Think what a local church would be like if its people were radically devoted to Christ, irrevocably committed to each other, and relentlessly dedicated to reaching those outside God’s family with the gospel of Christ. It would be a church against which the gates of hell could not prevail! It would be an unstoppable force for good in the community, an inspiration to other churches and a testimony to God’s unfailing grace.
The question is - is that church that I just described possible? And then, a little closer to home - Is it feasible to believe that I could unite with a group of other believers and see God use me to build that kind of a church?
As the pastor of Family Life Christian Fellowship, I had to ask myself those questions. Because, those answers determine how far I will be willing to go to see it happen. The answers show the level of my trust in God and the intensity of my faith in the calling that God has placed on my life.
Jim Cymbala makes a statement in his book "Fresh Wind Fresh Fire" that I think about whenever I sense myself settling for an average church or becoming content with good enough. He said this: "I despaired at the thought that my life might pass me by without God moving greatly on my behalf."
Good enough is not good enough when you add God into the mix. Good enough is what I can accomplish with all my talents and abilities and charisma. Why would anyone settle for that when there is a God that is waiting to include them in His eternal building plans? Why would anyone waste their life building a man-made church when God has offered us the opportunity to sacrifice our lives in the building of a God-made church?
The answer is - The God-made church, many times, takes longer. And, maybe the hardest part, the God-made church building plan always starts with the re-making and re-building and transformation of me.
One guy said: "oftentimes between a promise from God and the payoff of that promise, there's a painful process". As a church planter, I can say amen to that! But, I can also say if I had to do it all over again I wouldn't change anything. Because God's way of building a church always makes the builders better not just what they are building. God builds His church by building men not buildings. And it is in that building of better men that better churches emerge.
The church God is wanting to build through me is in me. And the more I become a reflection of God in my own life the more God is reflected in the life of the church. So let the building begin and let it begin with me!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
You're a Hero!
If you read the article on my blog entitled "Heroes", which is right under this one, you'll see that Heroes play an important role in all of our lives. My prayer for everyone is that God would grant us the blessing of being touched and influenced by many heroes. Men and women who live their lives heroically around us and in front of us. But let me shift the focus in this article. Not only do you need heroes in your life, some people are probably going to need you to be a hero in theirs. Too Many times we forget to play our heroic roles in the lives of people that look up to us. We miss the opportunities God brings our way to impact and influence people we know and love. And that is just not right. You and I have what it takes to be a hero in someone's life.
So who is it in your sphere of influence that is needing you to stand up or show up right now? Who needs you to rise to the challenge, to sacrifice your time and money or to make that call? Who are the people around you that God is asking you to take a risk on? Who are the people that God wants you to care for or speak a word to? Who needs you to influence them?
I mean think about it. Every child needs a hero. Every wife is looking for a hero. Every husband wants to be married to a wife that plays her heroic role. The opportunities to be a hero are all around us. The disconnect is we don’t view ourselves as heroes. And the reason is, we don't really know what a hero looks like. We think heroes are people that have no fears or have no failure in their life. We think heroes are perfect people who have all the answers and possess all kinds of super human strength. And most of us know that's not us. So we play average roles in the lives of those around us. And because of that, we miss heroic opportunities and we fail to hear God's nudge to be play our heroic parts.
Look at this story from the Bible and notice what heroes really look like:
Eccl 9:13-18 (NLT)
13 Here is another bit of wisdom that has impressed me as I have watched the way our world works. 14 There was a small town with only a few people living in it, and a great king came with his army and besieged it. 15 There was a poor, wise man living there who knew how to save the town, and so it was rescued. But afterward no one thought any more about him.
The hero in this story had one ingredient that made him a hero - He knew what to do and he just simply got up and did it.
So what are the attributes and Characteristics of a HERO? Really there are just two things that that make someone a hero. (1) Clarity and (2) the irresistible urge to act.
A hero is a person who walks into a circumstance as big as war or as small as a relationship and they are able to see the situation for what it is. They see what others miss and they sense what needs to be done. And in that moment of clarity they act. They find the strength and courage to respond to the sense of urgency they feel.
Heroes are not people who have no fear. They are not always famous or popular. They are not always the strongest or outwardly the ones who seem to be the most confident. Heroes are people - who have clarity about who they are and what needs to be done. And out of that clarity they are compelled to act. Heroes are people who, like the story from the Bible, see with CLARITY what needs to be done. And they do it.
I think there are a lot of Heroes out there that will read this article and be challenged. Challenged enough, I hope, to realize that they know what needs to be done. They just need to get up and go do it.
May God give all of us the courage to be the heroes He is wanting us to be. Now get up and go be a Hero!
So who is it in your sphere of influence that is needing you to stand up or show up right now? Who needs you to rise to the challenge, to sacrifice your time and money or to make that call? Who are the people around you that God is asking you to take a risk on? Who are the people that God wants you to care for or speak a word to? Who needs you to influence them?
I mean think about it. Every child needs a hero. Every wife is looking for a hero. Every husband wants to be married to a wife that plays her heroic role. The opportunities to be a hero are all around us. The disconnect is we don’t view ourselves as heroes. And the reason is, we don't really know what a hero looks like. We think heroes are people that have no fears or have no failure in their life. We think heroes are perfect people who have all the answers and possess all kinds of super human strength. And most of us know that's not us. So we play average roles in the lives of those around us. And because of that, we miss heroic opportunities and we fail to hear God's nudge to be play our heroic parts.
Look at this story from the Bible and notice what heroes really look like:
Eccl 9:13-18 (NLT)
13 Here is another bit of wisdom that has impressed me as I have watched the way our world works. 14 There was a small town with only a few people living in it, and a great king came with his army and besieged it. 15 There was a poor, wise man living there who knew how to save the town, and so it was rescued. But afterward no one thought any more about him.
The hero in this story had one ingredient that made him a hero - He knew what to do and he just simply got up and did it.
So what are the attributes and Characteristics of a HERO? Really there are just two things that that make someone a hero. (1) Clarity and (2) the irresistible urge to act.
A hero is a person who walks into a circumstance as big as war or as small as a relationship and they are able to see the situation for what it is. They see what others miss and they sense what needs to be done. And in that moment of clarity they act. They find the strength and courage to respond to the sense of urgency they feel.
Heroes are not people who have no fear. They are not always famous or popular. They are not always the strongest or outwardly the ones who seem to be the most confident. Heroes are people - who have clarity about who they are and what needs to be done. And out of that clarity they are compelled to act. Heroes are people who, like the story from the Bible, see with CLARITY what needs to be done. And they do it.
I think there are a lot of Heroes out there that will read this article and be challenged. Challenged enough, I hope, to realize that they know what needs to be done. They just need to get up and go do it.
May God give all of us the courage to be the heroes He is wanting us to be. Now get up and go be a Hero!
Heroes
We as a culture are amazingly enamored with our heroes. We have sports heroes, action heroes, super heroes, fictional book heroes, war heroes, movie heroes and Bible heroes. There's even a chapter in the Bible we have affectionately named the "Heroes of Faith" chapter - Hebrews 11. Heroes are just a natural part of our lives. We look for them and try to be like them and we love to talk about them. Really though, this infatuation we all have with heroes is not a new phenomenon. Regardless of your background, culture or religion every generation and nationality and organization has had a propensity towards finding and emulating and looking up to heroes. Every discovered culture is filled with writings and drawings and stories of Heroes. Heroes are as old and common as time itself. It's almost as if God himself designed us with a desire to look up to, and want to be influenced by, others - Heroes
Basically heroes are people who did the right thing at the right time. They are people who responded and or reacted correctly in the midst of a crisis. They are people who did something courageous. They stepped up in a hard situation. They intervened when circumstances seemed hopeless. They are people who metaphorically – snatched victory out of the jaws of defeat.
Now Some of those heroes and their stories we can all recall. like the firefighters on 9/11. General George Washington and the war for Independence. President Lincoln and the war to end slavery or Martin Luther King Jr and his non-violent protests for equality. Others are not so famous – nationally - but personally they are hero’s just the same. Like a dad or a mom that sacrificed to make our lives better. A teacher or a friend that just understood what to say and when to say it. Some single mom that raised you or a boss at work that helped lead you. Hopefully, in all of our personal lives there has been someone who stepped in and showed care and concern when we needed it. Someone who helped, who gave a hand or met a need. Someone who in our lives has lived their lives, heroically.
For me this thought came clear again when I heard about the tragic death of my friend Tim Foster, this past week. Tim wasn't perfect and for sure he had his weaknesses. But, for me he was a hero. When I was completing my Bible college degree and praying and really seeking to discover what and where God was going to lead me next. It was Tim that stepped in and really opened a door that launched my ministry. Tim found me in the prayer room one morning and asked me if I would like to speak at his singles retreat. Now, at that point in my life I was not a good speaker nor was I a guy that had much experience working with single adults. But Tim said he just sensed that I had "IT". He wasn't concerned about all the other stuff. He felt confident that God had a call on my life and that I was the guy. That singles retreat and Tim's belief in me led to a discussion about my future which caused Tim to call, on my behalf, his father, "The Doctor", who pastored a church in West Monroe, his sister Debbie who was a youth pastor and his brother Tom who pastored a church in Dallas. They all, because of Tim's recommendation, invited me to come and preach for them. And that began my ministry.
The point is Tim was the guy who stepped up and stepped in to my life and became a hero to me. He let God use him to say some simple words and do a simple thing like call his family on my behalf. And in the end, those words and those calls changed everything for me. They gave me confidence and a direction. They introduced me to people that were ready to take me from where I was to the next level. And to think it all started because Tim saw in me something that made him move in my direction. Tim sensed something that made him take a risk on me and because of that risk he opened a door that has forever changed my life. Tim that morning in 1992 became my hero.
So who is your hero? Who do you look up to? Who has played a heroic role in your life? I encourage you to sit down and write a note to them - TODAY. Don't wait, like I did, until they are gone. take the time to say thank-you and let that person know they are a hero in your eyes.
Basically heroes are people who did the right thing at the right time. They are people who responded and or reacted correctly in the midst of a crisis. They are people who did something courageous. They stepped up in a hard situation. They intervened when circumstances seemed hopeless. They are people who metaphorically – snatched victory out of the jaws of defeat.
Now Some of those heroes and their stories we can all recall. like the firefighters on 9/11. General George Washington and the war for Independence. President Lincoln and the war to end slavery or Martin Luther King Jr and his non-violent protests for equality. Others are not so famous – nationally - but personally they are hero’s just the same. Like a dad or a mom that sacrificed to make our lives better. A teacher or a friend that just understood what to say and when to say it. Some single mom that raised you or a boss at work that helped lead you. Hopefully, in all of our personal lives there has been someone who stepped in and showed care and concern when we needed it. Someone who helped, who gave a hand or met a need. Someone who in our lives has lived their lives, heroically.
For me this thought came clear again when I heard about the tragic death of my friend Tim Foster, this past week. Tim wasn't perfect and for sure he had his weaknesses. But, for me he was a hero. When I was completing my Bible college degree and praying and really seeking to discover what and where God was going to lead me next. It was Tim that stepped in and really opened a door that launched my ministry. Tim found me in the prayer room one morning and asked me if I would like to speak at his singles retreat. Now, at that point in my life I was not a good speaker nor was I a guy that had much experience working with single adults. But Tim said he just sensed that I had "IT". He wasn't concerned about all the other stuff. He felt confident that God had a call on my life and that I was the guy. That singles retreat and Tim's belief in me led to a discussion about my future which caused Tim to call, on my behalf, his father, "The Doctor", who pastored a church in West Monroe, his sister Debbie who was a youth pastor and his brother Tom who pastored a church in Dallas. They all, because of Tim's recommendation, invited me to come and preach for them. And that began my ministry.
The point is Tim was the guy who stepped up and stepped in to my life and became a hero to me. He let God use him to say some simple words and do a simple thing like call his family on my behalf. And in the end, those words and those calls changed everything for me. They gave me confidence and a direction. They introduced me to people that were ready to take me from where I was to the next level. And to think it all started because Tim saw in me something that made him move in my direction. Tim sensed something that made him take a risk on me and because of that risk he opened a door that has forever changed my life. Tim that morning in 1992 became my hero.
So who is your hero? Who do you look up to? Who has played a heroic role in your life? I encourage you to sit down and write a note to them - TODAY. Don't wait, like I did, until they are gone. take the time to say thank-you and let that person know they are a hero in your eyes.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Read this article - Modesty Revisited
Check out this article entitled "Modesty Revisited" - simply awesome
http://www.boundless.org/2005/articles/a0001513.cfm
http://www.boundless.org/2005/articles/a0001513.cfm
Clarity
As a result of me messing around with my boys with my glasses on, they were damaged. The good news is, I shop at Costco, which means every thing's covered. Took them in, the Costco guy repaired them, and I'm back in business just like that. What struck me about this whole experience was this though. When the man took my glasses to repair them for me, I was without them for about 20 minutes. I never knew I was so blind, or to think about it another way, I never realized how much clarity I had thanks to my glasses.
Don't we all do this in our lives as well. We never consider how much clarity we do have. Clarity that has been gained through all the lessons we've learned and experiences we've endured and principles we've picked up along the way. We never consider how much God's grace and love and Spirit is doing for us. That is, until it's gone or we fail to use what we have.
As I walked around Costco, I was reminded what a horrible life it would be if I was really that blind all the time. I mean I couldn't make out the writing or faces any further away than 15 feet. I felt very limited and weak. It made me become very narrow in my focus. I only looked at or tried to view things that were right in front of me. There was no point in lifting my eyes up to see the whole store or even the whole isle I was in. I couldn't see. I had become very limited in my vision. What a weird felling that was.
I was so happy to get my glasses back, and thankful for the Costco policy that just repairs and replaces things without any questions. And when I put them on - hallelujah, just like that, I could see the store and the people and the all the stuff I wanted to buy. (that last part is not good, I have to fight the urge to splurge when I'm at Costco, anyone know what I'm talking about?) The point is - I have something that provides me an incredible amount of clarity, and I am thankful for them. How they look on me is secondary to what they do for me.
So what is it in your life that, you have right now, that is providing clarity for you. let's not talk about the area's that you are unclear in. let's stay focus on what you do have, what you have learned, and what God has provided. I think all of us have a lot more clarity than we realize. we just need to recognize it, value it, and use it.
Don't we all do this in our lives as well. We never consider how much clarity we do have. Clarity that has been gained through all the lessons we've learned and experiences we've endured and principles we've picked up along the way. We never consider how much God's grace and love and Spirit is doing for us. That is, until it's gone or we fail to use what we have.
As I walked around Costco, I was reminded what a horrible life it would be if I was really that blind all the time. I mean I couldn't make out the writing or faces any further away than 15 feet. I felt very limited and weak. It made me become very narrow in my focus. I only looked at or tried to view things that were right in front of me. There was no point in lifting my eyes up to see the whole store or even the whole isle I was in. I couldn't see. I had become very limited in my vision. What a weird felling that was.
I was so happy to get my glasses back, and thankful for the Costco policy that just repairs and replaces things without any questions. And when I put them on - hallelujah, just like that, I could see the store and the people and the all the stuff I wanted to buy. (that last part is not good, I have to fight the urge to splurge when I'm at Costco, anyone know what I'm talking about?) The point is - I have something that provides me an incredible amount of clarity, and I am thankful for them. How they look on me is secondary to what they do for me.
So what is it in your life that, you have right now, that is providing clarity for you. let's not talk about the area's that you are unclear in. let's stay focus on what you do have, what you have learned, and what God has provided. I think all of us have a lot more clarity than we realize. we just need to recognize it, value it, and use it.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Options
It seems at times we create options that God never wanted us to consider.
Here are a few examples: The church at Laodecia in Revelations 3 thought lukewarm was a viable option for how to do church. The rich man in Mark 10 thought keeping the 10 commandments was a good option to obtain eternal life. And the Old Testament generation of Malachi thought bringing God their left overs was an acceptable option that would meet the required minimums. In each of these examples it's not that the people weren't doing anything. It's that what they were doing was less than their best. And, God has always wanted and expected and demanded our best.
On the other side of the pendulum we see those like the church in Galatia that started down a path that Paul called "another gospel" (Gal 1:6) That path or option is described perfectly in Galatians 3:3 (TEV) "You began by God's Spirit; do you now want to finish by your own power?" That church started to believe that following and keeping the Old Testament law was what God wanted. They were using God's words to create an option that God never wanted them to consider.
Now this example of the church at Galatia is interesting to me for this reason. The first group I mentioned were lowering Gods standard or expectation. And most people can see that this is wrong. But, this group in the book of Galatians was, in their minds, raising the bar. They were using what we now call the Bible to create a "higher" level of obedience. And that is the hardest deception to fight against. People or religions that have a verse to back up what they do are the most dangerous people of all. They feel justified in their "obedience". They feel secure in their "following of the rules". And they miss what God is really after. They create an option that God never wanted us to consider. They in essence turn living for God into a religion. And religions don't need an ever present "NOW" God. Nor do they desire an ever revealing relationship with God. They only want to keep their religions going. And unfortunately too many people are way passionate about their religions but not so passionate about their God. That's what the church at Galatia was turning into - A Spirit filled group of Old Testament followers. And that was an option God wasn't interested in.
Now, before you decide who I'm writing to or what you hear me saying between the lines, let me say this. I would never write something or preach a message with an expected audience in mind. I write and preach to myself first. I write and preach out of my own experiences with God. So if what I just wrote offended you - that's God not me.
Step back for a minute and think about it though. Don't you feel we spend to much time arguing and debating within the walls of the church? Doesn't it seem like we are wasting a little too much time and energy studying to prove what we already believe? Doesn't it seem at times like we are preaching and writing things for the sole purpose of making us feel good and making us look right?
What about this: How about we all get the focus off making ourselves feel justified in our religions. How about focusing on ourselves instead of those who are not like us. How about we spend more time praying for one another instead of preying on one another.
Anyways, Back to my original thought, which was - Don't we all create options that God never intended for us to consider?
Right now, for me personally, I am just so stirred by all the deviations I see in my own life that are first of all less than what God would want or deserve. And, second by all the religious beliefs that I have just accepted as truth. But that alone is not what has me going today. The part of this dilemma that has me really fired up is this. It's the question that I feel God is challenging me with.
Why am I so slow to do something about all this stuff after God let's me see it for what it is?
I think it's because I have accepted the notion and belief that these deviations and shortcomings are acceptable options before God. I have bought into the lie that God doesn't care or that in the end following my religion is equivalent with following God. And that is so not the truth
Now I would never come out and just say "I do this and I know it's less than my best - but God doesn't care" I would never admit that I'm more influenced by my religious beliefs than I am by the present Spirit of God that is at work within me. No, I say it in my actions and attitude. I say it in my heart and mind. I say it in how I spend my time and who I seek to please. I say it in what I do with the new truths that God is showing me everyday. I say it in who I am afraid of and intimidated by. I say it in many ways that no one ever hears.
And I can't speak for you, but as for me and my house I don't want to say that stuff anymore I want to rise above my pre-conceived, pre-determined, narrow minded, argumentative, religious beliefs and open my heart up to God. I want to be like those in Acts 17:11 that were, the King James says "more noble" the New Living translation says they were "more open-minded". I want to be open to new truths and revelations like the Bareans and not closed like Thessalonicians who are contrasted in that verse.
Acts 17:11 (NLT) And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul's message. They searched the scriptures day after day to check up on Paul and Silas, to see if they were really teaching the truth.
God, don't let me get stuck like those in Thessalonica. Let me be open-minded like the Bereans so that you can lead and guide me into all truth. So that I will find myself living for you the way you intended for me to live for you. Amen
Here are a few examples: The church at Laodecia in Revelations 3 thought lukewarm was a viable option for how to do church. The rich man in Mark 10 thought keeping the 10 commandments was a good option to obtain eternal life. And the Old Testament generation of Malachi thought bringing God their left overs was an acceptable option that would meet the required minimums. In each of these examples it's not that the people weren't doing anything. It's that what they were doing was less than their best. And, God has always wanted and expected and demanded our best.
On the other side of the pendulum we see those like the church in Galatia that started down a path that Paul called "another gospel" (Gal 1:6) That path or option is described perfectly in Galatians 3:3 (TEV) "You began by God's Spirit; do you now want to finish by your own power?" That church started to believe that following and keeping the Old Testament law was what God wanted. They were using God's words to create an option that God never wanted them to consider.
Now this example of the church at Galatia is interesting to me for this reason. The first group I mentioned were lowering Gods standard or expectation. And most people can see that this is wrong. But, this group in the book of Galatians was, in their minds, raising the bar. They were using what we now call the Bible to create a "higher" level of obedience. And that is the hardest deception to fight against. People or religions that have a verse to back up what they do are the most dangerous people of all. They feel justified in their "obedience". They feel secure in their "following of the rules". And they miss what God is really after. They create an option that God never wanted us to consider. They in essence turn living for God into a religion. And religions don't need an ever present "NOW" God. Nor do they desire an ever revealing relationship with God. They only want to keep their religions going. And unfortunately too many people are way passionate about their religions but not so passionate about their God. That's what the church at Galatia was turning into - A Spirit filled group of Old Testament followers. And that was an option God wasn't interested in.
Now, before you decide who I'm writing to or what you hear me saying between the lines, let me say this. I would never write something or preach a message with an expected audience in mind. I write and preach to myself first. I write and preach out of my own experiences with God. So if what I just wrote offended you - that's God not me.
Step back for a minute and think about it though. Don't you feel we spend to much time arguing and debating within the walls of the church? Doesn't it seem like we are wasting a little too much time and energy studying to prove what we already believe? Doesn't it seem at times like we are preaching and writing things for the sole purpose of making us feel good and making us look right?
What about this: How about we all get the focus off making ourselves feel justified in our religions. How about focusing on ourselves instead of those who are not like us. How about we spend more time praying for one another instead of preying on one another.
Anyways, Back to my original thought, which was - Don't we all create options that God never intended for us to consider?
Right now, for me personally, I am just so stirred by all the deviations I see in my own life that are first of all less than what God would want or deserve. And, second by all the religious beliefs that I have just accepted as truth. But that alone is not what has me going today. The part of this dilemma that has me really fired up is this. It's the question that I feel God is challenging me with.
Why am I so slow to do something about all this stuff after God let's me see it for what it is?
I think it's because I have accepted the notion and belief that these deviations and shortcomings are acceptable options before God. I have bought into the lie that God doesn't care or that in the end following my religion is equivalent with following God. And that is so not the truth
Now I would never come out and just say "I do this and I know it's less than my best - but God doesn't care" I would never admit that I'm more influenced by my religious beliefs than I am by the present Spirit of God that is at work within me. No, I say it in my actions and attitude. I say it in my heart and mind. I say it in how I spend my time and who I seek to please. I say it in what I do with the new truths that God is showing me everyday. I say it in who I am afraid of and intimidated by. I say it in many ways that no one ever hears.
And I can't speak for you, but as for me and my house I don't want to say that stuff anymore I want to rise above my pre-conceived, pre-determined, narrow minded, argumentative, religious beliefs and open my heart up to God. I want to be like those in Acts 17:11 that were, the King James says "more noble" the New Living translation says they were "more open-minded". I want to be open to new truths and revelations like the Bareans and not closed like Thessalonicians who are contrasted in that verse.
Acts 17:11 (NLT) And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul's message. They searched the scriptures day after day to check up on Paul and Silas, to see if they were really teaching the truth.
God, don't let me get stuck like those in Thessalonica. Let me be open-minded like the Bereans so that you can lead and guide me into all truth. So that I will find myself living for you the way you intended for me to live for you. Amen
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Wrecked by God
Have you ever read a book or heard a sermon or had a conversation with someone that wrecked you? I mean emotionally stirred you, physically affected you and spiritually convicted you? Have you ever been so challenged by something you read or heard that your entire life plans were altered? I guess what I'm really asking is this - Have you ever had the Holy Spirit so challenge you that you were visibly moved and emotionally stirred to the point of concern?
In my experience, it seems like those 3 things all work together (books, sermons and people) as a team to get our attention and wreck the plans that are not the ones God wants for us. It seems like God will use one of them to plant a seed and then start watering the heck out of that seed with the other two. Almost, like He is forcing growth out of that seed. And when it is happening everywhere you go and everything you hear is touching on that one small seed that has been planted in your heart and mind. And over time it wrecks you!
For me personally God has used messages by J.T. Pugh and Anthony Mangun, Tom Foster and Johnny Garrison, Jeff Arnold and Chester Mitchell, Andy Stanley and Francis Chan, T.D Jakes and John Bevere to wreck me through the years. He has allowed the Books - "Fresh Wind Fresh Fire by Jim Cymbala, Next generation leader by Andy Stanley, Prayer by E.M Bounds, Holiness by Nancy Leigh DeMoss, Axiom by Bill Hybels and many others to challenge my thinking. And he has led me into conversations with Tim Zuniga, Chester Mitchell and my own pastoral team that have produced fire in my bones and passion in my soul. All these over the years have shaped me into the man I am today. But the process was not always pretty or pain-free.
Some people say God uses the 2x4 method on them to get their attention. They describe the moments in their lives where real and lasting change occurred as "come to Jesus" meetings. And always when they are telling the story - they are excited and encouraged by the fact that God got up in their face and hit them metaphorically over the head with a 2x4 of truth.
If what I'm describing seems weird or out there to you then I guess you wouldn't be able to relate to how the Apostle Paul described God's pursuit of him. He describes it like this:
Php 3:8 ...for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
Paul said I have suffered the loss of all things so that in return I might win Christ.
That phrase - "suffered the loss" is not a pleasant statement. It's an accurate way of describing God wrecking someone. It's an accurate way of defining what it takes sometimes to get our focus right and our journey clear. It's tough words that are meant to show us what it felt like and looked like to Paul.
So back to the question - have you ever been wrecked by God? Would you be willing to suffer the loss of all things so that you could in return win Christ. I think there are a lot of us out there that would say yes to that. So in Jesus name let the wrecking begin. Bring a book or a person or a sermon into our lives God that begins the wrecking process. And in the end - may we all WIN CHRIST
E.M. Bounds said this
"what the church needs today is not more or better machinery, not new organizations or more and novel methods, but men whom the Holy Ghost can use - men of prayer, men mighty in prayer. The holy Ghost does not flow through methods, but through men. He does not come on machinery, but on men. He does not anoint plans, but men - men of prayer."
In my experience, it seems like those 3 things all work together (books, sermons and people) as a team to get our attention and wreck the plans that are not the ones God wants for us. It seems like God will use one of them to plant a seed and then start watering the heck out of that seed with the other two. Almost, like He is forcing growth out of that seed. And when it is happening everywhere you go and everything you hear is touching on that one small seed that has been planted in your heart and mind. And over time it wrecks you!
For me personally God has used messages by J.T. Pugh and Anthony Mangun, Tom Foster and Johnny Garrison, Jeff Arnold and Chester Mitchell, Andy Stanley and Francis Chan, T.D Jakes and John Bevere to wreck me through the years. He has allowed the Books - "Fresh Wind Fresh Fire by Jim Cymbala, Next generation leader by Andy Stanley, Prayer by E.M Bounds, Holiness by Nancy Leigh DeMoss, Axiom by Bill Hybels and many others to challenge my thinking. And he has led me into conversations with Tim Zuniga, Chester Mitchell and my own pastoral team that have produced fire in my bones and passion in my soul. All these over the years have shaped me into the man I am today. But the process was not always pretty or pain-free.
Some people say God uses the 2x4 method on them to get their attention. They describe the moments in their lives where real and lasting change occurred as "come to Jesus" meetings. And always when they are telling the story - they are excited and encouraged by the fact that God got up in their face and hit them metaphorically over the head with a 2x4 of truth.
If what I'm describing seems weird or out there to you then I guess you wouldn't be able to relate to how the Apostle Paul described God's pursuit of him. He describes it like this:
Php 3:8 ...for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
Paul said I have suffered the loss of all things so that in return I might win Christ.
That phrase - "suffered the loss" is not a pleasant statement. It's an accurate way of describing God wrecking someone. It's an accurate way of defining what it takes sometimes to get our focus right and our journey clear. It's tough words that are meant to show us what it felt like and looked like to Paul.
So back to the question - have you ever been wrecked by God? Would you be willing to suffer the loss of all things so that you could in return win Christ. I think there are a lot of us out there that would say yes to that. So in Jesus name let the wrecking begin. Bring a book or a person or a sermon into our lives God that begins the wrecking process. And in the end - may we all WIN CHRIST
E.M. Bounds said this
"what the church needs today is not more or better machinery, not new organizations or more and novel methods, but men whom the Holy Ghost can use - men of prayer, men mighty in prayer. The holy Ghost does not flow through methods, but through men. He does not come on machinery, but on men. He does not anoint plans, but men - men of prayer."
Saturday, May 16, 2009
A Father Son Week
Today my middle son Rylan and five other boys from our church played in a little league game to decide who would would take 3rd place in their division. It was a big game because 3rd place gets a trophy, 4th place gets nothing. As a coach, It was a big game because you want the kids to have a lasting memory sitting on their bookshelf of how awesome you were. (OK, maybe that's a stretch.) Put simply, it was a game that makes playing baseball fun with a prize on the line.
As a competitive guy and a father, It was exciting preparing for the game this week. I had a great discussion with Rylan about preparing for the game mentally. I talked to him about being a team leader and making those around you better. I talked to him about carrying yourself as a winner and rising to meet whatever opportunity presented itself. Let me tell you, It was great! We even simulated Rylan coming to bat with the game on the line.
Now that it's Saturday night and it's all over, all I can say is -It was a fun Father son week.
I hope you're not wondering who won - of course we won!
As a competitive guy and a father, It was exciting preparing for the game this week. I had a great discussion with Rylan about preparing for the game mentally. I talked to him about being a team leader and making those around you better. I talked to him about carrying yourself as a winner and rising to meet whatever opportunity presented itself. Let me tell you, It was great! We even simulated Rylan coming to bat with the game on the line.
Now that it's Saturday night and it's all over, all I can say is -It was a fun Father son week.
I hope you're not wondering who won - of course we won!
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Clutter
In the book "Simple Church" the writers make the following observation from Mark chapter 11 and the cleaning project that Jesus undertook in that passage:
"Many of our churches have become cluttered. So cluttered that people have a difficult time encountering the simple and powerful message of Christ. So cluttered that many people are busy doing church instead of being the church."
How easy it is to see it -(clutter) in other people's church. How clear it is when you see other churches that are so busy doing church that the people have no time to consider what it really means to be the church. But when you bring the focus home, to your own local church. It's complicated and confusing. It's hard to identify and even harder to clean up. And sadly, because of all that, we as church leaders are handicapped and reticent to move. And so years go by and people sink into ruts and yes we rescue some but in the end we lose way to much. So what's the answer?
I'm thinking the answer has been there all along. Why are we so afraid to pray the prayer - "God please show up at our church and clean it up. Get the clutter out and your Spirit in. Get the people out of the way that are in the way. Get our eyes back on what matters most. God show up in such a way that we become the church again, whatever that means and whatever it takes.
For the church there in Mark 11 the only ones that were bummed out by what Jesus did were those who were part of the clutter. Everyone else in that story celebrated this event. I don't know about you, I want to lead a clutter free church. And for that to be true I'm probaly going to have to pray that prayer... more than once.
"Many of our churches have become cluttered. So cluttered that people have a difficult time encountering the simple and powerful message of Christ. So cluttered that many people are busy doing church instead of being the church."
How easy it is to see it -(clutter) in other people's church. How clear it is when you see other churches that are so busy doing church that the people have no time to consider what it really means to be the church. But when you bring the focus home, to your own local church. It's complicated and confusing. It's hard to identify and even harder to clean up. And sadly, because of all that, we as church leaders are handicapped and reticent to move. And so years go by and people sink into ruts and yes we rescue some but in the end we lose way to much. So what's the answer?
I'm thinking the answer has been there all along. Why are we so afraid to pray the prayer - "God please show up at our church and clean it up. Get the clutter out and your Spirit in. Get the people out of the way that are in the way. Get our eyes back on what matters most. God show up in such a way that we become the church again, whatever that means and whatever it takes.
For the church there in Mark 11 the only ones that were bummed out by what Jesus did were those who were part of the clutter. Everyone else in that story celebrated this event. I don't know about you, I want to lead a clutter free church. And for that to be true I'm probaly going to have to pray that prayer... more than once.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Catching up with the modern age
I have always loved learning and discussing new idea's and new concepts. Some people have accused me of loving to argue and debate. Maybe that true. But, none the less whatever you call it - I love it. That leads me to the modern age of conversations. No longer do we all meet down at the coffee shop or on the porch, (I meet down at the Starbucks everyday and there are a few old timers that still do) but most people are too busy to just randomly hook up that way for a conversation. Most people are rushing here and there and everywhere. And the place they sit down most regularly to randomly enjoy a conversation is at their computer. It's the new and modern way of engaging one another. We share moving stories and funny video's this way. We learn new thoughts and gain fresh perspectives this way. And we have ongoing conversations through e-mails, myspace, facebook, twitter and blogs. So here I go into the modern age of conversing - will you join me...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
