Who Do You Influence?

Lately I've been re-reading a classic book by J. Oswald Sanders titled "Spiritual Leadership." I would encourage anyone in a ministry position to get a copy. He tells the story of Dr. John Geddie who went to the South Pacific island of Aneityum as a missionary. He worked there for 24 years. On the tablet erected to his memory these words are inscribed:

When he landed, in 1848, there were no Christians.

When he left, in 1872, there were no heathen.

At TNC, Steve has been talking about leadership from the book of Nehemiah. Leadership is essentially the power of one man to influence another. No man can fathom the difference one life can make. Check out my friend Andy Hunter's blog and read about our mutual friend, Ranny Moorhead, the potato chip salesman, if you need an example.

Before all is said and done here, we need to ask ourselves some questions: Who do I influence? Am I leading people to a closer relationship with Christ? Am I lifting Jesus up so that men will be drawn to him? At the end of my life, I want people to celebrate what God did through me similar to what he did through Dr. John Geddie or Mr. Ranny, the potato chip salesman. How about you?

Pass the Salt, Please

Jesus told his followers that we are to be the salt of the earth. Why would he tell us to be salty? Maybe it's because salt makes one thirsty. If you're living your life as a passionate follower of Christ, you'll make people thirsty to know God.

How do you live a salty life? Make sure others know that Jesus is real and relevant to everyday life. Author and missionary E. Stanley Jones was once asked to name the number one problem in the Church. His answer was irrelevance. Not that the Church is irrelevant, but that Christians were failing to show in concrete ways how Jesus is relevant to daily life. Another great 20th century Christian leader, Elton Trueblood, said, "It is hard to exaggerate the degree to which the modern church seems irrelevant to modern man."

Be salty. Pass the salt to your family, friends, and coworkers. Let them see that Jesus is a real part of your life and that his teaching is relevant to everyday circumstances. Don't preach. Don't be arrogant. Don't swagger your salvation around. Don't act holier than thou. Be the person God created you to be. Use your personality, your gifts, and your abilities to make others thirsty to know Christ.

How to Save a Life

The Fray has a great song called "How to Save a Life." The song was written by Isaac Slade who worked as a mentor at a camp for troubled teens. He felt the frustration of how to communicate hope and life to distraught young people.

For thousands of years, the Church has been in the life-saving business and for thousands of years the Church has struggled with the best way to do it. Unfortunately, the Church has become such a complicated organization with all of its doctrines, rituals, traditions, and dogma that it has forgotten the basics of how to share the life changing message of the Gospel. In fact, I ranted about this a little last Sunday at TNC.

When it comes to the Church, I believe that we have complicated what should be a pretty simple organization. I didn't say it should be easy, but simple. In his book, The Connecting Church, Randy Frazee states that, "The key for the 21st century church will not be in buildings, programs, or great sermons or worship services, and not even in small groups as we have known them." Frazee goes on to say that, "The church's relevance and growth will largely depend on her ability to authentically connect people to the experience of doing life deeply together."

The message of Christ is transmitted best through genuine relationships, not meetings, programs, or events. Instead of focusing our ministry on doing church and learning all the ins and outs and do's and don'ts, we need to focus on how to do life with Christ. Instead of spending all of our time at various meetings, classes, and functions of the Church, we need to focus on spending time with those who need to hear the message. When Jesus is your focus, people will see the difference. At the right time, they will wonder how to get what you have and when you answer they will discover the greatest treasure known to man. That's how to save a life.

A Psalm of Wandering

I'm not into poetry, but I saw this in a recent issue of Discipleship Journal. I'm familiar with some of Joseph Bayly's writing and this caught my attention when I saw that he had written it.

A Psalm of Wandering by Joseph Bayly

Lord you know

I'm such a stupid sheep.

I worry

about all sorts of things

whether I'll find grazing land

still cool water

a fold at night

in which I can feel safe.

I don't.

I only find troubles

want

loss.

I turn aside from you

to plan my rebel way.

I go astray.

I follow other shepherds

even other stupid sheep.

Then when I end up

on some dark mountain

cliffs before

wild animals behind

I start to bleat

Shepherd Shepherd

find me save me

or I die.

And you do.

You Can't Take It With You

One of my favorite movies of all time is the Christmas classic, "It's A Wonderful Life" directed by Frank Capra and starring Jimmy Stewart. Several years ago, my friend and fellow blogger Andy (andyfbcdenmark.blogspot.com) told me about Capra and Stewart's first movie together called "You Can't Take It With You." I looked for it in our local video store to no avail. I thought about buying it online but it was pretty expensive so I never saw it. Until Saturday. It is currently running for free on Comcast On Demand.

If you have never seen it, you're missing a treat. Though it is nearly 70 years old (It came out in 1938) it still has an eternal message. Life is not about money, power, and possessions. Life is about relationships. It is a very entertaining and funny movie. I recommend that you skip watching CSI, CSI:Miami, CSI:NYC, CSI:Las Vegas, CSI:Peoria and American Idol one night and watch a classic. You won't regret it.

That Poor Old Man!

Back in the day - the 70's and early 80's - I went to a lot of concerts. Van Halen (many times), KISS, Foghat, Molly Hatchet, 38 Special, The Commodores, Earth, Wind, & Fire...can't recall them all. (BTW, though I was never a huge KISS fan, I have to say that it was the greatest, most entertaining concert of all time.) As a teen, I remembered seeing teenage girls coming into the concert with their dads. I would look at the father and think, "That poor old man! His daughter dragged him out to a rock concert."

Well, it dawned on me last night that I was that poor old man. I escorted my daughter, Bailey, and her friend, Sarah, to see John Mayer last night in Columbia. It was a good concert. Nothing fancy - just John Mayer and his band. It was a pure music show. No elevated stages, blood, or pyrotechnics like the greatest concert of all time. I think John Mayer's style fits a smaller venue better. But when you can pack in 12-15,000 in the Colonial Center at $30(?) a head, that's not a bad night's work.

I had the poor old man revelation during the warm-up act. Enjoyed them too, BTW. When John and his band came out. I was glad to see that one of John's accompanying guitarists was quite old himself. I would guess he was at least in his late 50's. So I wasn't the only poor old man at the concert last night.

It really was a diverse audience. I was surprised at the number of "old people" there. But, then, Mayer's music reaches a wide age range. Here's a sample from last night...

What Would You Do If You Only Had One Day to Live?

What would you do if you only had one day to live? This is the question being asked by four Canadian guys who are traveling around the country in an RV. They have an interesting website (click the link above) and several videos. Looks like they are making a movie about their adventures. They have a list of 100 things to do before you die. I've done 14 of them. I think they have done about 27 so far. Some of the things they listed wouldn't be on my list but it's fun to read and think about. What would be on your list?

Rejection

I'm writing this because I know a lot of you bloggers are writers or wannabe writers. One of the first things you have to learn about writing is how to handle rejection.

Got an email from my agent in NYC today. One of my books that we're trying to sell has been rejected by five publishers so far including Zondervan and Broadman and Holman. One publisher expressed interest but my agent didn't like their offer.

But that's okay! I'm just happy that they are looking at it. Rejection is part of the writing business. Ask any writer and they will tell you that their rejection file is full of impersonal, form letters from editors saying, "Thanks, but no thanks." There are tons of stories out there about writers who were rejected over and over and over but then finally got their work published. It only takes one to say yes. There are still about 20 more publishers that we have yet to hear from or that will be receiving a package from my agent soon. Companies like Penguin Putnam, Harper San Francisco, NavPress, and Thomas Nelson. So, if you don't mind, say a little prayer that there is an editor out there that likes it and wants to print it. I'll definitely let you know when that happens.

In the meantime, if you're thinking about getting published, get ready for rejection. But consider it progress, not failure. More "no's" just get you closer to "yes."

Sloganize yourself

Click the link above and have fun!

See What I Mean?

See my previous post and then click the link above for an article from World magazine. Here's the first two paragraphs...

Of every dollar given to a Protestant church, the average amount that goes to overseas missions is two cents. In contrast, of every dollar Antioch Presbyterian Church in Chonju, Korea, takes in, 70 cents goes to missions.

For 15 years, the mission research and advocacy organization Empty Tomb, of Champaign, Ill., has analyzed the contributions and spending patterns of American churches. The latest report, "The State of Church Giving through 2003" (available at emptytomb.org), crunches the numbers for 41 Protestant denominations and surveys giving trends going back almost a century. In doing so, the study gives a not-too-flattering snapshot of the priorities of American Christians today.

A Costa Rica Christmas

We had a unique and wonderful Christmas this year. We flew to San Jose, Costa Rica to assist our missionary friends, Phil and Jill Jones with Blood-n-Fire Ministries, with their annual gift-giving project. (You can learn more about the Jones at www.philandjilljones.com.)

We arrived in Costa Rica on Dec. 18 and came home late on Christmas night. We gave away some 700-800 presents to the children of the Los Triangulos precario near San Jose. It took us over 2 days to go door-to-door surprising children with gifts. The precario is a 3 acre shanty town filled with over 1800 people. They build homes out of scrap metal and wood. They are among the poorest of the poor in Central America.

This was my fifth trip to Costa Rica. It was the third for my son, Cliff. For my wife, Beth, it was the second and for my daughter, Bailey, it was her first time. We love Costa Rica! We love the children in the precario and we love the climate and beauty of the country as well. Last July, when we were there conducting a Vacation Bible School, Beth fell in love with a little boy there named Joshua. In fact, she has a picture of him in her classroom at school and she prays for him everyday. She was hoping to see Joshua again on this trip. We didn't know where he lived in the precario and Beth was anxious to see him if, in fact, he was still there. (The homeless are quite mobile.) As you can see below, Beth got to see him again. In fact, he was one of our first "customers" early Sunday morning!

Needless to say, we made a memory. It was awesome taking a family mission trip together to minister to those who needed a smile, a hug, and a reminder of Jesus' love. I'm not sure if this will become a family tradition or not but I'm positive that this is one Christmas we will never forget.

Selling Like Hotcakes!

Amazon.com sent me an email saying that their warehouse workers have been working 24/7 since my previous post. They asked me to take it down but I refused. I told them to keep those forklifts rolling or else!

Gift Idea

In a move that is totally and shamelessly self-serving, may I suggest that you consider purchasing this book for that person who is hard to shop for. Heck, buy one for people that are easy to shop for!

Guys tend to like this book because it's easy reading, full of short stories, anecdotes, quotes, and jokes. It's good to keep nearby for those times when you just need a quick read (if you know what I mean.)

Okay, seriously, there are only about 300 of these left in existence. If everyone who reads this blog buys one and tells 299 of their friends to buy one, then I won't have to pay my distributor anymore for storage and warehouse fees. Plus, if I sell a lot this month it will raise my rating with Amazon!

For those of you who live in NAug, I might even sign it for you.

So hit the link to your right that says "Get My Book Here!"

You'll be glad you did.

And me too.

No Limits

A few years ago Fast Company magazine profiled Doug Blevins, a man who had aspired all of his life to be an NFL coach. So he started blitzing New York Jets manager Dick Steinberg with faxes detailing the flaws of Cary Blanchard, the Jet’s place kicker at the time. Steinberg was evidently impressed with Blevins’s knowledge of the game and hired him as a kicking consultant in 1994. The amazing thing is that Blevins himself has never attempted a field goal. He’s never punted for any team, on any level, let alone in the NFL. Because he was born with cerebral palsy, he has, in fact, never even walked. (Fast Company, September 2000, 48)

Doug Blevins story should be a reminder to us that there are no limits when we put our minds to something. Most average thinking people would have discounted any possibility that a victim of cerebral palsy could coach in the NFL. If a person’s own will and determination can do that, how much more can we do with Christ at our side! “I can do everything through him that gives me strength” - Philippians 4:13.

God, keep me from being an “average thinker” and give me the strength to realize that, with you, there are no limits

Giving Jesus The Butterflies

If you’re not a pastor, you may not be able to relate to this but something tells me you will. Sunday mornings are anxious times for pastors. On a good Sunday (and most of them are good), I wake up with somewhat of a nervous stomach. A little excited about the day ahead. When I was an athlete we called the pregame jitters “the butterflies.” I’m concerned that everything will be done with excellence. Sometimes concerned about a logistical issue, a new song, or that the message will connect with the congregation. I have a feeling that many pastors feel the same way. On a bad Sunday, well…I don’t even want to think about the occasional dreaded Sunday but let me say that there have been Sundays in the past when I did not want to go to church.

This past Sunday was a good Sunday, in fact, a great Sunday. But in my usual walking around making sure everything is in order and working (not that our excellent TNC setup team needs me to do that, I just do. It’s a pastor’s instinct, I guess) I, as usual, had “the butterflies.” At around 8:10 AM, I overheard Steve and Chuck say that they needed something from the office. Steve (our Lead Pastor) volunteered to go get it but I knew that he needed to meet with some baptism candidates at 8:30 AM. I told them that I would go, so I made my way to my car.

Because parking space is at a premium, the staff and leaders are asked to park on the other side of the parking lot so it is a pretty good walk to where I park. Steve originally parked his car out front to unload some stuff so he and two of his boys, Christian and Cameron, were moving his car to the boonies to park too. As I got into my car to go to the office, the Davis boys were getting out of their car making the long trek back to the gym. Christian and Cameron were playing with a football and as they were making their way back they tossed and kicked the football to each other.

That’s when I learned a lesson. As I watched the three of them, one of the boys stopped to punt the football. Now if I were in Steve’s shoes, I would have kept walking and I would have emphatically told the boys to do the same! It was 8:17. I had a meeting in 13 minutes. Two sermons to preach. Details to go over with the worship leader and production team and a costume to put on. (If you didn’t attend TNC last Sunday, you won’t get the costume thing.) There’s no time to stop and kick the football, I would have said.

But I noticed that Steve stopped what he was doing, showed his son how to properly hold a football for a punt, and then he watched him kick it to his other son. I smiled when I saw that.

Maybe that story doesn’t do anything for you but for me it was a relief. It reminded me that I need to stop and take every opportunity I can with my family and friends. Even in the busyness of life. Even on harried Sunday mornings when there are half a dozen things to do. Even when there seems to be no time. It’s important to invest in people, not just a production or a program. I was reminded that Jesus said, “I will build my church.” It’s his job not mine. Why do I need to stress over it? Why should I get anxious on Sunday mornings? Why not let Jesus have “the butterflies”?

Proud Humility

A pastor friend of mine preached a sermon on humility one Sunday morning.  While greeting his congregation as they filed out the front door after the service, one of his dear elderly women said, “You know, Pastor, I’ve always been proud of my humility.”

 

Pride is a sneaky thing.  We are naturally bent to look out for number one.  It’s the core of our human nature.  And, if not kept in check, it can lead to disaster.  Someone defined pride this way:

 

P - I am concerned with my position.

R - I want my rights.

I  - I am most important.

D - My desires are more important than yours.

E - I expect everyone to agree with me.

 

Jesus said, “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”  (Matthew 23:12)

 

 

 

 

Arrrgh!

Carolina lost a squeaker to Florida today. They are proving that they can play with good teams this year. But they can't put the nail in the coffin. They've got to learn how to keep a lead, keep momentum, and win!

Happy Birthday To Me

Today is a special day for me. Go to October 2005 (the link is on the right side of this page) and read A Life Changing Day.

I called my friend Richard today to remind him that it's been 28 years.

Gallivantin'

Last Friday my dad and I went gallivantin'.  We spent all day looking for dead relatives buried in cemeteries in Edgefield and McCormick counties.  It was a little emotional, a little morbid, and a lot of fun.  It was kind of like going on a treasure hunt. My dad told me stories that I'd never heard as we spent all day going down memory lane.  It all started a few weeks ago when he mentioned that when he is dead and gone that no one in the family would know where our relatives are buried.  So I told him that we should go out one day and let him show me everything he knew.  We actually found some graves that he'd never seen before -  my great-great grandparents.  I took 4 or 5 pages of notes and directions to cemeteries.  (One is in the middle of the woods somewhere near McCormick, SC.)

 

In addition to grave sites, he showed me the house where he was born.  The black church that he used to attend with his black mammy.  (I know that's not politically correct these days, but that's what she told him to call her when he was a kid.)  We also went to the site where he grew up as a teenager.  It was a wonderful day with my dad.  For those of you that don't know my dad, he's 76 and still in great health.  He works two days a week for the construction company that he's been employed by for years.  So it's not like he's on his last leg or anything.  We just thought we should take that trip while we had the opportunity. 

 

It was a little emotional for me because the reality of it all hit me.  My mom went to be with the Lord 4.5 years ago and daddy knows he's already passed the average lifespan for an American man.  To go on a trip with your aging father and see the graves of those he grew up with who are already gone and knowing that his time is sooner than ever, it just put a lump in my throat.  To hear his tales, often funny, of times gone by were enjoyable and priceless but also a little sad.  Dad knows his prime years are behind him and I guess that makes me sad.  Yes, he still has the health and ability to make many more memories but after living over 3/4 of a century, I was reminded that the same is happening to me.  

 

A few weeks ago I turned 45 - halfway to 90!  Time is passing.  It's not waiting on me.  I have to make the most of each day and every opportunity.  I need to take time for my wife and kids.  I need to give time to the Lord.  I need to accomplish what He's called me to accomplish.  I want to finish strong and finish well.  Because this one thing I know for sure,  one day I'll be finished.  At last, here on earth.  Then comes eternity, and that will bring a whole new meaning to life!

 

 

A thought from Oz

I love Oswald Chambers.  In fact, his devotional website is my home page, i.e., www.myutmost.org.  I try to read it each day before I dive into the computer.

Here’s a quote from today’s thought.  I edited it and took out some of the old English.  Oz wrote this book about 100 years ago so it is difficult to read sometimes.

The great enemy to the Lord Jesus Christ in the present day is the conception of practical work that has not come from the New Testament, but from the systems of the world in which endless energy and activities are insisted upon, but no private life with God. The emphasis is put on the wrong thing.  In the life of Jesus, there was none of the press and rush of tremendous activity that we regard so highly, and the disciple is to be as His Master. The central thing about the kingdom of Jesus Christ is a personal relationship to Himself, not public usefulness to men.  (Taken from My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers)

 

Catalyst

Attended the Catalyst Conference with 14 leaders from TNC.  It was phenomenal.  If you've ever been to a conference, retreat, mission trip, etc. and thought, "This is what heaven might be like."  That's what Catalyst is.

 

Only the mission of Catalyst is not to get a taste of heaven, but it is to get the Church to be the Church instead of just doing Church.

 

Here are some quotes and thoughts from Catalyst:

 

"The Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes."  (4 times in Daniel 4:17, 25, 32, & Daniel 5:21)  Andy Stanley reminded us that leadership is temporary.  It can be taken away.  It is a stewardship and we are accountable.

 

Great leaders find out what is unique about a person and capitalize on it. (Marcus Buckingham)

 

Gary Haugen shared the story of Elizabeth, a child slave forced to work in a brothel as a prostitute in a Third World Country, who scratched Psalm 27 on the wall of her cell.  When you read Psalm 27 and consider her plight, it is amazing.  The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?  When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall.  Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident.

 

"Reaching people is not a 'how to' question but a 'want to' question."  (Rick McKinley)

 

"Discipleship happens 'on the road.'  Information does not equal transformation."  (Rick McKinley)

 

"The Church exists for the world, not ourselves."  (Rick McKinley)

 

"We must proclaim the gospel, not protect it."  (Rick McKinley)

 

"We cannot be heard if we stay protected from the culture." (Rick McKinley)

 

"We ought to be inside-traders.  People who have inside information about eternity." (Louie Giglio)

 

"The big decline in the U.S. is consumerism.  Churches are falling for a consumeristic mentality."  (Donald Miller)

Great Wall of Integrity?

      In ancient China, the people desired security from the barbaric tribes to the north.  So they built the Great Wall of China.  It was too high to climb over, too thick to break down, and too long to go around.  Security was achieved or so it seemed.  The only problem was that during the first hundred years of the wall’s existence, China was invaded three times.  Was the wall a failure?  Not really – for not once did barbarians climb over the wall, break it down, or go around it.

     How then did they get into China?  The answer lies in human nature.  They simply bribed a gatekeeper and then marched right in through a gate.  The fatal flaw in the Chinese defense was placing too much reliance on a wall and not putting enough effort into building character into the gatekeeper.

 

“The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out.”  (Proverbs 10:9)

 

A Big Wow!

Last Sunday was huge!  TrueNorth Church had its first service in the North Augusta High School gym with a near record crowd.  I've told many people how TNC is a dream come true for me.  Back in the 80's I used to dream about having church in NA featuring contemporary Christian music in a casual, relaxed atmosphere with relevant, passionate Bible teaching that would reach across all socio-economic groups.  In my mind, the only place I knew of in NA that could hold a crowd like I had imagined was the NAHS gymnasium.  On Sunday morning, that dream came true. 

 

I thought that Stevens Creek Church was as close as I would ever get to seeing that dream become a reality in the CSRA.  As I posted a few weeks ago, the adventure at SCC was awesome and I thank God for that experience.  But Sunday morning was almost too much.  I can't tell you how many times I have envisioned in my mind what actually took place at TNC on September 10, 2006.  It was a surreal experience for me. 

 

I praise God for Steve Davis and the core leaders who started this ministry just over 2 years ago.  It is incredible to see what God is doing.  As my former pastor and boss used to say, "The best is yet to come!"  I truly believe that and I can't wait to see what God is going to continue to do at TNC.

Selfless Service

This comes from an email passed along to me this morning. Maybe this explains why Team USA is dominating in the World Basketball Tournament.

This video link features Coach K and the Team USA basketball team as they were visited by Col. Bob Brown and some of his soldiers. Of course, in the video you can see Dwayne Wade and Carmelo Anthony and other NBA stars, moved by the story of selfless service. One of Bob Brown's lieutenants was severely wounded in combat in Iraq but continues to serve even though he was blinded by his wounds. This lieutenant is featured in this video. Take a look. You will be inspired.

http://boss.streamos.com/wmedia/nba/pinnacle/usab_army_mh_final.asx

Jesus Christ, Stand-up Comedian

Lately I've been revisiting a book titled The Humor of Christ by Elton Trueblood. I first read it about 20 years ago when I checked it out of the seminary library and have thought about it many times over the years. I recently found a used copy of it online. (Click the title to get yours on Amazon.)

Anyway, it's interesting for a couple of reasons. One, it's the only book I am aware of that addresses the subject. I wish someone would write another one with a more contemporary tone to it. Trueblood's book was written in 1964 and is a little more of an academic approach. Second, we don't often note Christ's humor when we read the red letters. He used a lot of irony and sarcasm. Jesus was a little bit of a smart-aleck - but in a godly way, of course. I tend to be sarcastic and smart-alecky sometimes so maybe I'm more Christlike than I think!

Jesus inserted a lot of humor in The Sermon on the Mount, for example. Grab your sword and look up Matthew 6:2, 5, 16, 34; 7:6, 12, 34. Now these passages probably won't have you ROTFLOL (rolling on the floor laughing out loud) but keep in mind that Hebrew humor was different than humor today. Jesus was no slapstick comedian but he did know that exaggeration and irony would get a few chuckles. Like when he said that it is easier for a camel to go through the needle's eye - (A small gate available to latecomers at night when the main gates of Jerusalem were closed. A camel had to get down on it's knees and crawl through. Not impossible, just a little more difficult than normal.) - than for a rich man to get into heaven. I don't care who you are - watching a camel crawl on his knees has to be a funny sight.

Trueblood notes over 30 passages in the Gospels where Jesus used a humorous approach. I love to laugh and I like to make people laugh so it's refreshing to know that Jesus was the same way. We need to laugh more, I think. I'm glad I attend a church where laughter is welcome. Church doesn't have to be stuffy. The sooner Christians learn that, the better off we'll be

Turn The Page

This week marks a new chapter in our lives as we transition from one church to another. A couple of weeks ago, I accepted the position of Associate Pastor of TrueNorth Church, a fast-growing new church in our city. For over 20 years, Beth and I had dreamed of seeing a contemporary, relevant ministry in our hometown. In fact, we made a feeble effort at starting such in 1998 but God had other plans.

We discovered Stevens Creek Community Church in August 1998 and fell in love with it. SCCC was the only contemporary church in the metro Augusta area so we decided to jump on board with them. At the time, they met in an elementary school cafeteria and had 200-250 in attendance. I joined the staff in May 2000 and it has been a great ride! Last Sunday, we had 1041. Pretty good growth in 8 years.

Today was our last day at SCCC and tomorrow I report to the offices of TrueNorth. It's been a little surreal the last couple of weeks. We didn't really see this coming but we know that God has orchestrated this all along. We are sad to say goodbye to so many dear friends at SCCC and yet we are excited about the new friends we are going to make at TNC. We are moving from one great church to another great church and from one great staff to another great staff. Our experiences at SCCC will help us minister at TNC.

We can't wait to see what God is going to continue to do as we turn the page and began a new chapter in our lives.

Killing Your Heart

How often do you find yourself in a hurry?  Do you feel like your days are nothing but rushing from one thing to the other?  Do you find yourself mindlessly and habitually cocking your wrist into your face to check your watch every ten minutes?  Do you always drive in the fast lane?  Do you stomp on the gas when the light turns green?  Do you get angry when the person driving in front of you doesn't seem to be in a hurry and you can't imagine a world where anyone would not be?  

 

For me, it's more often than I want to admit....

 

The Chinese symbol for busyness is two characters joined together as one: heart and killing.  Busyness kills your heart.  There is an old saying that idleness is the devil's workshop.  That may be true.  But I also believe that busyness is the devil's workshop too.

 

"Teach us to number our days and recognize how few they are; help us to spend them as we should." (Psalm 90:12)

 

 

 

Christian TV At Its Finest

I posted this story on www.theooze.com message board last night and thought I'd post it here too.  I thought it was pretty funny...and sad.

As I am reading the message boards on www.theooze.com I can overhear my daughter, Bailey, in the next room watching "America's Got Talent" on TV. As you know, these stupid reality talent shows are getting really irritating and the talent is sometimes miserably poor. We heard a vocalist doing a terrible job singing and my wife and I both yelled into the den, "That's awful!" Unbeknownst to us, Bailey was changing channels. She said, "That's not 'America's Got Talent,' it's the Christian station."

Aaaaaargh! Christian TV strikes again.  I'm convinced that TBN is a tool of the devil.

 

 

 

 

 

deathclock.com

On Wednesday, September 18, 2052, I will die.  That's what deathclock.com says anyway.

 

I've got 46 years to make an impact.  46 years to influence.  46 years to love.  46 years to demonstrate to others the difference that knowing Christ can make in one's life.

 

What are you doing with the time you have left?

 

 

Costa Rica

Flew in yesterday morning after a 9 day mission trip to Costa Rica.  Everything went great.  We ministered primarily in a precario in the capital city of San Jose.  A precario is a shanty town filled with small homes made of scrap wood, metal, and block built by illegal squatters.  The average home is a room or two that totals about 300 square feet.  This particular precario is a 3 acre site with about 1700 people...mostly Nicarauguan refugees. We cooked 500 hotdogs and gave them away in the precario on Saturday (July 1).  That evening we worshiped at a church in Alajuela where I was invited to preach.  Sunday morning we walked through the precario and cleaned up the area and prepared it for ministry.

Each day we hosted a Vacation Bible School for approximately 200 kids.  They watched a puppet show and did crafts.  They also enjoyed face painting, jump rope, bubbles, etc. while they waited to get into the puppet show.  A medical team treated 349 people.  This ministry was very much needed.  I was really glad we could offer the medical ministry this year.  We also showed the Jesus film Friday night.

We experienced lots of laughs and lots of tears.  The first day in the precario is always the
toughest for the new ones.  When we finished with the cookout Saturday, Joy, one of the missionaries, gave me two used margarine tubs that we ordinarily wouldn't think twice about
throwing away.  She told me to give them to someone.  I asked her how to say, "Would you like this?" in Spanish.  I turned toward the crowd and asked the first two ladies that I saw.  They graciously took them like I'd given them a $100 bill.  I looked at my wife, Beth, and said, "Even used margarine tubs are considered something of value here."  She couldn't take it.  She'd been fighting tears all day and that incident brought out the tears.  Even Pedro, our translator, who was there for his third time, was moved to tears by a situation that the doctor was helping with.  It's unreal how poor those people are.

This team will never be the same.  God moved in many hearts...Costa Ricans, Nicaraguans, and Gringos.

 

Donald Miller notes

Recently I read Donald Miller's latest book

Searching For God Knows What on vacation. I think I liked it better than his best seller Blue Like Jazz.

Miller says that we tend to take the Bible and create formulas for everything. (Think alliterated, three point sermons - five steps to... and eight ways to...) But the Bible isn't a book of formulas. It's a book about relationships. People who have called on God and people who have run from God. We learn how to have a relationship with God through the relational experiences that others have had with him in the past.

Here are a few quotes and thoughts:

"If the gospel of Jesus is just some formula I obey in order to get taken off the naughty list and put on a nice list, then it doesn't meet the deep need of the human condition, it doesn't interact with the great desire of my soul, and it has nothing to do with the hidden (or rather, obvious) language we are all speaking. But if it is more, if it is a story about humanity falling away from the community that named it, and an attempt to bring humanity back to that community, and if it is more than a series of ideas, but rather speaks directly into this basic human need we are feeling, then the gospel of Jesus is the most relevant message in the history of mankind." p. 45

Becoming a Christian is more like falling in love than agreeing with a list of principles. p. 46

"The battle we are in (i.e., the cultural battle in the US between conservatives and liberals) is a battle against the principalities of darkness, not against the people who are different from us. In war you shoot the enemy, not the hostage." p. 190 (italics mine)

Jesus says there will be people who will heal other people, but when they die he is going to say he didn't know them. It is somewhat amazing to me that all of Christianity, all our grids and mathematics and truths and different groups subscribing to different theological ideas, boils down to our knowing Jesus and his knowing us. p. 200 (GJ's note: Paul stated that nothing was more important than knowing Christ - Philippians 2:9)

The Slowskies

Comcast has a TV commercial about a turtle couple called the Slowskies. They don't like high-speed internet. They are completely satisfied with their dial-up service because they don't like for things to happen too fast.

I feel like the Slowskies sometimes because it feels like it is taking forever to get my second book going. But I'm making progress. I have the first 3 chapters and the proposal almost complete so that my agent can begin shopping it to publishers. The working title for now is Your Greatest Challenge and subtitled Selfless Living in a Selfish World. Maybe we'll get moving on this thing when a publisher bites on it.

In the meantime, I'd appreciate your taking a look at my first book Timely Words. It's a great gift book - men especially seem to like it because it has a lot of quick reads.

You are rich!

Go to this link.  It will take you less than 30 seconds to see how incredibly blessed we are in this country. 

 

 

http://www.globalrichlist.com/

 

 

Addendum 06/20/06: A friend of mine emailed today to thank me for this link and to say that he just returned from a mission trip to Guatemala. According to him, the average annual salary there is $650.

Change Your Life!

The following is a quote from Story by Steven James:

“Frankly, I’m tired of hearing about conferences, seminars, books, and DVDs that will change my life. ‘This (fill in the blank) will change your life! Attend this life-changing (fill in the blank) and you’ll never be the same again! It’ll be life changing!’”

“On the back of one Christian book I recently picked up were three separate quotes by Christian celebrities, all of which promised, ‘This book will change your life!’”

“A hernia will change your life. Swallowing two pounds of Ex-Lax will change your life. Getting bitten by a rabid dog will change your life. So will going bankrupt, joining a cult, or getting a tapeworm. All of these things are very life changing.”

“Change is not always a good thing. What I need isn’t change from one thing to another but transformation from who I am into who I was meant to become. Only when God’s transforming power touches me can I begin to live the simpler, freer, fresher, more creative, more patient, more passionate, more sacrificial, riskier, rawer, more real, more love-driven life God intended for me to have all along.”

“That transformation is what awaits all who will dare to enter the story of God. As Paul wrote, 'Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think' (Romans 12:2).”

 

 

Click this link to get your copy of Story

Writer's Conference Debriefing

The Writer's Conference was great.  I thought I'd go through my notes and post some notes and quotes here.

 

From McNair Wilson:

 

"Art history books are full of art created by people between the ages of 40 and 60."

 

"For me not to be the person God created me to be is blasphemy to God."

 

"Don't worry about trying to be larger than life.  Just be actual size."

 

"Do what you love.  The reason you love it is because God put it there."

 

 

"No one has ever hit a homerun from the dugout." (Alton Gansky on risk tasking)

 

"We judge others based on their actions.  We judge ourselves based on our motives." (Jonathan Clements)

 

What God Did On The Final Day

 

Before I left Ridgecrest, I climbed the mountain and hit some trails. I didn't have a chance to do it earlier in the week and I had done nothing but eat and sit the entire conference so I felt like I'd gained 10 pounds and needed to exercise.

 

I hit the trail and spent some time talking to God about what I'd heard this week, how I felt about my writing career, my ministry, etc.  So I had one of those familiar conversations with God about his will and what he wanted me to do with my life.

 

I sat in the middle of the woods in a soft rain for quite some time.  I gave everything to God (again) and said, "Talk to me.  You've given me clear directions before...I need to hear from you today.  Do you want me to pursue writing or not?"

 

It was quiet.  No revelations.

 

I drove home for the first hour in silence.  I just wanted to listen.  I pulled out my conference notes and reviewed them while doing 70 mph down I-26.  I finally put a CD in, got some music on and thought about writing the rest of the way home.

 

Fast forward to that night.  As I'm opening a stack of mail 13" high.  I see what looked like another invoice from my distributor who warehouses and distributes my book.  I dreaded opening the envelope from the distributor because I figured they were billing me for the dust sitting on the cases of my books in their warehouse. 

 

Guess what?  It was a check.  I haven't received a commission check from them in over two years.  The check was only for $193.50 so I won't "quit my day job."  But I was excited to actually get a check from them for a change.

 

Then it dawned on me.  This was God's answer to my prayer.  I don't think it's a coincidence that I received that rare check on the same day that I asked God to speak to me about my writing.  He's reminded me that he is the one that put the passion in me to write and I must pursue that passion.  If not, as speaker McNair Wilson said earlier in the day, it's blasphemy to God to not be who he has created me to be.

 

 

Motivation Mountain

I'm attending the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writer's Conference at Ridgecrest Conference Center in Black Mountain, NC this week.  Hopefully the mountains will motivate me to write more - and maybe even blog more than once a month!

 

Heard a guy named McNair Wilson speak this morning.  He is an incredibly talented and funny speaker.  He spent 10 years as an Imagineer with Disney.  Wish you could have experienced the hour we had with him.  You can learn more about him at his website www.mcnairwilson.com.

 

I'm taking a class in the morning on writing adult non-fiction and a fiction class in the afternoon.  So far so good.

 

Gotta go.  It's time for supper.

 

 

Thoughts on Prayer

It has been said, “Prayer is the key which unlocks the door of God’s treasure house.”  In the classic book, The Kneeling Christian, the author (unknown) prefaced the book saying, “It is not too much to say that all real growth in the spiritual life depends upon the practice of prayer.”  Later he wrote,

 

The greatest thing we can do for God or for man is to pray.  We can accomplish far more by our prayers than by our work.  Prayer is omnipotent.  It can do anything that God can do!  When we pray God works.  All fruitfulness in service is the outcome of prayer – of the worker’s prayers, or of those who are holding up holy hands on his behalf.

 

Guess I'm getting old...

I had an awful revelation today.  I used to consider myself a dumb jock.  But I'm not much of a jock anymore.  That makes me just plain dumb.

Your Dash

What are you doing with your dash?  No, not the dashboard on your car.  The dash between your birth year and your death year.  One day there will be a headstone with your name on it in a cemetery.  It will have your name and the beginning and ending years of your life.  In between, there will be a dash.  The dash may represent 80 years or more.  Regardless of the years represented, the question remains, “What are you doing with your dash?”

    

Are you accomplishing your purpose in life?  Do you have one?  Are you making a life or making a living?  Are you leaving a positive impression on those around you or are you leaving them in depression?

 

These are hard questions yet it is a hard reality.  Consider the life of King David of Old Testament fame.  The Bible simply says that “when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep,” (i.e. he died).   You have a purpose for your generation.  How are you doing with your dash? (Timely Words, p. 17)

 

 

How Christians Get A Bad Name

This was a response I wrote to a post on www.theooze.com.  Someone posted that some bookstore owners complain that Christians are bad customers due to the fact that they bounce checks, don't pay on time, etc. etc.

 

I came up with this Top 10 list and thought I would post it here too.  I'm hoping David Letterman will see it and hire me as writer for his show.

 

Top 10 Other Ways Christians Get a Bad Name:

10. Spending a gazallion dollars taking over a humongous sports arena.
9. Saying that we should assassinate the President of a certain South American country.
8. Wearing entirely too much eye shadow.
7. Wearing a white suit and slinging your hair from one side of your head to the other to cover up your baldspot.
6. Shooting your quail hunting partner. (Oh wait, that's another way that Vice Presidents get a bad name.)
5. Having a clip from your religious program shown on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.
4. Having a fish on the back of your car...especially the fish eating the Darwin thing.
3. Having a divorce rate higher than the rest of the country.
2. Letting fundamentalists like the preacher dude at www.godhatesfags.com actually represent Christ-followers.
1. Playing the church game and not fleshing out what it truly means to be a Christ-follower.

Quotes

"If you're trying to be relevant, you are already behind. We are agents of change creating the future that God is imagining." -- Erwin McManus


"Let's play pirates like the good ole' days. Let's laugh so hard we pee in our pants. Let's go to Canada and go bowling, just so we can say "remember that time we went bowling in Canada?" Then Thank the King for our playfulness. Live today - out loud and hilariously!"

Interesting quote

While raking the yard today I finished listening to the audio version of Anne Lamott's latest book, Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith.  Now that I've heard it, I need to buy the book so that I can go back through it and note all of the good quotes.  Here's one that I remembered... 

 

"We are not humans having a spiritual experience.  We are spirits having a human experience."

 

PS - I love Anne Lamott.  I would recommend reading Traveling Mercies: Thoughts on Faith first.  Just to get to know her.  She is raw and honest.  She is a left-wing, feminist, recovering alcoholic, San Francisco Democrat who, in her words, "didn't mean to become a Christian."  But she did and I'm glad.  It's fun hearing her views and her love for Christ.

Thoughts on Race, Mortality, and Love

Last Saturday I had the privilege of performing a wedding ceremony for a wonderful young couple.  It was my first opportunity to ever be involved with an interracial marriage.  The groom was black and the bride was white.  As I stepped out into the wedding chapel at the beginning of the service, it was hard not to notice that everyone on the groom's side (with the exception of my wife) was black and everyone on the bride's side was white.  The center aisle clearly divided not only the families but the races. 

 

However, we did an unusual thing near the beginning of the ceremony.  After standing and singing "Amazing Grace," I asked both sets of parents to stand.  Then I said, "It is traditional for the father of the bride to give her away.  However, in a real sense, both sets of parents share in the giving and receiving.  It is the joining of two families."  Then I asked the parents of the groom if they not only gave their son to be the bride’s husband, but also joyfully receive the bride as their daughter.  The groom's parents replied, "We do."  The same question was asked to the bride's parents.

 

Beth told me that the folks sitting near her really liked that.  The parents and families gave this Christian couple their blessings.

 

It was a joyful union of not only a man and a woman but also two families...two families with different histories, different cultures, and different skin colors.  I found it interesting that this wedding was on MLK weekend and thought to myself that this ceremony would probably not have been well received 40 years ago.  We haven't solved all of our race relation problems but I thought it significant that this wedding was a joyous occasion between these two families on the annual weekend when we think about these things.

 

Sunday night, my 16-year-old daughter, Bailey, came home crying.  I thought maybe she'd gotten a ticket or hit a dog or something.  She had just received word that one of her lifelong classmates was killed in a car accident.  She had lost another friend in a car wreck at the beginning of this school year.  Two friends in one year.  It's almost not fair.  There was another boy in the car with Bailey's friend.  A total of three students from her high school have died in car crashes.  It is difficult for these teenagers to face.  It is definitely a wake-up call to the dangers we face everyday in our cars and to the mortality of us all.  God bless those families and the students at NAHS.

 

Yesterday I was reading C.S. Lewis.  He wrote something that I thought was profound.  The world exists not so that we can love God but so that God can love us.  He went on to explain that our job is to soak up his love for us.  We tend to get so busy loving God and working for God that we don't take time to let him love us.  At least I do anyway.  I need to stop my busyness for God long enough to enjoy his love for me.  I confess that I don't do that near enough.

She Did What She Could

I was recently made aware of an interesting statement in the Bible that I had not noticed before.  Mark 14 tells the story of the woman who broke the alabaster jar of expensive perfume and poured it on Jesus' head.  Some of those present thought she was foolish to waste what amounted to more than a year's salary worth of perfume.  Jesus rebuked them and said that she had done a beautiful thing.  Then the statement that struck me where Jesus said, "She did what she could."

 

This beautiful thing that the woman did to Jesus was more than sacrificing a fragrance worth more than the average Hebrew's annual salary.  The beautiful thing was that she did all that she could for Jesus.  Like the widow who gave all that she had, this woman exhibited her love for Christ by giving all that she had.

 

Which begs the question to us.  Are you doing all that you can?  Are you loving God and loving others (The Great Commandment - Matthew 22:37-39) with all that you are and all that you have? 

Judy Barnes

We lost a wonderful missionary this week.  Judy Barnes, a long-time friend of our family, was overcome by an aggressive cancer last Sunday morning.  Survivors include her husband, Ed, sons, Kevin and Kelly, daughter, Jenny, their spouses, and 11 grandchildren.  She was 57.

 

I wish you could have known Judy and her heart for missions.  She was a missionary in Tanzania and Malawi.  She especially loved ministering to children of AIDS victims.  She and Ed formed a partnership that showed the love of Christ in practical ways.  I had the privilege of helping Ed put together a PowerPoint slide presentation to be used at her funeral tomorrow.  He gave me some pictures of Judy and asked me to put quotes from Proverbs 31 (The Godly Woman) under them.  What a blessing it was to be able to review Judy's life and see photographic evidence of her godliness.  Where Proverbs 31 says, "She holds out her hands to the needy,"  there is a picture of Judy giving food to the poor.  Where Proverbs 31 says, "She opens her arms to the poor," there she is again holding a small child in a remote African village.  I told Ed that many people claim to know Proverbs 31 women but he has pictures proving that Judy was one!  Every passage from that chapter had a picture of Judy in action doing what God's Word said a godly woman would do.  I wish you could see it. 

 

Pray for this awesome and godly family during this time of grief.

A Christmas Story

 

And there were in the same country, children keeping watch over their stockings by the fireplace.  And, lo, Santa Claus came upon them; and they were sore afraid.  And Santa said unto them; “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people who can afford it.  For unto you will be given great feasts of turkey, dressing, and pies; and many presents; and this shall be a sign unto you, ye shall find the presents, wrapped in bright paper, lying beneath a tree adorned with tinsel, colored balls, and lights.  And suddenly, there will be with you a multitude of relatives and friends, praising you and saying, ‘Thank you so much, it was just what I wanted.’ 

 

And it shall come to pass as the friends and relatives have gone away unto their homes, the parents shall say to one another, ‘Wow!  What a mess to clean up!  I’m too tired.  Let’s go to bed and pick it up tomorrow.  Thank goodness Christmas only comes once a year!’  And they go with haste to their beds.” 

The Thanksgiving Killer

(The following is the introduction to a message from Thanksgiving weekend 2003.  Thought it was worth repeating.)

 

How was your Thanksgiving?  Mine?  Well, we filled up on turkey, honey ham, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, rice and gravy, cream corn, dressing, potato salad, macaroni and cheese, and broccoli casserole, mmm, mmm.  For dessert, we had red velvet cake, pecan pie, coconut cake, fudge, and chocolate chip cookies.

 

When I walked in the kitchen to see all of the work that went into the meal it looked like the first three rows at a Gallagher show. 

 

We all sat back stuffed, miserable, and grateful for all of the food.  We reflected on the past and dreamed about the future.  We enjoyed seeing family and friends that we don’t often see.  Later that night, I went to bed grateful for all the blessings that I have.

 

Then the Thanksgiving killer arrived.  Friday morning, the day after Thanksgiving when Christmas shopping officially begins. It is represented by this huge newspaper that arrived at my house.  The largest newspaper of the year with sales inserts galore.  Virtually every retail store in Augusta has an ad or insert in here.

 

Why is this the Thanksgiving killer?  Because on Thanksgiving Day, we thought about all that we have and we were grateful.  But on the day after Thanksgiving through the rest of the holidays, we focus not on what we have but on what we want.

 

The Thanksgiving killer is the Christmas commercialism that says we need more.  Just when we have a day to be thankful for all of our blessings, the Thanksgiving killers show up and tell us that we will not be happy until we have something more.

 

Someone wrote, “Half the world is unhappy because it can’t have the things that are making the other half unhappy.”

 

Author Steve Brown writes, “The most unhappy person in the world is not someone who didn’t get what he or she wanted. The most unhappy person is the one who got what he or she wanted and then found out that it wasn’t as wonderful as expected. The secret of a happy life is not to get what you want but to live with what you’ve got. Most of us spend our lives concentrating on what we don’t have instead of thanking God for what we do have.” (Servant Magazine, September, 1993, p. 8)

 

Our problem is that we are looking at the Christmas catalogs focusing on what we want rather than looking at our photo albums and rejoicing in what we have!

The Sin of Busyness

Busyness is the American way.  It’s an expectation.  It’s a status symbol.  We greet each other with “How’s it going?”  “Busy” is the reply.  You don't have to have small children to be busy.  You can have a job, serve in a volunteer organization or two, take a class, and be active in the church and you'll have a full calendar.  My in-laws have been retired for many years now and they claim that they are busier now than ever. 

 

There's an old saying that says, "Idle hands are the devil's workshop."  I believe that busyness is the devil's workshop too.  There’s a line to be drawn somewhere between busyness and laziness.  If idleness is the devil’s workshop and busyness is the devil’s workshop then how do we get into God’s workshop?  As God’s people, we are to be progressing, moving along, and growing.  But it is necessary for us to know the difference between progress and pressure.  A Christian should always be progressing but rarely in a hurry.  Where to draw that line between busyness and laziness can only be determined by you and God.

 

It isn't wrong to be busy.  Look through the Bible and you'll see godly men and women who were busy.  Moses, David, Joshua, and Paul were busy doing God’s work.  But you need to know that a busyness that is not directed by God is not blessed by God.  Busyness can devastate your spiritual life as easily as idleness can.  Jesus did not say, “I have come so that you can be busy.”  He said, “I have come that you may have life.”

 

One of the keys to living a satisfying Christian life is finding that path that allows you to progress and grow and serve as a Christian at a pace that doesn't create burnout and broken dreams. 

A Life Changing Day

27 years ago today, my life changed forever. It was on this day when I understood that if I was going to live a life with meaning and purpose I would need to hand it over to God. So I did. The night before, I called a Christian friend of mine, Richard Smith, and asked him what was up with all the Jesus stuff I'd been hearing about lately. In August 1978, some friends and I went on a fishing excursion one night. None of us were church-goers or religious at the time but somehow the subject of the second coming of Christ came up. It intrigued me. I didn't know anything about it. I thought he'd already been here once. I didn't know he was coming again!

Later, as the school year progressed, there was a spiritual awakening going on at our school. I didn't realize it at the time but God was up to something as he was getting the attention of a lot of high school kids. A small group of Christian students were making quite an impact on our school. They weren't preachy or holier than thou. They were just loving life and all of those around them. I wanted what they had. My curiosity led me to learn the basics of the gospel and enough interest to attend a youth-oriented revival service at the local First Baptist Church. I attended that night with one of my fishing buddies. I knew that I needed to become a follower of Christ but I was scared. Thus, the call to Richard on the night of October 25.

After my conversation with Rich, I knew what I needed to do. I went to First Baptist again the next night and Don Brock, our youth pastor, showed me the way to Jesus. That one decision has changed my life.

Since becoming a fully devoted follower of Christ, he has blessed me immensely over and over and over again. Has it been easy? No way. The Christian life is not an easy life. But it is the most awesome thing in the universe to have my Creator, who loves me more than I can imagine, leading me every step of the way. I recommend it to everyone.

Velvet Elvis book review

Rob Bell's first book, Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith, is as enticing and challenging as his teachings from his pulpit. Bell, the pastor of Mars Hill Church in Grand Rapids, MI, has quickly climbed to the top of the charts among young, emerging church leaders. His curiosity, insight, and honesty makes for a somewhat "outside the box" type of read.

What if the Velvet Elvis painting he owns was the definitive painting of Elvis? What if no other paintings of Elvis were necessary? What if that one painting of the King defined everything about him? It's crazy to think that there is only one accurate portrayal of Elvis.

What would the church be like if someone decided that there is only one way to do church? What if we did not allow church leaders and next generation Christians to paint the church in a fresh way? What if we said that the church has already been accurately portrayed and there is no reason to mess with it? It would be sad.

Rob Bell challenges us to think new thoughts about Jesus and how we "paint" his church. I highly recommend this book.

Click on the headline above to get it at www.timelywords.spreadtheword.com

The Perfect Church

Question: What has so many imperfections that, as a result, it is perfect? Maybe the church can be compared to a golf ball. A ball with one dimple, i.e., imperfection, makes it worthless. A ball full of imperfections helps it fly straight and true. (Assuming that the person striking the ball is any good!) The church, when full of imperfections, is perfect. It is the way God designed it.

It is generally agreed upon that there is no such thing as a perfect church. When Christian leaders define the perfect church they go to Acts 2, especially vv. 42ff. In this passage, we read about the earliest Christians studying and learning together, worshiping corporately, sharing meals and common physical needs. There was harmony, unity, love, and apparent heaven on earth.

But not far into this model of perfection do we discover it’s fallacies. By the time we get to Acts 5, we read that Ananias and Sapphira deceived their perfect spiritual family. Acts 6 introduced the first formal complaints against church leaders. Partners in the faith were being overlooked. Why is it that when we read Acts 2 we forget that the people in the early church in Jerusalem were sinners just like us?

The perfect church, as we define it, was not full of perfect people. Yet, in God’s eyes, it was perfect. It was perfect because it was full of imperfect people. It was perfect because it included those who had fallen but on their way down they grasped God’s perfect solution, Jesus. It was perfect because when God created it he most likely responded like he did after his creation in Genesis. It was good. God created the Church. When God creates something, it is good. The Church is good. Yes, it is perfect.

How can the Church be perfect when it is filled with imperfect people? Who else is going to fill it? If the Church is created for mankind it must be occupied by people who are prone to sin. There are no other people available. We are sinners. We are born sinners. We will die sinners. This is a fact of the Christian life. However, God’s grace has been revealed to us in Christ so that he overlooks our sin and sees us as righteous (2 Cor. 5:21). When God looks at a follower of Christ, he sees a perfect, forgiven sinner. When God looks at a church full of his followers, he sees perfect, forgiven followers of Christ. God sees perfect people in his perfect church.

The Impromptu Football Clinic

I’ve done my fair share of knocking on stranger’s doors in my ministry career. Confrontational evangelism was never my favorite thing to do. I always felt like I was intruding on people’s personal lives when I arrived at their door unannounced between 7 and 8:30 PM on a weeknight. That’s because I was.

I can recall a few victories over the years and I know many churches rely on door-to-door visitation but is it really effective to invade the lives of strangers to share the most important message in the world? Yes, there are periodic victories but how many defeats have there been due to our bad timing? How many forced gospel presentations have hurt the cause of Christ? Wouldn’t non-followers fare better if we took the time to establish a relationship with them instead of bombarding them with the greatest news known to man?

I was reminded of this one day on the beach. My wife and I were in the middle of a wonderful vacation on the Carolina shore enjoying our paperback pursuits when I looked up and saw a father and two boys throwing a football. Of course, this is a common scene at the ocean so there was nothing to note other than the wonderful picture of a father sharing a bond with what appeared to be his two sons. Being an athletic father myself, I stopped and watched them throw the ball around a little. Each boy appeared to be no older than ten-years old. The father was demonstrating how to properly catch the football as they were enjoying the sun and salt air.

Suddenly, their game of catch became an impromptu NFL training camp. A bicycle-riding gentleman in his 60’s approached the trio and obviously felt compelled to stop and share his knowledge of football with the group. Before I knew it, the father and sons were running drills and pass plays on the beach at the command of the Coach who was yelling, clapping and pumping his fist with every perfect play.

“How odd?” I thought. Was this man a NFL scout? A NCAA football coach? A retired high school coach still carrying a passion to share his knowledge? Maybe he was none of these things. Having coached a little football in my past, I knew that the fundamentals that the Coach was showing the young men were sound. How to properly hold the ball. How to catch it. How to do a three-step drop. There was nothing wrong being taught at this spontaneous football clinic. The father played along with the Coach. One boy apparently didn’t want to invest much time into it. He went in for a swim just a few minutes after the session began. The other boy patiently listened and did what the Coach insisted.

Is this what the trio wanted when they started their game of pass? Weren’t they just passing the time away on a lazy day at the beach? Did these boys really have a passion for football? Did they even play organized football? I know they didn’t anticipate Vince Lombardi riding up on a bicycle on the beach and giving them a personal twenty-minute clinic on the fundamentals of throwing and catching a football.

The Coach had the knowledge and obviously had the passion to share his wisdom. Everything that he showed them included proper fundamental football techniques. He apparently knew what he was talking about.

But I had to ask myself, “How was it received? Did the father and sons appreciate the mini-camp experience or did they tolerate it? Don’t they want him to go away?” Chris, the future Hall of Famer who stuck it out the entire time and the only name I picked up throughout the entire event, was tired. He bent over at one point trying to catch his breath. The Coach wore him out in a matter of minutes. When pleasantries were exchanged at the end of the practice and the Coach finally got on his bike to leave, Chris fell into his dad’s arms as they made their way off of the beach to their condo. To hit the showers, I presume.

Is this the effect confrontational evangelists have on people? Do Christians too often bombard people with all of their knowledge of the gospel and life without first building a relationship? Does the confrontational evangelist’s audience just tolerate the twenty-minute impartation of wisdom on life wishing he would go away? Does the reality of the gospel of Christ really sink in over a matter of a few minutes of unannounced coaching?

I confess that I found myself thinking that I was like the Coach many years ago. Thank God I’m in a ministry today where knocking on cold, even warm, doors is discouraged. We let people investigate Christianity and get to know us first before we put on our gospel clinics. I wonder if Chris will ever apply what he learned that day to his football career. I wonder if he played catch with his dad the next day looking over his shoulder for the Coach and on guard ready to run to the ocean if he saw him coming again.