John Harvey Blog

"Costly Grace" by Jon Walker

2010-10-16T06:37:00.001-07:00

In “Costly Grace,” author Jon Walker has brought the classic teachings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer into a new generation of Christian life. While Bonhoeffer spoke to his time and culture with intense passion and a life of surrendered discipleship, Walker has taken the legendary teaching of “The Cost of Discipleship” and placed it into the cultural context of the 21st century.

Building off classic Bonhoeffer themes and theology, Walker has restated the principles of a life surrendered to Christ in a language that relates to the modern follower of Christ. Themes such as calling, obedience, suffering and loyalty relate splendidly to Bonhoeffer’s classic. The explanations and examinations of themes such as purity, authenticity and community relate to the modern ethos of the post modern world in which modern day followers of Christ must exist and carry out our call to discipleship.

What Jon Walker offers in this work is an accessible study into Bonhoeffer without dismissing the high calling and deep theology of “The Cost of Discipleship.” In practical, common tones, Walker allows disciples to journey through the “narrow gate” of a life with Christ. I believe this book will become a classic in modern day discipleship and spiritual maturity.

"Permission to Speak Freely" by Anne Jackson

2010-09-27T08:04:00.000-07:00

“Permission to Speak Freely” by Anne Jackson is one of those “dangerous” books to read. It’s dangerous because every page seems to bring a new uncomfortable topic and a new battle within your own heart to push ahead. As Anne discusses abuse, addiction, pornography, and the lack of openness within the body of Christ, the reader is faced with not only their own internal story, but also the story of their own walls being rattled. It is a must read for every church member and leader.

As a pastor, it is easy to avoid the pain and agony in our own heart by being busy and caring for the heart of others. The reality is that as church communities, we rarely care for others at the heart level and the continual battle for doing instead of being rages in our community. Anne opens up new avenues of honesty and vulnerability that helps us to see ourselves and others for what we truly are; broken.

“Permission to Speak Freely” says what I have wanted to say for a long time in ministry. It screams of hidden pain and stolen joy. When we step out of our bubble and begin to really do life with others, the hiddeness must give way to honesty and the honesty must lead us to the gospel. Life is messy and helping others find real life in Christ causes us to have to deal not only with their mess, but our own. Anne Jackson gives voice to the liberating acknowledgment of being messy ourselves. And that is what makes “Permission to Speak Freely” so freeing.

Willing to Die?

2010-09-07T07:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a wonderfully relaxing day around the Harvey house. We did very little in the morning, (well, the kids and I did very little. Alana did laundry and grocery shopping) went to some friends to swim and grill burgers (while dodging lightning bolts!!) and still got home early in the evening to watch some football and relax. Then it happened. I got sucked in like a mobile home in a tornado. Before I knew it I had traveled to the highest point on earth and lived to tell about it. Sort of.

I stumbled across one of those documentaries about a group climbing Mount Everest. They followed their preparations, their injuries and their fears. One member of the expedition was a Los Angeles firefighter, one a former Hell’s Angel, one an asthmatic who was climbing without an oxygen mask and one was a double amputee having lost his legs in another mountain climbing accident. How could I not morbidly watch to see which one of these guys was not going to make it!!

I have always been fascinated by Everest. I have zero desire to go off to Nepal and climb, but I cannot stop myself from watching documentaries about those who do. I watch and try to decide who will and won’t make the summit and who will and won’t make it off the mountain. I am fascinated by what becomes a fixation of these men and women to literally risk their life to stand on top of the world for twenty minutes.

Tim, the ex-Hell’s Angel member (I am not really sure what you are after you are a Hell’s Angel!) was so fixated on reaching the summit that he literally had to be turned in his tracks to force him to walk down. He was too far from the summit to reach it before his oxygen supply ran out. Brett, the L.A. fireman stopped at 24,000 feet and said, “I have reached my personal summit.” The one climbing without oxygen had to turn around because his mind began playing tricks on him and he was disoriented. The one who made the summit was the double amputee.

Every one of these people had a reason they wanted to reach the top. And every one of them was within inches or moments from their death. Their fixation almost cost them their lives. As I was lying in bed thinking about the show, I found myself wondering what I was so passionate about that I would put myself in that position. Is there an adventure that I have to do so desperately that I am willing to risk my life to pursue it at all costs? The simple answer is no.

It may sound wimpy and boring, but I can’t imagine placing my life in danger at that level. I think about my wife and kids and realize the selfishness it would take to risk their future for my fulfillment. I think about my calling to serve Christ by teaching others about him and realize that no adventure could replace an eternal calling. I think about the relationships I have and would never want to jeopardize them through a pursuit of such an intentional snub to my own mortality.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not against people trying to fulfill wild and crazy adventures. I wish there was a part of me that wanted to do those things. But when it all boils down, the question becomes, “what are you willing to die for?”

For me, I am willing to die for the safety of my family. I am willing to die trying to rescue others. I am willing to die for the sake of my calling. I am simply not willing to die for the sake of adventure.

What are you willing to die for?

Haiti Part 4

2010-08-10T12:36:00.000-07:00

I don’t wear a watch on an everyday basis. I usually have my phone with me and just prefer to pull it out and look at the time. I have a watch that I wear when I run that helps me know how fast (actually how slow!!) I am running. When I traveled to Haiti, I knew I wouldn’t have my phone with me all the time so I wore my watch just to make sure I was where I needed to be. Once you’ve been to Haiti you understand that you just need to be familiar with “ish” time. That is where stuff that is supposed to happen at 9:00 happens at “9ish.” All the same, I wore my watch.

I didn’t think my watch would be a big deal. Until one morning I was in the Miriam Center and a little boy named Jean noticed my watch. I was holding another little boy, sadly no one around knew his name, when Jean came over and wanted to play. Having my hands occupied the only thing I could do was make the light on my watch illuminate which thrilled Jean. I would push the button and his eyes would get wide. He would cover his face and laugh and laugh. Then he would push the button and we would repeat the process. After about fifteen minutes I needed to leave because it was “time-ish” for us to go to the construction site.

Later that afternoon, Jean and I hung out in the common area playing with play-dough, taking pictures (the boy is quite the photog!) and making my watch light up. Jean has a magical smile that makes you feel like the light that is burning inside him is about to explode all over you at any moment. We became really good buds over the few days I was there and I hope to see him again when I get to return.

As I have thought about Jean and the light on my watch I am reminded that light is so fundamental. It is a necessity to accomplish what we want to accomplish. It protects us, guides us, and helps us feel secure. I know many people afraid of the dark, but I don’t know anyone afraid of light.

As a follower of Jesus we are light. Jesus said, “You are the light of the world.” When our life is filled with him, we illuminate the darkened places that exist in our world. Whether it is a boy in Haiti who thinks a small watch light is special, a family in South Florida fighting to keep their heads above water financially, or a distressed teenager who needs someone to tell them they are valuable, we have the answer. We can illuminate the way.

As I ran yesterday, I glanced at my watch and thought of Jean. It was a bright, beautiful, summer day in Florida. But I couldn’t help but reach down and push the button to turn on the light. And then, I smiled.

Haiti Part 3

2010-08-05T11:26:00.000-07:00

“I went to college so that I wouldn’t have to work construction!” That was the thought that ran through my head as we broke ground on the site of the church and the new Miriam Center. I hate construction stuff. First, I have no idea where to begin when it comes to doing this stuff. Second, I never have the tools I need. Third, I have ZERO skill. But, this was simply digging, so how hard can that be?

Very, I found out!! We hit the ground running the first day in Haiti and had about 20 shovels and three pick axes flying. Some people knew what they were doing. There are always some people in the group who know construction and have all the skills and know exactly what to do and can work you under a table. I hate those people!! We threw dirt around and clawed at the ground and did the best we could. This group had spirit and no amount of heat, humidity, bugs, dirt or sun would stop us.

After the first day I walked off the site thinking, “There’s no hope.” We barely made a dent. We worked our butts off and we haven’t even made a scratch in this hill. How much difference can we make in two weeks? I was only going to be there one, so I was pretty sure I wouldn’t see much progress before I left.

But God does amazing things. The next day we were a little more organized. And we had Haitian help. And the day after that, Haitians were already on the site working when we got there. And then we found out that Shaun King had arranged for us to employ them. Later I found out that these guys would be able to be employed for six months. And by the time I left, the site looked as if you could see the outline of a building.

As I was reflecting on all of this two thoughts struck me: first, I doubt God way too often. I usually look and think that I have to have all the answers and that if I can’t figure it out it must not be going to happen. God must laugh at my plans and my ideas quite often. Second, what seems impossible for man is not for God. When we see a hill, he sees a church. When we see a field, he sees an orphanage. When we see a limitation, he sees an opportunity.

By the time the group left the second week, the site was dug and level. A group of people worked long and hard on that hill. Some planted (by digging up dirt) some watered (by hauling dirt away) but God caused the increase (by touching people’s hearts).

“Humanly speaking it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.”
Mark 10:27

If you would like to know how to partner with this project, please visit www.ahomeinhaiti.org.

Haiti Part 2

2010-08-04T11:17:00.001-07:00

I took up residence on the rooftop of the mission with my Bible in one hand and my journal in the other. I wanted to make sure that I captured my thoughts while I was in Haiti so I could relay more clearly what I was experiencing and what God was teaching me. It was a beautiful afternoon after a long day of digging at the work site.

As I looked down from the mission I could see children in the street, young men and women who were moving about during their day and some folks who were selling trinkets to anyone willing to buy. I could see dirt, and poverty and desperation. I could see that the struggle for survival is real and powerful in this place. The mission is an incredible oasis of hope in this place, but there is only so much they can do.

Some guys were setting up tents on the roof when someone noticed a cruise ship just off the coast. It seemed like a long distance away, but within ten minutes it was passing directly in front of the mission. Such a strange dichotomy: the finest of luxury and the despair of poverty.

I remember being on cruise ships that sailed these waters. They are headed to Labadie on the island of Haiti. It is really the only resort area on the island. In fact, I remember visiting there when my wife and I took a cruise and being told how armed guards were on the other side of the bushes making sure Haitians stay away from the tourist area.

Now I was on the other side of the bush. I was not at the resort, but in the midst of the despair. And I found this twinge in my heart that so much of my life has been about being able to enjoy the luxury and not end the poverty. I know I can’t do it all, but I have to be able to do more.

I am not against cruises, trips, or vacations. In fact, I love enjoying those things with my family. But I have come to realize the importance of the heart desire to serve the least of my brothers. In the moments as I watched the ship sail out of sight, my mind was overwhelmed with the image of how often we sail by others in need in order to enjoy our luxury.

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” James 1:27

Haiti Part 1

2010-08-02T13:24:00.001-07:00

This is the first installment of a series of blogs regarding my recent trip to Haiti and what God has been teaching me through the process.
A journey of 700 miles can take you to whole new worlds. Unlike Columbus or Magellan, who had to literally sail the seas to discover new worlds, we have the liberty and luxury to jump on a plane, eat some snacks (assuming you packed your own!!) and emerge in uncharted territory.
Last Sunday I made just such a journey. I found myself first in Port Au Prince and then Port de Paix Haiti on my way to Saint Louis du Noord. Traveling with sixty strangers with Shaun King and Courageous Church out of Atlanta, I was there to help minister at Northwest Haiti Christian Mission. They run orphanages, schools, feeding programs, health clinics and The Miriam Center, for special needs children. We were there to break ground on a new home for the Miriam Center a few miles away from the existing campus which has become too small and too crowded.
As I sat on Sunday night reflecting on my days travel, all that came to my mind was that thousands, no millions of Haitians were fighting for survival today. As I snacked on gummy bears and ate granola bars, how many would die of malnutrition? I had indeed entered a new world.
Riding in the back of a Tap Tap (be grateful for your seat cushions in America) I was made quickly aware of the desperation in Haiti. Even before the January earthquake, Haiti was a place of survival. Few thrive in Haiti. They exist, they survive and they hang on; but almost no one thrives. As you ride the seven miles from the airport to the mission, which takes about an hour, you realize that you are a novelty. Haitians look and stare. Small children wave and yell out, “Blanc, Blanc, Blanc!!!” They are not saying it because we are white, because we arrived as a very diverse group. But, if you are not Haitian you are Blanc.
Perhaps the Blanc feeling I had will never go away. Maybe I will always be an outsider. Maybe, no matter how much my heart breaks or my mind wrestles with the grim reality of life a few hundred miles from my home I realize that I am not fighting for survival. I am thriving. My family has not only enough food for today, but we have enough for weeks. We get to pick and choose what we want.
I have been home about 48 hours now. Part of the team is still in Haiti working on the mission. I will go back; hopefully soon and hopefully with some of you as my teammates. Until then, I will wrestle with the issues of surviving and thriving. I can’t solve all the problems in Haiti, but I do have an answer as to how we can help survive and thrive and how we can thrive more than we thought.
“I have come that you might have life and have it to the full.” John 14:6
For information on how you can be a part of this mission, visit www.ahomeinhaiti.org.

"Change Your Church for Good" by Brad Powell

2010-06-28T08:26:00.000-07:00

“IMMANUEL LUTHERAN CHURCH”
1906-1963

In the introduction of his book “Change your church for Good,” Brad Powell offers a glimpse into the future of many churches if they refuse to change their methods and approaches to ministry. While most churches will refuse to have the honesty of the members of Immanuel Lutheran to actually bury their church, they will simply limp along in a death crawl while the world around them goes to hell. The main reason is not a lack of mission or purpose, but stubborn refusal to change with the times.

As a pastor who has been serving a transitioning church for eight years, I see in Powell’s book stories that come from my own life. I have asked the same questions, had the same arguments and struggled with the same barriers that Brad encountered. I only wish I had this book eight years ago. My hair may not be as gray and my eyes not quite as baggy.

When Brad expressed his sense of journey as he explored the reasons the church was not growing, he described all the usual suspects that are accused of church decline. The message, the world, the church itself are all excuses, but not reasons for the death of churches. The main issue that most church leaders will identify with for the lack of growth in the church is the lack of faith that we as leaders and the church body has in the power of God to accomplish something great.

As I wrestle with these issues, often on a Monday morning, I find myself looking through the lens of my own desires, my own passions, and my own measuring stick. What we often find is that we are measuring God’s immeasurable power and goodness with our perceptions of what is success. We measure the infinite with the finite. What is left is frustration, depression and discouragement in the life of the leader and therefore in the life of the church.

What Brad Powell offers is insight into defining the right measurements, asking the right questions and taking steps in the right direction without compromise of the truth of God. As someone who actually has done the hard work of ministry and moved from one paradigm to the other, Powell offers the ethos and the pathos to speak to the heart of church leaders. It is not a simple step by step formula of change in style and ministry that is needed, but rather a heart change in the leader to seek the power of God and the presence of the Spirit to move in the community in which the church exists.

Brad Powell offers hope for all of us who are fighting the same battles. He gives valuable insight into heart issues that reflect the character of God and the passion he has for his body, the church. Many people think church planting is the hardest job in ministry apart from living in a tribe in the middle of a jungle. While giving birth is difficult, adopting and changing cultures that are firmly rooted is no less challenging. The labor is painful, the process exhausting and the growth doesn’t happen overnight. But learning to move in the right direction, with the right heart desire, and moving at the leading of the power of God will “change Your Church for Good.”

"If I hate my life this much..."

2010-06-07T10:10:00.000-07:00

“If I hate my life this much, how much must God hate my life?” This was at the bottom of the page as I sorted through the feelings of my heart. The other night around midnight I found myself sitting with my journal at the dining room table. I was writing out words that seemed to fit my feelings and my emotions about my walk with Christ. Here is the list of words I wrote:
• Dissatisfied
• Disappointed
• Depressed

Now I am not talking about my life with my family, my church or life in general. I am just thinking about how I feel about my relationship to God. In this moment, God reminded me of how he feels about me.

“I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” John 15:15

“But God demonstrated his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

You did not choose me, but I chose you.” John 15:16

Sometimes we may not feel like we are worthy of God’s love and grace. But that doesn’t change God’s love for us. My sin is that I become focused on me rather than on Christ. When I get my eyes off myself and onto him, I am able to accept that God loves me without condition and nothing can ever change that.

I love my life!!!

Twenty Years Twenty Lesson, Part 2

2010-06-03T07:31:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday I started Twenty Lessons from Twenty Years in ministry. I gave you ten, and today I give you ten more. There certainly are thousands I have learned, but these are just to jump start some thinking.

It’s all about people. When we see people as an obstacle instead of an opportunity we are operating in our flesh. Never miss the fact that Jesus changed his plans to minister to people’s needs.

It’s about eternity. So much of what we spend time on in ministry is about our present, urgent needs. But those are all a means to help people meet Jesus for eternity.

Others have paid a greater sacrifice. Millions of people through the centuries have literally given their lives to serve the cause of Christ. My sacrifice is small compared to others.

Mentors make all the difference. Godly men and women in your life keep you moving forward. Never forget those who helped shape you.

Give grace and you will receive grace. Most of the time, when others see us as full of grace they will treat us the same. When they see us as entitled, spoiled and arrogant, they will treat us that way.

Ministry is only as successful as the volunteers that make it happen. I get paid to do my job. Most of the people around me do it simply because they love Christ and his church. Value those people!!!

Respect others. Your title, degree, or status does not give you a free pass on treating others with respect.

It’s your fault. Learn to take the bullet for your team. Never pass off blame to someone else.

Measure God’s work in you, not God’s work in others. There will always be a bigger church, a smaller church and a church that you can discredit. God is mostly concerned with what he has placed in your area of influence.

Keep moving forward and stay put. In twenty years I have had three jobs. My goal is to make my present job my last. In moving forward where I am, God uses the time I have put in to build health in his kingdom.

Twenty Years, Twenty Lessons

2010-06-01T04:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Memorial Day and my family and I did the usual activities: slept in, coffee and breakfast, beach, frozen yogurt run, dinner, watch baseball. Along the way we talked a little about the sacrifice of men and women who have died for our freedoms. As I went to bed last night, I realized that yesterday may have been a holiday, but today, June 1, 2010 is an anniversary.

Twenty years ago today, I started working full-time at Redlands Bible Church in Redlands, CA. I was a 21 year-old youth pastor who had no idea what he was doing, but was too dumb to know it. Now, twenty years later, I still at times have no idea what I am doing, but at least I know it. So, I thought that this week would be dedicated to sharing twenty lessons I have learned over twenty years. They may or may not help you, but there is something healthy about looking back at how God has shaped your life.

• Submit to God or you will surrender to the enemy. The most powerful moments in the life of a servant of Christ come in submission to his plan and his purpose.
• Serve your family first. People will come and go in church life, but your family is there forever. Unless you put ministry and status ahead of them. (Seen it happen far too often!!)
• Honor your wife by always speaking well of her in public. How you speak of your wife reflects the reality of your relationship.
• Honor your children by being at their events. There may be emergencies that require immediate attention, but they are few and far between. But your kids remember your presence over your position.
• Give up. Your traditions, your past, your expertise. God will show you new realities and new challenges. Hold on to right doctrine, but lose the baggage as quickly as possible.
• Determine what God has called you to do and zero in on the target. God has equipped us all differently. As much as I would love to speak like Andy Stanley, think like Mark Driscoll, have the passion of Louie Giglio, I am not them. I have to be who God created me to be and nothing else.
• Beware the Pharisee. They will try to tear you apart. And if you are not diligent, you will become one of them.
• Grace does not mean ignoring sin. Jesus never allowed someone he forgave to continue in their sin and claim to follow him. Why should we diminish the grace of the cross?
• Risk rejection. People will hurt you in ministry. They will lie, gossip, and leave. But you cannot live an isolated, safe life and have intimacy at the same time. The reward is worth the risk because some will walk the road with you.
• If you think you are too big to do the work of a servant, you have become arrogant. Jesus washed his disciples feet. Nuf said!!

Tomorrow we will hit a few more lessons learned.

Lessons

2010-05-17T07:45:00.001-07:00

I have been learning some incredible lessons lately about myself, my faith and my enemy. They are lessons that I have learned before, but am relearning in a new time and circumstance in my life. I know most of you may not deal with any of these issues, but if any of you do, here are some things that I am learning.

• When I think I am invincible, I am about to find out I am very weak.
• When I find out I am weak, my default reaction is anger at myself.
• When I get angry at myself, I forget about God’s grace.
• When I forget about God’s grace, I become overwhelmed by my circumstances.
• When I am overwhelmed by my circumstances, I am not focused on the things God has called me to do.
• When I am not focused on the things God has called me to do, I become easy prey for the enemy of my soul.
• When I am easy prey for Satan, I allow myself to be led by my desires and attitudes instead of the mind of Christ.
• When I finally realize I need to focus on the mind of Christ, I begin to see his perspective and priorities in my life.
• When I focus on his priorities in my life, I am able to deal with the circumstances in my life.
• When I am weak, he is strong.

I came across this scripture in my time with God this morning and it hit home. I hope you find it challenging and encouraging all at the same time:

“Humans are satisfied with whatever looks good; God probes for what is good.” Proverbs 16:2

I pray that this week, you learn to focus on what is good and not be satisfied with what looks good.

Caring Community

2010-05-10T06:58:00.000-07:00

I am constantly amazed at how God chooses to show up in my life and the life of the church. It is one thing to know that God is always with us and has promised to never leave or forsake us. It is quite another when God shows up in the everyday mundane aspects of life and reveals himself through individuals who demonstrate his love in such powerful ways.

Lately I have seen God do some great stuff through simple loving acts that people do for one another. From teenagers raking leaves in the yard of an older couple with some health issues, to someone providing grocery money to a family in need, to a woman in the church making chocolate covered strawberries to pass out to all the ladies in our church on Mother’s Day, God uses the small things in life to demonstrate his awesome love.

Jesus said that people will know we are his disciples by our love. When the body of Christ comes together to love one another and love the world around us, we demonstrate the greatest aspect of God: his love. Nothing challenges a skeptic more than unconditional love. Nothing causes a calloused heart to be softened than genuine caring. Nothing makes a jaded spirit more open than unconditional love.

The community of Christ is called to be a community of caring. It is in our actions and our love that God opens avenues of ministry and proclamation of the gospel. It is in our love and devotion to him and one another that God allows us to see his nature expressed in its fullest.

Jesus Christ gave two laws that were designed to help his followers understand life in all of its majesty. In Matthew 22 Jesus told us to love God and love others. When we begin to live our life by those principles, we become the “Caring Community” God intended for us to be. And when we care for the needs of those around us, we open the door to show them that it is not simply kindness, but it is God’s grace and love for us that propels our lives to be devoted to him.

In the last few years the church has been an amazing resource in times of natural and national disaster. After Katrina, churches rallied together to rebuild the Gulf Coast. When tsunamis have destroyed coastal regions around the world, the church has responded. When earthquakes have shaken Haiti and Chile, the church has responded. As Nashville soaks under a deluge of floodwaters, churches are responding. Here is my question: why wait for a disaster?

As followers of Christ, we are called to love and serve every day. We are called to care for the sick, the poor, the widows, and the orphan. That is our calling. And in serving we proclaim the gospel of Jesus. Why are we waiting for the next disaster? Why are we not serving and caring for those who are living the disaster every day in our own communities?

God has called us to care. Look around. There are people who live in disaster. Start out by loving god and then loving them and see what God does in the midst of the caring community.

A Review of "Bonhoeffer" by Eric Metaxas

2010-05-04T13:55:00.001-07:00

“He was quite clear in his convictions, and for all that he was so young and unassuming, he saw truth and spoke it out with absolute freedom and without fear.” These were the words of Bishop George Bell at the memorial service for Dietrich Bonhoeffer. They capture the true essence of who Bonhoeffer was and what we, as those who follow in his trail aspire to become.

In his Book “Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Marty, Prophet, Spy” Eric Mataxas has laid before us the formation, conflicts, relationships, burdens and passions of one of the greatest theological voices of the past century. While you read the pages you picture yourself in the esteemed halls of the German aristocracy and academia. You are transported to lecture halls, pulpits, private studies and the Bavarian Alps. While reading this account of the life of a man who faced conflicting feelings and passions from every side it is impossible not to feel that somehow you now know him and the breadth and depth of his passion for God.

Mataxas paints a wonderful picture of the family background, early childhood influences and cultural zeitgeist of Bonhoeffer. The imagery, attention to detail and theology woven throughout the pages brings to life a man whose absolute zeal for God was never watered down theology or rhetoric, but was personal and resolute.

One of the greatest gifts of “Bonhoeffer” is the inclusion of personal correspondence, texts of sermons and lectures and diary entries. It gives a behind the scenes feel to what the man himself was experiencing and how his inner devotion drove his life’s work. As any nation marches toward war, it is reasonable to assume that a nationalistic pride would rise to the surface. Along with his German bearing and position, Bonhoeffer also was torn between the desire for a Christian Germany and the reality of Germany in the hands of a madman.

This book is a precious gift for anyone who has read Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s writings. It paints for us a deeper picture of a pastor, theologian, academic and patriot that has not before been appreciated. Eric Metaxas has once again written an epic biography of a man who has helped shape history and a man who far too few know. While the size of this book is daunting, the reward is well worth the time invested. I cannot recommend this book highly enough for everyone who love God and for everyone who wonders how that love of God can be reconciled with the love of their country.

Community Devotion

2010-05-04T07:11:00.000-07:00

I have been reading an incredible biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer lately. If you are not familiar with his story, Bonhoeffer was a German pastor who took a stand against Hitler and the Nazi party during World War II. He died in a concentration camp at the age of 39. He was actually a part of a plot to assassinate Hitler and remove him from power. Bonhoeffer spent 18 months in prison and a concentration camp before he was executed in April 1945.

Before the outbreak of the war, Bonhoeffer spent much of his time training young pastors and overseeing the theological education of young men who were committed to living a life in community with one another and to transforming the culture through the impact of their lives. One aspect of this community was the concept of community devotion.

In community devotion, each person studies the passage of scripture for the particular day and then shares what God has spoken to them about regarding that passage. For those living in the schools led by Bonhoeffer it was a deep conviction and practice to daily comment or communion together over the scripture. When Bonhoeffer traveled, he scheduled his day so that at the time his students in Germany were studying the text, he would be doing so as well. For his time in America, that created a major obstacle because of the time difference.

One lesson that I have been learning lately is that the more I communicate what God is doing in my heart, the more it becomes personal and the more it becomes a blessing to others. As I post on my blog or FaceBook or through an e-mail the passage I have been reading and meditating through, I am constantly amazed at how often others tell me it encourages them as well.

As the scripture tells us in Acts 2, the early church devoted itself to the teaching of the word, fellowship, the breaking of bread, and prayer. I believe it is not a stretch to say that the concept of fellowship discussed here is the idea of discussion and community centered on the teaching of the word. I have come to believe that we have not really communed with God until we have shared that experience with someone else. That is why my FaceBook, Twitter and blog so often reference my bible readings and thoughts.

So, take the community devotion challenge this week. Study the scripture for yourself. Think about what it means to you. Then, share it with someone. You can use the internet, a phone call, an e-mail or a good old fashioned face-to-face conversation. But try to have community devotion this week and see how God brings his word to life in you.

Church as Community

2010-05-03T07:07:00.000-07:00

I have been wrestling with some thoughts and ideas in my mind for a while that I want to begin to share with you. They are aspects of my own spiritual journey that God has been showing me in the larger context of my relationship with and responsibility for the church community of LifeQuest. Over the next few days I will be laying out some ideas and thoughts to spur conversation and movement within our body. I hope that you will be a part of this by discussing them on the blog, on FaceBook or better yet by wanting to sit down and have a cup of coffee.

A major aspect that God has been showing me lately is the church as “community.” In our world we talk about church as a place, a building or an organization. None of those are biblical views of the church. The church is not a “place” it is a “community.” It is not an “organization” it is an “organism.” It is not a “meeting” but rather a “movement.” In other words, all of the ways we use to describe church in the 21st century is not accurate.

I heard a guy last week make the statement, “don’t connect church with certain prepositions like at, to in, and from.” In other words, we don’t go “to” church. We are not meeting “at” church. We are not sitting “in” church. The point is that we “are” the church. When we speak using at, in, to, and so on, we communicate that the church is a place. The church is a community of people seeking to follow Jesus and help others to find and follow Jesus. The place we meet is our gathering place. Our worship celebrations are not “church” they are gatherings “of” the church.

If you think about it, when we speak like we do about church we help those not connected to Christ associate church with a building or a place. Read Acts 2: 42-47. The description of the earliest form of the church is not based on a place, but on people with the common goal of loving God and loving others. In other scriptures the church is referred to as the “body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:4) and the “bride of Christ.” (Revelation 19:7). None of those passages focus on a building or a place.

If we want to be who God has called us to be, we must look at the church in anew light. We must see ourselves as the church gathered on Sundays, and Tuesdays and any other time we meet to encourage and fulfill the mission with which we have been called. And we must see ourselves as the church sent, to live among those who do not know Christ and who desperately need to be shown the light and love of Jesus.

So, let’s begin a new conversation. Let’s stop saying we are “going” to church or we have been “at” church. Instead let’s live in the realization that we “are” church. And that is true whether we are gathered for corporate celebration on Sunday or if we are simply sitting in a Starbucks sharing a cup of coffee. (I highly recommend the bold, black, venti!!)

So, what are your thoughts? I would love to hear them. Leave a note on the blog, send me a message on FaceBook, hit me up on Twitter (@johnjharvey) or call me and let’s talk.

Perspective

2010-04-19T07:56:00.001-07:00

Welcome to another Monday. I pray that this week you experience all that God has in store for you to the absolute fullest. It is Monday and if you are in South Florida it is a drizzly, gray day so far. It makes it tough to get going and makes all the little items that get in our way even more frustrating.

I came into the office today with a strategy to get a ton accomplished. Most of it had to do with getting the podcast from the last few weeks updated and making sure things were fresh on my blog. Of course the internet was not working when I came into the office. Now that it is up and running again I am out of time to accomplish what I had planned for today. I have afternoon appointments out of the office and tomorrow is full and Wednesday is a day spent studying, and….well you get the picture.

I had plans. I had goals. I had a list. And nothing that I have done so far today was on that list. But that is the way life is sometimes. I won’t try to over spiritualize my morning, but I will tell you one thing I have learned today: there is nothing I can do to change it. I couldn’t fix all that needed to be fixed and I can’t slow down the clock so my appointments are pushed back today. The last three hours are gone and I can’t go back and make them reappear.

I also found out a huge fact that puts it all into perspective: six billion people on the face of the earth are totally unaffected by my “trials” this morning. In the grand scheme of things they are mere blips. Instead of checking things off my “to do” list I spent time studying for next Sunday’s message, praying for people God brought to my mind and reflecting on how God has been moving in my life the last few weeks.

Maybe this morning wasn’t a waste after all.

Yours for his Purpose,
John

Thoughts for Sunday Afternoon

2010-04-11T14:51:00.000-07:00

Today has been an amazing day. The last twenty-four hours have been strange, wonderful, joyous, wearisome and powerful. Here are a few things that God is doing in me right now.

• Emily got home from Costa Rica early this morning. We got home about 1:30 a.m.
• When your teenage daughter goes on a mission trip, she comes home changed.
• She is not my little girl anymore. She is an amazing young woman of God.
• Using videos to worship was powerful today.
• “In Christ Alone” may be the most powerful four minute music video.
• I had chills on my arm as we worshipped.
• Seeing people come forward to publicly declare their faith in Christ never gets old. I pray we never get tired of seeing that happen.
• My kids crack me up. As we sat over lunch I realized how unique and wonderful they all are in their special way.
• I love the Masters. It is without doubt my favorite tournament.
• I am not moving from in front of my TV until this bad boy is over.

Easter Monday

2010-04-05T07:18:00.000-07:00

It is the Monday after Easter. For most people it is simply another Monday. They go to work, they enjoy a beach day with the kids who are off from school for spring break and they simply go about their lives. For pastors and other ministry types, it is a day of trying to get through the fog. It is a day of reflecting, thinking, planning and coffee!!!

Easter Sunday is the Super Bowl for pastors. It is the one day when people who we won’t see again until Christmas or next Easter are in the service. It is a day of a thousand extra details. It is the day where everything that doesn’t go according to plan sets us off. I am not sure any of this as externally fueled. I don’t think anyone else has such high expectations of us, but I know my standards are pretty high on Easter Sunday.

So, today I am sitting in my office in a fog. I am exhausted. It is not the physical act of getting everything done, but the emotional and spiritual battle that has been waged in my mind and heart for the last few weeks. Easter is always looming out there. We know it is coming and we love it, but the level of anxiety we feel every Sunday is ramped up all the way to 11!!

Yesterday was amazing at LifeQuest. People who had never been here before were here. People who have been only marginally engaged were involved and committed. And people who have been the backbone of this ministry for years took their ministry to a whole notha’ level!! And now it’s Monday.

In six days we will all gather together again to celebrate Christ. We will all worship and reflect on the fact that the God of the universe loved us so much he stepped out of heaven and walked the earth. There will not be the sense of expectation. There will not be the sense of excitement. There will not be a special breakfast or an Easter egg hunt. But the truth of the day will be the same: Jesus is ALIVE!!!

So, on this Monday after Easter I will enjoy the fact that the one that was dead is alive and that I, the one who should be dead, is alive in Him.

Thoughts on a Sunday Afternoon

2010-03-21T14:52:00.000-07:00

I am so amazed that God shows up in the ways that he does. I am reminded often that God’s love and mercy in my life have not been earned, but are a result of his active love for me. This afternoon as I am reflecting on the worship celebration at LifeQuest today, I had some thoughts I wanted to share with you.

• Today, five people volunteered for ministry today for the very first time. That is awesome!!!
• The way God is moving in people’s lives is powerful. People who are sharing their stories with me are finding the grace of God in ways they have never experienced.
• It never gets old to see people respond to God’s Word.
• Every conversation I had today had a common theme: community. People are either loving the community they have with other people at LifeQuest or they are longing to find community.
• If you are not in a Life Group study of some kind, get in one!!!
• God is doing some awesome stuff at LifeQuest.
• Some people told me they changed their vacation plans to be at LifeQuest on Easter Sunday!!!
• I can’t wait for Easter Sunday!!!
• Don’t miss next Sunday!!! This is going to be a worship experience you will never forget!!!!
• I have a Sunday nap hangover!! Chat at you tomorrow!!!

The Basics

2010-03-16T07:55:00.000-07:00

In 1954, American psychologist Abraham Maslow cemented the concept of the “hierarchy of human needs.” It has become the basis for psychological study and therapy since its inception. While I do not agree with many of Maslow’s beliefs or assumptions, especially his humanistic worldview, I do see incredible value in his understanding of human needs. Picture each step as a building block toward the next need:
Physiological (basic human needs), Security (basic safety), Love and belonging (relationships),Esteem (confidence), Self (who you really are).

I have noticed something rather striking about this hierarchy and I am seeing it played out in the lives of people I interact with daily. At the very center of the diagram, just above our basic human physiological and security needs, is the need for loving and belonging. It struck me this morning as I was thinking about this that the very basic, intimate need for love and connection holds all of our other needs in place. It is, in essence, the linchpin of how God created us.

I meet people who are continually looking for love and belonging. They seek it out in destructive ways many times. They move from one toxic relationship to another and they look for physiological and safety needs to be met through friendship, intimacy and support. While this has been breakthrough concepts in psychological circles, it is certainly nothing new.

Two thousand years ago, Jesus told a young man that the greatest of all the laws was to love God and to love your neighbor as yourself. Love and belonging with our creator and love and belonging with our fellow man. Maslow didn’t solidify a humanistic concept, he repeated a biblical teaching.

The more I connect with people, the more I hear that people are looking for connection. They want true, rich relationships. They desire meaning and purpose beyond their own pleasures. They are not satisfied with the basics. They want the depth.

It is scary to reach toward those levels. But God created us to be a part of a loving community. He created us with a basic need and with a desire toward depth. We many times are too busy satisfying our basic desires we never move toward the point of intimacy with God or one another.

This week, how can you move toward intimacy? How can you promote loving God and loving others in your world? How can you help meet the most basic of needs for yourself and for those around you?

"A Century Turns" by William Bennett

2010-03-11T08:36:00.000-08:00

“A Century Turns: New Hopes, New Fears” is a wonderful piece of American history painted within the frame of someone who was in the room as events, discussions, policy fights and diplomatic decisions were made in the last decade of the twentieth century. William Bennett not only discusses the policy issues and societal shifts of the day, but he relays behind the scene commentary in such a way that the reader is drawn into the moment.

Bennett uses great skill in crafting the story of history with the personalities and the culture of the United States in the 1990’s and the first decade of the twenty-first century. Events that shaped policy at the time are now viewed with the consequences, both positive and negative, in view. Decisions to support foreign leaders at one point in our history have at another point led to tragedy and terror. William Bennett portrays the rationale behind certain policies and explains the fights that took place as members of different parties, factions, and cultures dug in their heels.

“A Century Turns” is a must read for the generation that lived this history. Over the course of twenty years the culture, language, technology, allies and foes of the United States have ebbed and flowed as the rivers of history moved forward. Bennett captures the context behind the content. For any lover of history or culture, “A Century Turns” is a thrilling and captivating experience.

It's Time!!!

2010-03-08T07:26:00.001-08:00

This was a monumental weekend in our house. Maybe not monumental, but it was pretty exciting. Barriers were broken, challenges were overcome, fear was conquered, and a new challenge looms on the horizon. Kimberly was finally able to master the art of riding her bike this weekend!!!

We have tried for several years to convince her that training wheels were no longer needed. No luck! The first imbalance, the first wobble, the first spill and the battle was lost. For whatever reason, the bike was a battle she was not interested in fighting, much less winning. But this weekend, Kimberly won.

She fell a few times. Getting started by herself is still difficult. Turns can become a nightmare when you are not really sure how fast to go. But, Kimberly can ride her bike. Now she has proudly proclaimed, “Now that I can ride my bike I can get a bigger one.” Yes she can (sigh).

There was one moment where I thought we were lost this weekend. I was helping her around the block and she was getting tired, and I was getting frustrated. I told her she could do it if she just tried. She climbed on her bike and looked at me and said, “I’ll show you!!” And she rode her bike.

When Alana asked her why she decided she wanted to learn to ride her bike she simply said, “I am old enough to know how to ride a bike.” It was that simple. She just felt like it was time to grow up. Another hurdle on life’s road has been cleared and so many more stand in the way.

The lesson for me in all of this is that sometimes, it is simply time to grow up. We often try to remain in a state of childhood where we struggle, pout and give up. Sometimes, it is simply time to do life as an adult.

What hurdle do you need to conquer? What is the obstacle in your life that needs to be cleared? In what area do you need to grow up? My list is long, but my resolve is set. I’ll show you!!

That's Why We're Here

2010-03-01T07:59:00.000-08:00

There have been some things I have noticed the last few Sundays that have helped me to see God show up in some really powerful ways. There have not been any major miracles happen in people’s lives that I know of. There have not been a ton of people contacting me because they have prayed to receive Christ. In fact, there has been nothing exceptionally public that has been going on. But some great stuff is happening that others may not notice.

One example I want to share with you is the story of a woman who has been attending LifeQuest and has been beaten up by life. You can look at her and see the strain that live has caused. I know a few details, but her life has been turned upside down the last couple of years. As I see her while I am speaking, I see pain and hurt. I am not sure I have ever seen her smile more than simply a cursory hello.

The last few weeks I have noticed that she is hanging around after the service is over. She is talking to a few people. I have walked past the group talking and heard pain, anger, and a few tears. I see others listening as she tells her story and I see people put their arm around her and offer a word of encouragement. I am pretty sure that none of her circumstances have changed, but she is here. She is hearing the gospel and finding support.

That is what Jesus has called us to be as a church; a place to hear truth and a place to live it out. No one here is perfect. We are hurt, frustrated, angry and all other kinds of things. But we are here, being the body of Christ as best as we can.

I love what God has called me to do. I love that God allows me to see small steps of healing in the midst of large amounts of pain. I pray that this week we will all be encouragement to those around us. And I pray that if you are in pain, you will find support and encouragement from the body of Christ.

People of Joy

2010-02-22T08:24:00.000-08:00

As we get into the Easter season I begin my yearly journey toward the cross and the tomb by reading “Reliving the Passion” by Walt Wangerin. If you have never read this book, I highly recommend it as a resource to frame our hearts and minds toward Easter. It is designed to be read from Ash Wednesday (which was last week) to Easter. It is a perfect companion for those who follow Lenten traditions. This morning as I was reading I reflected back on one of his thoughts from a few days ago.

On Day 4, Saturday, Wangerin writes these words;
“The difference between shallow happiness and a deep sustaining joy is sorrow. Happiness lives where sorrow is not. When sorrow arrives, happiness dies. It can’t stand pain. Joy, on the other hand, rises from sorrow and therefore can withstand all grief. Joy, by the grace of God, is the transfiguration of suffering into endurance, and of endurance into character, and of character into hope.”

As I reflect on these words I am deeply convicted about how often I strive to be happy instead of longing to have joy. No one likes to experience pain, especially over a long period of time. But out of that pain God raises those who endure to new heights to intimacy with Him. Through our pain we grow into deeper beings relying on the power of God instead of the ease of our circumstance to control our hearts.

We are a circumstance driven people. When circumstances call for celebration, we are happy. When circumstances bring pain, we cry out for mercy and seek to medicate ourselves on whatever indulgence will dull the pain. I know this is true for my life. I desire so much more.

I have encountered people dealing with all types of pain lately. And instead of medicating, we need to embrace it. We need to look for the depths of God in the midst of our circumstance. And out of the ashes will rise endurance. Out of endurance character and out of character hope.

May we strive to be people of joy, and not settle for happiness.

Hypocrite

2010-02-16T08:25:00.000-08:00

I have come to realize in some areas of my life that I am a hypocrite. I know this is a terrible admission, but I think at some level everyone lives with a certain disconnect between what we really believe and what we always do. Sometimes it is in major areas such as integrity or commitments. That is not what I am talking about. Before you jump to any more conclusions, let me explain.

I tend to teach and preach discipline and focus to my children. I get onto them about grades, their messy rooms, watching too much television, etc. I am not overly harsh (at least I don’t think so) but I do try to push them to a higher level than I was willing to achieve when I was their age. They are smart, talented, and beautiful. I want them to be their absolute best.

Occasionally I look in a mirror. I try to avoid them when possible. The mirror I am talking about is not the one that shows an outer reflection, but the one that examines the inner heart. It is the mirror that only we can see. When I look there, I see that some things in my life are not what they should be for someone who talks a good game.

What I have come to realize in my own heart is that I have a long way to go to be the man God intends me to become. I am often lazy in my habits of time with God. I sometimes draw the conclusion that if I am in my church office, I must be doing things of God. Wrong!!! I often speak and write about loving others, but there are some people God has placed in my life that I can’t stand. I need to be able to control my appetites better (less cookies more carrots!!!) but that doesn’t always happen.

I know I am a work I progress. Some people just call me a piece of work!! But I have been asking God to show me the true reflection of who I am and how he wants to change me. It is scary, convicting, and powerful. But it is good.

My prayer is that each of us would look into our heart and do the hard work of the faith and not settle for less than God’s best for our lives.

Being and Doing

2010-02-01T08:02:00.001-08:00

I came across the following quote this morning (thanks to Anne Jackson at www.flowerdust.net) and it sparked some thoughts I wanted to share with you.

“We are so obsessed with doing that we have no time and no imagination left for being. As a result, men are valued not for
what they are but for what they do or what they have – for their usefulness” Thomas Merton

I have been working through this very same issue in my life for a while. Through reading scripture, reading other books and listening to what some Godly people have had to say, I have been focusing my life on being as well as on doing. I have been challenged by others to dive into this issue, but the thought seems to come and go with seasons of life.

The concept of valuing “being” and “doing” is counter-cultural for Americans. We are a nation founded by people who thrived on rugged individualism and a high work ethic. For us, accomplishment is something to be rewarded and we like to hold up our “finished products.” It is so much easier to measure something that is done than it is to measure something that simply is.

Being and doing are both valuable. They are scriptural mandates for everyone who follows Christ. Jesus told the woman in John 4 that it was “truth” (being) that mattered in her worship of God. The book of James tells us that our “actions” (doing) must match our faith. It is not an “either or” but a “both and” situation. We are to have a life of being that is reflective, focused spiritually, and transformed by the Spirit of God. We are to then have actions in our life that reflect the love of God outward toward people and that meets the needs of those around us.

This week, “be” and “do.” Allow your life to be one that values the soul and allows the inner beauty of God to reflect the outer actions of his work in your life.

"The Noticer" by Andy Andrews

2010-01-28T13:02:00.000-08:00

“The Noticer” is one of the few books that drew me in so that I had to finish it in one sitting. The images of pain, brokenness, and despair of the characters reflect everyday life in any community in the 21st Century. Of course, the gift of “perspective” allows us to see past the obstacle of the moment and to the glimmer of a bright future.

Andy Andrews has done a marvelous job of storytelling that allows us to see ourselves in each and every face. As life spins out of control the natural human reaction is to focus inward toward our own failures and outward toward our own enemies. In “The Noticer” the mystical Jones paints the portrait of a life turned toward introspection of our own soul and the encouragement of others.

The timing for reading “The Noticer” was perfect for me. I see within the tapestry of Orange Beach an amalgam of myself. I have been at times Andy and Jason, Walker and Barry. Rage, despair, anger and hurt have been traveling companions. Without loving compassion of people in my life, I hate to think where I would have been.

I have had many Jones’ in my life; men and women who speak truth with love. Friends who are bold enough to be honest and honest enough to be vulnerable. My prayer is that I would become a “Noticer.” I pray that my life would touch others and that they in turn would in turn plant seeds in the lives of countless others.

This book is a must read of everyone who desires to see with new eyes, hear with new ears, and view life with new “perspective.”

Content Heart

2010-01-26T06:47:00.000-08:00

“When the LORD heard them, he was very angry; his fire broke out against Jacob, and his wrath rose against Israel, for they did not believe in God or trust in his deliverance. Yet he gave a command to the skies above and opened the doors of the heavens; he rained down manna for the people to eat, he gave them the grain of heaven.” Psalm 78:21-24

In this Psalm, the psalmist is reminding the nation of Israel of the rebellion that the nation displayed toward God. He reminded them that when they rebelled, God punished them. Ultimately, God loved his people so much he provided for them and gave them food from heaven to fill their stomachs.

As I read through this psalm today I was reminded of how often I sin against God. And yet, God has never turned his back on me. He has met my need over and over again. And I, like the nation of Israel, have over and over again complained about God’s provision (or what I perceive as his lack thereof).

Today I want to focus my heart on thankfulness. I want a heart of gratitude and love toward God. I want to remember that everything good that comes into my life if a gift from God above (James 1:17) and that the struggles in my life are largely due to the fact that I fail to live in line with God’s provision or his plans.

Lord, forgive my greed. I pray for a heart content with your love and grace. I pray that thankfulness will be my character and joy my attitude. Amen

Favre and Forgiveness

2010-01-25T07:57:00.000-08:00

Last night was a great example of how one moment can lead to lasting images. In the football game between the Minnesota Vikings and the New Orleans Saints, a legendary figure made a fundamental mistake and it cost his team a victory and a birth in the Super Bowl. How do you ever get over that?

In case you missed it, Brett Favre threw an interception with the score tied and the Vikings close to field goal range right before the end of the game. As soon as he threw the ball, the commentator said, “That is the first thing they teach you not to do playing quarterback.” It was one of those moments where you felt empathy, sadness, and shock all at once. Could this be how Favre ends his career?

In our lives we all have those “one moment” kinds of mistakes. We all do what we know we shouldn’t, we all forget the fundamentals and try to do the spectacular. The good thing for us is that our failures typically don’t happen in front of millions of people.

As I listened to people talk about the game and the end last night, I was reminded of all the failures in my life. I have blown it. I have thrown the ball when I should have run. I have tripped myself on obstacles that I saw clearly. When I reflect on scripture I am reminded that almost all of the heroes of our faith failed as well.

Abraham lied, Moses murdered, David committed adultery and murder (aren’t those the top two on human lists?), Peter rejected Christ and Paul killed in the name of YHWH. The beautiful part of the gospel is that none of them is held captive by their sin. All found grace, forgiveness and mercy by the power of the love of God.

Brett Favre will be blasted today on every sports talk program in America. But how many of us have thrown an “interception” this week? How many of us have blown it in much more important situations than a football game? Aren’t you glad that God does not hold us captive to our sins, but forgives us through Jesus?

“You have been set free from sin and become slaves to righteousness.” Romans 6:18

Help for Haiti

2010-01-14T07:04:00.001-08:00

By now I am sure you have all seen news reports of the severe devastation and loss of life from Haiti due to the recent earthquake. Thousands and thousands of lives have been lost and the humanitarian need is almost unprecedented. This is the time when the church needs to step forward.

I have been praying and thinking about how to be involved as a church. We do not have the resources to jump on a plane and go do something personally. However we can partner with organizations already on the ground providing not only physical relief but spiritual and emotional relief as well.

One of the organizations that handles these situations best is Samaritans Purse. This is the ministry headed by Franklin Graham and the one that runs Operation Christmas Child which we have supported for years. This is the link to read about their response to this disaster and their need for help: http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/articles/responding_to_haiti_earthquake/.

This coming Sunday, January 17, LifeQuest will be taking a special offering to send to Samaritans Purse to help in their efforts in Haiti. I would ask you to please pray carefully about supporting this cause. This is a way for us as a church to partner with people who are on the ground in a desperate place at a desperate time offering the spiritual and physical help needed.

Every family in our church has some challenging financial times they are enduring right now. LifeQuest itself is dealing with our financial pinch and trying to be good stewards of the resources we have. This opportunity is for us to reach beyond ourselves, outside of our walls and into the eternal future of people we may never meet this side of eternity. I am asking you to give beyond your normal tithes and offerings and give sacrificially as you are able.

No matter the size, no matter the amount, God is able to do more than we can ever imagine. Please pray and come Sunday prepared to support our partners at Samaritans Purse as they respond to this human disaster.

The Mess Makes the Memory

2010-01-11T08:20:00.001-08:00

So, this year my family did something we had never done before. We decided that we would take a winter vacation between Christmas and New Year. We had rented a cabin in Blowing Rock, NC, wrangled up winter clothing (because until this week’s record cold we had never needed it in Florida) and made plans for a week of fun in the snow. My kids had never really been in snow. In fact, Kimberly had never even seen it!!

On December 28 we arrived in the late evening to find that the road to our cabin was iced over and that there was no way we were making it to the top of the hill. We also discovered that even if we made it up, we would never make it down! Not safely anyway. In the course of about two hours my family trip turned into a Chevy Chase movie. We had to scramble to find a hotel room, scrap our plans for evenings around the fireplace and realize that our week was turning upside down.

Needless to say I was less than thrilled. I was frustrated, upset, and feeling like I had let my family down. It was not my fault, but I couldn’t help but feel bad. It is one of those moments where you feel like a failure as a dad. I could just hear my kid’s years from now telling some therapist: “My dad ruined my life in the mountains.”

Needless to say we adjusted our plans, made the best of it and had a great time. My kids loved going down the tube runs in the snow. We had a ball throwing snowballs and building snow men along the side of the road. We laughed whenever someone wiped out on the snow and ice.

The lesson I have learned through all of this is that we may make plans and think we have all the answers, but sometimes life just gets crazy. Weather, finances, schedules and interruptions cause us to feel like we are going to lose it. Maybe the lesson for me is that life doesn’t have to be neat to be enjoyable. In fact, sometimes the mess makes the memory.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not suddenly becoming comfortable with clutter in my life. But I am learning that life can be exciting when we let go of our securites and enjoy the slide down the ice!!!

End of the Year Post

2009-12-25T16:02:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. This year ended incredibly at LifeQuest and I hope that God has done some great things in your life in 2009. My family and I are headed to the mountains of North Carolina tomorrow. My kids have never seen snow and they are hoping for the chance. So, until the year 2010, we are out of here!! See you next year!! Love and Blessings to all.

Need to Know Basis

2009-12-22T03:43:00.001-08:00

Several years ago I took a group of students to the Bahamas on a mission trip. We were doing some construction work during the day and concerts in local churches and parks in the evening. It was a great time and traveling to the Bahamas to serve God is not a bad thing. Someone needs to go tell others about Jesus, so we suffered for a week!!

That trip is filled with both great memories and some incredibly painful ones. I am at the same time reminded of students who truly moved forward in their faith and I see clearly those who have walked away. The trip was both an ending to one season of ministry in my life and the beginning of another. Two weeks after that trip I had left the church I was serving to become the pastor at LifeQuest.

Early this morning I was reading my bible when I came across a note that I had written in it on my trip to the Bahamas. A local pastor was speaking after one of our concerts and made the following statement: “God gives information on a need to know basis.”

As I think about it I realize a pattern of this is found throughout scripture. Noah had no idea what a boat was until God told him to build an ark. Abraham was a man of a pagan land until God pulled him away and started the nation of Israel. Moses had no idea what the instruction of the burning bush would lead to in his life. Job never knew why all his life was filled with trouble. The list of biblical people who lived under this concept is endless.

Today we tend to think of ourselves as sophisticated, educated and connected. We have information at our finger tips of incidents that happen around the world. We process more information than any society in history. And yet we still can’t explain some daily events, relationships or circumstances in our lives.

We may never know the specific reasons or plans that God has for our lives. We may never see the “big picture” and have an “aha” moment. But God has not left us without clues or guidelines of how life is to be spent. In fact, he has laid out his plan exactly for us.

Jesus said in Matthew 22 that the best thing we can do with our lives is to love God and love our neighbor. Seems that God is in to vague outlines instead of strict detail. But think about it in this way; God has given us the basics and we fill in the blanks.

Maybe we don’t understand life at times. Love God and love others. Maybe we feel depressed and stressed out over life. Love God and love others. Maybe we come to our senses and realize we can’t buy happiness. Love God and love others. When it comes right down to it, God has given us more detail than we thought. If we love God and love others, most issues in our lives will be resolved. Maybe that’s what we need to know.

Monday Thoughts

2009-12-21T08:07:00.000-08:00

This morning I have been reflecting on a few things that I wanted to share with you. These are in no particular order, but reflect what is rattling around my cobwebbed brain this Monday morning.

• I thank God for the people that make up LifeQuest Church. The life and joy they bring to me are a true gift.
• I am still blown away by last night. Our Christmas dinner and program was incredible. I can’t believe the number of people that were here.
• I am thankful for humble servants who make events like last night happen.
• I am frustrated at myself for not enjoying the process more. I stress way too easily!!
• I am excited about what God is doing in people’s lives. We can never forget that at the end of the day, ministry is about people.
• Kids amaze me! They have joy that is unleashed and they have energy that is unmatched.
• God is better to me than I deserve.

Choices

2009-12-14T06:55:00.000-08:00

I have been learning a ton about who God is and how amazing he is to love us the way he does. Over the last few weeks we have seen so many new people come to know Christ. They have been people who have had religious backgrounds, but never relationship with Christ. They have been people who had no idea about church or religious life, and have been looking to fill a hole in the center of their life. They have been people who are at the end of their rope and felt like there was no hope. And then Jesus showed up in their life.

What has been so amazing to me is the fact that there are some people who I have talked to recently who recognize their sincere need for God and who are unwilling to make the decision to follow him. I met with someone who told me that he knew he needed to simply make a choice for Jesus but that he did not want to now. I spent a couple of hours with this man clearly explaining the gospel and offering him a chance to make a decision to follow Christ. His response was, “I know I should, I just don’t think I want to.”

On the other side of the coin I met with a man the day before my last meeting who had just made a decision for Christ. He sat in my office and wanted to know how to make his life count for the next twenty years or however long he may live. He wanted to be a better husband, father and spiritual leader. He accepted my offer to be in a mens group to look at those very issues.

In our life we make choices every day. Some choices are for small, insignificant things. Others are for giant life altering decisions. But every day we are faced with a choice. What choices are you going to make today?

The prophets and leaders in scripture made it very clear that all humanity must choose. Joshua challenged the nation of Israel to choose which God they would serve. Elijah challenged the nation to choose between God and Baal. Jesus himself noted that all men must make a choice of which path to follow in their lives.

Today, what choice will you make that will impact eternity?

Christmas Covenant

2009-12-07T06:23:00.001-08:00

The overall theme of my message yesterday on “Christmas Covenant” is that God’s promises are eternal and he always keeps his promises. Sometimes it is incredibly difficult for us to see how God is doing that, but other times it is obvious.

This morning as I walked through the buildings at LifeQuest simple things caught my eye and reminded me of God’s grace. Decorations that are showing up in our building to brighten the place for Christmas represent people who have a desire to serve and use their gifts of hospitality. A Christmas tree in our children’s ministry area reminds me that generations may be affected by the lessons taught today to children. The lights of Christmas and a tree made of hand prints in our pre-school area remind me that there are teachers in with children who are passionate about helping little ones know that Christmas is not about Santa but about Jesus.

As I reflect on all the events that are surrounding this season of the year at LifeQuest, I am reminded of the message of the events. Any organization can have a Christmas party. Any group can get together for a good time. But the call of the church is to proclaim the arrival of Jesus, the death of Jesus, the resurrection of Jesus and the hope of Jesus in the lives of the hopeless.

In remembering those simple attitudes and callings, I am reminded that it is through the faithfulness of God and the love he has for each of us that we are able to be a part of a greater story. We get to be the ones who see God move and change and shape our lives in unique and powerful ways.

In the midst of the hustle and bustle of Christmas we must never forget the concept that at the heart of Christmas is the heart of humanity. It is described in scripture as being dark and wicked. However when our heart collides with the eternal heart of God, we are forever changed. That is the message of Christmas.

Lessons I am Learning

2009-11-24T08:21:00.001-08:00

I have not been writing and blogging much the last few weeks because I have wanted to take a step back and focus on some heart issues that God has been bringing up in my life. I am trying to put into practice James 1:19 that says we should be “quick to listen and slow to speak.”

God has been showing me some areas in my life that need some attention and that I want to pass on to you today.

1) Jesus is much more impressed with honesty than position. In Luke 18 he tells of a religious leader and a tax collector who went to give their offerings in the temple. The religious leader brags about how good he is. He points out all that he does and looks down on those who don’t measure up. The tax collector looks down in shame, beats his breast in scorn and declares, “God have mercy on me a sinner.”

Jesus notes that the tax collector is the righteous one. He recognizes his sin and shame before God and humbles himself to God’s mercy. How often do we quote our spiritual resume for God and others instead of honestly professing what is true of all humanity: we are guilty in God’s eyes and in desperate need of his mercy.

2) God will do the amazing when we are obedient. I have seen God move in ways that can only be explained by his power and his glory. The only part I have played in these events is to simply do what he has called me to do. Obedience is the greatest form of worship.

“You do not delight in sacrifices or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of god are a broken and contrite spirit; a broken heart. O God, you will not despise.” Psalm 51:16-17

The most significant sacrifice to God is the brokenness of the prideful human heart.

3) Some people get offended when you preach about Jesus. Preach about Jesus anyway!! I have always sought to speak the truth and power of God’s word in every message. Occasionally I make people angry and they say really nasty stuff. I am learning more and more that when that happens, I have usually preached the exact message God wanted to communicate.

The Word of God is offensive to people. We don’t have to be offensive in how we present it, but the human heart is offended by eternal truths. It does not diminish my calling or my requirement to present truth.

God has been showing me a ton of stuff the last few weeks; things that you will be hearing and seeing in the weeks and months to come. Hopefully as you see them you will understand that the root foundation of what God is doing in my life is not me but Jesus. I am learning to be discontent with the status quo and am seeking to move forward in obedience to Christ. I pray with all sincerity that you will join me on this journey.

God's Wants

2009-11-09T06:51:00.000-08:00

Have you ever really thought of the difference between a want and a need? When we glance at them briefly they might not seem so different, but closer inspection shows differences that are deep and profound. I want ice cream. I need vegetables. I want a new car. I need transportation. I want a bigger house. I need shelter.

In our western mindset, wants and needs become blurred. Go visit Africa and see if you can be content with what you have and if what you think you need really turns out to be something you just want. Look into the eyes of a hungry child and recognize that the food we have that we don’t like suddenly looks like a gourmet meal.

The bible actually talks about God and his wants and needs. That may sound foolish, but God has incredible wants, even though he has zero needs. In Psalm 50 God reminds us that everything in the universe belongs to him. He does not need to inform us when he is hungry because the entire world is his and he could eat whatever he chooses. But God has a want. He has a desire. He has a craving that can only come from outside of himself.

God says that what he wants is the offerings and obedience of his people (vs. 14). God has all he needs, but what he wants more than anything else is relationship with us, his creation. It is the only thing in all of creation that God does not simply control. He could make us robots that do only his will. But that would eliminate our freedom and diminish our relationship with him. To truly receive love, God allows us to choose to give it to him or not.

God has no need that we can meet. He does, however, have a desire that only we can meet. It is the desire for his people to love him, worship him, and obey him. What would happen if we chose to recognize that our life could be dedicated to meeting the one true desire of God? How would your life be different today? How would our world be different if we lived in relationship with the one true God?

Dividing Lines

2009-11-02T06:42:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I started a new message series called “The Prodigal God.” I am using some ideas from Timothy Keller’s book of the same name and preaching through some lessons found in Luke 15. Yesterday’s message was on “Dividing Lines.”

The main focus in the beginning of Luke 15 is the two groups of people gathered around Jesus. There are “sinners and tax collectors” and “Pharisees and teachers of the law.” Luke shows the two groups as contrasting in social and religious standing and the context of the passage shows them contrasted in heart attitude. One group is listening in anticipation to Jesus while another criticizes Jesus’ company.

No matter how we may divide life or people or society, we run a dangerous course when we begin to categorize people. We box people in, we focus on differences and we limit the concept of God’s grace. And we miss the one common trait of all humanity.

That trait very simply is the trait that without Jesus we are lost. All of humanity is lost and hopeless without Jesus. We are, as Jesus shares later in the text, lost sheep or lost coins. We are never able to find our way and we are in danger of great harm in our world.

When we begin to destroy the lines of division, we begin to see as God sees; hurting people of various backgrounds all with the same soul disease. When we blur the lines, we can focus on our common need instead of our differences. When we blur the lines in our culture, we begin to see the larger plan of God that Jesus referred to in Luke 19: “The Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost.”

No matter your background; religious or pagan, pure or prostitute, wealthy or poor, white or black we are all hopelessly lost without the saving love of the Messiah. It is time for us to destroy the lines that divide and to unite under the grace of the God who loves.

The Embarassing Dad

2009-10-29T07:28:00.000-07:00

Occasionally something really funny happens in life that doesn’t seem spiritual at all and yet upon reflection you realize something lurks beneath the surface. I had an experience like that yesterday. Of course, one of my children supplied me with some great material.

I was dropping Kimberly and Zach off at school yesterday and we were listening to some songs on my IPod. Because we listen to it in the car often, I added some music specifically for Kimberly so she is not left out entirely in the selection process. Save your comments, but I added Kimberly’s CD of Taylor Swift because right now it is her favorite.

Zach had picked a couple of songs and we had the windows down enjoying a beautiful morning. I then put on a song by Taylor Swift. Zach got out of the car first and Kimberly looked at me and said, “Daddy, roll your windows up.” When I asked why she replied, “I don’t want people to think you are a weirdo listening to “girlie” music!” Suddenly I had gone from thoughtful dad to embarrassing dad.

I rolled up my windows, dropped her off and laughed to myself as I pulled out of the parking lot. My third grader is concerned about how her dad is perceived by people who don’t even know him. We all have those moments with our parents. Did your mom ever do the “spit in the hand” thing to clean your face in public? Did your dad ever wear one of those outfits that were a cross between Mork and Urkle? Maybe The Fresh Prince was right and “parents just don’t understand.”

As I thought about it, I think we respond to God in much the same way. God, please don’t do anything that is going to draw attention this way. What will people think? What will people say? How will I look? Somehow along the way we have decided that our Heavenly Father must not understand what it is like here on planet Earth. Somehow we envision that he is just waiting to embarrass us.

I am not really sure I have ever been conscious of this thought, but I am sure that it has seeped into my life. I want to be different. I want to change. I want to see things as God sees them and have others see Christ through me.

Life Goals

2009-10-26T07:13:00.001-07:00

I love eating out!! My family and I always get excited (probably too much so) when we head out to one of our favorite restaurants. One of the parts of the process I love is when we find unique aspects of a restaurant and we begin to enjoy them as a family. When we go to a Chinese restaurant, we always laugh at the fortunes in the cookie and we try to make up our own funny sayings. When we go to our favorite burger joints we always debate who has the best fries (MacDonald’s) vs. the best burgers (Burger King).

The other night we went to Chipotle, rapidly becoming one of our favorite Mexican food planes. Not only are the burritos the size of a small boulder, but you can add in all kinds of toppings and sauces to make that bad boy sing some sweet music!! As we were eating we realized that Chipotle has little stories on their cups that tell about people the owners of the company know and some things that they have said or done that has made a difference. As we were reading our different cups, one quote hit me as profound and important.

“If your life’s goal can be accomplished in your lifetime, you’re not thinking big enough.” This is a quote from Wes Jackson, who runs The Land Institute. I know almost nothing about Wes Jackson, but I was drawn to this quote. There is something that resonates with me and that has some incredible spiritual application to all of us.

If we are focused on accomplishing something in our lifetime that will go to the grave with us, we are not shooting at a big enough target. Our goal should be to build into the next generations and into the world a purpose and a vision and mission that outlasts us. Our life’s work should go on much longer than our life here on this earth.

In church life we often get consumed by small ideas. We look at the next program, the next meeting, the next budget and building and our lives become consumed with things that eventually will fall apart. What would be the outcome if we began to focus on the next generation of leaders? What if our focus was the next generation of un-churched people who need to know Christ? What if our main concern was our legacy and not our reputation?

We need bigger dreams in the kingdom of God. We need people willing to put agendas aside and focus on eternity and not temporary outcomes. We need a long range focus and short range urgency. What if we began to have life goals that would outlast us?

What is your life goal? How long will it last?

Basic Belief

2009-10-20T06:51:00.000-07:00

Sometimes in my own life I need to step back and remember some basic principle of my relationship with God rather than explore some deep, mysterious theological truth. In my simplistic mind I need to get back to a core foundation. It reminds me of something I heard once about the need of the average Christian: “Most people need to be reminded more than they need to be taught.” That may or may not be true, but I know that has been the case for my life.

This morning I simply needed to hear some simple truths about God, Christ, my life and my role as a pastor. I just felt the urge to read familiar scripture, to hear instruction from Jesus and to put some perspective in my brain. So with coffee in hand I grabbed my bible and sat down for a few minutes in the book of John.

I have read the entire book of John countless times. It is a great book. I tell people to read it when they are first beginning their spiritual walk because it allows us to get a glimpse of the life and ministry of Jesus. In fact, I won’t be offended at all if you stop reading this and go read John 1-3. This morning, some of the most familiar passages jumped off the pages and into my soul.

There were three key truths that I have known forever in my brain that I needed to be reminded of in my heart. These truths apply to everyone, but they especially hit me as a pastor. Here they are:

1) “The light shines in the darkness but the darkness has not understood it.” John 1:5

This is the exact position our culture finds itself in view of Christ. We live in darkness and like it that way. We are afraid of being exposed, convicted and forced to change. In my life I find that darkness creeps around my head and heart every day. Darkness is the absence of light. When we live in darkness, we are living in the absence of Christ.

2) “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” John 2:14

While the nation of Israel wandered in the desert because of their sin, God allowed a plague of poisonous snakes to infiltrate the community (Numbers 21:4-9). When someone was bitten they could look to a bronze snake that had been erected on a pole and they would be healed. In the same way, when we look to Jesus, who was lifted on the cross we can be healed of the sin in our life.

3) “He must become greater and I must become less.” John 3:30

John had it all. He was popular, held the political forces at bay, and could flat out preach. He had an entire group of disciples that followed him everywhere. When Jesus came on the scene, John pointed his disciples to Jesus and gave up his popularity so that Jesus may become famous.

It is very easy for us to build followers for ourselves and not followers of Christ. Satan uses our ego and pride to cause us to look to our programs, our ideas, and our ministry instead of Christ’s power. If God is ever going to do anything in our lives, he has to become more and we have to become less.

What basic lessons do you need to learn today? How can God use you to point others to Jesus? What do you need to do to become less so that Jesus can become more?

Game Day Sunday

2009-10-19T07:03:00.001-07:00

Sundays are very interesting days for pastors, to say the least. We are filled with nerves, anticipation, challenges, fear, joy, and a thousand other emotions that cannot even be explained. Between 6:00 and 10:45 a.m. my mind races about a thousand miles an hour over everything that is going to happen that morning. Will the music be just right? Will the coffee, be ready? Will the computer work correctly? Am I sure I want to use that illustration? Why is my microphone cord so tangled up inside my shirt?

While Sunday mornings are restful and have a slower pace than most mornings for most people, for pastors Sunday is game day. Beginning on Monday the week is filled with planning, studying, preparing, writing, re-writing and stressing out over Sunday. Usually by the time pastors get home on Sundays all we want to do is sleep.

The awesome part of Sunday for pastors is hearing how God works through us to touch the lives of others. On Monday I almost always have cards, e-mails or phone messages from someone telling me how Sunday was special. I hear about how the passage of scripture used was exactly what they needed to deal with life at this moment. I hear how people make decisions that they want to give control of their life over to Jesus.

That is the pay off for Sunday. Sunday is a day where the divine meets the human and humanity is changed. In some small way I get to be a part of that. Pastors, worship leaders, children’s workers and a number of other people get to be a part of seeing God shape humanity. And at the end of the day, when all is said and done, game day has produced a victory because Jesus Christ was lifted up.

Covenant Marriage

2009-10-15T06:59:00.000-07:00

One aspect of marriage that I hold to be vitally important but that has been lost in our culture is the concept of marriage as a covenant. Our western mindset and worldview far too often sees marriage as a legal contract and a business transaction. That has led to the establishment of prenuptial agreements and financial decisions in case the marriage doesn’t work out. In other words, before I commit to you the rest of my life I want to have an escape plan so that I don’t lose my stuff when someone I find more attractive comes along. We decide to fail before we ever begin.

The flip side of this trap is the idea that marriage is simply a tax shelter and if we are content to not declare one another as dependants then there is no reason to get married. Living together has replaced the marriage covenant because one person can simply move out without any obligation to the other. Instead of making lifelong commitments, we make business transactions.

When our view of marriage is one that defines marriage as a covenant, we establish that the only thing that will separate us is death. In a covenant in the biblical age, something had to die in order to seal that covenant. That led to the sacrifice of animals in worship as well as to seal business contracts. In our spiritual life, Jesus was the sacrifice so that we could live in a covenant relationship with God. That is why he said that he had come to establish a “new covenant.” (Luke 22:20). I contend that in order to have a biblical view of marriage we need to see it as a covenant relationship above anything else.

As you enter our house the first thing you see is a signed Marriage Covenant in a frame hanging on the wall. Alana and I both signed it and then our children signed it as witnesses. It is simply a piece of paper and has no legal value. However, it is a reminder that our marriage is not a business, but a relationship. It is a covenant. When things are tough, or we don’t agree, or stress has pushed us to the limit, the covenant we made to one another on our wedding day holds us together. I sometimes look at that frame and think about how important it is for me to live up to my end of the covenant so that my wife, my children, my family and most importantly my God will be honored.

How do you view your marriage? Is it a business? Is it convenience? Have you given yourself an escape route? If so, make a new covenant today that only death will separate you from the one you committed your life to love forever. Don’t settle for less than God’s perfect design of sacrificial covenant love.

Marriage Battlefield

2009-10-14T08:04:00.001-07:00

As part of my “You Sermon” series at LifeQuest, I spoke this week on How to Get the Most Out of Your Marriage.” If you missed the message at LifeQuest, you can listen to it on the pod cast at www.lifequestlive.com. This week my blog is dedicated to looking at issues that couples face in marriage.

It is a very challenging thing when men and women begin to stand up for Godly ideals. When we begin to put our faith out there and begin to share God’s Word to others, we have an enemy who is seeking to destroy everything he can. I am not a person who sees Satan behind every bush or who believes that every incident in life is some “sign” from God (remember, the Pharisees were chastised for looking for signs!) but I do take the Bible as truth.

In Ephesians 6, Paul said that we are at war with a spiritual enemy. In John 10, Jesus told us that the enemy comes to “steal, kill and destroy.” I honestly believe that one of the greatest battlegrounds in the spiritual battle is in the home of Christians.

Here’s how I see this work. Satan knows that he is defeated. He knows that there is nothing he can do to steal us away from the hand of God. But, he can seek to make our lives miserable and to destroy the work that God is trying to do in us and our children. He causes husbands and wives to become divided against one another. He makes pleasing the children the singular goal of our life. He causes us to be too busy to pray together, to eat together or to worship together. In the most extreme cases, Satan causes one spouse to decide that another person is better for them than their own spouse. He convinces us of the lie that our life is about being “happy” instead of about fulfilling God’s design for us which brings joy. Suddenly, families that once stood for the things of God are divided and destroyed. The enemy wins the battle, but never the war!!

As Christians, we must always remember that we are on the winning side. Jesus Christ won the war over Satan on the cross. We must stop losing battles in our own homes. Here are three tools to help you win the battle for your home:

1) Pray as a family. Pray for and with one another against the attacks of the enemy.

2) Sacrifice your own needs for the needs of your family. Nothing re-establishes love and trust as much as sacrifice.

3) Never leave the battlefield. One of the biggest issues we face is choosing to walk away instead of stand and fight. The truth is that when we leave the battlefield we are not the wounded. It is our children, our grandchildren and the reputation of Jesus Christ that is hurt.

Fight for your marriage. Fight for your home. When the enemy is attacking, drop to your knees and fight!!!

I Got Your Back

2009-10-13T06:35:00.000-07:00

I love this little goofy cartoon. It has made the rounds on FaceBook and other places as a great joke, but I think there is some truth in this that can really help marriages. This week I am writing posts on “How to Get the Most Out of Your Marriage.” This is based off my message from Sunday morning, October 11. You can listen to the message at www.lifequestlive.com.

One of the things I love about Alana is that she never leaves me hanging on an island by myself. Over the course of our marriage she has always had my back. Whenever times were hard, when I felt discouraged or afraid, when I felt like a complete failure, Alana has been the one who has supported, lifted, encouraged and propelled me forward.

If you really want your marriage to work, you need to have each other’s back. Make it very clear to everyone you meet, including your kids, that when it comes to you and your spouse, you watch out for one another. We live in a culture that values getting my own way, setting my own agenda, and blaming someone else for the outcome. That is not God’s design for our lives and certainly not for our marriages.

God’s plan is for us to have a deep, committed relationship that is supportive and encouraging to one another. The passage I spoke from on Sunday Ephesians 5: 23-28 has a definite role for a wife and a husband. And both roles involve sacrifice, love and devotion to your spouse.

Do you have your spouse’s back? Do they feel loved and supported in the decisions they make? Are they free to be themselves in all their beauty and al their failures? To get the most out of your marriage, have each others back.

Only Wanna Be With You

2009-10-12T06:19:00.000-07:00

For the past couple of weeks I have been thinking a great deal about the subject of marriage. I have been speaking the last few weeks on topics submitted by people who attend LifeQuest. One of the most common topics requested was marriage. It seems like so many couples are struggling in their relationships. This week my blog will be sharing some thoughts and ideas about marriage and how to get the most out of your relationship.

God has blessed me so much with my wife. Alana is such a great partner and supporter. She has been my biggest fan and has helped me to develop the areas of my life that God knew I could never manage on my own. Alana is an amazing woman. She does so much and gives of herself constantly. I am so proud to call her my wife.

One of the lessons I have learned about marriage and relationships has been a very simple one. The first principle I want to share with you is this: make your spouse the only one you want.

It is really a simple lesson, but in our culture it is a lost art to only desire one person to occupy the most intimate places of your life. We live in a disposable society. If you don’t like your marriage, dispose of it. If your spouse doesn’t satisfy you, get a new one. We have made relationships transactions instead of investments.

To help remind me of how much I want to be with Alana, the song “I Only Wanna Be With You” is her ringtone on my phone. Now my marriage is not held together by Hootie and the Blowfish. It is held together by a choice to make sure that our relationship is a priority and that no other person gets a place of intimacy in our hearts. The song is simply a declared truth that I only want to spend my life with Alana. Alana has a ringtone on her phone set just for me. Whenever Kimberly hears it go off in the car, Alana tells me she laughs and says in a very sweet voice, “It’s your hubby!!”

If you are going to get the most from your marriage, you must make the choice that your spouse is going to be the only one to get a place in your heart. Love is a choice. Commitment is a choice. If you want your marriage to be dynamic, passionate, and full of life, you have to make the choice that your spouse is going to be the one you want to be with. You have to make the choice that your heart is set aside for that person only.

I encourage each of you to find your “song” for each other and let it become the soundtrack of your marriage.

Grace

2009-09-30T06:51:00.000-07:00

I find it very interesting how God “speaks” to me. I have never heard an audible voice from God. I have never seen messages written in fire in the sky, nor had a burning bush give me a command of God. But God speaks to me over and over again in some very subtle ways. See if you can relate to this: a topic comes to your mind. Over a period of a few days or even weeks’ different people give different insight into that same topic. Every book, magazine or sermon you hear in some way reflects on that topic. That has been happening to me lately.

It has been happening regarding several areas, but one I want to address in particular: grace. I have always thought of myself as a person who gives grace. I try to forgive. I talk about forgiveness. I try to hear others. But the reality is that maybe what I have thought was grace was just lip service. Maybe what I envisioned was a grace that still allowed me to be right. Maybe what I pictured was not grace at all.

This morning I was listening to a message by an incredible speaker as I drove to the church. He pointed out that Jesus is about grace that forgives, not laws that pass judgment. I buy that. I teach that. I finished a book I was reading yesterday where the author was talking about grace as a tool of reconciliation instead of a measuring rod of correctness. Okay, I get that. But something keeps nagging me. Something just doesn’t feel right.

I have seen my grace shortcomings up close lately. I hold on to the anger people throw my way. I sense bitterness creep in and steal my joy. I resent times when I have been challenged. It may be that I don’t have this grace thing down after all.

Grace should bring freedom and not bondage. Grace releases and doesn’t smother. Grace restores and doesn’t break. Graced is meant to be extended and not stored. Grace is a never ending loop; the more you give the more you receive.

Today, I choose to extend grace. Today I will do my best not to have to be right. Today, I will release and not hold captive. Only by God’s grace.

Godly Focus

2009-09-29T06:33:00.001-07:00

I am someone who has a hard time focusing in for long periods of time. I would have been a better student had I been able to take classes in twenty minute increments. I simply cannot sit still for very long. I had always hoped that as an adult this would change, but in all honesty, not so much.

Yes, I can force myself to sit through long periods of time when necessary. Yes, I love learning. Yes, I actually teach in a classroom setting occasionally so I understand the gluteus maximus to mind ratio. Basically it means the brain can only absorb what the butt can endure.

One of the things God has been showing me lately is how easy it is to lose focus. I have been reading the book of Nehemiah lately and re-learning some incredible lessons on focus. Nehemiah was leading a group of people who were worn out, afraid, and vulnerable. As a leader he was passionate, sacrificial and focused.

At one point, several of Nehemiah’s enemies tried to entice him into a meeting to trap him. Each time Nehemiah rejected their request to leave his job and meet. Instead he focused even more and asked God for strength (Nehemiah 6:9). Through Nehemiah, God accomplished a task of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem in fifty-two days. But it would not have been possible if Nehemiah had not had incredible focus.

Here are three lessons on focus for any task you have to face:

1) Recognize that your calling does not come from human will. Whatever you do your life is designed by God for a perfect and focused meaning. Recognize that what you do today has eternal, spiritual implications.

2) You are going to have critics. Nehemiah was doing the impossible and people were not happy about it. Whenever God uses you to do something that cannot be humanly explained, you will have critics. Focus on your call, not the criticism.

3) Seek God for strength. Nehemiah prayed specifically that God would strengthen him for the task at hand. God is able to accomplish far more than we can imagine. So ask him to strengthen your resolve and your body to accomplish his calling on your life.

I hope that you were able to make it through. I hope you can focus. And I hope that God uses you to accomplish the impossible. Now, get off your gluteus and go do it!!!

Stuff that Matters

2009-09-23T07:05:00.000-07:00

I love the moment where my kids begin to own their stuff. I don’t mean the physical junk that clutters the floor of their rooms. I mean the deep inside passion about things that mean the most to them. It’s the stuff that announces who they are and what matters the most. It is the stuff that makes you hope that you haven’t screwed them up by being a lousy parent.

When my oldest daughter Emily walks onto a basketball court and digs a little deeper to dive for a loose ball that makes me excited. When she talks about wanting to avoid places and parties she knows she doesn’t need to be at, that makes me proud.

When my youngest daughter Kimberly reads four levels above her grade level I am proud. When she is disgusted with injustice, it makes me excited. When she gets upset because kids are mean to other kids, it brings me joy.

This morning I had a moment with my son, Zach. He is in seventh grade and in public school for the first time. Today was the first See You at the Pole gathering for him at his new school. It is when Christians gather at the flag pole of their school to pray for their school. Zach was excited about going and he and I went over to the school an hour early so he could join in with others. No one else came.

Zach was crushed. He was actually a little mad. He couldn’t understand why no one else was there. He kept saying, “Why don’t Christians show their true colors?” For an hour we sat in the car and talked about it. I tried to encourage him and help him understand all the factors that may be involved, but he wasn’t buying it.

Zach prayed for his school. He prayed that Christians would stand up for what they believe. He prayed that people would do what was right. He prayed that he would show his “true colors.” Zach prayed that God would show up with power at his school that “no force” (his words) could stop. And all the while his dad was convicted that this little man has a passion that I underestimate so often.

This is the stuff that matters. This is the deep passion that I have prayed would develop in my kids. I have prayed that they would not follow my miserable excuse for a Christian life when I was a teenager, but that they would have a desire that nothing can stop. And this morning, it made me cry.

Everyone Hates Monday!!

2009-09-21T08:14:00.000-07:00

Everyone hates Monday!! Every Sunday night at least one of my kids laments the fact that they have to get up and go to school the next day. People want another day to sleep, to relax and to be lazy. Everyone hates Monday!!

Monday’s are always interesting days in my life. As a pastor, my entire week is focused on Sunday morning. I plan, pray, read, think, write and study all to make the Sunday morning worship experience as good as I possibly can. No matter how good Sunday is, Monday is right around the corner.

A friend of mine who is also a pastor described the feeling as giving birth on Sunday and realizing you are pregnant on Monday. I think about that every Monday morning around 11:00 as I am trying to shake off the fog from Sunday and blaze through my fifth or sixth cup of coffee, I realize that in six days I have to be ready to go again. It is as if I need an EPT (Early Preaching Test) every week!

But Monday also reminds me of some great truths. First, God moves in people’s lives by the power of his word. Almost every week I have a card and e-mail or a note from someone telling me how God spoke to them through the message on Sunday. Second, I am blessed to be able to preach God’s Word every week. I was made for this. Third, God is faithful to show me his love and grace every day. I need to make sure I do the same for others. Even on Monday!!!

Why we Worship

2009-09-14T07:31:00.000-07:00

I’m reading a book right now called “Ten Stupid Things That Keep Churches from Growing” by Geoff Surratt. It is a great book for church leaders and one that has some incredibly practical and simple advice that we often overlook in our busy lives. One question that Geoff asks in the book is, “why do we have a Sunday morning service?” For someone who has always worked in the church as an adult, the thought has never really crossed my mind.

I guess there are many reasons that we have worship services on Sunday mornings. It brings about a sense of community, we are able to invite people to a gathering, we feel better about our lives and our families, we train our kids, etc. But are any of these the right reason? Is that what it is really all about?

Geoff goes on to point out what I already mentally know but very seldom vocalize: we gather for worship to make the name of Jesus famous. Worship is not about our feelings or our desires. Worship is not about how good we look to others or how we feel about ourselves. Worship is about making the name of Jesus famous. Period. The end. There is no more.

I have found more and more over the last few years that so many people forget that. I have heard people complain about music, about the message and about the temperature of the room. Some people have actually claimed to have left our church, not because we weren’t teaching Christ, but because they were chilly in the service. To be honest, they were the ones causing the chill.

People get offended by stuff the church does all the time. What I find offensive and what I think offends God, is that we think Sunday morning is about us. Did the worship meet my needs? Did I like that song? Did the pastor offend me today? (By the way, the people usually offended by what I say on Sunday mornings are usually people who love religion and like Jesus. Just sayin!)

The reason we worship is about Jesus Christ period!! He came from heaven to earth. He taught us what it looked like to love God and love others. He died on the cross for our sins. He rose from the dead to defeat death. He is preparing our eternal home in heaven. He is someday going to return and rule for eternity. So, why should worship be about us?

Sunday Night Meltdown

2009-09-13T16:13:00.001-07:00

So, I have made it through the weekend and here is some of the stuff rattling around in my dome.

• Today was awesome at LifeQuest. I say it every week but I always mean it!!!
• I miss it when the worship leaders are away and I have to lead. My fingers are killing me from playing guitar!
• It is so great to see so many new faces every week!
• It was fun watching my daughter’s basketball team win the Back 2 School Tournament in Ft. Lauderdale this weekend!! Love those Sun Devils!!
• I like my 80’s music weekends on the radio, but now I have “Safety Dance” stuck in my head!!!
• I am so glad football is back!!!!!

Nine

2009-09-09T16:45:00.000-07:00

I’ve spent most of today in a virtual conference called “The Nines.” Since it is 09/09/09, Leadership Network had over 70 ministry leader’s video a message that is nine minutes long. The topic was, “What would you say to other leaders if you had nine minutes to say it.” Since they didn’t ask me to do a video, I decided that I will use tonight to highlight nine things I would say to people if they wanted to know. In descending order:

9) Try to serve somebody every day.

8) Think deeper.

7) Value friends.

6) Seek wisdom.

5) Love liberally.

4) Pursue God’s vision for you at all costs.

3) Focus on those God is changing instead of those who hate change.

2) Speak and listen to truth.

1) Your life doesn’t have to be defined by sin but can be redeemed by a Savior.

That is my nine. It didn’t take nine minutes for you to read, but hopefully it will help you to think a little deeper about your life and where God is leading you. So, what would your top nine look like?

Truth

2009-09-08T07:55:00.001-07:00

There is an old saying that “truth is the first casualty of war.” As sad as that may seem, it feels as if we are in a war for truth in every area of our lives these days. Over and over again I am reminded that truth has become a casualty of the war against humanity. Our culture has adapted to a worldview that truth need only be relative, partial or explainable; it is never to be absolute. This line of thinking is not only dangerous, it is ultimately fatal.

Our society buys into this type of thinking in subtle ways and it produces within us a callous heart and a seared conscious. The slide from truth usually begins innocuously enough with a “little white lie” or by not telling the “whole truth.” As we slide down that slope we begin to believe that telling a lie is easier than telling the truth at times and the consequences are not as devastating. That, in and of itself, is untrue.

As Christians, truth is the foundation upon which our lives are built. The truth of a God who loves us, a God who forgives us and a view of the world built on concrete spiritual foundations that are absolute. This line of thinking is not always popular, but that has never been the point of faith. If God is not truth, than he ceases to be God.

As Christians we must love truth. We must love God’s truth, the truth of scripture and the truth spoken in love. I have been challenging my kids to recognize lies when they see them on TV, in movies or on the news. See what worldview is being described by our media and how it slants the truth to fit its agenda. We must learn to love truth, because God loves truth.

Jesus said, “I am the way the truth and the life.” The scripture also says “you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” God loves truth and he desires for us to love truth as well.

This week, seek truth. Seek honesty and integrity in all things. And, in so doing, seek God.

School Mornings

2009-09-02T07:26:00.001-07:00

School days are a little different at our house this year. Emily still has her routine of getting up way early, getting ready and being at school at about 6:45 in the morning. Zach and Kimmie have changed schools this year and they don’t have to be at school until 9:15. It has taken some adjustment, but we are learning on the fly.

One of the downsides of Zach and Kimmie’s school is that traffic is ridiculous. In order to get them there on time, you have to get to the school by 8:40 and wait in your car until 8:55. Otherwise you sit in this monster snake of traffic and run the risk of them being late to class. Alana normally takes them, but today I got to drop them off. It was great!!

Let me explain. Traffic was terrible, the line was long and it was already hot outside. But as we sat in the car we opened the bible and Zach read Psalm 23. Alana has started doing this every morning with the kids, but I don’t usually get to be there. We talked about what it means that God is our shepherd. We talked about how he provides for our needs, and we talked about how we do not have to be afraid because he watches over us. We then prayed for everyone to have a good day and for Zach and Kimmie to know that God was watching over them.

It was so special to share these few early morning moments with the kids. We talk about the bible, we pray and we discuss life, but somehow in the mornings the kids are more open and ready to talk. Parents, use moments like this to teach your kids. Use this as an opportunity to share with them your own desires and fears for the day. Learn to let the daily moments be daily opportunities.

“These commandments that I give you are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road and when you get up.” Deuteronomy 6:6-7

Or when you sit in the car line at school!!!

Focus

2009-08-31T07:10:00.000-07:00

Have you ever noticed the difference between a rear view mirror and a windshield in a car? Most of us never think much about it, but the difference is very obvious and profound. A rearview mirror is small and is meant to see where you have been. A windshield is big and designed to be able to see clearly where you are going. Believe it or not, there are some great spiritual implications in this analogy.

In our spiritual life, only one person wants us to focus on what is behind: Satan. He wants to remind us how bad we were, how people hurt us, how we can’t measure up. In fact, the bible says in Revelation 12:10 that Satan “accuses us before God day and night.” He is constantly telling God how bad we are and how we don’t deserve God’s love. The great part about this idea is the very next phrase in this verse that says Satan “has been hurled down.” He is defeated and can no longer destroy our eternity with God.

God wants us to focus not on our past, but on our present and our future. God doesn’t condemn those who follow him, but instead he gives life and freedom. While Satan stands and accuses us, God pours out love toward us. “For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16.

God wants us to focus our life on him. He wants us to look ahead and see his love and his deliverance from the trials of this life. He wants us to experience grace and mercy that come through Jesus.

The question is where is our focus? Are we looking in the rearview mirror or are we looking through the windshield? Are we more worried about what has happened or what God is doing?

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith…” Hebrews 12:2

The Body in Times of Crisis

2009-08-12T11:09:00.000-07:00

If you have been reading this blog over the past couple of weeks you have heard about the car accident of Jack Cerreta, Jr. Jack and his family are members of LifeQuest Church where I pastor, and they have been incredible friends and partners in the past seven years that my family has known them. I want to share some things that I have been leaning through the process of walking with this family during the last two week.

Jack was in a serious wreck with major head trauma. No one knew what to expect. He had drains put into his skull to relieve pressure, had surgery to remove two blood clots, went in and out of ICU and states of consciousness. There were days when things seemed incredibly positive and others when everyone was on edge.

Jack’s sister, Casey, is in the Marine Corps and is stationed in Okinawa, Japan. She was able to get leave and buy a ticket to fly home. She spent three days traveling and finally arrived to find her brother in Intensive Care. Needless to say this family was going through one of the most difficult times it had ever experienced.

Yesterday, Jack was moved to a rehabilitation facility. He is alert, walking, eating, talking and remembers most things. He does not remember the accident. Perhaps this is God’s provision. This ordeal is in no way over for the Cerreta family, but I want to share with you some things that God has shown me through the process.

1) The ministry of presence is the most important in a time of crisis.

Far too often we place more value on our words in tough situations. I have heard people say pithy cliches during times of trials. I have heard bible passages taken out of context. Somehow we think by talking we break the tension. Over the course of time Jack was in the hospital, so many members of LifeQuest were right alongside the family. There were times where no words were spoken. It was the presence of one another that brought comfort in the midst of pain. When Christians gather together, the presence of God is there and that is enough.

2) The ministry of caring is priceless.

This is an area where most churches do very well, but LifeQuest excels. The Cerreta’s have raved about how people have brought food, desserts and sent cards and letters. This has ministered to them in so many ways. It allows them not to have to worry about necessities but to focus on the care of their son. One thing that meant a ton to the family was that a lady in our church made a Cherry pie that they were able to enjoy. Simple gestures of love in the midst of crisis are extravagant representations of the love of Jesus toward one another.

3) The ministry of generosity is often overlooked.

I received calls every day for a week asking what could be practically done for the family. So many people wanted to do something but didn’t know what. One issue that was major for the Cerreta’s was that Casey had to get a loan to buy the ticket to get home. The ticket cost $1,600.00 and she was going to have to pay it back over a long time. In two weeks, our church collected the amount of the ticket. She is able to fly back to Japan with the money to repay her loan in full.

There are so many things that could be written about this situation. I am sure that this will not be the last post about Jack on my blog. But these are a few things that we should never forget in the times of crisis. It is in these moments that the body of Christ is able to shine at its brightest.

Sunday Night Update August 9

2009-08-09T18:45:00.000-07:00

It was another great day at LifeQuest Church today. Here are a few thoughts as I wind down the evening:

• God constantly amazes me with the things he is doing in the life of people at LifeQuest. It reminds me that the work he is doing is not something we could do in our own strength.
• It never gets old seeing people make decisions to step across the line of faith. I love the passion of people who have found a new reason for life.
• It was so great seeing the Burnam’s and Nathan Young back from their summer mission trips. I missed them all!!
• It is so great to hear the news of the improvement of Jack Cerreta, Jr. It is so awesome to see him writing, laughing, and having conversations.
• We had some great topics and questions that came in for our “You Sermon” series. You can submit questions at church or on-line.
• Our children’s ministry area was full today. It is so awesome to see future generations being shaped by the word of God.
• God is doing great stuff. I can’t wait to see what is next in our future!!!

I hope you have a great week. Keep up your reading in the “One-A-Day” Proverbs reading challenge!!

Leadership Summit Lessons

2009-08-07T14:43:00.000-07:00

The last two days God has been showing me some amazing things about leadership, his will and desires, and my own struggles in each. As I have listened to men and women leaders from all walks of life I am incredibly challenged that I am not nearly the leader I desire to be or that God has created me to be. I want to share with you some “sound bites” that have been rocking my world this week and that I will be focusing on and that I will probably be writing about very soon.

“Storms often create the best conditions for change to occur.” Bill Hybels

“Sometimes what you see as the horizon is really only the top of your rut.” Gary Hamels

“We define neighbors as someone like us. We target our churches toward people who are like us. As such we have developed a consumeristic church.” Dave Gibbons

“The world notices when we can love someone not like us or someone who is un-loveable.” Dave Gibbons

“Forgiveness does not mean forgetting, or that it was okay and release from consequences of actions or reconciliation. Forgiveness means giving up the right for revenge.” Wes Stafford

“Reflect on what is happening by leaving the dance floor and going to the balcony.” David Gergen

“If you want to go fast go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” David Gergen

I wrestle with these and many other thoughts. One that hits me is one of the very first words that Bill Hybels spoke in the first session that resonates with my life:

“The work I am doing for God is destroying the work that God is doing in me.”

Stay tuned for updates.

Pain

2009-08-03T06:37:00.001-07:00

I have witnessed more pain in the past week than I care to remember. There has been physical pain as I have watched Jack Cerreta struggle for his life and to recover his mental faculties after his car wreck this past week. There has been major emotional pain. His parents Jack and Michele and his sister Casey have been through hell this week.

The update on Jack is that he is out of ICU and is progressing. It is going to be a long and difficult process at times. Please continue to pray for Jack and his family. You can check back here for details.

Yesterday at LifeQuest was a great day. We had a great time worshipping God through music and fellowship. We saw new faces and the message seemed to connect with people on a personal and practical level. In the midst of joy and celebration there was still pain. As I reflected back on yesterday the picture of pain is the one that lingers in my mind.

When you speak in front of people regularly, you begin to see signs of what you are communicating through the eyes of the people listening. Some connect and give non-verbal indicators that they are engaged. They nod their head, they take notes or they simply get a look that tells you they are processing information. These are all positives for a speaker.

Yesterday, as I watched those listening to the message I saw pain. The face of one particular person keeps popping into my mind. Wrapped with hurt, anxious, doubting, wondering why they were there was what their body language gave off. It was tension, depression, and hurt all rolled into one. My heart broke as I tried to imagine what could cause so much pain.

Maybe that was you. Maybe it was the person next to you. I am not going to reveal who it was or put any pressure on anyone, but I have a very personal and direct message for that person:
You are not alone. God loves you. God cares. And we are here to help.

No one likes pain. It is not the emotion we seek. It is our desire to live our life free from pain. The reality is pain is a part of life. We can’t know life itself without pain. The very act of coming into this world is painful. We learn valuable life lessons through pain. We all learned not to touch the hot stove because of the sensation it gave our hands.

But physical pain is often easier to deal with than emotional, spiritual or mental pain. Often we are afraid to admit we are hurting. But God already knows. Often we are afraid to seek help. But God has already provided someone to help us in his church. Often we feel hopeless. But God is the God of hope.

I don’t like pain. I especially don’t like seeing others in pain. So, if you think I am talking about you, call and talk to me. If you feel any of the emotions I have described, I am here to help. If you think that you are all alone, God has promised to never leave you or forsake you.

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Jesus speaking in Matthew 11:28-30 in The Message

Sunday Night Update

2009-08-02T18:44:00.001-07:00

Today was a great day at LifeQuest. It has been a very difficult week for our church family, but God showed up in a powerful way today. Here are some Sunday night thoughts:

• The music part of worship was awesome today. It felt like people were singing with serious passion.
• It was great seeing so many new faces.
• The way that the bible applies into our life everyday always reminds me of how big our God truly is.
• I love the fact that people at LifeQuest hang around and talk after the service. That has to be a good sign!!
• I am really excited that our summer missionaries are coming home this week. I miss those guys.

I went to the hospital after the service to check on Jack Cerreta. Jack was doing okay and was talking, but the thoughts process is pretty difficult. Jack and Michelle wanted me to let everyone know how much they appreciate everyone’s prayers and support. If you would like to know how you can help, contact me at John@lifequestchurch.com.

God is up to some great stuff at LifeQuest. New faces are coming every week, people’s lives are being changed, and people are discovering that God has a plan and purpose for their lives. It is exciting and I want to encourage you to do all you can to be a part of this exciting time.

Update #4

2009-07-30T07:49:00.000-07:00

I arrived at Lawnwood Hospital this morning not sure what to expect. Jack Cerreta had undergone major surgery on Wednesday to remove blood clots from his brain. We knew the surgery went well, but were not sure what to expect the next day. As I walked across the parking lot all I could think was, “Lord, please let all of this be moving in the right direction.”

I saw Michelle, Jack’s mom, in the hall way and she told me Jack had pulled out his ventilator tube during the night. My first thought was that this could not be good. She was on the phone so I went into the ICU and saw Jack and his dad. The nurses were able to leave out the breathing tube and Jack was more aware of things than I expected. As I stood by the bed talking to him, Jack opened his eyes and said, “Hi, John.”

Needless to say everyone was very excited. Jack was responsive to questions today. His nurse was helping him and he was able to follow her directions. He would nod his head in response to questions and would try to talk a little. These are all very positive signs.

Please continue to pray for the entire family. Although Jack seems to be doing very well, his full recovery and rehabilitation may be extensive. There is much to celebrate today, however.

Many people have asked what they can do for the family. Jack and Michelle feel very loved and cared for by everyone. Casey has been able to secure leave from the Marine Corps and is flying home tomorrow from Japan. She had to buy her own ticket and it was very expensive. If you feel so inclined and are able to contribute to help her with the cost of the ticket I know it would be of great support and comfort to Jack and Michelle. If you would like to contribute, please make your check for any amount to LifeQuest Church and mark on the note “Casey Cerreta.” We as a church will write a check to her to help cover her costs.

Thank you to everyone who has been so supportive and prayerful during this time.

Update #3

2009-07-29T16:20:00.001-07:00

Jack came out of surgery about 5:00 this evening. The surgeon said the procedure went well and he removed two clots from Jack’s brain. Jack will be recovering at Lawnwood until he is physically functioning enough to be discharged. At that time plans will be made for his rehabilitation.

Jack and Michelle wanted me to tell everyone how much they appreciate all of the calls and support. They are doing as well as can be expected. Please continue to pray for the entire family. Casey was able to talk to her parents twice today and may be coming home for emergency leave. I will be updating things as often as possible and will relay any significant changes.

Update #2

2009-07-29T11:02:00.000-07:00

I am sitting in the waiting room at Lawnwood Hospital with Jack and Michelle Cerreta. Young Jack was just taken back to surgery. The surgeon told Jack and Michelle that the surgery would take about three hours or so. Jack is still in critical but stable condition.

Jack and Michelle were able to talk with Casey in Japan. The Red Cross had gotten in touch with her and she was able to contact her parents at the hospital. Please also include her in your prayers as she is so far away from her family during this critical time.

Your presence and prayers have been greatly appreciated. I will continue to update throughout the day. If you have any questions please feel free to call or e-mail and I will contact you as soon as possible.

Some of you have been at the hospital and Jack and Michelle greatly appreciate it. If you come to the hospital, please ask the desk to lead you to the surgical waiting room or the ICU waiting room and you will be able to find Jack and Michelle.

Jack Cerreta Update

2009-07-29T07:41:00.000-07:00

The past two days have been very difficult ones for the LifeQuest family. Jack Cerreta, Jr. was in a very serious car accident on Monday night and is in the ICU at Lawnwood Regional Medical Center in Ft. Pierce. Jack suffered some very serious head injuries and has been sedated the entire time he has been at the hospital.

I was with his parents, Jack and Michelle, this morning when the doctors told them that they needed to operate on Jack’s brain. This afternoon (Wednesday) at 1:00 Jack will be having surgery to remove a blood clot from his brain. It is obviously a very serious condition and one in which the doctors are approaching with a great deal of caution. Please be praying for the Cerreta family through this time.

As we were at the hospital yesterday and today, many people called or visited. Jack and Michelle wanted me to convey how much they appreciate your thoughts and prayers. A few of us were standing in the hall yesterday when Jack said, “We have a great church.” What a great witness to the love and grace of God’s people during a time of crisis.

As I was thinking last night about all that was transpiring, I was reminded that perhaps the greatest ministry any of us may have is the ministry of presence. When we make ourselves available to those who hurt, who weep, and who mourn, we become physical reminders of the spiritual presence of Christ. This is what the church is to reflect to one another and the world; presence.

Over the course of today and the next few days I will be updating my blog to update the status of young Jack. I am able to update my blog from the hospital, but not necessarily e-mail. So, check here periodically for updates and information concerning Jack’s condition. Pray, call, visit and encourage one another through this time. Let’s practice the ministry of presence.

Leadership Lessons

2009-07-22T06:44:00.000-07:00

I am fascinated by different leaders. People who have the ability to lead groups, organizations, churches, and movements make me feel awed simply by listening or reading their thoughts and feelings. While I would never begin to assume myself to be a “Leadership Expert,” my years in ministry have helped me to learn some great lessons that I hope will encourage and challenge others. So, here are four qualities of leadership that cannot be ignored.

• Leadership must be empowering, not burdensome.

As a leader, the more your organization grows the less you are able to control hands on. Those are the moments that you must empower others to use their gifts and their skill set to lead in a hand on way. I have learned that my main gift set is really in three areas: communicating the word, casting a vision, and mentoring leaders. However, for me to operate in those three areas, I need to be secure enough in myself and in the leaders around me to buy into the vision, live the vision, and pass the vision on to the rest of the organization. When we empower instead of burden we get greater buy-in to the vision and great effectiveness from people’s gifts.

• Leadership must be inspiring.

My main role in leading must be to cast a vision large enough to challenge people but focused enough not to overwhelm. One of the main issues in the American church today is that we want to do everything. We must inspire the church to understand what God has called us to do and what God has not called us to do. In doing this we are able to inspire people to do the work that God has called us to in a manner that does not deflate their energy or destroy their desire to serve. We must constantly remind ourselves and the church that our goal is eternal and our work has eternal rewards that are not always readily visible today.

• Leadership must be communicative.

Leaders cannot be isolated. However, we also cannot meet everyone’s need at every moment. Leaders must design the proper context for communication and then intentionally communicate. If we as leaders don’t communicate with purpose we become distant and unapproachable. I love having “stand-up” communication with people to discuss their dreams, their visions and their passions as it relates to the dreams the vision and the passion of the church.

• Leadership must be supportive.

As leaders we must know that someone will always be opposed to what we are doing no matter how much it is succeeding. As a senior leader, I must be willing to support the staff and lay leaders of the church in the face of gossip, complaints and discontent. I also must be willing to confront boldly areas of sin, gossip or discontent on the staff level and make sure that the staff is doing the ministry of the church in a biblical manner.

When we consciously and consistently make leadership empowering, inspiring, communicative and supportive we find ourselves hitting the sweet spot of ministry. When we are not operating in this way we find ourselves defensive, micromanaging, territorial and insecure.

What are your leadership lessons?

Man Card

2009-07-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

Okay, it is confession time: I watched “Mamma Mia!” yesterday!! Take my man card. Rip it to shreds; pass it to someone who can actually use a power tool or simply hold on to it. I had two thoughts after watching this movie: 1) I need to confess this immediately, and 2) whoever thought Pierce Brosnan could sing needs to be slapped in a bad way!!!

Here are the gory details: it was a rainy Sunday afternoon. I had already watched Tom Watson gack up the British Open and there was not one single baseball game on. This is that time of year where we really need to jump to football season.

My wife had rented the movie because she wanted to see it. She had already declared that she knew no one else wanted to watch it, but I felt the desire to simply share the experience with her. She didn’t ask or expect me to watch, but I thought if nothing else I will earn some “Good Husband Credits.”

I watched this movie and was torn between feelings of shame and feelings of being wrapped into this story of a young woman trying to figure out who her father really is. On so many levels the story is tragic because there is a young woman without a true identity. The hormones of her mother’s youth and the consequences that are reaped twenty years later paint a backdrop that is far too realistic for many people in our society today.

I know this is a critically acclaimed musical and the movie is some great feat of theater, but the tragedy of a life spent in desperation and wonder is an episode that does not promote good theater to me. I found the ending to bring neither hope nor fulfillment.

I’m not trying to turn this into some Siskel and Ebert moment, but worldviews are reflected in art and culture today in such a way that values and mores of societies are stamped in the conscience. On one level, it is simply a movie experience that filled the gap of a rainy afternoon. On another level it is a social commentary that leaves me empty and frustrated. If you enjoyed the movie or the musical, I have no problem with your point of view. For me, the fact that the movie was a “chick flick” was the least of my real concerns. It left me grateful to know that I have a Heavenly Father who loves me and who knows me inside and out.

I think I am going to rent a good John Wayne flick tonight!!!

Love Story

2009-07-14T10:52:00.001-07:00

I have an 8-year-old daughter who is in love with the idea of being a princess, having a prince come for her, romance and the fairy tale. She is a true romantic in every sense of the word. Fortunately she is an innocent romantic. I am constantly reminded that some day she will grow up and her romantic dreams and fairy tale stories may give way to broken hearts and strained understandings of love. But for now, she is her Daddy’s princess.

She has a new favorite song and I am responsible for her interest. I showed her the music video for Taylor Swift’s song “Love Story” not too long ago because I knew she would love it. The song is about a young romantic “Juliet” who is being kept away from her “Romeo” by her father. It plays out the drama and angst of young love derailed. Of course the song ends with the father giving Romeo permission to marry his little girl and all ends well. But the true story of Romeo and Juliet is not nearly as romantic in its ending.

If you recall Romeo and Juliet are from warring families. Their young love is forbidden and plots are hatched for an escape from the repressive parent’s control. Of course, in the end Romeo and Juliet both die. I have never been able to understand what was so romantic about that. But, I’m a man and I guess I am doomed to not understand such things.

Here’s my problem: I don’t want my two “princesses” or my “prince” to grow up with a warped view of love. I don’t want them to think that the prince on the white horse or the damsel in distress is what true love is all about. True love is so much deeper. True love is not about dying for one another, but about helping one another to live.

God created us as his sons and daughters. In romantic terms his princes and princesses. But we sought our own desires and our own fulfillment. And death occurred. The kingdom heirs were banished from the eternal presence of the king. So Jesus came to restore the throne. He came to allow us back into the palace. He played out the ultimate love story.

In our human views of romance and desire we all dream of some fantasy to be played out in our lives. It is human nature to dream and desire. But how do we make sure our dreams and desires don’t lead us down the road to death and destruction? How do we protect ourselves from the nightmares that are the flip side of the fantasy?

I believe it is in seeing ourselves the way the king sees us. We are a prince or a princess because of who the king is in relation to us. As we see him more clearly, we see ourselves more accurately.

I don’t ever want to crush the dreams of my children. I want them to dream big dreams, push hard to make their dreams become reality and live life to the fullest extent of God’s design for them. I also want them to know that no matter what, they are heirs to the true king. They are significant not because of the romance, but because of the Risen King.

Now that’s a Love Story!

Spiritual Fitness

2009-07-13T08:28:00.001-07:00

Since the first of this year I have been engaged in a conflict directly out of World War II: the Battle of the Bulge! I have been focusing on simply trying to lose a few pounds, get fit so that I can actually run up and down a basketball court, and if I can, look a little better when I go to the beach. Of course, on the latter part there is only so much I can do!!

Since January I have done pretty well in the consistent exercise department. I am not going crazy by getting up at 4:00 a.m. to workout, and I am not trying to lose a huge number of pounds. I just want to feel a little better. And I have found when I exercise, I generally feel good.

But the last few weeks have been a struggle. I don’t feel motivated to work out, I am making excuses for not being active, and I am not being disciplined about what I am eating. So, my belly has expanded a little and my overall fitness level is, well, let’s just say I won’t be running any fast breaks anytime soon.

As I was reading in scripture today I came across the spiritual equivalent of what I have been going through physically. I 1 Timothy 4:7-8 Paul writes these words:
“train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”

Spiritually it is up to us to decide to train ourselves. If we pray, read our bibles, fellowship with other believers is all dependant on our desire to do so and our choosing to do it. God doesn’t just magically make us spiritually fit anymore than he makes us physically fit. It is a matter of our desire and our discipline.

It is very easy to find a reason not to be spiritually disciplined. “I’m tired,” “it’s early,” “it’s late,” “I don’t know where to start” are all reasons that I have used at one time or another to talk myself out of spiritual discipline. The key factor is that we will lonely be as godly in spirit as we put in the time and effort to be disciplined in habit. I am not talking about some legalistic checklist of things we have to do. I am talking about the daily habits that should be a part of our life for our spiritual fitness. If we really desire intimacy with God and clarity of his desire for us and our spiritual lives, we must put in the time and effort to connect with him on our own.

So, today I am challenging you and me to start. Pick up your bible and read. Spend some quiet moments in prayer. Connect with other believers who can encourage you on your walk with Christ. I am choosing to do that today. I am also choosing that I will ride my bike later today and get back into at least some level of physical shape.

Justification and Sanctification

2009-07-08T08:07:00.000-07:00

As a pastor there are two questions that I get quite often. Although different in many ways, they are intricately intertwined with one another. The first question is something along the lines of this: “How do I have a relationship with God?” The second question typically goes like this: “How do I live out my relationship with God?”

These are two very distinct aspects of theology, but they go together in the practical day to day living out of our faith. I want to spend a few minutes and give you a quick theology lesson and also a quick application to think about how these areas of your life are played out every day.

The first answer of how to have a relationship with God deals with an area of theology called justification. The simple definition is justification puts us back in right relationship with God. What we must understand is that right relationship with God is only possible through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Scripture is full of references to this concept. John 3:16, Romans 3:21-26, 1 Corinthians 1:30 all tell us that justification happens through Jesus.

What we need to realize in our lives is justification is only the first step in the life of a follower of Jesus. Justification is our stepping across the line of faith. It is our moment when we surrender our life to Jesus.

The second question has an answer that lies in another theological term called sanctification. Sanctification is the process of being made holy that result in a changed lifestyle. This is the concept that the more we understand about god and his desires for our lives the more it changes our attitudes, actions, thoughts, words, deeds and heart. This is an on-going process for the rest of our lives. Hebrews 12:14 tells us that we should pursue holiness as an on-going growth pattern in our life.

The danger in not fully understanding sanctification is that it can lead to legalism. As humans we have the habit of reducing the passions and desires of God into rules and laws that we use as a checklist for our life. We hold ourselves and others to extra-biblical standards that are not truly the passion of God.

The flip side of this coin is liberalism; not of thought but of action. This is the concept that since God has forgiven me through Christ I can do or say anything I want. A brief reading of Romans 6-8 will show that Paul firmly condemned that view.

So, why do these two ideas demand discussion and such a long blog post? There are two reasons: some people tend to stop in their walk with Christ after they have been justified and some people tend to take their growth in Christ to legalistic and harsh rules.

We need to learn to leave in the blessed middle. God has forgiven us through Jesus, has wiped away all of our sin and shame and has made us his eternal children. That is justification. As a result of what God has done for us we should desire to live our lives to honor him and to hold him as the highest standard of love and grace and honor that is possible. That results in changed lifestyles for us. That is sanctification.

Today I see many Christians, including myself, who are living in the extremes at times. We need to learn to live in justification and sanctification. We need to learn to live in grace and holiness. I see this lived out so often among my ministry peers. Some are so caught at the point of justification that they do not live lives of holiness and therefore fall prey to the enemy of God. Others are so bound by laws and rules that they become Pharisees who impose standards on others not according to the Word of God but according to our own rules.

Several years ago I had breakfast with a man who I respect very much. We had never met, but he was the speaker at a camp I was attending with the youth ministry from our church. Shortly before we met, a friend of his and a man I very much respected had died. If I mentioned their names everyone would know them, so I won’t. We were talking about this when he said, “John the thing about _____ is that he understood justification but not sanctification.”

That has stuck with me to this day. Do I understand both? Do I live in the tension of grace and freedom? Am I a Pharisee or a hypocrite?

My prayer is that each of us understands that God’s love is not based on our actions. I also pray that we understand that our actions should be a daily reflection of God’s love.

Different Together

2009-07-06T06:19:00.001-07:00

I am in the office for the first full day since my two week vacation. It was a great trip with a lot o fun with the family, but it is always nice to get back home to your own house, your own bed, your own dog and especially your own church.

The two weeks we were on vacation we worshipped with our families at churches that have very different styles than LifeQuest. They are a little more traditional, larger and in very small towns. They dress different, use different translations of scripture, and sing different songs. Yesterday, as I spoke at LifeQuest, I talked about how although we worship in different styles we have the most important thing in common: Jesus.

This morning I began reading the book of 1 Timothy in my devotional time. In chapter 1 Paul is instructing Timothy to have the church focus on the things that unite rather than things that divide. In verse 5 he says, “The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” That is what the church should be about.

In verse 6, Paul gives the other side of the coin: “Some have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless talk.” This is, unfortunately, what the church is often about. We gossip, criticize, complain and divide. It is shameful.

Today we need to learn to live united. The enemy of our soul is out to destroy the work that God has begun in our lives. He not only uses our sinful flesh, but the sinful flesh of others to distract us from the eternal truth of God’s plan. As Christian leaders we must never give in to the trap of destroying the work God is doing in another ministry. There is plenty of work for us all.

Churches operate differently. They worship differently and they are structured differently. But any church that preaches Jesus Christ and him crucified and raised from the dead is a partner in our cause. We must not allow style differences to cause body divisions.

Today, pray for churches in your area. Pray for God to bless their ministries, their pastors and their effort to increase the Kingdom of God. That is how we demonstrate love from a pure heart.

Back and Better Than Ever

2009-07-04T08:10:00.000-07:00

I have been gone from this site for two weeks. I had many thoughts of things I wanted to write about, but really felt the need to unplug as much as possible during this vacation with the family.

We drove over 3,000 miles through seven states and visited my mom and Alana's parents. It was a great family get away. Now we are back and I am ready to get rolling into life again. I can't wait for tomorrow to worship and speak at LifeQuest again. I miss the people of our church so much when we are gone.

Today we are going to relax, celebrate the birth of the greatest nation on earth, and enjoy some time with friends. I hope that you have a great Fourth of July and that you experience the true freedom found in Christ.

The pictures are from fishing on a pond in Mt.Pleasant, Texas. Yes, people from Florida went there for vacation. Kimmie was a great worm wrangler and Zach and Emily both had to kiss the fish they caught. Vacation=Good Memories!!!

Truth Killer

2009-06-16T07:20:00.000-07:00

There is an old saying that “truth is the first casualty of war.” That may be true in our 24-hour drive-by news cycle of today. But God’s Word points out to us that it has always been true. In spiritual battle, as well as in earthly combat, truth is quickly relegated to the infirmary.

In my personal devotion times lately I have been hanging out in Daniel. The first few chapters are pretty straightforward and understandable. They are the famous stories; Daniel and his friends not eating at the kings table, Daniel interpreting dreams for the king and Daniel in the lion’s den. The last few chapters are much more intense. They involve visions, symbolism and prophecy.

I have no desire to expound of what they meant in Daniel’s time or what they may mean for us today. Instead I want to point out a simple fact: pride kills truth.

In Daniel 8 there is a vision of rebellion and war. There is the destruction of kingdoms and kings. At the very end of the chapter Daniel himself falls ill because of the heavy nature of the vision. But today, one small verse caught my eye.

“Because of rebellion, the host of the saints and the daily sacrifice were given over to it. It prospered in everything it did and truth was thrown to the ground.” Daniel 8:12

Truth became a casualty of this rebellion. In so many ways, we become prideful and rebellious in our walk with God and truth gets thrown to the ground. When we think that we have a right or special access to God because of our position or our success, we are the leaders of rebellion. And when we believe that what God has done would not have been possible without us, we buy into the lie. Truth gets thrown to the ground.

The past week has seen a man of God who was being used by God in a powerful way fall in the battle. I don’t know this man personally, and I have no idea about the depth of his sin or the struggles he is facing. But for all of us who may want to throw stones or cast judgments or think we are above such things, we are throwing truth to the ground.

Some may argue my interpretation or exegesis of the passage. I am simply sharing what God showed me today from his word: I can kill truth very quickly if I am not careful. When I get arrogant and judgmental, when I get lazy or casual, when I get frustrated and tempted, I am on the edge of body slamming the truth. I need to remember that all that is good in me is the result of all the good Jesus has done.

What are the areas that you need to pick up truth? Where are you buying into the lie of rebellion?

When God Shows Up

2009-06-15T08:14:00.001-07:00

The greatest sign that God has shown up in a person’s life or in a church community is that change happens. I don’t mean change from one music style to another or change from one preference to another. I mean real, deep down, heartfelt change. There is no chance that humanity can encounter divinity and not be changed by the experience.

Scripture is full of stories of men and women who were changed by the mere presence of God. Noah built something never before seen based on an encounter with God. Moses found courage to leave the desert as a shepherd and lead a movement of a million people from Egypt. Paul went from persecuting Christians to being persecuted. The one common factor in each experience was that God showed up in a powerful way.

Today we go through our religious routines and wonder why God is not responding to what we are doing. Is it possible that what we are doing is not blessed by God simply because it is what “we” are doing and not the power of his presence we desire? I have no idea why God moves the way he does or chooses to use some people and not others. But I know that people or churches that are used by God are the ones that embrace his presence and encourage change from selfishness to worship and humility.

We have seen God move in the life of LifeQuest Church in the last few weeks like never before in our ministry. I know it is not because I have suddenly become a better speaker. I know it is not because our worship team is playing better music. I know it is not because we have a lot of flash and glitter to our services. All I know is that God is showing up because people’s lives have been changed.

People who have never been to church before are now attending every week. People who had rejected God all of their lives are now stepping across the line of faith. Yesterday we threw a baptism party for seven people. People who were apathetic to church life are now stepping up to tackle major ministry areas. People who were not really excited about sharing their faith are now bringing their friends and neighbors to hear the message of Christ.

God has been showing up here. I pray that we never miss that fact. I pray that we never lose sight of the fact that God is changing people’s lives. I hope we never think it is about us. I hope we always remember it is about his presence.

Pedals

2009-06-11T06:17:00.001-07:00

I learned two great lessons yesterday as I tried to get some exercise on my bike: never leave your cell phone at home and always make sure your equipment is ready. I had planned to burn some calories with a bike ride late yesterday afternoon. I got my iPod, jumped on my bike and took off.

I was getting into it. My heart was starting to pump, a sweat was breaking out, and Daughtery was thumping through my ears. A side note: “Crashed” may not be the song of choice when riding on a busy street!! About two miles into my ride something suddenly was not right. My left foot suddenly was doing its own thing. In order for a bike to work properly, both feet need to move in the same direction. I thought I had broken my chain, but the pedal on the left side had fallen off my bike. Okay, no big deal. Find the pedal, screw it in, and get going again. Wrong!!

I found the pedal, but the threads wouldn’t work. I could not screw the pedal back onto the extension to make it work. This was no good. I had a choice: walk the bike home two miles or try to ride it home two miles. Of course, I chose foolishly. Do you know how hard it is to ride a bike with one pedal? I thought I may be like a one legged duck who swims in circles. Instead I found out I was one giant cramp in my left leg as I tried to ride my bike home.

I have thought about the spiritual implications of this incident. Maybe the lesson is to prepare before you begin. Maybe the lesson is to fight through any difficulty. Maybe the lesson is that foolish people do foolish things and have to deal with the consequences.

For me, the most important lesson I can come up with is the wheels (or pedals) sometimes come off in life. We are headed one direction and suddenly there is a major issue. The question then becomes how we deal with it. There are all kinds of great quotes to use here: “When the going gets tough the tough get going.” “No pain no gain.” “Never quit fighting until the fight is done.”

I don’t know if there are any great lessons here. I simply know that the unexpected happens and we have no choice but to deal with it. So today, I will go home, fix my bike, crank some music and pedal!!!

Idols and Furnaces

2009-06-09T06:15:00.001-07:00

Occasionally I read through scripture and come across a familiar bible story and my mind re-enacts the Veggie Tales version of the events. I have been reading through Daniel in my devotion time lately and this morning was spending some time in Daniel 3; you know the story of Rack, Shack and Benny. This passage has some great insights for us and some timeless truths for adults of any age.

• Humanity loves to build idols to ourselves. (Daniel 3:5-6)
Nebuchadnezzar decided that he needed to be worshipped as a god. He built an idol and commanded people to worship him. As a leader, I must always be checking my ego to see if I am leading people to follow me or to follow Christ.

• Rack, Shack and Benny took a stand and were unwilling to compromise their convictions to worship only the true God. (Daniel 3:12) We must continually ask the questions, “What am I worshipping instead of God?” We may not have an idol to bow to or an image we worship, but anything that compromises God’s truth for our own pleasure is an idol.

• The three were willing to go to the furnace whether God rescued them or not. (Daniel 3:16-18) It is easy to say we will do whatever God asks of us, but how far are we truly willing to go? They had no guarantee that God would rescue them, only the faith that he could. They were committed to worship only the one true God.

• Their faith was contagious. (Daniel 3:26) Nebuchadnezzar was willing to kill anyone who did not worship him. After the events of Daniel 3, he was willing to kill anyone who spoke against the one true God. Maybe his zeal was a little over the top, but he learned from the three committed followers of God what true faith looked like.

How far are we willing to go for our faith? How much does God call us to seek him and know him in order to make him known to the world around us? Are we willing to go to the furnace for our faith?

Thirst

2009-06-08T05:00:00.001-07:00

My mind has been in a race all morning. I went to bed with a heavy heart because of some issues other people were dealing with and woke up this morning with my mind running a million miles an hour. When circumstances in our lives seem crazy, disruptive, out of control and frustrating, it is very difficult to rise above them and put on the “happy face” that everything is fine.

Eternally I know that Jesus has everything under control and that my life is secure in him. But the circumstances that I find myself battling are not always easy, nor do they feel very spiritual. In fact, it simply seems like I am running in place, making no progress and bogged down by a heavy heart and a mind jumbled by details.

It is in these moments that I must hit a spiritual reset button. It is in this time that I need to step back and look eternally at the truth of my life and not the temporary obstacles. In the end, God has my best in store for me and my life is in his hands.

I am reminded of David’s words as he bared his soul to God:
“O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you, my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” Psalm 63:1.

My soul longs for God’s presence, his peace and his comfort. I seek his heart and his perspective. I long for a reminder of his grace and mercy in my life.

The most interesting this about all of this is that the circumstances are not directly related to my own. I hurt for someone I don’t even know personally because of pain in his family’s life. I hurt for families in our church that are hurting. I long for more connection with the one true God in order to feed my own soul.

The way to rid your soul of barrenness in the desert land is to find water. In John 4, Jesus promised that those who trust in him will never thirst again. Jesus, please quench my thirst with the power of your love, your grace, and your presence.

Emily

2009-06-04T06:56:00.001-07:00

Sixteen years ago today my life changed forever. Before that day Alana and I had been married for about three years and had learned to live and love together. Then, on June 4, 1993 our world was forever changed when Emily was born. From the moment I held her until today I have been amazed that I get to have the joy of being her dad.

Emily is an awesome girl. Some people miss it and don’t really see it, but she is a young woman of strength, character and deep passion. The greatest thing I see in her is a desire to love and serve Jesus. Her music and her desire to serve working with kids is one avenue of her love for Christ. I pray constantly that God would continue to grow that deep into her soul.

When Emily was three, I was having the worst day of my life. I was sitting in the back room of our house staring at the mountains of Southern California and contemplating what was happening to me. Emily came in from watching Barney and got in my lap. She took her hands and looked me dead in the eye and said, “Daddy, Jesus loves you.” Suddenly it seemed like maybe things would be alright after all.

Emily is also an athlete. She is all about basketball. From the time she was three years old it was the only sport she ever truly loved. She got a basketball goal for Christmas when she was five and has never stopped shooting. She wears a t-shirt that says, “Remember when you play ball like a girl used to be an insult?” She is strong, talented, and focused. Whatever she seeks to do in life, I know she will succeed.

Emily is not perfect. None of us are. But Emily is a young lady who is daily finding herself and daily causing me to strive to be a better dad. She is smart, funny, talented and beautiful. She is able to think deep thoughts and yet silly enough to make up goofy songs with her brother and sister.

As a dad I am very proud of all of my kids. Today Emily reaches a milestone birthday. She will get her drivers license soon, she will learn to depend on me less and less and she will soon be off on her own to live the life God has designed for her.

In so many ways today I am honored, proud, and excited for Emily. But there is another part of me that wants to shrink her down, cause her to still want to cuddle with her daddy on the couch and be my little girl again. I want her to be the same little girl shooting hoops on a four foot goal and watching Barney. (Okay, we can skip the Barney part, but you get the idea.) Today is Emily’s day. And as a dad there is no way I could be more proud of who she is.

I have learned a lot in sixteen years. I have learned that for good or bad your children will reflect you. When Emily is all competitive and hates to lose, that’s me. I have learned that as much as you want your kids to grow, it is the parents who experience the growing pains. And I have learned that God is a great and an awesome God to bless me with three amazing kids. It has been an awesome sixteen years!!!

Resolution

2009-06-03T04:49:00.001-07:00

Many people know the basic bible stories of Daniel. We know of Daniel being taken from Israel to Babylon and how he was trained to be a servant to the king. We know about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (their Babylonian names) and the stand they took even while facing the fiery furnace. We all know the dramatic story of Daniel in the lion’s den. What we often overlook is the first choice Daniel made that allowed him to rise to such an important place in the government of a pagan king.

I heard Andy Stanley talk about this passage several years ago at Catalyst, but as I was reading the passage again this morning the depth of Daniel’s actions seemed to jump off the page. Daniel 1:8 says, “But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine.”

Daniel was an upright Jewish young man who did all he could to follow God’s design and law. When he was taken into exile he could have easily given up and followed the commands of the pagan king and eaten food forbidden by God and participated in the pagan lifestyle in front of him. He had the perfect excuse to disobey God. His life literally was on the line.

But Daniel “resolved” not to defile himself. He made a heart commitment to stay true to God’s plan, God’s design and God’s purpose for his life. The scripture indicates that Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were the only ones who made this decision. All of the other young men taken into exile compromised their faith in order to fit into the lifestyle of Babylon.

How often do we make the same decisions? How often do we make a slight compromise here or a “course adjustment” there and find ourselves blending in to the landscape of our culture? It is so easy. We have the perfect excuse. We want to blend in, adapt, and participate in order to influence.

But Daniel made another choice. Daniel 1:17 says that because of their choice “God gave knowledge, and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning.” God made them outstanding because they chose to take a stand.

I worry sometimes that in our struggle to influence we give up our core values of holiness and separation. I am not a legalist. I am not talking about whether certain actions are right or wrong. I am simply asking a question. In our effort to reach the culture are we losing the resolution of our souls not to be defiled or defined by the culture?

Storm Trooper Kimmie

2009-06-01T05:58:00.001-07:00

The picture attached to this post is of Kimberly, my 8-year-old Storm Trooper. That was taken a couple of weeks ago at Hollywood Studios at Disney. This morning I really understood how much of a “Storm Trooper” Kimberly really is. She was riding in the middle seat of the Suburban today as I took her to school. We are driving along chatting about the fact that she only has a week left in school before summer break. Then Kimmie decided that Daddy needed a good laugh.

Being very serious she said, “I like sitting in the middle seat because I can see how fast you are going. The speed limit is 45. Remember, safety never takes a vacation.” Needless to say safety almost took a vacation as I tried to keep coffee from flying out of my nose from laughing. I am never quite sure what my kids are going to say, but I am usually sure it is going to be funny.

When I got to the office this morning and was thinking about it, I was reminded of the fact that people are always watching. It may be our kids, our friends, our co-workers, neighbors or total strangers. But someone is always watching how we act, how we speak, and how we represent Christ. That can be a huge burden, but thankfully Christ never called us to be perfect. He knew we would never be perfect, so he gave us his Spirit to help us regulate our actions and think about what we are doing.

We may not always have our own personal “Storm Trooper” in the backseat to remind us of what we need to be doing, but we can be assured that God’s Spirit will never leave those who follow him and seek after him. If we listen, if we tap into his plans and purposes for us, we can rest easy in the fact that people are always watching. Even 8-year-old little girls.

Disconnect

2009-05-28T06:01:00.001-07:00

I have three telephones, two web sites, a blog, three e-mail addresses, a FaceBook and Twitter (yes, I Tweet!!) and yet there are times when I still feel disconnected. How does that work? How can I have so many connection opportunities and still feel a sense of disconnect?

I have been thinking about disconnection in leadership and life over the last couple of days and have drawn a few conclusions. They may not be earth shattering, they may not be entirely new, but they are real in the ways in which they show up in y life.

I feel disconnected when I am focused on the deadline and not the goal.
When I am focused on the fact that certain things must be done in a certain time frame and not the fact that they serve a purpose it causes me to disconnect from the larger vision. It becomes the tyranny of the urgent rather than the pursuit of a vision. This happens frequently in ministry life because as soon as one Sunday passes you begin preparing for the next. Perry Noble described preaching as “giving birth on Sunday and waking up on Monday pregnant.” But when we focus on the task of preaching and not the end goal of communicating the greatest message ever it causes disconnect in our life.

I feel disconnected when I see people as interruptions instead of opportunities.
This is a weird tension in ministry because some people need you to pay attention to them always and we can never meet everyone’s needs. However when my calendar does not allow me time to actually minister to individual needs instead I am missing the point of the Great Commandment. You remember that one: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Ministry is about people and we cannot reduce them to programs that fit neatly into our calendar.

I feel disconnected when I allow ministry to try and feed my heart.
When I fail to spend time with God to feed my own soul I am cheating myself out of the refreshment that God’s Word has for me. We can’t always be preparing the next series or talks. We have to focus on the heart of God connecting with our heart first before we can imagine it connecting to others. Time is life’s great equalizer. Everyone gets 24 hours a day. If some of that time is not spent feeding my own soul, disconnect leads to drift which leads to desire which leads to sin. We have to be connecting to God in order for him to connect into our lives.

So, I can have all the communication tools I need, but if I fail to use them properly I will be disconnected from others. We have been given all we need to connect with God. But if we fail to implement them into our daily lives, we will miss the message of love, grace, freedom and hope that God has for us.

How connected are you?

Speaking to the Next Generation

2009-05-26T06:34:00.000-07:00

This past week I had a very cool opportunity to speak at a Campus Crusade for Christ meeting at the University of Florida. Yes, it was very hard as a Tennessee fan to go to Gator Country, but if any place needs Jesus it’s Gainesville!! I kid: every place needs Jesus.

It was a great time to watch some students that I have known since they were in elementary school lead the summer program. They organized everything that happened and we had about 120 people at the event. It was exciting, energizing, and then sobering.

Crusade events are very fun. College students have a lot of life, energy and they love to laugh. I was having a great time until the moment I realized that I was almost twice as old as anyone else in the room. When did this happen? I have known for a while that I am no spring chicken anymore, but really!!!

As I spoke, I made mention of the fact that I was twenty years removed from there they are. I remembered how God worked through situations in my life in college to help me see things in a new perspective. I also remember that the lessons were not always learned easily and were very rarely learned the first time.

When I finished speaking, several students came and talked about stuff going on in their lives. One young lady shared about how she was trying to minister to some friends. One talked about how churches in his home town were dying and he felt God calling him to go make a difference. He also asked about seminaries where he could be trained for ministry.

What I realized through this time was that every conversation I had started with a question. Students were looking for answers and hoping that maybe I could help. This is the exciting part of having some life experience. You get to share what God has shown you to a new generation of leaders that God will use to carry on his mission throughout the world.

It is not so bad being the old guy when God allows you to have a platform to share and teach his love to those coming behind us. I love having opportunities to speak to young crowds. They are passionate, challenging, and motivating. I only wish I had possessed their passion when I was their age.

Preference or Kingdom

2009-05-20T06:59:00.001-07:00

It is so easy to see that sometimes the church is not focused on the true Kingdom of God. That may not seem quite right at first glimpse, but look deeper into the words of the apostle Paul in Romans 14 and see if you can wrap your brain around this concept.

“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Romans 14:17

How many times do we as a church place eating and drinking at the center of the issue? Okay, we never talk about eating because we don’t view gluttony as a sin. And some denominations still wrestle with whether or not to drink alcohol, which even members of the same church can’t agree on. But in my view, Paul is talking about something much deeper. Yes to the first century Christians he was writing to eating and drinking were the issues, but what has replaced those in the church today?

In 21st century American Christianity the issues may not be food and wine, but types of music. Maybe it is political party affiliation. Maybe it is how to spend money in the church. Maybe it is style of leadership. These issues have become the issues that divide the church and keep us from having the life of power in the Spirit of God that he has designed for us.

If we look at the passage, what we really see is that Paul is calling us to put aside our own personal preferences or desires and to focus on the major aspects of community that the church should be about. We are to lay aside our preferences for the good of others. We are to set aside our agenda for the agenda of God.

What Paul calls us to follow is a life of living rightly in God’s eyes; seek peace through giving preference to others over ourselves and to seeking out joy over complaining. The result of this type of life is a unified community seeking the honor and glory of God and not the agenda and prideful desires of man. If we were really honest we would say that our lives are not always seeking these areas because they require sacrifice. They require self-discipline. They require not getting our way.

What would the church look like today if we truly sought righteousness, peace and joy?

Shocked By God

2009-05-18T07:52:00.001-07:00

God constantly amazes me and I am continually disappointed that I am shocked at God. I have been praying for God to move in our church in some great ways lately. We have been praying specifically for over 250 people who need to know Christ. I have prayed everyday for the past three weeks that God would open the eyes and hearts of these people and draw them to salvation in Christ.

Yesterday we had a great celebration service. We had first time guests, we had folks returning who have visited for a while and I knew God was going to do something. In the middle of the week I had a restless night where I knew I needed to change my message to a straight gospel presentation. So I presented John 3:16 as simply as possible; phrase by phrase, meaning by meaning.

At the end of the message I gave an old fashioned, come to the front invitation. Before I even finished Ron, a first time guest who was on our prayer list, was standing in front of me. As the song began I asked why he came forward. He simply said, “I need what you have been talking about.”

It was awesome!!! My friend Jack put Ron on our list. I grabbed one off the chair next to me and showed him his name. He was stunned. After the song I introduced Ron and Jack and talked about how we had been praying for Ron and God answered our prayer. The place was overwhelmed with emotion.

It is not about having 500 people come forward at one time; although if God wants to move that way it is cool with me. It is all about one guy, who loved his friend enough to pray for him, invite him to church and stand with him as he stepped across the line of faith.

Maybe this is the beginning of a movement. Maybe there are many more that God wants to bring into eternity through LifeQuest. I hope that is the case. But if I learned anything from yesterday it was that God is faithful and powerful. And I lack faith. God, forgive my small faith and help me to increase my vision for you and your kingdom!!!

The Need to Be Needed

2009-05-14T06:19:00.000-07:00

I start most days with some time in scripture and with some passages from some of my favorite devotional writers. It helps me to focus on the Word of God and absorb the wisdom of others who have been on this journey with Christ. Lately I have been spending time with C.S. Lewis and listening to his heart as he shared with his reader’s insight into the heart of God.

I have long held that humanity has two great needs: to be loved and to love. It is not original with me and it is not a new idea, but this morning as I was reading Lewis I was struck by another need that humanity has that can, in many ways, be both appositive and a negative: the need to be needed. In many ways we all have this built into us. In another way it can become the driving impulse of our lives.

As Lewis notes in “Mere Christianity” this need can be one of the greatest temptations to resist. It makes us feel important, useful, productive and vital. It can, when not tempered with the humility of Christ make us arrogant, selfish and dependant on our own strength rather than the strength of Christ.

I love lessons in leadership. I am avidly reading and connecting with people who I see God using to lead so that I may glean from their experiences. But what if our leadership is “me” driven and not Christ driven? What if it is not a need or desire to build His kingdom but ours? How do we temper our giftedness, leadership and service with humility, grace, and honor for Christ?

This morning before I read Lewis I read Romans 12. In that passage Paul gives us the secret to how to live a life of being needed without it becoming a prideful lust of our hearts.

“Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.” Romans 12:3

In other words, think of yourself rightly through the eyes of God. See yourself as you are. Don’t think more of yourself so as to become brash and arrogant. And don’t think of yourself as worthless and unnecessary. Instead, think clearly as God sees you: a child of the King.

Kid Drift

2009-05-11T07:37:00.001-07:00

I had a funny moment with my 8-year-old daughter yesterday. Our family had spent the weekend at Disney in Orlando for a basketball tournament that Emily was playing in with her travel team. On Sunday morning we didn’t have a game and had enjoyed a slow, easy morning. Alana and I had coffee by the pool while the kids watched TV and then we began the process of showers and packing up to head home.

In the midst of all of this, Kimberly needed a muffin and I needed a coffee refill, so we walked down to the food court to grab a bite. As we walked to the room, Kimberly swerved into me several times as her attention was captivated by people or the decorations. I joked about her trying to run me off the road and she just looked at me and said, “Sorry, I drift.” Needless to say I wasn’t sure how to respond.

As I think about it, that moment really sums up the life of a parent. Our job is to provide a foundation and a structure so that if our kids drift we are there to help them back onto the road. Far too often I see kids who drift with no one to guide them back. I see parents involved in themselves so much that they don’t see their kids drift. Or I see kids drifting and their parents refuse to step in and point them the right direction.

God understood the human condition enough to know we would drift. He also understood the family dynamic enough to know that we should guide our children toward the path that truly leads to life. Parents, live up to your responsibility so that our children never drift off the path and so that we can steer them back in the direction of the true source of life.

“These commandments that I give to you today are to be upon your heart. Impress them upon your children. Talk about them when you sit at home, when you walk along the road and when you lie down and when you get up.” Deuteronomy 6:6-7

Lines of Sight

2009-05-06T07:31:00.001-07:00

Everyone draws different lines in their life. We draw lines of behaviors, of attitudes, of sin and personal holiness. We draw lines of values and ethics and decisions in our lives daily, if not moment by moment. But some lines in our lives are closer than others. Some lines seem, upon first glance to be polar opposites, when in reality they are different sides of the same coin.

I was thinking about this last night as I had a conversation with Alana. We were talking about different aspects of life and got onto the subject of pride and self-worth. The more we talked the more we were able to unpack a little that those two things are deeply tied together.

When we think of pride we usually think of arrogance or overconfidence. We see the cocky pro athlete or the actress with the entourage and we see that in their eyes the universe revolves around their every move. Pride is deceptively wicked. Scripture warns us of pride in many different places (Proverbs 8:16; Isaiah 2; James 4:4-6).

On the flip side is the attitude of low self-worth. People are depressed, circumstances have gone against them and they feel worthless. Instead of being the light in the room, they prefer to bring a dark cloud around everyone. They don’t see themselves as God sees them as a unique and wonderful creation of His (Psalm 139).

Both of these ideas seem to be opposite ends of the spectrum, but I have come to realize that they are more closely tied than we imagine. The problem with both of these instances is a problem of vision: we have an “I” problem. In both pride and low self-worth we place ourselves at the center of the issue. We focus on us and not on the eternal God who loves and shapes us. It is not until we get our eyes off of ourselves and our circumstances that we can truly see the delight and the joy that comes from following Christ.

If you are like me, you suffer from both of these problems. At times pride and arrogance blind you to the reality of the world around you. We think more highly of ourselves than we should. Or at times we beat ourselves up because we are not perfect. Both cause us to cast our vision on earthly ideas or earthly issues.

In order to overcome this issue we must begin to look eternally at life. We must train our spiritual eyes to look at the eternal reality of the world around us.

“Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we are in.”
Hebrews 12:2 (The Message)

Life Moments

2009-05-04T06:41:00.001-07:00

Life is made up of hundreds, if not thousands of moments where things change quickly. It’s the moment where you are intent on one project or purpose and something of extreme importance jumps in the mix. It is the moment where your plans are all coming together and suddenly everything falls apart. That was the story of my life this past weekend.

Friday I was actually enjoying a beautiful day outside while I was trimming bushes in our yard. The weather was gorgeous; I was feeling a sense of accomplishment and pride in finally tackling a project I had put off far too long. I had a momentary thought as I held a vine that needed to be cut that went like this: “I probably shouldn’t do this; I CAN’T BELIEVE I JUST DID THAT!!”

The next thing I know I am in the emergency room getting stitches. The yard work remains incomplete, my finger still throbs when I hit it on something and for the next two weeks, I will have to try and keep my finger dry. I will probably catch Swine Flu because I can’t wash my hands completely!!

Life happens. As I remarked when I was calling my wife to have her take me to the hospital, “You can’t fix stupid.” But how do we respond afterward? The finger deal is a small thing. It could have been much worse. It really is an annoyance more than anything else. But I find in my life that moments like this sidetrack me and cause me to lose focus on the most important things.

The best thing we can do to avoid being sidetracked by the circumstances in life is to remember the words from the author of the book of Hebrews: “Let us keep our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.” When we see life’s circumstances through the eternal eyes of the eternal Christ, we are able to gain a measure of balance. As the insurance commercial states: “Life comes at your pretty fast.” How are you going to respond?

Jesus: The Center of History

2009-04-27T06:15:00.000-07:00

"I am an historian, I am not a believer, but I must confess as a historian that this penniless preacher from Nazareth is irrevocably the very center of history. Jesus Christ is easily the most dominant figure in all history." H.G. Wells, British author (1866-1946)

I came across this quote over the weekend and am fascinated by the sheer truth that is speaks. Jesus Christ is the very center of human history. There is no denying that on so many levels all of human history uses Jesus as a dividing line. He literally divides time as we know it into B.C. and A.D. He has divided mankind in philosophies, religions, education, and even war. There is no denying that Jesus is the framework and structure of history. But how seriously do we in the church take that role of our Lord?

For us, Jesus is the line over which we crossed into eternity with value and life. Through his death and sacrifice we have received life and grace from our Heavenly Father. In my time in scripture this morning I read these words: “He (Jesus) was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.” Romans 4:25. Jesus again becomes the fabric through which our life of faith is woven.

But are we content to leave it at that? Is the centerpiece of history our own personal Jesus? I believe that Jesus exists at the center of history not to be a polarizing figure but to be a magnetic force that draws mankind to him. As magnets push or attract one another based on their orientation, so humanity is either attracted to Christ or repelled by him based on our response to the question of who he is. When we orient ourselves to believe Jesus is merely a good man or a great teacher, we find ourselves moving farther from the truth of who he is in his nature. When we bow before his majesty and recognize him as Lord, we are attracted to him and realize that he gives meaning and purpose to life.

Jesus is the most dominant figure in human history. The question becomes, “what are we going to decide to do with him?” As the church, we must strive to constantly be attached to his presence and his lordship. As a movement, we must be continually on a quest to raise the truth of his majesty to those who have never heard.

What do you believe bout Jesus?

What Am I Doing with My Life?

2009-04-22T07:17:00.000-07:00

Every now and then, God has to remind me of some very foundational things in my life. Occasionally I will sit back and wonder what I am doing with my life. I have a voice inside my head that constantly tells me that I am not good enough, smart enough and gosh darn it people DON’T like me. It is in those moments where I have a choice about how to respond. I can give in to the feelings or I can live in the truth of Jesus.

When we feel alone or lost in our struggles, we need to step back and remember that God is the one who has poured out love, grace and mercy into our lives so that we do not have to be good enough on our own. The fact of the matter is we will never be good enough on our own. As I read Romans 3 this morning I came across a passage that reminded me that although I was separated from God by my sin, God chose to give Jesus Christ to become the fulfillment for the cost of my sin.

When I wonder what I am doing with my life, God tends to bring people to show me that he is using me to help them. My life is a filter through which others can see the grace of God. It is not always perfect, not always focused, and not always conscious, but it is still an avenue God uses to touch others.

All of us are part of that calling. God has given his followers the task to bring light into darkness and to bring hope into the midst of despair. Many people think that pastors have it all figured out when it comes to life and light and purpose. But doubts are as real in a pastor’s life as they are in everyone else’s life.

Today, choose to live in this reality: God wants to use you!! God has called you to follow him, to demonstrate his love, and to guide others into relationship with him. That is what I am doing with my life. What about you?

Imagineers

2009-04-20T07:40:00.000-07:00

I spent last week on vacation with my family. We went with some of our good friends camping at Fort Wilderness in Disney. It was great to have a few days to relax, unwind, and catch our breath after the big Easter push. We spent a day at Epcot and laughed and enjoyed one another as we got soaked by the rain and chilled by the wind. But all in all it was a great time.

One of the incredible things about being at Disney is realizing that someone dreamed up all of the cool stuff. Someone designed the flowers, someone engineered the rides, and someone designed the costumes of the workers. At Disney, those people are called Imagineers.

While I was gone I couldn’t escape the idea that coming back and speaking on Sunday morning was going to be a huge challenge. It wasn’t just that it was hard to get back into preparation mode from vacation, it was that the message God has been brewing in my heart has such deep relevance for us as a church and more importantly for me as a leader.

Yesterday I launched our “Imagine” series. I spoke of how after the resurrection and the ascension of Jesus into heaven his apostles could never imagine what God had in store for them. In the same way, as 21st century American Christians I feel like we have only scratched the surface of what God wants to do in us and through us to impact this culture.

What would happen if we as followers of Christ really developed the understanding of living I the “power” of the Holy Spirit of God today? Is it possible that within a matter of year’s countries and cultures could be changed as they were in the first century? Is it possible that instead of thousands of people entering eternity without Jesus every day, more and more would enter eternity with Jesus? Is it possible that instead of Newsweek declaring the death of Christianity we could see the death of Newsweek? Imagine!!!

I am praying today that God will begin a renewal in me. I am praying that God will revive our church and that we will see his name and his fame lifted up in ways that we cannot take credit for. I want to see the power of God. Can you "Imagine?"

Resurrection Sunday

2009-04-12T03:35:00.000-07:00

“You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here.” Mark 16:6

The greatest words in all of human history followed the most tragic of eternal events. Jesus who died, Jesus the Son of God, Jesus the Messiah was alive. And because of that, his followers now have new life. We no longer have to fear death and shame because Jesus overcame them with the empty tomb.

Today is resurrection Sunday. It is the celebration that what was dead is now alive. Every day that we as fallen and sinful human beings live in forgiveness and grace, we remember the death of Jesus and the triumphal exit from the tomb. Today we celebrate that all of history was changed forever.

Passion Thoughts 5

2009-04-10T06:46:00.001-07:00

“And they crucified him.” Mark 15:24. This is what we call “Good Friday.” Nothing seems good about it to me. Every year this day of the year is filled with a deeper sense of history than any other. I reflect back through the biblical narrative on what was happening to Jesus that day almost two thousand years ago. And my heart is filled with angst, frustration, guilt and pain.

I also recognize that without Good Friday my life would be hopeless. I would not have life and freedom that is found through the sacrifice of Jesus. Good Friday is good because of the eternal rewards that come from the pain and shame of the cross. Jesus had an eternal view of the cross.

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2

If Jesus could find joy in the cross, how much more should we cherish the goodness of the events of Good Friday?

Passion Thoughts 4

2009-04-09T07:02:00.000-07:00

Human beings are not always nice. We are petty, rude, selfish, and demanding. As Jesus was arrested, tried, beaten and crucified, humanity was displayed at its worst. Not only was the physical brutality unimaginable to the modern mind, but the emotional torment that Jesus was put through must have been horrific.

On several different occasions Jesus is mocked. The chief priests and Jewish rulers of the day mocked him at the trial at Caiaphas house. The people in the crowd mocked him and made slandered his name. The Roman guards mocked him with verbal assaults and pretend kingly honor. The one who created all things is now the butt of the jokes of the creation.

So often I read the biblical accounts and wonder what I would have done had I been there. Would I have betrayed Jesus to save my own skin as Peter did or would I have betrayed him for thirty silver coins as Judas? Would I have scattered like John and all the other disciples or would I have followed like the women? Would I have seethed in the corner as my Lord was mocked or would I have delivered a blow to the face of the King? It is in those moments when I desire nobility and honor that I am faced with my own pitiful reality: I am a mocker.

All of humanity mocks Jesus at one time or another. When we desire our own plans and kingdoms more than his, we mock. When we seek temporary treasures over eternal riches we mock. When we live our faith in quiet comfort and tell those around us who don’t know Jesus to go to hell, we mock. Passion Week reminds me that at some level, conscious or not, I mock my Lord. And still, Easter comes.

Lord, forgive my mocking. Forgive my failure to honor you as you deserve. Thank you that those who mock on Thursday can be restored on Sunday. Amen.

Passion Thoughts 3

2009-04-08T05:43:00.001-07:00

Darkness and light have such an obvious contrast. In one we strain and stumble and injure ourselves on the unseen objects in our path. In the other there is freedom and warmth. We are able to run instead of creep and able to roam instead of ramble. It has been that way since the beginning of creation. The crucifixion of Jesus became a defining point of the stark contrast.

Genesis tells us that before the creation of the world there was “darkness over the face of the deep.” Then God spoke and light appeared. Instantly upon the command of God a separation was made between that which was dark and that which was light. John 1:1 tells us that “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” John identifies Jesus as the very Word of God spoken to bring light into the world. In Colossians, Paul tells us that “by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible.”

While Jesus hung on the cross, light turned to darkness. Mark 15 tells us that from noon until 3:00 darkness reigned over the entire land. It seemed like sin had thrown the world into utter chaos. When there was supposed to be light there was darkness. The one who was the “light of the world” now hung in the shadows of night.

In our lives, sin is darkness. The scripture says that men hate the light because it reveals the darkness of our hearts and the sinfulness of our nature. We are exposed for the shameful and sinful creatures that we have become. Humanity loves the darkness.

But the death of Jesus brought new light into history. No longer was humanity slave to our dark nature, but we were free to experience light because of the love of the source of light. While still on the earth Jesus compared his disciples to a city on a hill; a light not hidden in the darkness of this world.

As Friday approaches, our minds turn toward the darkness of the cross. We sense the pain and frailty of human existence as it is brutally executed. It is easy to turn dark. However, without the darkness we could never comprehend the light. In the depth of the darkness the brilliance of the light is even more majestic.

Jesus, thank you for taking on the darkness and overcoming it with the light of your love. Help me to experience this life in light and love that you bought on a painful cross on a darkened hill. Amen.

Passion Thoughts 2

2009-04-07T06:04:00.000-07:00

Betrayal. The Passion Week is the result of betrayal. It started in the Garden as Adam and Eve chose to betray the intimacy with God and choose the selfishness of ambition. It passed on through the ages. Through the nation of Israel turning their back on God, to the kings leading the nation into pagan worship, to Roman brutality, to crusades to force conversion to Nazi death camps, to taking the lives of the unborn, human history is filled with betrayal.

In the midst of the week of Jesus’ death, betrayal from two sources is brush strokes on the canvas of history. Judas, with a heart turned by Satan, betrays Jesus with a kiss in the garden to start the events of the last few hours of Jesus life. How fitting that this betrayal took place in a garden just as the first human betrayal of God. Then Peter betrays Christ three times; the final time actually declaring that he doesn’t even know Jesus. Betrayal.

But the betrayal has vastly different outcomes. Just as Adam’s betrayal led to the death of the human soul, Judas’ betrayal led to his physical death. He was so overcome with guilt and shame that he hanged himself. He went to the priests to try and overcome his guilt, but they could not restore what Satan had already birthed in his soul. Judas went into eternity, and history known only for his betrayal.

Peter also betrayed. The one who had declared that Jesus was the Messiah now runs weeping away from a young servant girl. Betrayal cuts deep into his heart. But three days later, Peter has a restoration moment. This man who denied Christ, who ran away to hide was singled out by the resurrected Christ to be restored to ministry. My two favorite words in all of scripture occur after Jesus is resurrected. He tells the women in the garden to go and tell the disciples “and Peter” that he will meet them in Galilee just as he said. “And Peter” are words of forgiveness and restoration.

We have all betrayed Christ. Our lives are not perfect and our hearts and stained by the grime of this world, but there is hope. The resurrection of Jesus brings forgiveness for those who trust in him. Betrayal becomes new birth in the soul of those who follow.

Lord, forgive my betrayals. Jesus breathe in me new life. Christ, replace the pain and shame of betrayal with joy and hope brought on by the glory of your resurrection. Amen

Passion Thoughts

2009-04-06T06:49:00.000-07:00

The week of Easter is always a crazy time in my life. There are always a million details to be finished before Sunday, a sense of urgency to make sure everything is just right, and a desire to take time to slow down and contemplate what this week is really all about. For pastors and church staff, Passion Week is not about spring break or slowing down. Yet somehow in the middle of all the chaos I am compelled to look into the deeper ramifications of the death and resurrection of Christ.

During Lent I very often read the daily devotionals by Walt Wangerin called “Reliving the Passion.” They are deeply personal and moving and tell the story of the week through the book of Mark. For years I have been compelled to reflect on the depth of insight and struggle of the final days of the life of Christ through the words of Wangerin.

Today as I was reading a thought hit me that I had never considered. While Jesus was on the cross he became my sin. He didn’t absorb my sin. He didn’t identify with my sin. He became my sin. “God made him to be sin who knew no sin…”(2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus became all of the mess and disgust that is the shame and the torment of my life. The perfect Son of God took on all of my pride, guilt and shame.

But that is not all. The next phrase of this verse, Paul writes, “so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Jesus substituted sin for righteousness in our lives. We literally get to have the righteousness of God because Jesus Christ fully took our sin. The cross became a spiritual bank where Jesus made the most personal and costly of transactions on our behalf.

Jesus, may I live in your righteousness this week. May I see your glory and forsake my sin which you bore on the cross. May my life be a light of your righteousness in all that I am and all that I do. Amen.

Relational Responsibilities

2009-03-30T07:19:00.001-07:00

God has been showing up in some funny places in my life these days. I know God is always there theologically, but sometimes you catch a glimpse of him when you don’t really expect it. It is in those moments that we become fully alive to what God wants to do in us. It is in those moments caught unaware that we see pure love, genuine acceptance, and intimacy of the Divine.

It seems that those moments most often happen in the context of relationships with others. It makes sense that relationships become revealers of God sense God is so relational. When my kids and I share a laugh, I see how God could laugh along with me at the craziness of life sometimes. When bridges are built in relationships, I am reminded that any reaching out on my part is a response to God reaching out to me. When hurt or pain comes into relationships, I am reminded that sin is painful not only to us, but to God.

God has shown me three things that I must be doing to see him more clearly in my relationships:

· Be humble. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. This is a very hard task for a prideful, sin filled man. Seeing my life in the context of Jesus should naturally make us humble. That humility should be infections to the relationships around us.
· Be forgiving. If God can forgive us, who are we to hold grudges? This is much easier said than done. I have a lot of grudges. I have been beaten up and chewed up a ton. But I am working on it.
· Be loving. It is easy to love when we feel loved. It is even easy to feel loved when we simply feel aroused. But it is difficult to feel loving when we feel wronged. God tells us to love anyway. For insight on how I am doing I this area, see “Be forgiving.”

Jesus is best revealed and understood in the context of relationships. Without the outflow of Jesus from our lives into the lives of others we simply become stagnant cisterns. That was never God’s plan. This week, be humble, be forgiving and be loving and see what God has in store for you.