the biblical text – we are to join God’s inevitable work inside us with much effort and energy. As Paul said, we are to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil 2).

This is, to some degree, the case Kevin makes in his article, and he does a nice job of calling evangelicals, especially our younger ones, to task for avoiding the call to biblical holiness and purity. He lists five reasons he thinks this happens, all of which will resonate with you, bringing a grin every once in a while as well. Enjoy Kevin’s perspective, and commit with me to following hard after God’s call to purity and holiness for the glory of our Savior.

Not Beyond or Below

2011-05-26T16:36:00.001-05:00

Your mind is under attack. Don’t believe me? Just check out your inbox or mailbox. Ads, books, fliers, speakers, emails, blogs, and articles bombard us constantly. Sure, some are meaningless; others, obvious. Still others are, well, more insidious.

When it comes to discerning what we read and hear, and consequently what we usually end up sharing later, a great discerning rule to use is this: “Does this line up with what the Bible actually says?” Notice the point – what the Bible actually says, not what you wished it said, or what someone else thinks it says. But rather, what does the text of the Bible actually say?

Primarily, this really matters in preaching because if we go beyond the text or below the text, we remove ourselves from our authority. Frankly, we, as preachers, have no authority apart from the Word of God. It is our sole basis for authority. So to have any “legs to stand on” (i.e., credibility), we must stay in line with the written text, always asking ourselves, “Is this what the Bible is actually saying?”

To go beyond the text is to say more than what is really there…to add elements or opinions to the Scripture, without any disclaimer to that end, and acting like it is part of Scripture. This usually happens when someone has a “soapbox” they insist on climbing week in and week out, or when they have an agenda to protect that is more personal than biblical. Conversely, to go below the text is to say less than the text says, usually out of fear of man. We generalize and neutralize the words of Scripture, trying to remove its offense or demands. This is equally as sad as leaves us with whimpy preachers who waste our time.

Secondarily, this really matters to you as a leader and follower of Jesus, for if you are not using what the Bile actually says, you may be easily detoured into believing something that is nothing more than someone’s opinion. Not that opinions are bad; we all have them, right? But we all don’t have the right to pass them off as Scripture! You must be willing – and able – to let the media storm you enter every day be “umbrella-ed” by Scripture. Use God’s Word to inspect, deflect, and reflect upon everything you hear and see, asking yourself constantly, “Is this going beyond or below the actual text of Scripture?”

Incidentally, my informal research, after years of preaching (and listening to preachers), seems to indicate preachers tend to go beyond the text in areas of prophecy and politics. And we usually fall below the text in areas of morality and ministry. Just look around you at the host of books and messages that are thrown at you and you’ll discover that this is generally true. Whether it is in assigning dates and times to Christ’s second coming, painting pictures of heaven and hell with details foreign to the Bible, or giving a pass to any type of sexually deviant appetite, our culture abounds with people doing both – going beyond or below the actual text of God’s holy, authoritative Word.

Of course, that doesn’t mean we can’t provide application. Sure we can; we must! But meaningful application is always rooted in solid interpretation, and that starts with the text – “what does it actually say?” As you interact with others, and as you discern the many messages that come across your life’s “desk” every day, use God’s Word as the final filter. It’s the only way to find out who’s beyond or below.

Pure Living in a Pagan Culture

2011-03-19T20:07:00.002-05:00

Here are helpful links to some of the items I addressed in my message Sunday (3/20/2011) regarding Leviticus 18-22 ...

http://www.mission.org/jesuspeople/thegaygene.htm

http://www.albertmohler.com/2011/02/28/how-did-this-happen-why-same-sex-marriage-makes-sense-to-so-many/

http://www.cwfa.org/images/content/bornorbred.pdf

http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/archive/ldn/1999/apr/99042302

... along with some requested excerpts:

"Essentially, all of their 'to- do’s' were rooted in a single 'I AM.' Truly, God’s sovereignty doesn’t simply suggest obedience; it demands it."

"We see a predominant theme surfacing -- God valued obedience and purity. It was his expectation that they [Israel] would belong to him and him alone, and so he set up ways that they could exhibit their allegiance and loyalty to him. This was one of the primary reasons behind the call to purity."

"Out of all the issues in Lev. 18-22 (physical, ceremonial, moral, etc.), the most common one addressed is sexual. In fact, out of the 151 verses in these five chapters, sexual issues are referenced in approximately 45 of them. That’s about 30% of the 5 chapters. Clearly, God valued sexual purity. And he still does! Frankly, sexual perversion was -- and is -- spiritual adultery. It was -- and is -- a violation of their spiritual marital covenant to Yahweh. But when they lived sexually pure lives physically, it was at least one way to say to God spiritually, 'I’m completely and exclusively yours.'"

"Because sexual perversion is such a devilish and deceptive god, we create all kinds of insidiously wicked ways to bypass God’s clear instructions. Simply put, we want our sex our way. This is why ...

...homosexuality has been geneticized -- we want our sex our way.

...abortion has been legalized -- we want our sex our way.
...divorce for unscriptural grounds has been civilized -- we want our sex our way.
...adultery and fornication has been normalized -- we want our sex our way.
...pornography has been supersized -- we want our sex our way."

"When it comes to sexual desire, a 'my-sex-my-way'' type of attitude leads no where but down. This is the plain and obvious sense of Romans 1 -- continued and increased immorality is the divine consequence to continued and increased idolatry. When you say 'no' to God over and over, don't be surprised if you find yourself saying 'yes' more and more to sexual perversion as well."

"Though homosexuality -- and all other sexual perversion -- is clearly forbidden in Scripture, the good news is it is clearly forgivable through repentance. God loves and wants to forgive those who struggle with sexual sins, whether of a homo or hetero nature. 1 Cor. 6:9-11, in fact, states that the church in Corinth was filled with those God had washed, sanctified, and justified. Included in that list are adulterers, homosexuals, fornicators, thieves, greedy, drunkards, etc. But Jesus made them fit for the kingdom of God through his grace upon their repentance. They, like all of us, had a past marred by sin, but through Jesus they received a future marked by the Savior. That’s why we must embrace and extend the grace of God for all of us. After all, Romans 1-3 teaches that we are all on the same footing in front of God -- condemned -- so it’s grace that we stand in desperate need of! Fortunately, the gospel pours out grace, and for anyone who believes its message, grace will rain down in buckets with a watershed of forgiveness."

Both/And, Not Either/Or

2011-02-02T15:28:00.000-06:00

I have read/heard a number of good reviews about Steve Wright's book on youth ministry, ReThink, and after just this brief paragraph from him, I can see why:

"Both the church and its student ministries have biblically assigned purposes: namely, exaltation (celebrate), edification (grow), and evangelism (serve). It is interesting in passages concerning the early church...we see these three purposes functioning in perfect unison. These purposes of the church are different than the purposes of the family, which is why God ordained two institutions rather than one. We cannot listen to the extremists who are attempting to push us to one or the other institution. It's time for the two institutions to step closer together and become partners to rescue this generation."

Amen! A biblically balanced voice really is nice to hear!

[NOTE: I did add the italicized words in parenthesis just 'cuz I think it's cool how he sees the main functions of the body of Christ in the same vein as we do at FFC).

A Different Kind of Christmas: Aiding

2010-12-14T22:17:00.000-06:00

An Old Song, Good Friends, and Sweet Memories

2010-12-11T08:17:00.001-06:00

Allow me a moment to reminisce, okay? I ran across an old cassette tape the other day while rummaging through some boxes, and it turned out to be 10 "lost" songs from the acapella (sp?) high school quartet in which I sing back in the early 80's. What a jolt to hear those! I remember well singing with those friends - Steve King, David Adkins, and Mark Siers. We'd practice in stairwells and in gyms, then sing often in church, at school functions, retreats, graduations...just about anywhere anybody would listen.

Don't get me wrong -- we really weren't that good. Listening to it now, I wonder why no one ever told me how flat I sounded sometimes. But we were all 17, loved to harmonize as best we could, and were just trying to use what God gave us to make a difference -- our voices.

I don't know exactly what the other three are doing now, but I thought it fitting during Christmas to put up a couple of the Christmas songs we recorded. So I did the best I could to take the old tape and digitize it. Hang on, it ain't nothing fit for "Sing Off" ... but it does take me back a bit. Bring on the Geritol!

"Silver Bells/White Christmas" (audio only)

"I'll Be Home for Christmas" (audio only)

A Different Kind of Christmas: Risking

2010-12-10T08:59:00.000-06:00

Way to Go, Dr. Mo!

2010-12-08T16:26:00.000-06:00

As a former youth pastor and current parent of four, I whole-heartedly agree with this post by one of my favorite speakers, Dr. Al Mohler.

http://www.albertmohler.com/2010/12/08/the-dangerous-worlds-of-analog-parents-with-digital-teens/

A Different Kind of Christmas: Welcoming

2010-12-03T06:10:00.001-06:00

What it Means to 'Welcome One Another'

2010-12-02T22:01:00.001-06:00

We all have our own ideas of what it means to be welcoming, and usually it centers around physical hospitality. However, Paul takes “welcoming” several feet deeper in Romans 15 and shows us it has further implications than we might expect.

The command to "welcome one another" is to the point (15:7). But understanding what it means is best seen in the six verses preceding the command where it is further and logically explained in five facts that we'll state in a backwards fashion.

a. Welcoming’s goal is to glorify God together with one voice (v 6). Remember - it's unity not uniformity! In a word, harmony (like a beautiful symphony)!

b. God is glorified when there is harmony based around Jesus. (v 5)

c. This kind of harmony takes God’s Word and our work. (v 4)

d. Being selfless is the best way to work at harmony. (vs. 2-3)

e. Selflessness is first the responsibility of the strong. (v 1)

Succinctly, welcoming one another is pursuing peace in the middle of differing preferences.

In the text then, it was cultural and ceremonial; those were the differences in view here (not moral ones that Scripture speaks plainly on).

What we learn today is this -- when it comes to secondary issues, Paul makes it clear that we should strive to be a people of harmony and peace ... a called-out group that, even with our personal differences, genuinely gets along!

As was once wisely stated, in essentials unity. In non-essentials, liberty. In all things, charity.

An10omy

2010-10-17T19:33:00.001-05:00

Romans 9 and 10 are two chapters that are equally true. They belong together (with Romans 11 I might add as their capstone), and teach the twin doctrines of God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility. It is unwise to choose between them, or, worse yet, water down one for the other to try and maintain a little of both. Rather, embrace both fully. Stand upon each completely.

Granted – this is difficult, because Romans 10 brings to the table what appears to be truths that are not consistent with Roman 9 (or vice versa). But, as Norman Geisler says, “They are not incongruous … We apprehend each as true, but can’t comprehend how both are true.”

This is known as an antinomy, and because Romans 10 brings the counter but complementary truth to Romans 9, I have spelled it “an10omy” (notice the ‘10’ for Romans 10). Okay, enough word play. Let’s just be sure we don’t play with the doctrines taught in both chapters. We need them both and believe them both, regardless of our ability to grasp them both.

This an10omy has been debated for centuries, with leaders on both sides unfortunately urging people to unfortunately choose one or the other, thus ridding themselves of this humanly uncomfortable an10omy. Yet, what has been most beneficial to me is not the massive amount of words of men trying to explain away this an10omy, but rather God’s clear Word declaring it. So without any more ramblings from me, here are a few verses where Romans 9 (sovereignty) and 10 (responsibility) are both proclaimed by God without any divine disclaimers.

Genesis 45:4-8

So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt.

Acts 2:22-23

Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know—

this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.

Acts 4:27-28

…for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.

Acts 13:48

And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.

Acts 16:14

One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.

1 Peter 2:8

They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

Truly, sovereignty + responsibility = mystery! And that’s lighter fluid for genuine worship.

9 from 9

2010-10-09T22:14:00.001-05:00

I've been teaching through Romans since the first of the summer -- what a humble delight and learning experience. In fact, every chapter I come to seems to be my favorite!

Here are 9 observations from Romans 9. (By the way, they'll make more sense if you first hear the message, so click here to listen to it or download it sometime after 10/11.)

1. God is the initiator of salvific acts; man is the recipient of, and responder to, salvific acts.

2. God is without blame for man’s rejection, yet solely responsible for man’s redemption.

3. Believing by faith in the message of Christ is our best response when we hear the Gospel.

4. This response, or lack of one, is a real choice with a real consequence.

5. These choices, or responses, do not stem from an absolute free will, but instead from influenced desires, meaning they are the result of and flow from one of two real natures – a depraved one or a regenerated one.

6. Fervent evangelism and a deep love for lost people are rooted in a biblical understanding of God’s sovereign choices and purpose. The reason we are apathetic in our disciple making is not because we have talked about them too much, but rather because we have talked about them too little!

7. Our unwillingness and fear to drown ourselves in the depths of God’s vast sovereignty has dreadfully led us to rob him of glory, see him as “small and barely lifted up,” undermine his justice, mock his grace, and embrace a man-centered view of salvation (a.k.a. Soteriology).

8. But man is not the center of all God’s efforts. He himself is! God’s own glory is the ultimate end of all history, and both ‘good and bad’ are woven together into that final objective.

9. While we wait for the day of maximum glory to God, we do not aim to “figure God out;” rather, we commit to worshipping him and proclaiming him so that all nations will hear the message of Christ and be saved.

Zambian Fare in Iowa

2010-10-01T15:08:00.000-05:00

My Zambian friends arrived yesterday, and what a treat this will be for our family and church to host these 16 students for a few weeks. In fact, we already got Brooke and Breanna started on the basics of Zambian fare. Just watch...

Q and A from Romans 8:1-17

2010-09-28T07:45:00.001-05:00

After teaching from Romans 8 yesterday about life according to God’s indwelling Spirit (as opposed to life according to indwelling sin in Romans 7), the following questions surfaced. Here’s a bit more insight to help, as I suspect these kinds of questions may have been in the minds of several others as well. If you’d like more background, listen to the message here as well (click on the message from 9/26).

1. When you stated that we tolerate sin, or manage sin, do you mean from others, ourselves, or both?

I was referring to our own selves. Frankly, we too often use lines like "I'm only human" or "I was hurt really badly so I can’t help it" or "I just need some time to deal with this" or "What I did/said/thought wasn't that bad" or "I only did it once" to actually cover up what is simply disobedience. We essentially give ourselves room to let sin hang around. That's how we tolerate sin and manage it instead of killing it. When we operate that way, it ends up actually killing us, albeit slowly.

2. You said that one of the weapons we can use against sin is running away from it. But if I keep running from sin, won’t it keep coming back as a temptation? If I face it and deal with it, then it more than likely go away, right?

Don't think of running as a bad thing in this case. If I physically run from a woman who is tempting me sexually, or from anything that has a physical aspect to it, I actually benefit myself in the battle against sin.

You are, however, right that if I run from things that are inside, that's not good. That's when I should resist temptation, dealing with it head on. But running is very helpful and biblical when it comes to physical, outward temptations from which we can actually escape. So you're right in one sense, but not in the complete sense.

On the ‘heels’ of that comment (no pun intended to the ‘running’ thread in this answer), let me add that I would always encourage anyone to face their sin head on as you say. But sometimes facing it head on is to get away from it by running. Freedom is sometimes spelled 'fleedom!' (And Joseph, Paul and Timothy would agree!)

3. When you said that we should stop trying so hard to be spiritual, are you saying we don’t need to pray, do devotions, and stuff like that?

First, I am fully aware that this is the hardest element of yesterday’s message to wrap your arms around; I imagine many small groups had/will have some really good discussions concerning this teaching point. One reason we grapple with it is because we are, especially in this western culture, programmed from birth to "do" as much as we can. Physically and spiritually, “earning our keep” and “paying our dues” is almost woven into the fabric of our existence. But the real truth is that we don't actually do anything to become spiritual (key word become). That's what God does in us because of Jesus and through the Holy Spirit when, by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, he saves us. That’s when, through the response of repentance, we inherit from God a new nature and a new status: we are his spiritual sons and/or daughters.

Notice the word I used – inherit. We didn’t do anything to deserve or earn this new life or position. We simply enjoy the privileges. Someone else paid the price and we reap the benefits. That’s pretty awesome, eh? And when that mindset takes hold of us, we will stop doing stuff for the wrong reasons. We will quit trying to “list” our way into God’s favor and we will, instead, enjoy living with it and by it.

Succinctly put, we do things because we are spiritual (key word because). It is precisely because we are now sons and daughters of God that we find ourselves with new desires and appetites, the kind that result in behavior that prays, studies the Word, gives, serves, worships, etc. There’s a lot that the sons and daughters of God do, but not to gain sonship. Rather, simply because we are granted it through Jesus the moment we believe.

I readily admit this is a fine line; but it is an important one. Otherwise, we start taking credit for our growth and spiritual "success." Truthfully, you would not want to spend time with your Father in praying, reading his Word, serving his body, sacrificing for his kingdom, etc. if the Spirit wasn't in you; that's who gives you the desire to do those things.

So fundamentally, it's all about source. Do we 'do' things so we can make ourselves spiritual (i.e., we are the source), or do we 'do' things in response to God’s indwelling Spirit (i.e., God is the source)? When I falsely think I am the source, spirituality becomes a list of tasks that is self-centered on me trying harder at certain times (ritual). When I realize God is truly the source, spirituality becomes a life of fruit that is centered on abiding in Jesus 24/7 (relationship).

Peter and Paul on Washingtons and Lincolns

2010-09-27T06:09:00.004-05:00

Just because the market is slow and the budget flat doesn't mean that the work of the church has to be as well. Quite the contrary! In times when money is sparse, opportunities are endless. Sometimes, though, we think you have to have one to chase the other. Well, let's rethink that. Remember – While money may not be inconsequential, it certainly isn’t indispensible.

In doing exactly that -- rethinking how closely ministry and money are actually connected, I went to Acts, asking myself, "What is biblical about the connection between the two?" While I have not exhausted the answer to that question, here are at least two things I do believe to be biblical about ministry and money:

Ministry isn’t a commodity governed by the market; it’s an opportunity empowered by the Spirit. The early church wasn’t looking for permission from society or approval from the culture. They didn’t test the market to see if it was ripe for disciple making. Instead, the early believers took the command of Jesus seriously and “witnessed” of his resurrection the moment the Holy Spirit descended upon them at Pentecost. They didn’t check to see if “witnessing” was in the budget, or if the apostles had approved an evangelism category under “outreach.” No, they just did it.

I realize this is hard for some of us to accept because we are so engrained with the American style of ministry. But try and see it as a first-century Jew or Gentile believer. There was intense persecution, little organization, minimal resources, and many obstacles. Yet, a contagious and courageous people rose up and, led by the Spirit that Jesus left, continued his work anyway. The result? Christianity spread over the known world! Essentially, a “down” time culturally was actually an “up” time spiritually for the early church.

Ministry isn’t bought with money; it is pursued with boldness. The New Testament believers knew nothing of waiting for a line item in the budget before proceeding towards spiritual opportunities. They simply obeyed God courageously as he led them by his Holy Spirit. Check out Acts – Prayer meetings were held by rivers, churches were started in homes, and city-wide crusades took place in the streets as God’s Spirit enabled. It wasn’t like they said, “We’ll move forward when the money comes in.” Not even, “We’ll move forward and hope the money comes in.” They instead probably just said, “We’ll move forward.” Generally speaking, I personally don’t believe they even factored in money as a primary part of the opportunity equation.

In fact, on one occasion when Peter was asked by a first-century roadie to sell the Holy Spirit, he gravely rebuked Simon the magician and told him he “had no share in this ministry” (Acts 8). Apparently, money didn’t equate to ministry in Peter’s mind.

When money was requested in New Testament ministry, it was primarily given away to other churches who were struggling due to famine and persecution (Phil 4; 2 Cor. 8). The bulk of Paul’s financial appeals in his letters were not for his own ministry projects or ideas; they were on behalf of others. It seems Paul didn’t feel like is ministry hinged on money, either.

Rather, both Peter and Paul were bold in how they pursued the work of God in spite of a lack of resources. So bold they weren’t afraid to be broke if that’s what obedience meant! Personally, I suspect it didn’t matter to them that much. After all, their kingdom initiatives weren’t items to be purchased, but calls to be obeyed.

Too many church leaders have a dysfunctional attachment to the bottom line. Our enthusiasm levels are unfortunately tied to the offering levels, and often our boldness dries up when the budget looks similar. May God forgive us of this unfortunate endearment to sources of motivation that are earthly and temporal.

So what have I done with these thoughts that have been circulating in my head for months now? As I have looked specifically at what is ahead for the church I help pastor in the next several years, a lot of what I and the elders are sensing God calling us to pursue aren’t things we are going to purchase; they are opportunities we are going to chase. Explore. And we don’t need to have dollar amount in the budget in order to have a spirit of boldness in us. I am realizing, thankfully, that nothing in a streamlined budget stops true ministry from occurring. I can paint a strong vision and maintain a tight budget at the same time.

Granted – there are no doubt some costs associated with our vision; there will be some expenses in chasing the opportunities God puts before us. But none that should prevent obedience. There, I said it. None! Which means, regardless of where we landed on the budget, we could still chase the opportunities and open doors with fervency, not hesitancy. It is God going before us, not Benjamin Franklin.

I can still picture the smile on my face after that conversation with Jesus and interaction with his Word. Ah, the freedom in seeing things biblically, not just culturally. And yes, I am still processing how all of this is going to sound to our staff. Our leaders. Our church. But even as that unfolds, it will be an opportunity for God to show himself strong on our behalf and lead us all towards a more scriptural understanding of ministry and money in the body of Christ!

Hallelujah for the Life, not just the Death, of Christ!

2010-09-25T06:27:00.000-05:00

I've Traded In My Trench Coat!

2010-09-23T16:18:00.001-05:00

Here is an excerpt from a recent message I preached on the glorious doctrine of imputation and the grand truth of God's bigger-than-my-sin grace that it showers upon us! "Oh, for 1,000 tongues to sing my great Redeemer's praise!"

[This is only audio; no video will show other than the title slide.]

New Book Released

2010-09-20T07:35:00.000-05:00

New book, "Different, Not Just Better," was released at First Family yesterday...humbled by the great response among the body. Love the sheep in that fold! You can read it online here (sorry, it's not downloadable, just readable), or call out office to order a hard copy ($7.00).

http://firstfamilyministries.com/content.cfm?id=2239

SR Tip #7

2010-09-20T07:18:00.000-05:00

SR Tip #6

2010-09-17T23:08:00.000-05:00

SR Tip #5

2010-09-11T20:29:00.000-05:00

SR Tip #4

2010-09-11T08:46:00.000-05:00

SR Tip #3

2010-09-10T09:59:00.000-05:00

SR Tip #2

2010-09-05T19:07:00.001-05:00

SR Tip #1

2010-08-31T22:06:00.000-05:00

Call it what you will – “witnessing,” “disciple making,” “soul winning,” “leading someone to Christ,” “Sharing Jesus.” Regardless of the term used, at the core of these words and phrases is a common element: spiritual reproduction (i.e., the divine addition of a believer[s] to God’s family through the testimony of another believer in God’s family). Indeed, there were times in the New Testament when God used current believers to witness and testify so that even more believers were added: Acts 2:47, Acts 6:7, Acts 8:35-40, Acts 10:44-45, Acts 11:24, Acts 16:31, 2 Cor. 5:11,20.

Acts isn’t the only book that records these encounters. Some of the best examples of spiritual reproduction are seen in the first chapter of John’s gospel, such as Andrew to Peter and Philip to Nathaniel. And there are at least seven observations about spiritual reproduction we can draw from John 1:35-51 that will help us in our own desire to be the best ambassador possible for Jesus.

Here’s the first of the observations (the remaining six will follow in the coming days), with the prayer that these tips will increase our effectiveness as his “witnesses” (Acts 1:8). HINT: Read John 1:35-51 before watching the videos.

MIA

2010-08-12T22:30:00.002-05:00

It wouldn’t take a rocket scientist to realize I’ve been “missing in action,” at least from a blogging perspective. For those who have wondered what’s the reason behind my extended absence from the blogosphere, I offer the following pictures as evidence:

*New backyard landscaping to help with water flow . . .

*New tile floor in upstairs bathroom . . .

*New tile shower in downstairs bathroom . . . (with help from Tom Lamb)

*And a new roof over the patio! Whew!!

Yep, this was the summer of home projects, which brought a whole new meaning to the term “stay-cation.”

Born Again and Adopted?

2010-06-05T07:56:00.002-05:00

No doubt does God multiple things the moment he saves us. Two of them, regeneration and adoption, have intrigued me as of late, mainly because, to the human mind, you are either born into your family or you are adopted into your family. You aren’t both, though. Yet, in God’s realm, we are both born again and adopted into the same family. How do both happen?

Being born again and being adopted are two things that do occur, but they involve a different emphasis. Regeneration (i.e., being born again) is about the spiritual life God births in us – His own! Adoption is about the spiritual family God places us in – His own! God does both fully and solely, yet with different ends in mind. We are his, inside and out.

Think about it like this – when you were conceived physically, you came into existence and, though not seen, were alive. But when you were delivered physically and then brought home, you were then visibly part of a family. I realize that, even in your mother’s womb, you were part of your family. But it wasn’t quite the same as when your parents brought you home and suddenly everything changed (and I mean everything)! Up to that point you were, practically, more part of your mother than you were the family. But after your delivery, well, everyone knew you had arrived. Your birth was now a family affair.

That analogy, though a loose one, is some idea of what is going on spiritually in regards to regeneration and adoption. And from a divine angle, these events happen in incalculable nano-seconds of time, so it is difficult to really think of them in sequential order. But most technically, theologically, and biblically, this is how it occurs. God births life within us and then, after conversion, adopts us – delivers us -- into his family with our spiritual brothers and sisters in Christ (John 1:12).

The same idea can also be seen when looking at two other aspects of God’s marvelous salvation – justification and reconciliation. Justification is about the legal standing God grants me – righteous! Reconciliation is the about relational result God secures me for me – peace! Both occur, but have a different emphasis.

Ah, the multifaceted diamond of salvation! From regeneration to adoption to sanctification, it is a gem worth viewing for a lifetime!

Accompanying and Accentuating Reconciliation

2010-06-04T05:01:00.001-05:00

Paul’s message of reconciliation in 2 Cor. 5:18-21 contains at least three other elements that accompany reconciliation. These are elements of God's peace process with us that was started in the Gospel.

1. Adoption [“reconciled the world to himself”] In adoption, God claims us! He sought us for himself and brought us to himself through the death of his son, Jesus. And when he did, he made all who believe his children (John 1:12). That’s adoption! Also, keep in mind that reconciliation is a relational word, so think "family." Think "friend." The heartbeat of adoption is that we are no longer under a judge's wrath, but instead a Father's care. Check out Gal 4:4-7 for further insight about adoption.

Of course, you may be wondering how we can be "born again" while at the same time be "adopted." Good question! The answer? That’ll be in the next post!

Additionally, here are some Web sites for those who want to model spiritual adoption by physically adopting: http://www.therainingseason.org/, http://www.hopechest.org/, http://www.showhope.org/, http://www.togetherforadoption.org/, http://empoweredtoconnect.org/, and http://www.4kidsofsfl.org/.

2. Forgiveness – [“not counting their trespasses against them”] In forgiveness, God pardons us! He puts our sins behind him and, because of the cross, considers us justified. We say with the Psalmist, “Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.” The Stiles paraphrase reads like this – it feels good to be forgiven! See Col. 2:13-15 for more forgiveness principles.

3. Ambassadorship – [“entrusting to us the message of reconciliation”] In ambassadorship, God sends us (and speaks through us)! We are his representatives in a hostile territory. So we pray, like Paul, that “words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak” (Eph. 6:19-20).

Did you know these three spiritual elements that accompany reconciliation also have corresponding physical actions that accentuate reconciliation? In other words, there are some things we can extend that indicate we have experienced reconciliation. Consider this: We extend adoption by rescuing children, we extend forgiveness by resolving conflict, and we extend ambassadorship by representing Christ. Indeed, living as someone adopted, forgiven, and sent by God is enough to enable us to love loudly and live boldly as a reconciled child of the Almighty.

A Picture of Reconciliation

2010-06-03T22:22:00.002-05:00

Reconciliation is illustrated well by the story of Ruth Youngsman, who, at a Prison Fellowship banquet in Seattle, said these words: "The man I ate dinner with tonight killed my brother."

The words, spoken by the stylish west-coast woman, were how she introduced her incredible tale of reconciliation. She told how John H. had murdered her brother during a robbery, served 18 years at Walla Walla, then settled into life on a dairy farm, where, unbelievably and ironically, she met him in 1983, 20 years after his crime. Compelled by Christ’s command to forgive, Ruth Youngsman went to her enemy and pronounced forgiveness. Then she took him to her father’s deathbed, prompting reconciliation with the dad as well.

At that PF banquet, his voice cracked as he said, "Christians are the only people I know that you can kill their son, and they’ll make you a part of their family. I don’t know the Man Upstairs yet, but He sure is hounding me."

Ah, the message of reconciliation and the ministry of reconciliation.

Source: Albert Quie, President of Prison Fellowship Ministries, as taken from the publication Jubilee (p. 5)

How the Gospel Works Through Us

2010-05-27T16:20:00.002-05:00

For a few posts I have been addressing this question: "What does this Gospel do in us and for us?" But I'd like to ask another now, specifically, "How does the Gospel work through us?" Quite frankly, these are questions we ask simultaneously throughout our spiritual journey; but for the sake of this discussion, let's investigate the latter one individually.

I'll get right to the point. One word describes how the Gospel works through us: Reconciliation! And the best passage that describes it is in 2 Corinthians 5:18-21.

As a doctrine, reconciliation is the act of God in which he, through Christ, removes the enmity that is between us and himself, brought about by our sin, and instead brings us back into fellowship with himself and establishes peace between us.

As an event, reconciliation happened on the cross, and it happens in our life when we believe in the Gospel.

As a word, it is not a legal term (like justification), but rather a relational one. We go from enemies to family; from strangers to friends.

Further insight into reconciliation is found in the previously menioned pasage; truly these verses explode with depth by showing us that . . .

. . . God initiates reconciliation solely,

. . . Christ provides reconciliation sacrificially,

. . . God shares reconciliation expectantly,

. . . all because man needs reconciliation desperately.

There are at least three specific aspects to reconciliation that I'll discuss in a future post, but it is important first to understand something fundamental about reconciliation from these words of God through the Apostle Paul: The Gospel assumes and assures we will extend what we have experienced; that we will reach out with what we have received.

Truly, the Gospel message knows nothing of a pond-like experience where it trickles in and stagnates. Instead, the Gospel always runs along like a flowing river, coming in and surely going out. As Jesus told the Samaritan woman in John 4, "The water that I will give him will become a spring of water welling up to eternal life" (v. 14).

Let us first cement this fact: The question should never be, "Does the Gospel work through us?" but only, "When and how?" Indeed, it's a raging river that cannot be dammed once it enters your life. Hallelujah!

Bold Belief

2010-05-24T07:10:00.001-05:00

Acts 16 paints several pictures of bold belief that can serve as patterns for those committed to living a Gospel-centered life. After all, that’s one of the things the Gospel does in us and for us – it encourages us to believe God boldly.

Kep in mind that bold belief stands in contrast to two extremes: relunctant faith (which is rooted in fear and control) and presumptuous faith (which is rooted in foolishness anmd carelessness). Bold faith, however, is the biblical balance that the Gospel encourages us towards.

(vs. 1-5) We must have faith in/believe God boldly when it comes to people. Paul selected Timothy, an unlikely candidate for a church planting journey. Easily intimidated, probably a little sickly, and no doubt young, Timothy may not have been the first choice of those with only physical eyes. But he was God's man for that time, and Paul exercised the faith to believe God boldly about this young man's potential!

How would this have looked if they were reluctant? Like they were superior. They would have appeared like Pharisees. How would this have looked if they were presumptuous? Like they were being trivial; like it really wasn't that important or valuable. The right response to people? Let your bold faith look for people who are empowered/anointed.

(6-15) We must have faith in/believe God boldly when it comes to opportunities. God was moving the crew northwest, and to do so he had to open -- and close -- some doors. Believing God boldly about both was essential to correctly concluding how God was working and leading.

How would this have looked if they were reluctant? Like they were image-based. Like they were concerned about appearances at all costs. How would this have looked if they were presumptuous? Like they were results-based. Like they were concerned with outcomes at all costs. The right response to opportunities? Let your bold faith keep you Spirit-led, then effort-centered.

(16-40) We must have faith in/believe God boldly when it comes to trials. A severe beating followed by imprisonment is not an ideal ending to a days work. Yet, Paul and his companion, in that exact position, were singing and praying at midnight. What a perspective and testimony! In the end, their trial and testimony was something God used to bring the jailer and his family to saving faith.

How would this have looked if they were reluctant? Like they were victims. They would have simply won the sympathy vote. How would this have looked if they were presumptuous? Like they were idealists. They would have been seen to be giddy about and ignorant of the human reality of suffering. The right response to trials? Let your bold faith help you see you are victorious. As Paul said, "We are more than conquerors" (Rom. 8).

Idolatry 101

2010-05-23T07:57:00.001-05:00

Some additional yet basic insight about idols . . .
• Something isn’t an idol because of what it is, but rather because of why we choose it and how we use it. (Rom 14)

• We generally don’t know what our idols are until we evaluate our consistent choices in the face of competition. (Joshua 24)

For instance . . . let's take Harry and Mary, a husband and wife from Anytown, USA. They look forward to Monday nights becasuse its their "date night," the night they catch up and talk, laugh, and enjoy time together. But come the NFL season, Harry says to Mary, "I'd love to see the season opener; can I get a rain check for that night?" She responds, "Sure, no problem." After all, it's just one game, Mary reasons, and Harry really enjoys football. That's a workable compromise.

After week one, Harry says to Mary, "Honey, Bill is coming over for Monday's game." Mary is a tad surprised, but no bigee, she thinks. He and Bill are good friends, it's still early in the season…no harm done.

Then on week three Bill shows up about an hour before the game, and Mary finds out it was actually a standing invitation. So later Mary asks her dear ol' hubby about the news from Bill -- that the game is now a regular event for him and his friends. He responds by saying that there really is no problem, for the season "is only 16 weeks long. And that leaves 36 for you, my dear -- more than twice as many as the football season." Without any conflicts, to boot!

More than likely, Mary would leave that conversation crushed. Why? Because her place in your husband's life was revealed, not by his commitmement to her in the absence of competition, but rather by his consistent choices in the face of competition. Hard as it would be to admit, Mary would be left realizing that, at least in some weird way, her husband loves football at least as much, if not more, than he loves her. Is football in and of itself wrong? No. But the way Harry uses it, and why he consistently chooses it over and above other more important priorities, makes it a "graven image" in his life that is pulling him away from his real love. And it wasn't even revealed until the fire of competition was lit.

You can substitute anything you want in into that illustration/analogy: Music, food, work, money, family, exercise, on and on and on. The hard reality is that we show what we really trust -- worship -- by the consistent choices we make in the face of competition. The question I am left wrestling with is this: Do my consistent choices prove I worship and trust Jesus?

This was the whole point of Satan's accusation against Job -- "give him some competition and he won’t worship you anymore!" Would Job remain faithful even when tempted with apparently better roads than the one labeled "trust God?" Hallelujah, he did!

This was the primary backdrop of Moses' decision in Hebrews 11. Would he worship and follow God in suffering even when faced with the lure of Egyptian riches and security? Hallelujah, he did!

This was the billboard that blazed behind Joshua's charge to the Israelites in Joshua 24 when he ever so boldly brought them to the crossroads of decision, forcing them to "choose this day whom you are going to serve." Would they follow Yahweh to the Promised Land even amid the competition of the gods (i.e., idols) on the other side of the river? Hallelujah, they did (albeit not without incident!)

Without a doubt, our decisions that seem to be about so many whats -- budgets, schedules, projects, ideas, commitments, work, hobbies, etc -- eventually reveal who we really trust and worship. Indeed, at a certain point it no longer becomes about the whats at all, but rather about who you're going to trust -- Jesus or an idol?

Unbelief and Idolatry

2010-05-20T16:37:00.001-05:00

All unbelief is idolatry. Frankly, when we refuse to believe God, we are saying we believe/have faith in something other than God. Indeed, that is idolatry! In no uncertain terms we are replacing him with our own functional savior, someone or something we think can "take care of us", "handle things" better than Jesus, or "meet our needs."

This is why Paul says in Romans, "Whatever is not of faith is sin" (Rom. 14:23). In this verse, faith doesn’t refer to our body of beliefs, but rather to our bold belief. It is referencing our actions and what makes them glorifying to God. In the words of the ESV Bible commentary on this very verse, "anything believers do apart from faith is sin, for faith glorifies God by trusting him and lack of faith dishonors him." And why is that? Because we reveal we don’t trust him or worship him after all as the only God. And what is that? Essentially, idolatry.

Earlier in Romans, specifically 11:36-12:1, Paul painted a similar picture by highlighting three words and linking them together: Glory (11:36), sacrifice (12:1), and worship (12:1). While no doubt a host of sermons can be preached from these verses, at least one message rings out clearly: What we sacrifice for is what we worship. And what we worship is what gets glory from our life. If that isn't God, it's an idol; and that, plain and simple, is idolatry.

Unfortunately, the glory that results from idolatrous actions doesn't ultimately become an attraction to God or a reflection of God, which is really what God desires from our life (Matthew 5:16; 1 Cor. 10:31). It is, instead, a distraction from God. Indeed, that's what idols do -- distract attention from God. So I hesitate calling this type of attention from idolatry glory, simply because it is anything but glorious. It is actually gross, a glaring type of self-centeredness that replaces the Creator with created things, including us at times (Rom. 1).

So who do you ultimately trust to meet your needs? Handle your problems? Answer your questions? As you answer those kinds of diagnostic questions, a word of warning: Whenever we push God off the throne and repeatedly trust other things, we become idloaters. At that point we aren't living a lifestyle of bold belief in the only true God, but one of fleshly unbelief in our own version of another god, and its nothing short of practical atheism.

The Bird Saga and Sanctification

2010-05-19T09:05:00.004-05:00

I had mentioned that I would try and follow the nest saga outside our back patio...so far so good with the bird story! Of course, so many things rush to the forefront of my cranium when I view a pic like this. But when I compare this pic to the one with just the eggs (below and smaller), the word "sanctification" comes to mind.

In other words, little by little, the mama bird is making sure the baby bird(s) has everything necessary for development. Indeed, the bidrlings can do nothing but depend upon the mother! Sure, at some point they exhibit the result of their growth and provide effort, "doing" the things birds do (i.e., fly around and poop all over your car!) But it is first and foremost all about "being."

Though a loose analogy, it does provide a basic visual understanding of our sanctification process. It, like our salvation, rests upon the grace of our God; and though we provide effort at points along the way, it is simply responsive effort to the work caused by the Gospel of Jesus (Titus 2:11-14).

He develops, we depend.

Chrip, chirp.

The Gospel's Effects: An Example

2010-05-12T13:51:00.002-05:00

The body of believers among whom I pastor are currently enjoying a series entitled “The Gospel-Centered Life,” and we are using the study guide of the same title (by World Harvest Mission) as a companion tool for our small groups. The numerous effects of the Gospel (i.e., what it does in us and for us) are our focus for a few weeks, and to help us see the effects more succinctly, I, along with some help from the GCL workbook, have grouped the Gospel’s effects into three larger categories:

1. The Gospel empowers us to obey joyfully. Not dutifully (legalism) or discriminately (liberalism).

2. The Gospel enables us to repent regularly. Not sporadically (resolution) or selfishly (remorse).

3. The Gospel encourages us to believe boldly. Not reluctantly (fear/control) or presumptuously (foolishness/carelessness).

You'll find that the Gospel’s effects can always be biblically understood from one of these vantage points. We are either enjoying them (obedience), denying them (and need to repent of that), or increasing in them (believe).

In light of this, someone kindly asked me this week, “How about an example?” Here’s what I shared with them.

Consider giving. When we give cheerfully because of the Gospel's work in us, that's obedience. When we hoard and refuse to share, living neglectfully of the needs of others and God's Kingdom, that’s disobedience, and we need to confess and forsake that, trusting that Jesus through the Gospel is sufficiently able to forgive us and empower us for change. That's repentance. Then as we increase in giving and living sacrificially, even though we don’t understand how all the numbers add up, we are believing boldly and showing that the Gospel is able to not only save our souls but pay our bills.

That’s how the Gospel’s effects show up in our life even after salvation, which is really the point of our study – learning to living every day in light of the power of the cross. That’s the Gospel-centered life!

The Gospel is the Cause, Our Effort is the Response

2010-05-10T15:45:00.004-05:00

I’ve had some requests for more info from my message on Sunday, May 9 (since we didn’t have the usual study guide available), so here are some excerpts from my notes (in multiple posts) with the humble prayer that this will be of help to some as we increasingly learn to live a Gospel-centered life.

When we see that list (refer to post from Wed., May 5, Just Exactly What Does the Gospel Do?), most of us immediately think, "That's a lot to do. I'd better get to work." But what if I told you it was the Gospel that did all of these things? And, as a result, you simply experienced the effects of the Gospel?! Sure, in the Gospel's effects we find ourselves putting forth effort, but it's what I call responsive effort or consequential effort, not resourceful effort or causal effort. As Paul pointed out in 1 Thess. 2:13, "… the Word of God [Gospel] … is at work in you believers."

Let me provide an example for you. How many of you are working to stay alive right now? The answer is both ‘yes’ and ‘no,’ isn't it? Yes, you are breathing -- inhaling and exhaling so you can “stay alive.” But quite frankly, no, your breathing isn't keeping you alive. You are merely responding to the things your heart and lungs are doing without your intentional help. They, and other vital organs, are providing the causal effort. Even if you held your breath to try and not stay alive, at some point you would pass out. It would be your body's way of trying to keep itself alive in spite of what you are attempting to do (i.e., deprive it of oxygen). So in a most technical sense, no, you are not causing yourself to be alive. You are responding to the fact -- and quite happily -- that you are alive. You exhibit responsive effort to the causal effects of life with in you.

So it is spiritually with the Gospel. When it brings new life to us and through it we are regenerated by power of God and given the Holy Spirit of God, that becomes our source of life. And everything that happens in us and for us is because of the life the Gospel births in us. It is the cause, and we experience its effects. Consequently, we respond to it with effort (2 Peter 1) -- things like the strength to serve others, peace in difficult times, power to resist sin, willingness to confess sin, endurance during trials, and the desire to share the Gospel with others -- these are all things in which we provide responsive effort. In the most biblical sense, you are not doing them; rather, God's Spirit, through the Gospel, is doing them in you, and others are simply seeing the result of his work.

The Greatest Thing About the Gospel

2010-05-07T19:28:00.001-05:00

Here's a good reminder that, though the Gospel does many things in us and for us, it's greatest gift is in who it brings us to!

So Are They Superstars?

2010-05-06T09:39:00.001-05:00

The recent rash of Christian concerts in our area has been, at the very least, a lesson in marketing. At the very most, it’s been an exposure of carnality. I’d like to address the latter.

Bluntly, the perk of backstage passes and really close seats for those who want to shell out an extra $10-$15 just seems like an exacerbation of the superstar syndrome we’re already drowning in. Whether politically, socially, culturally, we create these bigger-than-life people and encourage the average man or woman on the street to pay homage. Don’t kid yourself - that’s exactly what we do in our Christian bubble as well. In so many ways we are no different than the fleshly world around us. We’re in it and of it more than we want to admit.

I wonder how a statement like this would go over at the church where I serve: “For those who give an additional $25 today, our pastors would like to share an intimate time of communion with you in the private conference room. Consider making this further investment in your spiritual life and in the body of Christ.” Yuck!

I wonder what kind of commentary James, the brother of Jesus, would have about such a situation. Let’s see . . . “My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, ‘You sit here in a good place,’ while you say to the poor man, ‘You stand over there,’ or, ‘Sit down at my feet,’ have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?” (2:1-4)

Sadly, we are more like 1 Corinthians 3 than 1 Corinthians 4. We prefer superstars over servants.

And quite honestly, it appears we like to create them. Not just in the music industry, either. Preachers and pastors as well fall prey to this delusion and allow themselves – ourselves – to be raised up as someone who is almost superhuman. It’s nothing short of a graven image. A golden calf. No wonder we struggle with idolatry.

My critics (and I suspect this post will generate a ton of them) will say I’m anti-Christian culture, against honoring people, or even jealous, etc. I’m not. I’m just one pastor stating the obvious and asking a question – can I also get a bobble-head to place on my mantle after the concert?

Just Exactly What Does the Gospel Do?

2010-05-05T14:25:00.001-05:00

There's no question, according to Romans 1:16, that the Gospel is the power of God, and that it is for salvation.

But is that the extent of the Gospel's work? Is it only powerful enough to save us? Or does it do more than that? Just exactly what does the Gospel do, especially in us and for us? For sure, the Gospel does lots of things, but no doubt these 15 will bring you to your knees in worhsip!

Rom 1:1 - It separates us to God
Rom 1:16 - It saves us by God
Rom 10:15 - It brings peace from God
Rom 15:29 - It blesses us with God
Rom 16:25 - It strengthens us for God
1 Cor. 4:15 - It births us in the family of God
1 Cor. 9:23 - It links us to one another for God
2 Cor. 4:4 - It opens our eyes to see God
2 Cor. 8:18 - It is our source of praise about God
Phil 1:27 - It helps us fight the enemies of God
Col 1:6 - It bears fruit from God
Col 1:23 - It stabilizes us while we wait for God
1 Thess. 2:13 - It works in us as truth from God
2 Tim 1:8 - It empowers us through the Spirit of God
1 Peter 3:18 - It gives us God!

Hallelujah! I'll be posting more later about how all these things actually show up in us, but for now let's just be eternally thankful that the Gospel is enough for our whole life. It is completely sufficient to save us and sanctify us!

More Than Birds!

2010-05-04T10:33:00.005-05:00

Lately I’ve been thinking and looking at what it means to make sure I spiritually trust before -- and more! -- than I physically try. Well, perhaps this vivid illustration from the fence right outside our back patio will get us pondering even more about those two words. Combined with these words from Matthew, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?" (6:25-26), these pics preach a sermon! I am praying God will use it in my own life to teach me more about who he is, how he works, and why I can radically trust him at all times. Which, in turn, removes any fear I have of “putting my best foot forward in faith.”

As a family, Julie, I and the kids are enjoying watching this whole thing develop right in front of our eyes; maybe I’ll keep you posted and even have more pics when the little eggs hatch!

A Simple Spillway Sermon

2010-04-29T07:42:00.000-05:00

A few nights ago our family went by Saylorville Dam to see the spillway in action. It had been opened in order to control some of potential flooding in the area, and what a powerful sight it was. We walked back and forth along the railing, often getting up close to the mouth of the opening where the water was rushing in violently. It is hard to describe what we felt; it was one of those “had to be there” kinds of experiences. To be sure, it was loud. Fierce. Scary. Silencing. Humbling. Inspiring. Memorable.
As I stood near the opening, watching massive amounts of water rush in and crash round and round, I commented to Julie in a scream that seemed like a whisper, “If I had to face those torrents and try and survive, I’d be toast.” She nodded and grinned agreeably, raising her eyebrows to indicate she’d rather not dwell on what that experience might be like.

But linger on that picture is exactly what I did. And in those seconds before we headed back to the car, my mind began . . . well, just watch the video and you’ll see what I was thinking.

Funny how a simple visit to the spillway can end up being a moment of worship.

Q & A

2010-04-28T19:47:00.002-05:00

As some of you know, we often engage our church in Q & A during the service. Not every week, but periodically. I like that kind of environment and I think it gives people an opportunity to participate (which I believe is biblical value for the weekly gathering). Granted -- we don’t get a boatload of questions. But often just the opportunity is all that is needed to spark some thoughts that get expressed later. Such was the case last week. So I’d thought I’d post this question I received from one of my spiritual siblings.

“As I pondered your message from this past weekend (click here to hear it), I'm burdened with the desire to understand the balance between trusting and trying. When making a major life decision (or even a small one for that matter), how does someone recognize and/or realize if they are handling both correctly? Thank you for your bold and honest Bible teaching. I'm honored to be involved in a church with leaders like you and our elders.”

A: I’ll make this sweet and simple. When we have to have all the answers before taking even one step, we are trying before trusting. Remember -- excessive analysis leads to faith paralysis. When we disguise our fear (i.e., lack of faith) by pretending we are still “researching” all our options, it’s outright disobedience and nothing short of masked rebellion in the face of our Creator.

If you want to see what balancing these two looks like in “real time,” I encourage you to read the book of Acts in one or two sittings. It’ll prove to be a valuable “picture” of how the early believers trusted and tried, and in that order.

The Shack Smack

2010-04-25T21:04:00.007-05:00

There’s been no less than a storm of reviews regarding Young’s best-seller, The Shack. Few are ambivalent. The vast majority either love it or hate it. Regardless of how you feel, it has swept the Christian community like a mighty wind – or a ravaging tornado – depending on how you view it.

One thing I find intriguing in many of the blogs and posts about this book is this: Some of the reviewers have never actually read it. Quite frankly, this was even true in a recent group conversation I was part of; we were all talking about the book though none of us had really ever read it. Regardless of your personal opinion, that’s innocently hypocritical and openly egotistical.

Not anymore. I read it last month during a trip to TN. And here’s my thoughts (but keep your penny till you’re done reading).

First, a confession. I must admit that I have not wanted to write this or post this. And granted – no one is making me do either. But so much bickering and branding goes on in Christian circles about various non-essentials that I often tend to avoid topics or issues that are in that vein. Personally, I feel most of it is in vain, and I deeply don’t want to get caught up in unnecessary conversations with other Christians about things that probably aren’t a big deal. But the more I sat on this, the more I realized that, perhaps, this is a bigger deal than I want to admit. Quite honestly, maybe this is more about some essentials after all. On that you may disagree; we’ll see. But perhaps it is now worth the risk to find out. So I write. And I post.

As a fictional story, I enjoyed The Shack. (There. I said it. Whew!) And that is exactly what it is – fiction. (The author clearly states this in his “afterwords” on the audio version.) So from a strictly literary standpoint, it was a decently intriguing piece. Even though the plot line was predictable (I had the end figured out before I got there), and even though it ended way too picture-perfect, I admit I found myself wanting to finish it.

But as a spiritual guide, it cloaked the truth and lacked doctrinal clarity. And make no mistake -- a spiritual guide is exactly what the fictional story seeks to be. This intention is clearly stated by the author as well; in fact, he actually hopes his book will be the beginning of a movement that helps people understand God better. Whether or not he actually does is the centerpiece of the debate. Personally, I don’t think he does. I think he helps us better understand how he sees God. But that’s about as far as it goes.

Therein lies the crux of my distaste: the author seems to presume that his understanding of God should be everyone’s understanding. Yet, he only provides fictional (though representative) characters as his main means of support and credibility.

As a result, two primary problems emerge for me:

1 It seems to encourage reinvention, not reiteration. In other words, the author indirectly encourages us to imagine God in any way that meets us at our place of deepest need. Personally, that’s a tad scary. Throughout Scripture we are never encouraged to reinvent God as we think would best meet our current needs, but rather to bring our needs to the God of the Bible, the one revealed in Scripture. It is that God that should be reiterated and proclaimed, taught and known. The pragmatic and tragic result of reinvention is that we may start thinking we can begin with our thoughts when it comes to understanding God, or that God can be whatever we need him to be, based on the situation.

2. It seems to prioritize man’s good over God’s glory. Throughout the book, the main character’s condition was the host’s main concern. In fact, it seemed that “Papa” took a back seat at times because of Mac’s wishes or choices. Does God love us unconditionally? Without a doubt. And does he, then, act for our good? Yes. But we are not the end game of God’s love and action. His own desire for maximum glory from all the nations is the final goal (Rev 5).

Essentially, The Shack subtly promotes anthropocentric theology , not theocentric theology. Young paints a picture of mankind emerging as the ultimate centerpiece of divine activity, when, most biblically, man plays second fiddle to something far greater and more important on the stage of redemptive history: God’s own glory!

I must admit that, opposed to something blatantly stated, this is something I covertly, though repeatedly, sensed as I read the book. Nevertheless, it’s like a pebble in the shoe: hard to find but really irritating. And over time, this kind of thinking will cause a bad theological blister.

Would I recommend it? To the right person, perhaps. But with a disclaimer: Enjoy the story, not the theology.

(For two really good reviews [that I read after I finished mine], check out http://www.challies.com/book-reviews/a-review-of-the-shack-download-it-here and http://www.albertmohler.com/2010/01/27/the-shack-the-missing-art-of-evangelical-discernment/. Both contain many more specific examples of what I reference in my own review.)

The Gospel and Love

2010-04-23T14:44:00.000-05:00

Many people claim to understand love. Some view it as something you fall into, like it’s a great big, surprising pit you tumble into with a pillow-top mattress and a hot chick waiting for you at the bottom. Others see it as something that is in the air – a feeling you catch, almost like a cold that you don’t get over for a really long time. Still others think of it as something you make; so they cook up a string of romantic flings to try and satisfy their sexual appetite.

The error in all of these perspectives – which are the unfortunate but unvoiced opinion of most average people in the world -- is that love starts and ends with them. It can be created by them for their own good. It’s all about their needs and desires. Consequently, love is, to them, a three-letter word: “Get.” Thus, their relationships are, for all practical purposes, fundamentally flawed.

But truly, God understands love best, because, as the Bible points out, he is love (I John 4:8). So to really know love, we need to know God. In fact, this is exactly the point John is making in these verses in 1 John 4 – that loving others correctly starts with knowing God properly.

This matters greatly because when we start with God as the source of love – which he is – we end up in a radically different place than if we start with ourselves. Starting with God means that love is not a three-letter word, but a four-letter word: “Give.” Why? Because giving is exactly what God did to prove his love. This same writer, John, confirmed this when he wrote in another of his letters (John 3:16), “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes should never perish but have eternal life.”

You see, God didn’t need anything. He wasn’t lonely or on the rebound. Yet, he gave of himself so that we – sinners who were separated from him – might be saved. In this way God defined love as no one ever has: the sacrifice of who we are and what we have for someone else’s benefit.

That’s the heart of the Gospel. God, in his great love, has redeemed us through Jesus, for no reason other than it was his good pleasure to. He didn’t have to; we didn’t deserve it. But he loved us, and gave himself in the form of the God-Man Jesus to be the sacrificial substitute for our sin. As Paul declared it in Romans 5:8, “But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

As a result, all who know God can love like God. Sacrificially. Permanently. Selflessly. Radically. And that’s exactly the kind of love it takes in a marriage. Truth is, without God, marriage is nothing more than two people using each other to get their physical, sexual, and emotional needs met. But with God as the centerpiece, marriage is the avenue by which a man gives of himself to satisfy his woman in every human way. And a woman gives of herself to satisfy her man in every human way. It is the spiritual and physical union of two people committed to giving, not getting.

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God” (I John 4:7).

Proximity, Complexity, and Simplicity

2010-04-22T15:16:00.000-05:00

“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways” (Romans 11:33).

The closer I get to something, the larger it gets. And the larger it gets, the more appreciative I become. It's almost like proximity leads to a sort of welcomed complexity.

I find this to be a true equation in my marriage. The closer I get to my wife, the more I realize just how little I actually know about her, what a special woman she truly is, and just how much there is about her and our relationship that I still want to discover. Truly, she becomes "larger" in my eyes with every passing day of marriage to her (I hope you hear that well, sweetheart!). Like I said, there's something about proximity that opens up a whole new -- and welcomed -- complexity.

This equation also proves correct in my line of work – pastoral ministry. The turn-around stories of the Jesus-followers I have the privilege of watching, as well as the many passages I study each week, show me the vast sovereignty and surpassing greatness of God’s salvation. Not surprising, the closer I look, the larger God becomes. Again, my proximity seems to lead me to place of welcomed complexity.

It's at this place of welcomed complexity that something else begins to occur: I discover the joyful simplicity of worship. When the ability to describe the "what" escapes me, the supernatural desire to adore the "who" envelopes me, and praise flows from my heart and lips like a bird taking flight! I find myself passionately but simply echoing the words of the Psalmist, "Salvation belongs to the Lord" (Psalm 3:1).

Nothing is truer than those five words. Nothing.

To him be glory forever!

New IA Texting Law is Indicative of Root Problems in Legislature

2010-04-07T06:59:00.000-05:00

The way in which I heard that Iowa had a new texting/driving law was quite ironic. And sadly humorous.

Get this – I was travelling on I-235, headed to one of our hospitals on a pastoral visit, when a reporter broke the news on our local talk radio station. Even as he detailed the legislature’s vote, I glanced to my right at the large black truck coming into the lane next to me. No, the driver – a young lady – wasn’t swerving or driving badly; she was operating the vehicle just fine. But she was applying make-up in full force with multiple fingers, and handling the steering wheel with her knee(s). Her head, like a fishing bobber, was bouncing up and down as she rhythmically glanced from visor mirror to windshield, using every other second to finish farding (that’s the official term for the act of applying makeup while driving).

Okay, let me see if I understand correctly: No texting, but facials are okay? Yep, that’s what I thought. Hmm. Does something seem a little screwy here? You bet it does! But I doubt seriously if our legislature will ever have the guts to outlaw last-minute applications of Mary Kay by Mary and Kay. But we can sure vilify texting.

It seems a more prudent and consistent approach – assuming those leaders who put this forward felt they had to encroach in that way upon yet another aspect of a citizen’s life – would have been to deal with distracted and dangerous driving. I mean, have you not seen Aunt Ethel who, at 79, putts around town with her equally old poodle sharing the driver’s seat and hanging out the window while she does her best to stay in the proper lane? At least Ethel isn’t texting! And what about ole’ Chester who is dropping a couple of burgers down the chute in record bites, all while balancing his over-sized Dew on the cup holder and wiping drops of ketchup off his seat and shirt with greased-laced finger tips? But at least he isn’t texting!

Why does this action by the Iowa legislature not surprise me? Because its par for the course in recent years. It seems that our recent majority has been really good at making laws about things that don’t matter while avoiding weightier matters of life, morality, and justice.

Try this hypocrisy on for size: While some of our elected leaders debated texting while driving, the Iowa House ignored the will of the people in regards to fundamental marriage issues, continued to approve the murder of unborn babies, and lied about its own financial condition. But at least no one will send a quick text over their Blackberry from their car next July. Whew…I feel safer.

Yeah, right.

Wide World of Easter

2010-04-04T21:27:00.000-05:00

It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it usually turns out to be a double blessing. Curious? Well, I’m talking about the years that Easter falls on the first Sunday of the month, which is also when I conduct the service at one of our local retirement centers, Sunny View. Whenever that happens, it is a wide world of Easter! Such was the case today, so perhaps a little explanation would help.

A quick disclaimer: nothing I write is intended to be superior, egotistical, or in the praise of men. Nor is it meant to be negative, demeaning, or a result of being frustrated with men. These are just factual observations that have come to help me as I work with God in his sanctification of me.

On one hand, my day at First Family (where I am privileged to serve as Lead Pastor) was a day of intense anticipation. Various dramatic monologues – not only rehearsed in advance but written even earlier – beautiful songs by both vocalists and musicians, passionate worship among those in attendance, extra communication and personnel to welcome guests, and specially synced emphases for kids were just part of the many ways our church went the extra mile on Resurrection Sunday. And after months of outreach and preparation, a multitude of volunteers and a lot of small groups came together to “pull off” Portraits of the Passion, our multi-media worship event. And what a wonderful two-week emphasis it was. Several same to Christ, many others made decisions about baptism, and even more connected at a deeper level to the body of Christ. All in all, just under 1000 were in attendance on Resurrection Sunday, a humbling experience for a church not yet six years old. Then there’s the residual effect of the day – who really knows how much fruit will be borne in the days and weeks to come?! Hallelujah! I make no apologies for saying that, as a pastor and preacher, it was invigorating to see God at work. And it makes me long for more fruit.

On the other hand, my day at Sunny View was, in human terms, quite the opposite. Leading the simple 45-minute service were me and my three girls, and another family’s mother and her two youngest. That’s all! We sang a capella, the children played flute and piano solos, and I preached a simple message. There are sometimes as many as 25 there, and even if several are sleeping, they are at least there. After all, for many of them, that stroll (or roll) down the hall is quite the effort. This Sunday, though, there were only about 20, for some were picked up by family for a day away. The most intriguing oddity is that while we are conducting the service, buzzers are going off, visitors are walking by, and nurses are checking rooms. It’s quite the circus at times. Yet, the tears I see and the hugs I receive each month are reward enough for this young pastor (at least to them).

See what I mean by a “wide world of Easter”? The two experiences, all within hours of each other, are no doubt at polar ends of the “church service” spectrum. Yet, both focus on the Son of God, are (hopefully) done in the power of the God, contain the presence of God, and bring glory to God. Granted – they each have their enjoyable aspects and frustrating elements. But I must admit that the latter one always brings me the right perspective about the first one. I truly welcome both, but probably need the second one more.

You see, sometimes in the chase for the perfect and seamless production, we miss the contentment of mistake-prone effort wrapped in the purest of motives. Ideally, I’d like both. But when forced to choose, give me the heart first. Frankly, it’s the smell of Sunny View that helps keep me humbly prepared for the lights of the platform.

“Thank you, Father, for a fruitful Resurrection Sunday on both ends of the spectrum.”

The Heartbeat of the Gospel

2010-04-02T22:54:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite weekly readings is Dr. Al Mohler’s blog, and today he provides excellent insight into the Gospel, the extra-special focus of Easter weekend in churches all across America. Granted – the Gospel matters every week, but it does garner some even greater and well-deserved focus annually on Easter weekend. Enjoy!

http://www.albertmohler.com/2010/04/02/of-first-importance-the-cross-and-resurrection-at-the-center/

One of my Favorite (but Strangest) Verses

2010-04-01T22:42:00.000-05:00

A strange verse exists in Romans 3 (verse 26 to be exact): “It (God’s acceptance of Christ’s blood as payment for our sins) was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” I have often wondered why Paul makes a point to say that God is just and the justifier. Sounds repetitive, doesn’t it?

But when you understand what he is defining and declaring, and subsequently defeating, it makes more sense. He is defining the righteousness of God (i.e., that God is acting perfectly just to conclude that all men are under sin, regardless of what they have done or who they are) and declaring the Gospel of God (i.e., that through Jesus we can be forgiven of our sin and clothed in God’s righteousness). Essentially, God’s righteousness means no one is justified naturally, and God’s Gospel means all can be justified supernaturally.

As a result, two things are defeated: Legalism and liberalism. They represent two extremes, and neither accomplishes what only God has done through the “good news” of his Son, Jesus.

For instance, legalism (i.e., the law) may look just. “An eye for an eye” and so forth. But it can never justify. Why? Because no human has ever – or can – keep all the law. There’s no way a merciless master like the law can overlook even one infraction. Truly, it has no justifying qualities.

Then there’s liberalism (i.e., no law). Since it removes standards and parameters, it appears to justify by saying everyone’s in, no matter what. But it can never be just. Why? Because all humans have the law of God written on their heart and know that, even if we pretentiously say there is no right or wrong, there actually is a law that has been broken. There’s nothing just about pretending we’re all okay when we all know we’re not.

But the Gospel? Well, through it God is both just and the justifier! He maintains his just nature (Jesus offered the perfect sacrifice required), and his justifying nature (because of Jesus, God now offers forgiveness to all who believe). That’s something the two extremes of legalism and liberalism, and anything inbetween, can never do.

Ah, thank God for the Gospel!

Passion Week Thoughts (Quite General)...

2010-03-31T09:27:00.001-05:00

There’s no doubt that the cross is the centerpiece of God’s glory. Because of the crucifixion, sin can’t condemn us! Romans 8:1 confirms that “there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Romans 5:2 shouts, “Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”And Galatians 6:14 exclaims, “But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”

And the empty tomb? Simply put, it is the culmination of God’s power! Because of the resurrection, sin can’t control us. Romans 6:9-12 boldly asserts, “We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions.”

Now think about Heaven’s throne. It’s the climax of God’s plan where one day we will gather and witness endless worship of the Lamb by every nation, tribe, and tongue to the glory of God the Father. There, sin won’t even contaminate us. As Revelation 22:3 proclaims, “No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him.” John describes this scene even more vividly in Revelation 5:11-14 when he writes, “Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, ‘Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!’ And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, ‘To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!’ And the four living creatures said, ‘Amen!’ and the elders fell down and worshiped.”

Ah, the cross, the tomb, and the throne! How amazing that the glory of his suffering and the glory of his victory will bring us to the glory of the worship of his name (Phil 2:5-11)!

Not Fishing -- Trashing!

2010-03-28T07:46:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite verses is one written by Peter, and in it he exhorts us to continually be “casting all our anxieties upon him, for he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). What an encouragement in all times, but especially in seasons of stress and trial.

However, sometimes we unintentionally read the word “cast” like a fisherman, when we should read it like a garbage man. In other words, we want to tie a knot on the end of our anxieties and “cast” them out with our proverbial rod and reel, knowing that if we need to we can wind them back in again. And while none of us would ever admit to wanting – or demanding – them back, often our insecurities and fears spiritually bribe us to either hold on to or retrieve these things, thinking we can manage them better than our heavenly Father, God.

Here’s a better understanding of the text: throw them away for good! Where? To God! He is fully able to handle all our worries, and we have no need of them. Instead of approaching God with pole and lure in hand, bring him your big, green rolling trash cart. Tip it over and leave it all with him, no strings attached, for He is the Master recycler and restorer.

Do I Have To?

2010-03-22T22:48:00.000-05:00

I got a most intriguing question from a friend the other day: “Do you think I have to go to church?”

Several things weren’t included, so I was left answering a very general, “no way out” kind of question (which was his goal I think). Did he mean 1) the church building, 2) the actual service, or 3) the 2^nd grade class? Furthermore, my answer depended on the intent of his question, which he never voiced. What was he really wondering – does he have to go to church to be saved? To be spiritual? To have a good reputation? To win the lottery? To feel connected to and encouraged by others in the body?

But, to keep the conversation going and make things interesting, I just simply answered “No.” And “Yes.” He smirked and rolled his eyes.

We continued talking, especially about the many “have to’s” he was glad weren’t really “have to’s.” Like attending church. Or giving financially to those in need. Or helping in the toddler room. Or even the Jr. High room. And boy was he glad! I eventually asked him my own “no way out” question: Why do you want to find a way to get by spiritually? “It seems your desire to squeak by says way more about what’s really in your heart than any kind of external record or badge of buttons may say about your image,” I commented, quite sure he might not want to continue the conversation.

He did.

An experience I had with my dad helped me as the discussion continued. Ironically, there was a day I asked my dad that very same question. If I remember correctly, had just turned 16, maybe 17, and, from my vantage point, had a good grasp on life (can you spell p-r-i-d-e?) So when I asked him my “have to” question, he answered with a surprisingly simple, “No.” He never even blinked. Wow, that was easy I thought. But then he finished his answer: “You don’t have to do anything; but you do have to accept the consequences of your decision.”

That drastically changed my next question, which I never actually asked. Why? I already knew the answer. And that answer – the one I instinctly knew – amazingly changed my “have to’s” to “want to’s.”

As my friend and I kept talking, I shared this experience with him. Though he was more amused at my dad’s parenting prowess, I still think he got the point. And that’s when I pulled out my iron-sharpening tool and responded more truthfully to his initial question. “Yes, I believe you should go to church. But not because you have to. Instead, because you need to, and, consequently, want to. When you sense it is about a ‘have to,’ there are usually deeper, personal things you need to wrestle with. Namely, your wandering heart.”

“I have to go,” he said.

“Have to?” I asked, chuckling.

We both grinned and said our goodbye’s for that day.

But even as I left I thought about how the “have to” mentality creeps into too many areas of my own thinking.

Like when it comes to giving. When I think in “have to” terms, I usually think of how little I can give and still “get by.” I wonder when I can stop instead of where else can I give. Sacrificial giving knows no such thinking. It is rooted in a “want to” mentality and enjoys being lavish, not selfish.

Or serving. When I’m in a “have to” mindset I count hours and track slots. I look for applause and credit. But that’s not how Jesus served. And that’s not the way a “want to” server goes about his duties. “Want to-ers” are content with opportunities and open doors, no matter what lay on the other side.

And there’s more than those two areas. But the Holy Spirit had already arrested my attention. Frankly, I was no different in many respects. So as much as my friend may have benefitted from our conversation, I profited more. And not because I had to. I got to!

Looking Back

2010-03-16T21:00:00.165-05:00

A thoughtful look backward can lead to a fruitful look forward. That’s exactly what happened Tuesday as our family visited the origins of the Stiles family – Blue Ridge, GA. We visited homesteads and cemeteries, looked at pictures and tombstones, and heard stories and memories that sounded like legends and tales. What a great day!

As we drove home down the winding, mountain road, God opened our hearts once again to a couple of verses that have meant much to our family at various intersections: “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches” (Proverbs 22:1) and “A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth” (Ecc. 7:1). Weird as it may sound, the day of the death of the people we remembered Tuesday– all the Stiles of the past – was better than the day of their birth. Why? Because of how they lived their life! They left us the legacy of a “good name,” and we left motivated to carry it forward.

This is the home where it all started! Over 100 years old, Rufus Theodore Stiles moved here in the early 1900's and occupied this residence with his wife, Za, and their 13 chidlren. My grandfather, George (whom we affectionately knew as "Pop"), was born and raised here. This house sat on top of a hill that overlooked Blue Ridge (see pic below), and it was from here that "Ruf" (pronounced like "roof" -- that's what Za called him) served as Mayor, Clerk of Court, and a Geogia State Legislator.

This is a picture in tribute to RT Stiles (the man I am "initialed" after) during his time as Clerk of Court in Blue Ridge. This picure sits in the lobby of the current Fannin County Courthouse. I am pictured here with RT's grandson (my dad) and his great, great grandson (my son).

This old pot, housed in the shed out back, was used to boil the water needed for washing, also done in the shed. And this arrangment was actually an upgrade from having to do the laundry outside; they now had some shelter! Makes you grateful for indoor laundry with modern appliances, eh?

This is the very second-floor window that my dad, pictured here, fell out of when he was two. (You can see why it was easy for a toddler to fall out of it; look how low the bottom is!) He landed right next to a 2-foot metal stake that was used as a ground for the home's electricity. Though not pictured, the stake is still there, too. Obviously, my dad chuckles now, but I don't think his parents did then. Oh, the providence of our sovereign God!

This tree in the backyard has been the #1 playhouse for many generations of children since one of the Stiles boys, Fred, planted it in the early 50's. It was my kids' turn for a day!

This is the homestead of the Lindseys and of my grandmother (whom we knew as Mammaw), just about 12 miles away from Blue Ridge in Morganton, GA. Family legend says that George ("Pop") would walk the 12 miles across the river each Friday so he could see his girlfriend Irene ("Mammaw") as soon as possible on the weekend. No more info about the rest of the weekends has ever survived. :)

Two other cool stories about this house:

1. They eventually got married in this house (downstairs), and were one of two events on this day in this home. The other one? Just upstairs in the room to the left Mammaw's brother's wife, Louise, was giving birth to their first son (Joe, Jr).

2. My dad was born in this house in the room just to the left of the front door in 1937. However, no wedding followed hs birth.

Our third child, Breanna Lindsey Stiles kneels next to the Lindsey headstone, the family name which we used for her middle name.

Dad and I kneel behind the grave of Rufus and Za, my dad's grandfather and the patriarch of the Stiles family.

Here we're all gathered around the main Stiles headstone in the Blue Ridge cemetery.

She Loves Me Because...

2010-03-13T08:14:00.005-06:00

I’m not the easiest guy to love. In fact, most of the time I’m probably rather difficult to love. And though Julie would probably not admit that (okay, she might at times!), it is nonetheless true. She knows all my faults, idiosyncrasies, shortcomings, failures, and pet peeves. More realistically, she knows all the weak spots where, even in the middle of being sanctified by the Spirit, I show my human nature and sin.

Yet, she loves me anyway. Daily. Hourly. Unconditionally. Totally. Radically. Unreservedly. Loyally. What’s so amazing is that she actually likes to love me (the vast majority of the time), even though I’m not easy to love. Julie is the top-shelf model of obedience to the call of Jesus when he inspired Paul to write on at least two occasions, “Love your husband.” She does that perfectly.

It is becoming more and more apparent to me as we tie our knot deeper and longer that Julie loves me, not because of my worthiness, but because of God’s “Wordiness.” In other words, she doesn’t love me because I deserve it; she loves me because God commands it. Granted – I don’t think she looks at it like this or dichotomizes her feelings in this way. But a “below the water line” look testifies to God’s love in her life as a fundamental motivation for everything she does. And the benefit? I see her love in my life.
Why do I mention this? Well, first, because I’m grateful. I am deeply thankful for my wife. She is the epitome of Titus 2 and Proverbs 31, living out her God-given responsibility to create a God-centered home for our family.

But also because I’m hopeful. I have watched Julie’s love for me grow proportionately to her willingness to obey Christ uncompromisingly, and I'm convinced there is a direct relation between her ability to love me and her commitment to obey her Savior. That gives me hope in the face of things that Jesus calls me to do that are sometimes tough. Hard. Difficult. Practically and biblically, obedience in spite of my feelings will open the door to obedience that accompanies my feelings.
Essentially, it’s “Jesus-first” to Julie. He is more important than her hobbies or her husband. More important than her feelings or her family. More important than her likes and dislikes, opinions, preferences, and personal tastes. And because he is more important, what he says is most important. So when he says, “Love your husband,” she’s in! Thank you, Jesus, and thank you, Julie!

Nothing Better Than Being a Dad!

2010-02-27T20:06:00.001-06:00

It was one of my Red Letter days as a dad! Here’s how it went down…

…I was delivering an orange to my almost-17-year old daughter at Quizno’s where she works. I stepped in, spoke, and she, as always, replied politely. She made her way to me at the front of the work counter where we talked for a minute about incidentals. Knowing she needed to get back to work, I wrapped up the conversation with an update about a future college trip we’re all taking with her. She nodded with approval, then headed back to her work area, which was about 15+ feet away across the entire back of the store.

That’s when it happened – once back at her station, she turned and said to me as innocently and authentically as she did when she was 2, “Thanks, dad. Love you! See you at home.” And she said it loud enough for all the other workers to hear! Truth is, the whole store could have heard. But she didn’t mind a bit. And neither did I!

I had already turned and was facing the door, just about to exit. But I paused and slowed my pace drastically, albeit discreetly, ‘cause I wanted to savor the sound of those words that rang out so proudly. Publicly. Boldly. Unashamedly. I felt like my chest was expanding exponentially on the spot, with my smile right behind it. I’m sure it didn’t show on the outside, but on the inside I was beaming and busting! Of course, acting somewhat suave, I stumbled out the door while responding, “Love you, too!”

Don’t misunderstand this. It’s not that those words “Love you” are rare around our house. Frankly, Bethany says them quite frequently. In fact, I don’t know if she’s ever ended a phone call with one of her parents without saying them, sometimes almost too routinely.

But this time was different. It was just one of those spontaneous outbursts that grabs you and holds you spellbound for a moment. I knew she didn’t have to say it. I knew she wasn’t 2 anymore. Or even 10. I knew she was in front of her co-workers. I knew it wasn’t the culturally cool comment to make to your “old man.” I knew all that and more.

But she knew all those things, too. And she still made sure I knew that I was loved. Without reservation or conditions. Clearly. Loudly.

Thanks, Bethany! I love being your dad!

R U a "Spant?"

2010-02-26T20:58:00.000-06:00

Balancing two apparently opposite items is hard, eh? For instance, learning to discipline our children without exasperating them; figuring out how to save without hoarding and becoming greedy; understanding what it means to speak truthfully yet compassionately. And so forth! Yet, much of life is about finding balance. You know, avoiding the extremes and letting the Holy Spirit teach us how to walk in step with him.

As our youth pastor and I were discussing this very issue a few weeks back regarding living one day at a time without worry (like the sparrow in Matthew) and planning ahead (like the ant in Proverbs), we humorously and spontaneously developed a name to use as we hoped to encourage each other towards this goal. In fact, since our conversation, I’ve been praying for God to turn me into this! Ready for it? “God, make me a Spant!” Yep, a Spant. It’s the fine balance between a sparrow and an ant: a creature who knows how to plan ahead yet enjoys the carefree adventure of daily trusting God for everything.

Let’s be Spants today, shall we? Let’s plan and play! Let’s look ahead thoughtfully and enjoy the moment thoroughly. Let’s plan for the future and count the cost, but always with a “Lord willing” mindset (James 5), for “who knows what tomorrow may bring?” Be encouraged today as God morphs you into a Spant!

Is Change the Ultimate Test?

2010-02-23T14:42:00.000-06:00

One of the clear and consistent signs of genuine salvation is change. In fact, from the Gospels to Revelation, this thread is so clearly evident that I often find it amusing that people even argue the point (Matt. 7, Matt. 13, John 6, John 10, Romans 6-7, 2 Cor. 5, Hebrews 6, Hebrews 10, 1 John 3, to name a few). Even a simple reading of the last 27 books of the Bible reveal that God’s true children, over time, are changed inside and out by him. Theologically, it is called sanctification. Street-ologically (yes, I made that word up), you’re simply different than you used to be.

Knowing this, however, raises another question, one I am always asked after preaching on this issue (which I do quite frequently): Is change the ultimate test? Or, to phrase it in a more blatant way, if someone is changed, does that mean they are regenerated? How’s this for an answer – Yes, but mostly no. (With answers like that, I should run for office somewhere.)

I say “yes” in that fruit is the sign that we have the seed of God. But the rest of the answer is where the “no” comes in to play. We have to ask ourselves, “From what source is the fruit being produced?” Like it or not, the source of change is an integral part of the answer.

In Matthew 7, there was much fruit on display in the lives of the religious people; things like casting out demons, prophesying, and “mighty works.” We might even call this lifestyle an apparently changed life. But it was from a source that was unreliable. False. Plastic. Deceptive. The result? Not real change/fruit, only apparent change/fruit.

Likewise, two houses are contrasted in Matthew 7. And the one that was left standing – the one that was actually real – was the one that had the right foundation. Think source. The other one? Well, it got blasted in the storm and was proven to be nothing more than false. Deceptive. Plastic. Untrue. Why? Because its source was false. Untrue. Deceptive.

Essentially, the question is deeper than “Are you changed?” Quite frankly, there are many changed people. From Mormons to Buddhists to Muslims to New Agers, people all over the globe are “changing” and trying to become a better, even sometimes different, person. But the fact of change alone doesn’t tell the whole story. The fuller and deeper question is, “What is changing you?” We must at some point get to the foundational issue – the source of our change.

Jesus states quite clearly that all sources other than himself – religion, effort, fear, family, sincerity, etc. – will end up as empty wells and false foundations (Matthew 7:21). They will be proven deceptive. They won’t last. Only Jesus brings change in this life and into the next (John 14:1-6). It is thus wise for each of us to ask ourselves the full question – What is bringing about change in my life? What well am I drawing my water from? What foundation am I building my house upon? What vine am I connected to? Sure, change indicates something is happening. But only when you know the source of that change can you definitively say you are being changed by God and, consequently, owned by him.

This is why the Gospel matters so intensely and urgently. It is the story of the only real life-changer, Jesus. And without it, we have no hope of truly changing for the right reasons. No wonder Paul consistently points to the Gospel in his letters as the starting place for real change. He encouraged people to tell it, hear it, accept it, stand on it, confess it, cling to it, and even die for it. Which simply begs the question – does your changed life stem from the good news of Jesus Christ, the only God-man who died and rose again and is the exclusive way to God?

So yes, change is fundamental, but so is the source of that change. We need to be willing to answer both aspects of this issue as we examine ourselves to see whether or not we are “in the faith” (2 Cor. 13:5).

Take Up Your Cross

2010-02-22T07:45:00.003-06:00

It’s a famous phrase, found not only in three of the four Gospels, but in hundreds of songs and sermons since. The phrase? “Take up your cross” (Matt. 16:24, Mark 8:34, Luke 9:23). It’s the singular call of Jesus to all who would follow. It’s non-negotiable. Cross-cultural. Mind-boggling. But he can beckon us to do so, for he bore his. And no doubt that picture brings a host of vivid – and probably negative – mental images to mind. Yes, he took up his cross. Now he asks me to take up mine.

If my guess is correct, right about now you are agreeing with me, but not joyfully. And why would you (or I)? The cross is where cursed men were exposed and executed (Duet 21:23; Gal. 3:13). It’s the place of suffering. Agony. Ultimately, death. And for us to bear ours, well, that can’t be something we would look forward, right? I mean, we’ll “take it up;” after all, we have to. But “don’t expect me to do so with a smile” (we whisper under our breath).

Allow me to shed some light on another angle of cross bearing. Regardless of everything else taking up our cross might mean, it for sure, and at least, means we are always close to it. You can’t bear it without being near it. Really near it. Quite frankly, you have to basically wear it. That’s pretty close!

Guess what? That’s something to smile about! In fact, the closer I am – and stay – to the cross, the more like Jesus I become. So in that regard, taking up my cross is not a drudgery that I endure, but a privilege that I embrace. I get to be close to my Savior! When I consider that aspect of taking up my cross, I run there, splinters and all. Yes, it’s heavy, but it’s where Jesus is. Yes, it’s ugly. But it’s where Jesus is. Yes, it’s bloody. But it’s where Jesus is! Yes, it’s offensive. But it’s where Jesus is. Yes, it’s ruthless. Dangerous. Demanding. But it’s where Jesus is. It’s also victorious. Glorious. Powerful. Personal. Bold. Gripping. Life-saving. Life-changing. Eternal. All-sufficient. Transforming. Because it’s where Jesus is. Ah, the cross he asks me to bear is an invitation to be close to him. Really close to him. And like him. Really like him. Tell me, why would I say “no” to an offer like that?!

As the old hymn writer put it, “So I’ll cherish that old rugged cross, till my trophies at last I lay down. I will cling to the old rugged cross, and exchange it someday for a crown.”

A "Winter" to Remember

2010-02-20T13:33:00.005-06:00

Back in early December I posted a few snow pics under the title, "A December to Remember." Well, we're more than 60 days from that post, and it has turned into a "Winter to Remember." In fact, we're setting records each day. So far, we've been under at least 5" of snow for the longest amount of time in Iowa history, and we're in 4th place as far total snow amount in Iowa since they started keeping records. I suspect we will break the record of 72", and when we do, pics will go up!

Personally, I think I've set a shoveling record for myself! I don't recall ever shoveling this much before.

Here are a few pics of the cumulative snow in our neck of the woods...

(This is the 'tunnel' known as our front sidewalk)

(I think we have the strongest gutters in the universe. And yes, this probably isn't very good for them, but it's the way it is for now.)

(One of the consequences of lots of cold snow and ice is that it makes it hard to get your Christmas lights down. I not only got my lights up earlier than ever last year, they've stayed up longer than ever!) :)

(This year I had to actually shovel out areas for my trash can and for my recycling bin so they'd be picked up. They love winter 'cuz they get their own parking space!)

(This is the sidewalk that the kids walk on each day to school...the walls keep getting higher and higher!)

(Ah, home! No way to miss the driveway; it is surrounded by snow barriers.)

One is a Majority

2010-02-19T16:32:00.002-06:00

Have you ever felt like the odds were stacked against you? Sure you have! Maybe it was in the remaining minutes of Capture the Flag and you knew you were outnumbered, or perhaps it was in a meeting and you were “presenting your case” to many others. Regardless of the scenario, we all know what it’s like to be the underdog.

Guess what? Not a single time in the OT accounts of Israel’s battles were they ever the human favorite. In fact, from what I read, they never outnumbered their opponents. Never! They were always, from an earthly perspective, “a man down.” But in each case, God was more than able to compensate. He wasn’t worried about the odds from his throne in heaven.

And he still isn’t. Which is why Paul could write in Romans 8:31, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” Be encouraged today, team. With God, you are a majority.