Pastor Dave's Doodles

Life in Community - Jean Vanier

2012-03-01T15:05:00.002-06:00

Almost everyone finds their early days in a community ideal. It all seems perfect. They seem unable to see the drawbacks, they see only what is good. Everything is marvelous. They feel they are surrounded by saints, heroes, or at the least, most exceptional people who are everything they want to be themselves. And then comes the let-down.

During this time everything becomes dark; people no longer see anything but the faults of others and of the community. They feel they are surrounded by hypocrites. Life becomes intolerable. The greater their idealization of the community at the start, the greater the disenchantment. If people manage to get through this second period, they come to a third phase; that of realism and of true commitment.

They no longer see other members of the community as saints or devils, but as people; each with a mixture of good and bad, darkness and light, each growing and each with their own hope. The community is neither heaven nor hell, but planted firmly on earth, and they are ready to walk in it, and with it. They accept the community and the other members as they are; they are confident that together they can grow towards something more beautiful.

Jean Vanier is founder of L'Arche International.

Worth it

2012-02-28T08:21:00.004-06:00

This past Sunday I referenced the story of the "Eight Cow Wife". It's a beautiful story about the power of transforming love. Johnny Lingo paid eight cows for Sarita and this showed her how much she was worth to him. She hadn't thought very highly of herself until that point.

I think it's the same for us. Oftentimes, we don't feel like we are worth anything. We tend to beat ourselves up with negative talk ("You're so stupid, you'll never amount to anything, you're such a loser", etc). Even the enemy will try to discourage us by reminding us how much we miss the mark - but the good news is that God doesn't see us that way.

When God looks at us, He sees his Son Christ Jesus living in us. Numerous times the Bible talks about how our identity and worth are found in Christ. We live in Him and He lives in us. And as far as paying a price: 1 Peter 1:18-19 says, "For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers. but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect".

God sees incredible worth in every person which is why He sent His Son to be the ultimate, perfect sacrifice and pay the ransom for our sins. Be reminded of that powerful truth the next time you are tempted to feel worthless or no good. God didn't die for junk!

Making the Connection

2012-02-16T09:36:00.003-06:00

We have been reading this week about the building of the Tabernacle. God gave specific instructions on how this was to be built and what materials to use. It was a massive undertaking. The point of the Tabernacle was so God could "come down" and dwell (tabernacle) with His people. It was also a way for the people's sins to be forgiven through offering sacrifices. Only the priest was allowed to enter the holiest place once a year and offer these sacrifices for the people. There were all kinds of rituals they had to go through before they could enter.

There was alot of killing this, purifying that, sprinkling blood here, there and everywhere. Here's what it means for us:

According to Hebrews 9:11-14, when Christ came as a high priest...then through the greater and perfect tent (not made with hands) he entered once for all into the Holy Place, not with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls...sanctifies those who have been defiled so that their flesh is purified, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to worship the living God!

I mean - thank God we do not have to go through all of these requirements just to have our sins cleared and to be redeemed anymore.

Hebrews 9:24-26 says, "For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made by human hands..., but he entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. Nor was it to offer himself again and again, as the high priest enters the Holy Place year after year with blood that is not his own; ...But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the age to remove sin by the sacrifice of himself.

Keep in mind, the Old Testament continues to point us to what Jesus ultimately fulfilled on our behalf.

Beyond Disneyland

2012-02-14T13:39:00.003-06:00

Sometimes I think so much about "church stuff" that I neglect my calling as a Christian. I often think more about "how can I get more people in the seats" rather than "how can I share the gospel with people in the streets". Here's what I mean:

The predicament of the American church is that we live in a kind of Magic Kingdom. Like going to Disneyland, you buy your ticket, and once you are inside the gates, everything you experience is controlled. The rides, the food, the shows are all there to entertain and amuse you. All you have to do is be there and observe.

Yet just beyond the walls of Disneyland is Anaheim and the rest of Los Angeles. This is the real world with real problems: pollution and congestion, drugs and violence, islands of upscale neighborhoods surrounded by slums. Inside the Magic Kingdom, the outside world is almost inconceivable.

As Christians, we too are tempted to see our world that way. We can start thinking that our job is to invite a few fortunate others into the theme park, away from the troubles outside. But our job is not to increase the attendance at Disneyland; it's to tear down the walls and transform the world outside.

Excerpt from Richard Stearns, "Shedding Lethargy," Leadership Journal (Winter, 2012)

The Second Half

2012-01-31T09:10:00.004-06:00

Today is the last day of January and it is also the last reading of the book of Job. It's been great to re-read and study this man's story. In today's reading, God continues to challenge Job with questions that he can't answer and Job repents. God then turns his attention to Job's friends and says that they will receive grace after Job prays for them (that's a whole 'nother story!) but here is what stuck out to me today. Job 42: 12 says, "So the Lord blessed Job in the second half of his life even more than in the beginning."

I turned 45 at the beginning of this month. According to life expectancy experts, I am in the second half of life. Do I consider it to be more blessed than the first half?

Sports fans know that it's really the second half that matters more. It's important to play a good first half, but the outcome is determined in the second half. And things can turn around dramatically in the second half! (Just ask any team that has come from behind to win it all).

Job had some serious trials in the first half of his life, but God used them to bring him to a deeper dependance upon God. I'm sure Job had a different outlook on what was really important after God had restored everything he had lost. The same can be true for us. There is opportunity to find new meaning and purpose for your life even in the midst of crisis and chaos.

Job had been very successful in the first half of his life and I'm guessing that after his life-changing ordeal, he saw things a little differently; that he went from being successful to being significant. He really had a story to tell after God blessed him, forgave him, and also extended grace to his friends (who didn't deserve it by the way).

So - if you are in the second half of life, do you consider it more blessed than the first? If you are still in the first half of life, think about how you would like to enter the second half. Stephen Covey says to "begin with the end in mind." That's a good principle to live by.

It's not so much how you start out, it's all about how well you finish. The second half determines how the game will end. Think about it.

Don't Get Hooked by Temptation

2012-01-17T09:21:00.005-06:00

I was thinking about last Sunday's sermon. As I usually run it over in my head, oftentimes there are additional illustrations that come to mind. Here is one concerning fishing that illustrates how temptation works - and how we should urgently run from it instead of flirting with it. (remember Joseph's example with Potiphar's wife).

They say to catch a fish you have to "think like a fish." A fish's life is about the maximum gratification of appetite at the minimum expenditure of energy. To a fish, life is "see a fly, want a fly, eat a fly." A rainbow trout never really reflects on where his life is headed. A girl carp rarely says to a boy carp, I don't feel you're as committed to our relationship as I am. I wonder, do you love me for me or just for my body? The fish are just a collection of appetites. A fish is a stomach, a mouth, and a pair of eyes.

Fish are just plain dumb. Hey, swallow this. It's not the real thing; it's just a lure. You'll think it will feed you, but it won't. It'll trap you. If you were to look closely, fish, you would see the hook. You'd know once you were hooked that it's just a matter of time before the enemy reels you in.

You'd think fish would wise up and notice the hook or see the line. You'd think fish would look around at all their fish friends who go for a lure and fly off into space and never return. But they don't. It is ironic. We say fish swim together in a school, but they never learn. Do we?

Jesus is Greater Than Religion - video

2012-01-13T10:13:00.004-06:00

This video has over 6 million hits on youtube. I say, "Amen."

The Gap Theory

2012-01-05T10:05:00.004-06:00

As we have started reading the Chronological Bible, one of the first questions that arises in the creation account is: "Why is the earth formless, void and dark? I thought God created the heavens and the earth to be good." One plausible answer seems to be what is called the "gap theory". This is the belief that between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2, there could be a HUGE time gap. God originally created the heavens and the earth out of nothing at some point in the past, (this would include a time when angels were also created), but became "formless, chaotic, dark and void" because of Lucifer's rebellion. See Isaiah 14:12-14, Ezekiel 28:12-19, Luke 10:17-18 and Revelation 12:3-4.

A cosmic war broke out where Lucifer became Satan and was thrown out of Heaven. This could also explain how Satan was in the Garden of Eden to tempt Eve.

So proponents of the gap theory suggest that in verse 2, God actually "re-created" the earth because of what had taken place sometime before. And that God could have "re-created" in six, 24-hour periods, resting on the seventh. Here is a video of Greg Boyd (author of God At War) explaining this theory.

Whether this theory is accurate or not, the most important thing to know is that God is the One who is Creator and His intentions are always good.

The New "Drug" of Facebook

2012-01-04T08:23:00.005-06:00

We can't live without it. It makes us feel good. Just have to use it - several times a day...We are addicted. I'm talking about Facebook. Here are excerpts from an article I just read entitled "Facebook is Making Us Miserable". Feel free to comment:

When Facebook was founded in 2004, it began with a seemingly innocuous mission: to connect friends. Some seven years and 800 million users later, the social network has taken over most aspects of our personal and professional lives, and is fast becoming the dominant communication platform of the future. But this new world of ubiquitous connections has a dark side.

Behind all the liking, commenting, sharing, and posting, there are strong hints of jealousy, anxiety, and, in one case, depression. Said one person about a Facebook friend, "Although he's my best friend, I kind-of despise his updates." Said another "Now, Facebook IS my work day." Here are disturbing and distressing ways in which Facebook is fundamentally altering our daily sense of well-being in both our personal and work lives.

1. It's creating a den of comparison. We want to look good and present ourselves to others as though we have it all together.

2. It's fragmenting our time. How often and where do you access Facebook?

3. There's a decline of close relationships. Gone are the days where Facebook merely complemented our real-life relationships. Has it become a substitute for the "real thing"?

So, what should we do to avoid these three traps? Recognizing that "quitting" Facebook altogether is unrealistic, we can still take measures to alter our usage patterns and strengthen our real-world relationships. Some useful tactics include blocking out designated time for Facebook, rather than visiting intermittently throughout the day; selectively trimming Facebook friends lists to avoid undesirable ex-partners and gossipy coworkers; and investing more time in building off-line relationships. The particularly courageous choose to delete Facebook from their smartphones and iPads, and log off the platform entirely for long stretches of time.

Is Facebook making you miserable? What other tips can you share?

Walking in The Word

2012-01-03T10:32:00.002-06:00

Wow - what a year this will be. I am excited and a bit nervous to be reading and preaching through the entire bible in a year. We are off to a good start and moving quickly through Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Noah and the flood - I can't wait to see what good thing God will do and/or reveal to us...to me personally.

Just barely three days into our readings and I have already marked up, underlined and written in my bible. Questions like:

1. If God didn't create the sun, stars and moon until the fourth day, what was the "light" that separated the darkness on day one?

2. Why was the earth dark, empty, formless and covered with water to begin with?

3. Were Adam and Eve supposed to be vegetarians?

4. What happened to Enoch? How did he just disappear? Where did he go?

5. What's up with Genesis 6 and the "sons of God" having sex with women who gave birth to giants??!!

Trust me, there are many more but we can discuss them at the Way Cafe. Bring your questions too!

Saint Francis prayer

2011-12-27T08:04:00.002-06:00

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

to be consoled as to console;

to be understood as to understand;

to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Amen

Tuning In to God

2011-12-20T10:51:00.003-06:00

When we set out to hear God's voice, we do not listen as though it will come from somewhere above us or in the room around us. It comes to us from within, from the heart, the dwelling place of God. Now, most of us haven't been trained in this, and it's going to take a little practice "tuning in" to all that's going on in there. And there's a lot going on in there, by the way. Many things are trying to play upon the beautiful instrument of the heart. Advertisers are constantly trying to pull on your heartstrings. The devil is a master at manipulating the heart. So are many people-though they would never admit that is what they are doing. How will you know what is compelling you? "Who can map out the various forces at play in one soul?" asked Augustine, a man who was the first to write out the story of listening to his heart. "Man is a great depth, O Lord . . . but the hairs of his head are easier by far to count than . . . the movements of his heart."

Take time this season to "tune out" the noise and "tune in" to God.

From www.RansomedHeart.com

A Prayer of Abandonment

2011-12-13T15:02:00.001-06:00

Are you able to pray this prayer?

Father,
I abandon myself into your hands;
do with me what you will.
Whatever you may do, I thank you;
I am ready for all, I accept all.

Let only your will be done in me,
and in all your creatures—
I wish no more than this, O Lord.
Into your hands I commend my soul:
I offer it to you with all the love of my heart,
for I love you, Lord, and so need
to give myself, to surrender myself into your hands
without reserve and with boundless confidence,
for you are my Father. Amen. - Charles de Foucauld

For a great reading on allowing God to reorder your world, check this out: http://www.transformingcenter.org/2011/12/advent-4-mary-and-the-prayer-of-indifference/

Advent Credo - What is True

2011-12-07T09:35:00.002-06:00

It is not true that creation and the human family are doomed to destruction and loss—
This is true: For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, That whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.

It is not true that we must accept inhumanity and discrimination, hunger and poverty, death and destruction—
This is true: I have come that they may have life, and that abundantly.

It is not true that violence and hatred should have the last word, and that war and destruction rule forever—
This is true: For unto us a child is born, and unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, And his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, the Everlasting, the Prince of Peace.

It is not true that we are simply victims of the powers of evil who seek to rule the world—
This is true: To me is given authority in heaven and on earth, And lo, I am with you, even unto the end of the world.

It is not true that we have to wait for those who are specially gifted, who are the prophets of the church, before we can be peacemakers.
This is true: I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, And your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your young shall see visions, and your old shall have dreams.

It is not true that our hopes for liberation of humankind, of justice, of human dignity, of peace
are not meant for this earth and for this history—
This is true: The hour comes, and it is now, that true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth.

So let us enter Advent in hope, even hope against hope. Let us see visions of love and peace and justice. Let us affirm with humility, with joy, with faith, with courage: Jesus Christ—the Life of the world.

This poem is often attributed to Daniel Berrigan, S.J., Testimony: The Word Made Fresh, (Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books, 2004), p. 211

Preparing for the Coming of Christ

2011-11-29T09:22:00.001-06:00

This week’s Advent readings are about sin– of all things!– and confession of sin as the necessary preparation for the coming of Christ

Mark 1:2-5: “See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’”John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from [all over] were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

Sin is not a popular topic these days. And yet, the Advent message is clear: there are obstacles in our lives and in our communities that hinder Christ’s coming—rough spots that need to be smoothed over with understanding, crooked places that need to be straightened out with truth-telling, molehills that have become mountains among us, valleys of misunderstanding and bad behavior that need to be raised up, acknowledged and confessed.

May God give us the grace to name these obstacles as the sins they are. May Christ give us the courage to make our confession—to him and to each other—so we can find comfort and healing. And may the Spirit enable us to grow in love so that the glory of the Lord can be revealed among us.

(excerpt from Ruth Haley Barton's eReflections)

The "Wildness" of God

2011-11-22T08:38:00.003-06:00

Since my sabbatical, I think I've gotten better at not being such a control freak. I have been diligently trying to trust God and allow Him to lead, provide, direct, guide...all of that stuff. But I still haven't mastered it - and I'm not alone. Here is an excerpt I read this morning from the Daily Office (quoted from Richard Rohr):

"Believe it or not, we are threatened by such a free God because it takes away all of our ability to control or engineer the process. It leaves us powerless, and changes the language from any language of performance or achievement to that of surrender, trust and vulnerability...that is the so-called "wildness" of God. We cannot control God by any means whatsoever, not even by our good behavior, which tends to be our natural instinct...That utter and absolute freedom of God is fortunately used totally in our favor, even though we are still afraid of it...It is called providence, forgiveness, free election or mercy...But to us, it feels like wildness - precisely because we cannot control it, manipulate it, direct it, earn it or lose it. Anyone into controlling God by his or her actions will feel very useless, impotent and ineffective."

We have to believe that by surrendering and trusting God, it is totally in our favor. God desires good things for us. He can be trusted. He has proven Himself to be faithful. Lord, forgive us for times we doubt and want to take control of the reins again.

Seeing Ourselves in the Story

2011-11-01T15:58:00.004-05:00

I have about 6 books I am reading at the same time...well, not exactly at the same time but you know what I mean. One of those is called, Velvet Elvis written by Rob Bell. As you may know, I started a new series this past Sunday on Baptism and why it is important to our faith. We asked a few questions such as "What is God like? What is sin and where does it come from?" We looked at the creation story and the fall of Adam and Eve because they chose poorly and ate from the wrong tree.

We know the story well, sometimes too well - meaning that we forget to apply it to ourselves; that we are not that much different from Adam and Eve. Here is what Rob Bell says: "Is the greatest truth about Adam and Eve that it happened or that it happens? This story is true for us because it is our story. We have all taken the fruit. We have all crossed boundaries. We have all made decisions to do things our way and then looked back and said to ourselves, What was I thinking? The fruit looked so good to Adam and Eve for those brief moments, but the consequences were with them for the rest of their lives. Their story is our story. We see ourselves in them. The story is true for us because it happened and because it happens. It is an accurate description of how life is."

I hope that we can begin to see ourselves as we listen again to the story of the Bible. It will be a fast series (only 4 weeks), but maybe God is preparing our hearts to enter more fully into the story since I will preach a year-long series on the Bible starting January 1, 2012.

A Simple but Powerful Prayer

2011-10-25T08:25:00.005-05:00

I received a call from a dear pastor-friend yesterday that his wife has cancer...and wouldn't you know it - it's a rare kind that the doctors haven't seen before. As you might imagine, they are experiencing a range of emotions and questions. One thing my friend said was, "You know it's weird because we don't really have a pastor to walk with us and listen to us." That's true, although their congregation has been through this before, so some members will be able to relate.

I know my friend fairly well and he's like me - a fixer, a problem solver. I know he's wrestling with what all the options might be to to remedy this. But really, it's out of his hands. No matter if it's his wife or someone else, he is incapable of fixing or solving this. Now, that may sound hopeless, but it's not meant to. In fact, it's a statement of maturity and faith because God wants us to trust Him and surrender everything to Him. God wants to do a transforming work within us and the only way that can happen is if we allow Him.

I've said that Tammy and I pray every night, "Dear God, the Church is in your hands. I'm going to bed. Amen". This prayer is transforming because it brings about the peace of God that surpasses understanding. You can substitute "the Church" for anything that might feel like a burden or that you feel the need to control. Try it:

"Dear God, my job, my relationship with my spouse, my burden to want to control my kids, my grief over losing a loved one, my marriage, and yes, my spouse's cancer is in your hands. I'm going about my day (or I'm going to bed). Amen." You can pray this at the beginning and end of each day.

I Can See Clearly, but...

2011-10-21T09:00:00.003-05:00

I've been a little cranky this week. Part of the problem is that I finally graduated to another level of "maturity". I got bifocals! I've been a grumpy old man all week. These things take some getting use to. I have to keep turning my head if I want to see clearly. I like the fact that I can now read again without having to bury my face in the text, but I am finding out that I can't just take these new lenses for granted. I have to actively focus and pay attention to what I'm looking at if I want to see clearly.

And that's the other part of my crankiness this week. I have been tempted to lose focus on doing the spiritual disciplines. Because I was in Ohio last weekend, I got out of my daily rhythm and it's showing. For me, spending time in daily silence and solitude help me to see things more clearly - but I have to focus. I have to be intentional. When I'm not, it's frustrating. I get upset easier - kinda like wearing these new bifocals. But if I stick with it long enough, I will be able to see clearly again. I will be able to see things from God's perspective.

Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart; Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art. Thou my best thought, by day or by night, Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light

Restoration of the Soul

2011-10-11T09:24:00.005-05:00

From the Psalms, we read alot about our soul, but the most famous and well-known one is:

Psalm 23:1-3
¹The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. ²He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; ³He restores my soul...

I like to watch the TV show, "American Restoration". Owner, Rick Dale is an expert restorer of classic objects and artifacts. Rick has built his career on an unbridled passion and unique skill for transforming the rustiest and most beat-up items into like-new products that can fetch a big price tag. He doesn't shy away from a challenge and has worked on items as varied as a beaten-down 1940s gas pump, a rusted-out 1950s soda machine and a classic jukebox with a complex mechanical design, upping the value by restoring them to mint working condition.

God wants to do the same with us. At times, we may feel as though we are just a hunk of junk, rusted out, beaten up, dented, damaged, ready to fall apart - but God is passionate about restoring our soul back to its original mint condition. God is in the process of making all things new. (Revelation 21:5). This not only includes creation (the heavens and the earth) but includes our very soul (our being, life).

God is the Master Restorer and just like Rick Dale, He has an eye for seeing the value in each one of us - even though we have not yet been fully completed. (Phil. 1:6). Allow God to restore your soul. Get a glimpse of how much He cares for you by reading Psalm 139. Each one of us has value in His eyes (even though we might not feel it or see it) - but then again all we have to do is look at the cross.

Responding to God's Grace

2011-10-07T08:13:00.002-05:00

In Exodus 34:6, God reveals His character to Moses and says, "…the LORD God is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness". In Psalm 103 David writes the same thing, adding that God does not deal with us as we deserve, but that He removes our sins as a father has compassion on his children.

The Bible tells us that God is love (not that He has love, but that His very nature is love). Within that love must also be judgment based on how we respond to His love - but here's the deal: Only God has the right to judge, not us. His agape love is perfect. His judgments are perfect. Oftentimes, we feel (after we have responded to God's grace in our life) that we are now able to judge others who are "living in sin". And maybe like Jonah, we end up getting ticked off when God shows them grace and they don't get what they deserve! Ouch.

Praise God we don't get what we deserve. 2 Peter 3:9 (NLT) The Lord isn't really being slow about his promise to return, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to perish, so he is giving more time for everyone to repent.

Maybe the reason Jesus hasn't returned yet, is because we haven't "returned" back to God and His grace...

Prayer of Confession

2011-09-27T09:18:00.002-05:00

In Sunday's sermon about the Pharisee and the tax collector, Jesus made it clear that comparing ourselves to others is simply wrong - but we all do it. We oftentimes find our worth from downgrading others in order to elevate ourselves. We want and expect others to do and think the way we do because "we've got it all figured out" or "our way is best" - but the more we mediate on Scripture, the more we see ourselves in light of God's revealed Word. About the only thing that I have figured out is that God is full of mercy and grace and that His steadfast love endures forever. The Bible says He loved us while we were "still sinners". I don't know about you, but I still sin. I still fall short of God's standard. I miss the mark - and I especially miss it when I set myself up as a judge over other people's actions.

So here is the prayer that keeps me grounded so I don't get too high. “Lord Jesus have mercy on me, a sinner”. This really should help us keep ourselves in perspective to others and to God.

I was asked to share this again from the conclusion of Sunday's message. Feel free to comment on this blog by adding your own.

- "For times I’ve compared myself to others, Lord Jesus, have mercy on me"
- "For times I’ve thought too highly of myself, Lord Jesus, have mercy on me"
- "For the times I’ve reacted in anger toward someone Lord Jesus, have mercy on me"
- "For the bitterness I harbor(ed) toward church members or family members, Lord Jesus, have mercy on me"
- "For elevating myself above others, Lord Jesus, have mercy on me"
- "For being afraid of what others might think, Lord Jesus, have mercy on me"
- "For trying to get even with someone and teach them a lesson, Lord Jesus, have mercy on me"
- "For insisting on my own way, Lord Jesus, have mercy on me"

Source of Security, Hope, and Encouragement

2011-09-20T09:38:00.004-05:00

Psalm 139 has to be one of the most intimate scriptures in the whole Bible. I love how it shows the closeness of God to human beings. I was reminded this morning how much God loves me and wants me to allow Him to love me. It's hard for me to just "rest in God's love" because it sounds too girly or syrupy...It's not very manly-sounding, but that is just my pride and false self talking.

This scripture says that God knows EVERYTHING about me and loves me anyway! Who else would love us like that (if they knew everything about us)? That is something I really cannot grasp (and apparently neither could the psalmist) - but I want to because that knowledge is a great source of security, hope, and encouragement. Here is a little excerpt of Psalm 139:

Psalm 139:1-7 (NLT)
¹O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.
²You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my every thought when far away.
³You chart the path ahead of me and tell me where to stop and rest. Every moment you know where I am.
⁴You know what I am going to say even before I say it, LORD.
⁵You both precede and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.
⁶Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to know!
⁷I can never escape from your spirit! I can never get away from your presence!

You can finish this on your own - with your Bible in hand and allow God to tell you personally how much He loves you, too!

Being With God in Silence

2011-09-14T11:12:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I spent my spiritual retreat day in silence at St. Benedict Center in Schuyler. Silence is an amazing thing - mostly scary and uncomfortable, but I am becoming more and more aware of how God speaks in silence (you know, that still, small voice?) Well, I must confess that I did not hear a direct word from the Lord even though I tried. Throughout the day, I would take periods of time (10 minutes up to 50 minutes) and just sit in silence, hoping God would speak to me.

But silence is not to manipulate God in anyway. It is simply being open to anything God might have for us. It makes us vulnerable to Him. It says, "Here I am Lord. Your servant is listening". Now, even though I didn't "hear" God, I believe in faith that He is doing a work in me below the surface that I can't see yet. Was my time wasted then? Absolutely not! It was time well spent with my Maker and Creator - an opportunity to "fast" from my busyness and just "be" with God.

Here is a quote from Mother Teresa that was passed on to me today...

"The more we receive in silent prayer, the more we can give in our active life. Silence gives us a new outlook on everything. We need silence in order to touch souls. The essential thing is not what we say, but what God says to us and through us. Jesus is always waiting for us in silence."

- Mother Teresa

Follow-Up To Sunday's Message

2011-09-06T08:38:00.003-05:00

I want to pass along a prayer called “Your Most Basic Act of Worship” written by Ruth Meyers in her book called 31 Days of Praise. This prayer comes from the text in Romans 12:1 about offering ourselves to God as a spiritual act of worship. I have begun using this as a way of offering myself to God as a "living sacrifice" each day.

Lord, I’m Yours. Whatever the cost may be, may Your will be done in my life. I realize I’m not here on earth to do my own thing, or to seek my own fulfillment or my own glory. I’m not here to indulge my desires, to increase my possessions, to impress people, to be popular, to prove I’m somebody important, or to promote myself. I’m not here even to be relevant or successful by human standards. I’m here to please You.

I offer myself to You, for You are worthy. All that I am or hope to be, I owe to You. I’m Yours by creation, and every day I receive from You life and breath and all things. And I’m Yours because You bought me, and the price You paid was the precious blood of Christ. You alone, the Triune God, are worthy to be my Lord and Master. I yield to You, my gracious and glorious heavenly Father; to the Lord Jesus who loved me and gave Himself for me; to the Holy Spirit and His gracious influence and empowering.

All that I am and all that I have I give to You. I give You any rebellion in me, which resists doing Your will. I give You my pride and self-dependence, which tell me I can do Your will in my own power if I try hard enough. I give You my fears, which tell me I’ll never be able to do Your will in some areas of my life. I consent to let You energize me…to create within me, moment by moment, both the desire and the power to do Your will.

I give You my body and each of its members…my entire inner being: my mind, my emotional life, my will…my loved ones…my marriage or my hopes for marriage…my abilities and gifts…my strengths and weaknesses…my health…my status (high or low)…my possessions…my past, my present and my future…when and how I’ll go Home.

I’m here to love You, to obey You, to glorify You. O my Beloved, may I be a joy to You!

EXAMEN Your Day

2011-08-15T14:21:00.004-05:00

One of the things I believe I have been hearing from God on this Sabbatical is my need to really get centered on Him and to see Him in ALL things. I don't usually have a problem seeing God in the fireworks, earthquakes and tornadoes of life - it's the still, small voice of everyday life where my hearing and seeing is not so good.

Tammy and I have been reading alot about incorporating spiritual disciplines into our daily life in order to stay grounded. One of these is a practice called examen. The Examen is a popular way of praying and was developed by St. Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556) ,founder of the Society of Jesus (The Jesuits). He suggested that his brothers undertake a daily way of praying by examining
their lives so they could better serve God. Here are some ways to daily "examen" your day:

Recall you are in the presence of God.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to help you look at your life with love this day.

Look at your day with gratitude.
• Begin to give thanks to God for the gifts of the day.

Ask help from the Holy Spirit.
• Look at the ways you have responded to God’s gracious gifts and love this day.

Review your whole day
• Notice the details. The context of what happened. How you acted. Your motives. Your feelings. When did I fail? Where you did not feel at your best. How conscious have you been of God’s presence and actions in your life? When did I love? See both the positive and negative. Let yourself become more sensitive to God’s grace.

• Reconcile and Resolve.
• Imagine Jesus sitting beside you. Maybe there is something you did wrong—now is the time to tell Jesus you are sorry and ask Him to be with you the next time a similar situation arises.

Hope for a Broken World

2011-06-30T08:46:00.009-05:00

As you may know, I love various types of music. And one thing I particularly love is "tight" harmonies with an acoustic guitar only. Add that to lyrics that move me or speak to me and you've got a masterpiece. Well, here is just such a song. I came across it this morning by Selah. It brought a tear to my eye:

I Don't Always Get It

2011-06-29T09:38:00.003-05:00

We had the opportunity to worship in Lincoln this past Sunday. While the setting seemed much more like a rock concert (smoke rising up from the dimly-lit stage as the worship team came up), I did manage to hear a word from the Lord. I was simply reminded that there are many times that God does something (or is doing something) that makes no sense to us in that moment. We question, "Lord what are you up to? I don't get this." But God asks us to just trust Him, to be patient. It's like the story in John 13. Jesus comes to Simon Peter to wash his feet and Peter doesn't get it - at all!. But Jesus says, "Hang in there. You will understand in a little bit." Sure enough, Peter gets it (for the most part. He goes a little overboard, but he gets it).

Here's my point: There are 3 learnings I'm reminded about God's way of doing things -

1. We will understand and see immediately what God is doing.
2. We will simply have to wait (days, months, years) before we know what God was up to.
3. We will never know (in this life) what God was doing because it will have played out in the next generation or maybe even much later.

My response? Stay faithful. Stay committed. Trust in the Lord with ALL my heart. Don't lose heart. God is good. His steadfast love endures forever.

Catch Your Breath

2011-06-25T09:40:00.007-05:00

Our family is totally blessed to be able to enjoy some much needed quality time together. We are so thankful to our Bellwood Faith Family for the opportunity to take a sabbatical and do some things we wouldn't normally get to do.

We recently returned from Colorado. It was a memorable visit. I was taking pictures like crazy trying to capture the beauty of everything, but it's hard to do. Pictures and words just can't describe the magnitude of God's good creation - everything from Pikes Peak to the Garden of the Gods. It was all breath-taking!

One of the unique features of Colorado that will literally take your breath away is the change in altitude. We went from about 1,500 ft in elevation (Milford) to almost 10,000 ft at Rocky Mtn.

Mennonite Camp. It definitely took some adjusting. We had to go slow the first two days. I was ready to go climb Pikes Peak the first day, but that would not have been a smart thing. We did get to drive up the parkway and made it to the summit. Once again, you had to go slow in order to adjust the the new elevation which is 14, 115 feet. (It used to be 14,110 but they said it had "grown" five feet). Once we were there, the view took your breath away. We could see for miles! We could even see the curvature of the Earth.

Wow - God is certainly the Master Artist. We were in awe of His creation.

Am I Really THAT Busy?

2011-06-12T17:07:00.002-05:00

We had the opportunity to worship at a church in Lincoln today. One of the things the pastor said that hit home was that "people are not really that busy". I look around at people in my congregation and in my community and say "we ARE busy people". Just 12 days into my sabbatical I've noticed how busy I usually am. We are too busy - with other things; things other than God, but the pastor today said no.

Here's his point: We can always make time for that which is really important to us.

Think about that. Whatever is important to us, we will drop everything to be there. We will put it on the top of our priority list. We will get up early so we don't miss it. We will miss doing or attending other things in order to be part of this thing that is important to us.

We are as busy as we choose to be. I know some people who feel trapped in their busyness. They feel like they have to be so busy in order to please everyone (their spouse, their kids, their co-workers, their pastor...and yes, even God), but the fact is we are not slaves or robots. We have the freedom to choose. You and I have the ability and the freedom to say either yes or no. This is called having boundaries.

So the next time you feel like you are just too busy, ask yourself "what is it about this project or event that is making me feel this way? Is it really THAT important? Is there something else MORE important that I should be doing? Or some other place I should be?"

Strengthening My Soul

2011-06-09T08:15:00.003-05:00

I am reading a book entitled "Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership" by Ruth Haley Barton. She says one of the best things a pastor can say to their congregation is, "It is well with my soul". I hope to be able to say that at the end of my sabbatical. Too often the daily grind of pastoral work starts to eat away at one's soul. Jesus asks, "What does it profit someone to gain the whole world and lose his own soul?" What does it profit a pastor to preach the world's best sermon, build the largest membership, gain everyone's approval and yet lose their soul? Sabbatical is a time for me to receive from God and not have to wonder if "this will preach" or not. Barton says, "Many of us have reached a place where we have acquired a lot of knowledge and accomplished much, but something is missing. We are desperate to find our way back to God that will feed our own souls. I'm tired of helping others enjoy God. "

During my sabbatical I will be intentional about times of solitude and silence in hopes of hearing from God and just being with God. What might God reveal to me about Himself? What might God reveal to me about myself? What will God ask me to change? I'm not sure, but I will try to be open to what God has for me. Barton says that when the pain of staying the same is greater greater than the pain of changing, we are ripe for God to act. Like a sacrifice, I bring myself into God's presence. I offer myself to Him. Most of what happens in solitude is happening below the surface. I will have to trust that even though I may not see it, God will continue to do a transforming work in me. Only those whom God has transformed are prepared to lead others in the transformation they seek.

It is good to remove myself from the arena where I receive so much of my identity from. I have already struggled a bit with feeling like I should be doing something - but sabbatical will remind me to be still and know that God is God AND that my identity is in Him and not in what I do. I look forward to journey on a path of better self-discovery. Like Moses with the burning bush, I hope to pay better attention to God. Too many times I am so busy doing God's work that I totally miss where He is - why? Because I am a fixer, a problem-solver. I am used to pushing ahead with whatever needs doing, but sabbatical is not about fixing, solving or doing. It's about letting go - of patterns and behaviors that no longer serve me well. Barton says, "We live in bondage to that which does not take us forward in the life of grace."

I have experienced much grace in my life - but unfortunately I forget to live out of that grace sometimes. We all need moments in our life to allow the chaos and busyness to settle so we can allow God to remind us of His steadfast love for each of us. This reminder will strengthen my soul.

10 Ways to Know it is Time to Quit

2011-05-31T08:53:00.002-05:00

After Sunday's message, I thought I would share some more insight into whether or not it's time for you to quit. Take a few minutes to see how many of the following ten statements apply to you.

1. You need the approval of others to feel good about yourself.
2. You are angry, sad, or disappointed and feel guilty about it.
3. You believe you don’t have choices.
4. You do for others what they can and should do for themselves.
5. Your rarely consider your own hopes and dreams because of your focus on others.
6. You say “yes’ when you would rather say “no”.
7. You have difficulty speaking up when you disagree or prefer something different.
8. You’re becoming a less instead of a more loving person.
9. You are resentful and tired because you regularly “try to do it all.”
10. You are afraid to admit your weaknesses and flaws.

If two or three apply to you, you may need to start quitting. If four to six apply, you have a lot to quit; if you scored seven or above, your true self in Christ may be “buried alive."

This list comes from Peter And Geri Scazzero, authors of "Emotionally Healthy Spirituality".

More on Brokenness

2011-05-24T14:44:00.004-05:00

Last Sunday I spoke about boasting in our brokenness. Here are some more thoughts. Some of these are excerpts from an article written by Nancy Leigh DeMoss called, "Choosing Brokenness".

Brokenness is not a feeling; it is a choice, an act of the will. Brokenness is a lifestyle of agreeing with God about the true condition of my heart and life, as He sees it. It is a lifestyle of unconditional, absolute surrender of my will to the will of God--a heart attitude that says, 'Yes, Lord!' to whatever God says.

Brokenness means the shattering of my self-will, so that the life and Spirit of the Lord Jesus may be released through me. Brokenness is my response of humility and obedience to the conviction of the Word and the Spirit of God. And as the conviction is continuous, so must the brokenness be continuous.

Which are you?

Proud people focus on the failures of others; they have a critical, fault-finding spirit. Broken people are overwhelmed with a sense of their own spiritual need. Therefore, they can esteem all others better than themselves.

Proud people have to prove that they are right; but broken people are willing to yield the right to be right.

Proud people want to be served and to be a success. But broken people desire to serve others and to make them a success.

Proud people have a drive to be recognized and appreciated. Broken people are thrilled that God would use them at all; they rejoice when others are lifted up.

Proud people are quick to take offense; but broken people are quick to forgive and overlook offenses.

Proud people wait for others to come and ask forgiveness. Broken people take the initiative to be reconciled when there is a conflict; they race to the cross and see who can get there first, no matter how wrong the other may have been.

Proud people compare themselves to others, but broken people compare themselves to the holiness of God.

God's Word teaches that brokenness brings blessedness. Jesus said, 'Blessed are the poor in spirit'--i.e., the 'broken ones,' those who recognize that they are spiritually bankrupt and poverty-stricken. Psalms 34:18 says, "The LORD is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit".

And one of my personal favorites is Psalm 51:17 "The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise".

Amazingly, and by His grace, God has called broken Pastors to lead broken people.

New Study on Families and Technology

2011-05-24T09:36:00.004-05:00

A new study from the Barna Group was released on the influence of technology in families. Here is a summary list of the 5 findings:

1. Parents are just as dependent on technology as are teens and tweens. Parents are more likely than their tween and teen offspring to report regular use of cell phones and desktop computers. They are just likely as their teens and tweens to use laptop computers and tablet-like devices. Parents watch just as much television and movies, use the Internet for as many minutes per day, and spend more time on the telephone and emailing than do their tween- and teen-aged children.

2. Most family members, even parents, feel that technology has been a positive influence on their families. The conclusion is that most families welcome technology and media with open arms, rather than with suspicion. One of the reasons for this may be that many families use technology, including television, movies and video games, as a shared experience.

3. Very few adults or youth take substantial breaks from technology. Americans’ dependence on—what some might call addiction to—digital technology is apparent in the study’s findings. The question arises whether families are in control of their technology or being controlled by it.

4. Families experience conflict about technology, but not in predictable ways. Technology seems to amplify the relational patterns and problems already in place: families that have healthy and frequent conversations find technology aiding that process, while families without such healthy interactions find that technology exacerbates the isolation of its members.

5. Few families have experienced—or expect—churches to address technology. Most families are not getting any coaching or assistance when it comes to integrating technology into their family life. The implication is that faith communities could take a leadership role in teaching about the proper use of technology in healthy families.

As Real As It Gets

2011-05-17T11:02:00.003-05:00

We've been talking about what it means to "Get Real" at Bellwood. Webster's defines real as: not artificial, fraudulent, or illusory : genuine such as "real gold". Jewelers say that there is a way to test and see if gold is real or not. This is done by putting a small scratch on the item in an inconspicuous place using a nail file. Place a drop of nitric acid on the scratch. If the area experiences no reaction, the item is made from real gold. If the area turns green, the item is not real gold. There is such a thing as "fool's gold" which of course, under this kind of test, would prove to be fraudulent.

I'm convinced that many of us try to portray the image of being a Christ follower (real gold) but in reality we are simply fools. This is what Jesus is saying in Luke 14:29 (NIV) "For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him." If we claim to be a follower of His, we need to recognize there is a price to pay; unlike this man who was a fool.

Jesus already laid the foundation that we are to build on. Part of that foundation was His "being real". He was never artificial or fake. He was filled with joy (Luke 10:21), He shed tears (Luke 19:41), He grieved (Mark 14:34), He was angry (Mark 3:5), He felt compassion (Luke 7:13), He felt distress (Luke 12:50). Jesus was as real as it gets. We can celebrate our humanity and build on His foundation.

1 Corinthians 3:11-13 (NLT) says, "For no one can lay any other foundation than the one we already have—Jesus Christ. Now anyone who builds on that foundation may use gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But there is going to come a time of testing at the judgment day to see what kind of work each builder has done. Everyone's work will be put through the fire to see whether or not it keeps its value".

Some of us are using materials that will not be able to withstand the fire, but "real gold" is purified in the fire. God will allow us to be tested in order to refine our character. Hopefully, we won't be found to be fraudulent.

I know it can be scary to get real with God, others and yourself, but I would rather take the risk of looking like a fool to others, than to actually be called a fool by God for being a fake and not counting the cost.

Get Real

2011-05-10T10:09:00.003-05:00

This whole month of May I decided to preach a series before my Sabbatical entitled, "Get Real." This past Sunday I talked about "Image is Everything". It really is. In our culture it's all about looking good and feeling good. We are bombarded with ads for products that will make us cool, hip, or rad. By wearing a certain brand of clothing, we project a certain image.

I remember in high school, the fad was to wear Polo Oxford button-down collar shirts. That was the trend. I wanted to project the "preppy" image because that's what the smart, rich kids wore and I wanted to be like them. But the real me was poor and not very smart. I slacked off in high school and barely maintained a C+ average. I desperately wanted to be cool and fit in. I wanted people to like me (the fake me). I was afraid that if they knew the real me they wouldn't like me. (Before I moved in with foster parents, I lived in a roach-infested mobile home - not cool.)

Why is it that we often forget we are all created in the image of our Maker? (see Genesis 1:26-27). It is so easy to quickly conform to the false image of our surroundings. That is exactly what Israel did right after God miraculously released them from their Egyptian captivity. For hundreds of years, the only image they had of themselves was worthless slaves, but God revealed to them that they were his chosen, beloved people - HOWEVER - because it's hard to break the culture's hold, they quickly forget whose image they were made in.

Psalm 106:19-21 says, "At Horeb they made a calf and worshiped an idol cast from metal. They exchanged their Glory for an image of a bull, which eats grass. They forgot the God who saved them, who had done great things in Egypt."

How often do we do the same thing today? God has given us His image of glory but we exchange it for that blue Polo oxford shirt? My response? GET REAL!

Recognize your identity is NOT in what you wear. We are not what we do, not what we have, and not what other people think about us. We have been created in the very image of God and with the help of His Spirit, we can project that image to others.

Soul Surfer movie

2011-04-26T10:47:00.002-05:00

My family and I went to see the movie Soul Surfer this past weekend. Overall it was very good. Normally in "Christian" movies, the acting leaves much to be desired but not this time. The story line was very inspiring. It is the true story of Bethany Hamilton, a courageous young surfer who survived a shark attack and then went back to surfing. The movie is very intentional about sharing Bethany's strong faith.

But there's an interesting back-story to the film: As a committed Christian, Bethany and her family wanted to tell the story of her faith in Christ. The producers at Sony resisted including explicit Bible verses (they wanted to leave the references out) and about mentioning Jesus (God was less controversial). In the end, two Bible references made it into the movie:

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11) and two references to Jesus made the movie's final cut.

Philippians 4:13 (NRSV) I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Does the Day Matter?

2011-04-19T14:23:00.003-05:00

I grew up in a church that taught Easter was pagan, therefore we didn't celebrate it. Don't get me wrong - we believed in Jesus' resurrection - just not that it occurred on Easter Sunday. I used to hear about the pagan origins of Easter - Bede ("The Venerable"), a late-seventh-century historian and scholar said the name came from the Anglo-Saxon goddess Eostre, associated with spring and fertility, and celebrated around the vernal equinox, but there is no evidence outside of Bede for the existence of this Anglo-Saxon goddess.

You know what? - I am 44 years old and I still don't know if Jesus actually rose on the day we now call Easter. I have other questions too:

- If Jesus predicted that He would rise three days later, how does Good Friday to Sunday equal three days?

- What in the world do Easter eggs and bunnies have to do with the Son of God defeating and conquering sin and death once and for all? (Parents, please do a better job of educating your kids about this)

- What's the deal with the Hebrew calendar being changed to make it more convenient to celebrate? (The Hebrew calendar and the Gregorian calendar do not coincide the same days of observance. The name for the Christian celebration is derived from the Greek word Pascha, which comes from pesach, the Hebrew word for Passover).

- Does the exact day really matter?

Here's where I am on this: The resurrection of Christ is the central theme of Christianity. The commemoration of Christ's death and resurrection is not derived from paganism. Even if the name "Easter" is, who says that my heart is observing a pagan holiday? I am observing and worshiping the risen Christ lest someone has the "gift" to judge my heart and intentions.

Romans 14:5 tells us, “One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.” Rather than remembering Christ's death on a certain day, once a year, the Bible instructs us to remember Christ’s death by observing the Lord’s Supper. First Corinthians 11:24-26 declares, “...do this in remembrance of me...for as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.”

Should we allow our children to color eggs and go on Easter eggs hunts? This is a question both parents and church leaders struggle with. There is nothing essentially evil about painting and hiding eggs and having children search for them. What is important is our focus, which ultimately must be on Christ!

Of course, the Christian commemoration of "Easter" rests not on the title of the celebration but on its content—namely, the remembrance of Christ's death and resurrection. It is Christ's conquest of sin, death, and Satan that gives us the right to celebrate, not just one day a year - but EVERY DAY!

Stay on Guard

2011-04-12T08:58:00.006-05:00

There's good and bad to just about anything. Facebook is one example. It has been an easy and efficient way to connect with family and friends. Being able to immediately see pictures of the newest addition to the family or little Susie's dance recital are all good things. Reconnecting with old friends and classmates is also good - but be on guard!

I just read an article this morning that said surveys show Facebook is being cited more and more in divorce cases. This should make spouses think twice before "friending" someone of the opposite sex. As some of you know, I deleted my Facebook account about a year ago. The reason? I quickly realized how easy it was to "friend" my high school buddies (good) but then have old girlfriends from high school show up as "people you may know" (not so good). How would my wife feel if I was in contact with "another woman"? How would I feel if she was a "friend" to another male?

I've seen this sad and ugly scenario play out in a friend's life. It was back in 2002. A business associate of mine (married man) got in contact with an old high school sweetheart and they started communicating. One thing led to another and he ended up having an affair with this "sweetheart". To make matters worse, he was diagnosed with brain cancer shortly after they reunited and was about to divorce his wife when the cancer became aggressive and he died. His wife found out about the affair and was devastated and very angry as you might imagine. The "other woman" was also devastated. There were no winners in this. The saddest part to all of this - there were only 9 people at his funeral - mostly business people, no family. I was one of the 9.

A 2010 survey by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers showed that 81 percent of "the nation's top divorce attorneys" reported an increase in social networking websites being used as evidence in divorce cases. Facebook is the leader, being cited in 66 percent of cases that involve online evidence. Couples should take common sense safeguards on Facebook, said Michael Martin, vice president for academic affairs and professor of New Testament at Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary in Mill Valley, Calif.

"People need to manage the beginning of the relationship," Martin said. "If somebody contacts you from your past and wants to strike up a friendship -- somebody that you dated once or somebody that you knew in high school or college, there's nothing necessarily wrong with entering into that relationship. Just do it along with your spouse. Include your spouse into the conversation. If you're willing to do that openly, then it's likely there's nothing at all wrong with the Facebook relationship. If you are being invited into a conversation that you are uncomfortable including your spouse in, then you should not start the relationship."

To help you and your spouse stay on guard, here are some tips given in the complete article from the Baptist Press: "Facebook divorce rates: Couples be wise"

The Trust Factor

2011-04-05T13:56:00.003-05:00

This morning I read Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not on your own understanding but in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths."

Ever have trouble trusting God? I do. It's nothing God has done. It's totally based on my personality and past experiences. You see when I was 13, my parents got divorced and it rocked my world! I never thought that would happen to my family. I grew up in a Christian home and these things weren't supposed to happen. As I look back, I think a new script was trying to be written for my life that said "See, if you can't trust your own parents who can you trust?" So, ever since I was a teenager, I've pretty much just looked out for number one. I HAD to lean on my own understanding because no one was going to look out for me.

Don't get me wrong; over the years, God has been faithful and I have experienced His amazing grace - but there are still times that I'm not totally 100% trusting Him with ALL my heart; maybe 85%, sometimes even 95%, but 100%? Again, it stems back to the traumatic experience of divorce.

Part of the problem is that God is invisible and sometimes takes His good ole sweet time to do certain things. Me, on the other hand - I know what I'm capable of. I can get things done. Growing up, I learned to take care of myself and I didn't need my parents and certainly didn't need God..

But here's the deal - An immature person (who hasn't grown up) will continue to try and do things all on their own (thinking they are a mature adult). But the truth I'm learning is that a spiritually mature, grown up Christian starts to let go (surrender control) and say, "OK God - no matter what has happened to me in the past (good or bad), I will trust you with the leading of my life because I know that you are the perfect parent. I don't have to find my own way in life. You have already made the way clear. I don't have to prove myself. I don't have to try and figure it all out on my own. I simply acknowledge you and you will guide me".

Trust may be hard for you, too. Why is that? Because unfortunately people will let us down. People will lie to us. People will deceive us to get their own way. People will hurt us. There is a saying, "Hurting people hurt people". 1 Peter 2:24 says that Jesus bore our sins...and by his wounds we are healed. Jesus trusted God the Father with His very life. He carried the wounds of people who lied to Him, deceived Him, cheated Him and let Him down. - and was healed with a resurrected Body - ALL BY TRUSTING IN THE LORD WITH ALL HIS HEART. I hope to do the same.

Why do you do what you do?

2011-03-30T09:53:00.007-05:00

This Sunday's message may be hard for some of us. We've been talking about spiritual gifts. Every believer has at least one and it is to be used to glorify God and serve others. 1 Corinthians 12 says that we are not to be ignorant or uninformed about gifts, so we've been learning about them - but now in 1 Corinthians 13, the apostle Paul basically says that if we don't have love, the gifts are all worthless! Without love, it' s just a bunch of noise.

Personally, I know what my gifts are (maybe you do too), but unless I first and foremost love, the gifts don't mean diddly squat (that's a Greek word for "nothing"). I can preach the world's best sermon but if I don't have love, I might as well bang on a pot. I can help lead worship and pray God-focused prayers, but if I don't love, it's as if nothing ever happened.

Love is what should motivate me (us) to use whatever gift we've been given. Even if we don't know what our gift is yet, if we just start making love our highest goal, the gift will be revealed.

So I need to stop and ask myself: Why do I do what I do? What is my motivation for using the gifts God has given me?

Bellwood came through...as always!

2011-03-22T09:21:00.003-05:00

God be praised! - Bellwood gave over $3,100 on Sunday to help relief efforts in Japan through Mennonite Central Committee. I told you this congregation is generous. May we also continue to be generous with our prayers on behalf of the Japanese people.

What to do...this Sunday?

2011-03-16T09:09:00.003-05:00

Like most of you, I have been watching the devastation that continues in Japan. The tremendous fear that the people are living with each day, wondering if another tsunami is coming because of all the aftershocks; wondering if the nuclear reactor is going to blow; wondering if loved ones are still alive; wondering what to do next...

So I am wondering what can I do? (and what can the Church do?) Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), a worldwide ministry of Anabaptist churches, shares God's love and compassion for all in the name of Christ by responding to basic human needs and working for peace and justice. MCC is closely monitoring the situation in Japan.

Although MCC does not have staff or programs in Japan, they are accepting donations to help victims of the disaster. Contributions will be forwarded to trusted MCC partners involved in relief, reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts in Japan.

I would like to give us an opportunity this coming Sunday (March 20th), to receive a special love offering for the people of Japan. Checks can be made out to "Bellwood Mennonite Church" and will be forwarded to MCC.

In Japan, police officials are now estimating the death toll will exceed 10,000 people. Please keep the people of Japan in your prayers.

10 Promises for Tough Times

2011-03-08T08:23:00.002-06:00

It's all you've been hearing about and seeing lately - the prediction that gas prices are going to hit $5.00 per gallon soon! I am no prophet so I can't tell you if that's the case or not; nor can I tell you how to prevent it from happening (if it does), but what I can tell you is that God promises to be with us and help us through tough times. So, if you are starting to get a little worried and concerned, stay focused on these 10 promises from Scripture. These come from Rick Warren printed in the "Purpose Driven Connection”.

God promises:

1. To care for you - "And why worry about your clothes? Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow, won't he more surely care for you? “Matthew 6:28-30 (NLT)

2. To provide for you - “Don't ever worry and say, ‘What are we going to eat?' or ‘What are we going to drink?' or ‘What are we going to wear?' Everyone is concerned about these things, and your heavenly Father certainly knows you need all of them. But first, be concerned about his kingdom and what has his approval. Then all these things will be provided for you.” Matthew 6:31-33 (GW)

3. To give you rest - “Come to me, all who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 (GW)

4. To lift you up - “Be humble under God's powerful hand so he will lift you up when the right time comes. Give all your worries to him, because he cares about you.” 1 Peter 5:6-7 (NCV)

5. To give you peace – “Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.” Philippians 4:6-7 (MSG)

6. To meet all your needs – “ And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 (NLT)

7. To protect you from fear - “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Selah” Psalm 46:1-3 (NIV)

8. To answer your prayers - "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8 (NIV)

9. To direct your decisions – “ Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

10. To be with you - “When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” Isaiah 43:2-3 (NLT)

Progressing From Pain to Perfection

2011-03-03T11:05:00.004-06:00

As you may know, I am a big bluegrass fan. Bluegrass music and lyrics capture the pure, raw feelings of the everyday person. Many songs are written about the pain of lost romance or the hardships of life. Here are the lyrics to a Ron Block song that really ring true about the human condition. It's called, "The Pain of a Troubled Life" (watch & listen here). We are all fallen creatures, and because of that, we will end up hurting others because we are also broken. Sometimes we become hardened and calloused, but we shouldn't allow others to bring further pain into our lives. It's a matter of setting boundaries.

I've lived a dozen lifetimes in twenty-some-odd years
Got no use for trouble, got no use for tears
Can't you see it's killing me, I'm old before my time
I won't let you double the pain of a troubled life

[Chorus:]
I've had my share of sorrow, more than you could know
Save your lies and alibis, I've heard that tune before
Can't you see it's killing me, I'm old before my time
I won't let you double the pain of a troubled life

Here is a quote from John Reisinger's series on Ecclesiastes: "One of the tragic mistakes that people commit is to think that alcohol, drugs, and pornography have produced the wicked society in which we currently live. It is actually the other way around. Our society has produced those things as essential means to kill the pain of an empty and futile life. If our culture, believing as it does, did not have drugs, booze and unbridled sex as distractions, it would finally find suicide the only acceptable option."

Jesus said he came so that we might have life and have it ABUNDANTLY - Does this also include pain and sorrow? Maybe - because what else would provide the opportunity to grow in Christ-like character?

An Ethos of Grace?

2011-03-01T10:43:00.002-06:00

Ethos is a Greek word that denotes the guiding beliefs or ideals that characterize a community, a nation or an ideology. What kind of ethos do we convey - in ourselves, at home, in the workplace and yes, in the church? Do people experience grace when they come into contact with us?

I came across this today from Terry Virgo:

“What we are looking for in our churches is that there is a whole ethos of grace, and acceptance, that we are delighted in by God. . . It is not to make it casual or lazy. . .We accept one another but we also admonish one another . . . In Peter it says you have everything you need for life and godliness, then it says “make every effort.” . . Genuine biblical grace does not produce passivity . . . there are things we need to do for ourselves in response to grace.

Grace should be the motivator to want to see others experience it also.

The new Website!

2011-02-24T11:11:00.003-06:00

It's official! We are up and running. Live on the web - Bellwood's new website. It's awesome.

There are three reasons for a church to have a website (my reasons):

1. It's a great tool and resource for members to use. They can see what's happening with upcoming events, browse the bulletin and calendar, listen to the sermon that they might have missed, or connect with the larger church body.

2. Visitors or people new to the area can "Try before they buy". One of the first things I did before coming to Bellwood was to see if there was a website that would tell me about the congregation. People are shoppers and we "shop around" online for even a church. A website is a great way for people to check out a church because it is very non-threatening. No pressure to join, just kinda kick the tires and hopefully come for a test drive.

3. A website can used very effectively for outreach and evangelism. With the resources we have on our new site, we can encourage folks to get familiar with us but more importantly to get to know Jesus Christ. Sermons are available each week.

So - if you haven't already done so, check out the Bellwood Church website by clicking here:
www.bellwoodchurch.org

Our "Best Practices" -

2011-02-24T11:09:00.001-06:00

REVEAL identifies “best practice” churches – Churches that excel in helping their members grow in their love for God and others are doing a few simple things very well.

1. They get their people moving – They are clear about their intent to become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. They do this through offering membership classes like CLASS 101 which introduce newcomers to the church’s mission, spiritual practices and beliefs.

2. They embed the Bible in everything – The most influential catalyst for spiritual growth is personal time spent in reflection of Scripture. God’s Word is used as a guide for decisions and inspiration.

3. They create ownership – To own the vision of the church is to embrace it as part of your identity. The vision is shouldered by a dedicated team of lay leaders who help the pastor unite the church body in a common purpose.

4. They pastor the local community – “Christianity is not a spectator sport”. The top churches are in the thick of their communities serving and meeting needs. They are the hands and feet of Jesus.

Off With His Head!

2011-02-16T10:15:00.003-06:00

I read this article in Christianity Today today. (No, I didn't stutter). It was so powerful, I had to share it. Written by Carolyn Arends. She tells the story of two missionaries who visited her church one day. Caution: This is not for the faint of heart (or stomach).

The missionaries were a married couple stationed in a particularly steamy jungle. They told about an enormous snake—much longer than a man—that one day slithered its way right through their front door and into the kitchen of their simple home. Terrified, they ran outside and searched frantically for a local who might know what to do. A machete-wielding neighbor came to the rescue, calmly marching into their house and decapitating the snake with one clean chop. The neighbor reemerged triumphant and assured the missionaries that the reptile had been defeated. But there was a catch, he warned: It was going to take a while for the snake to realize it was dead.

A snake’s neurology and blood flow are such that it can take considerable time for it to stop moving even after decapitation. For the next several hours, the missionaries were forced to wait outside while the snake thrashed about, smashing furniture and flailing against walls and windows, wreaking havoc until its body finally understood that it no longer had a head. Sweating in the heat, they had felt frustrated and a little sickened but also grateful that the snake’s rampage wouldn’t last forever. And at some point in their waiting, they told us, they had a mutual epiphany. “Do you see it?” asked the husband. “Satan is a lot like that big old snake. He’s already been defeated. He just doesn’t know it yet. In the meantime, he’s going to do some damage. But never forget that he’s a goner.”

The story is a bit graphic and gory but you have to admit that it captures your imagination. The author has come to believe it is an accurate picture of the universe. We are in the thrashing time, a season characterized by our pervasive capacity to do violence to each other and ourselves. The temptation is to despair. We have to remember, though, that it won’t last forever. Jesus has already crushed the serpent’s head. Satan and God are not equal in power. Satan is a created being (originally Lucifer). God is Alpha and Omega (no beginning, no end).

Though we wrestle with the brokenness that plagues the world, and ourselves, we do so not with grim resignation but with hopeful defiance. We face both our addictions and afflictions not with a faint, white-knuckled hope that someday we will be healed, but rather with an assurance that we are living slowly but surely into the healing already obtained on the Cross. There is still a waiting. In some cases the healing may not come in fullness until we are face-to-face with our Victor—but come it will. Guaranteed.

"Exploring Christianity - What's the big deal over Jesus?"

2011-02-10T10:56:00.004-06:00

We are all on a spiritual continuum assuming that we at least acknowledge that God exists. Some people are exploring Christianity which means they believe in God but are not real sure about Jesus. Why would I need Him to be part of my life? Here are my notes from a recent sermon.

God’s Purpose: God has a purpose for your life. That purpose is to live forever in relationship with Him. God loves you – even before you were even born. John 3:16-17 These verses also imply that everyone who does not believe in Him will perish. Romans 6:23. What is sin? In a most basic definition, it is a loss of relationship with God, others, creation and self. God is holy, and has always desired a relationship with us from the very beginning. But when He created Adam and Eve and gave them the free choice to eat from the tree of life, they rejected it and ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Their choice is what brought sin (separation from God) and death into the world.

Our Need: Outside from God, our search for life & meaning leads to a dead-end – literally. We may find temporary satisfaction but never long-lasting fulfillment. We say that we are good, never done anything wrong, but the Bible says we’ve all missed the mark. Romans 3:23

God’s Provision: Romans 3:22-25 Apart from Jesus we cannot have a relationship with God. John 14:6 Because God is just, an offering for sin had to be made. 2 Corinthians 5:21 Jesus was the perfect choice because he lived a perfect life. 1 Peter 3:18, Romans 4:25

The Good News: Jesus paid the penalty for sin on our behalf and conquered death by being raised again (resurrected). Death has no power over us anymore. Romans 6:9-11 God wants to have a relationship with you that lasts forever – but He will not force it. He will certainly nudge you in the right direction, but He want force you. John 6:44

Our Response: Is God calling you to come back to Him? The only way to get back to God is through Jesus. The only way Jesus can affect our life is for us to receive Him. Jesus is God’s Son and God wants you to become His child. John 1:12

The penalty for your sin has already been satisfied. Debt paid. God, through Jesus, has already responded. For our part, we are to repent (change of direction). Turn toward God. Acts 3:19 To repent is not just to feel sorry for our sin—it is to prove you have changed by the way you now live, but it requires the Holy Spirit living in you. Put all faith (trust) in Jesus, give your heart (your whole self) to Jesus. Romans 10:9-17

Your Commitment: Today you have heard the message of Good News. Now you must decide. Are you willing to hand over the leading of your life to Jesus and enter into a relationship that will last forever or are you still wanting to do it your own way?

A Great "Experience"

2011-02-03T11:38:00.006-06:00

I spent the first part of last week at my Alma mater, Hesston College. I was invited to be Pastor-in-Residence which means you get to hang out with students, staff and faculty and just be available. I had a wonderful time. It was an honor to hear some of the prayer requests students had during our Sunday night Campus Worship. These were holy-ground moments as the students opened their hearts with concerns for themselves and loved ones. It was a thrill to be part of the Intro to Music Theory class as well as hear Bel Canto sing "The Way" in beautiful 4 part harmony. It brought tears to my eyes. I wish I would have recorded it!

I was impressed with the level of maturity and spiritual depth I saw in the Resident Assistants as well as the Ministry Assistants. (Keep hearing God speak to you in your devotional time). These people really do care about their student peers. They want to do the right thing. They want to be Christ-like examples. Wow - I hope when my kids come to Hesston that RA's will be just like you!

I enjoyed being part of Chapel. Thank you all for learning to KNOW, GO and SHOW THE WAY. (especially my thanks to Megan, Roxanne, Dave, June, and Sheralynn. Gary Oyer - you are still the best.) And I would be remiss if I didn't thank the wonderful ladies in the cafeteria for all of their hard work. (Tammy says hello)

There is something unique about Hesston College. There is an intimacy and a peace that you quickly experience from everyone. It's hard to describe. You just "feel" it. Maybe it's a Holy Spirit thing. While I was there I couldn't help but wonder about this and then it hit me; it has to be because of the MANY prayers offered to God on behalf of this place that makes it so unique. I have to believe that those who first attended Hesston prayed alot; not just for themselves but for all of those who would follow in their footsteps generations later. I believe that Hesston must have been bathed in prayer which is why (if you've ever attended HC), you know you've been part of something special: the Hesston Experience.

Thank you to Hesston College for another great experience!

Measuring the Heart

2011-01-25T09:52:00.012-06:00

At Bellwood, we are just now starting to review the results of the spiritual life survey our congregation took a few months ago. There is alot of data to wade through. The survey is intended to show us (Bellwood), where we are on the spiritual life continuum. (click image)

The theory is that every believer is somewhere on this continuum and desires to progress toward the far right (being Christ-centered) - at least that is what Church leadership hopes.

So, what is the basis for this snapshot? The research used Jesus' Great Commandment as the foundational gauge: "Love God with all of your heart...and love your neighbor as yourself". This lead to asking the question, "Where are you?" - in terms of a relationship with Christ. Is it possible to measure how much someone loves God and loves others? Oftentimes, we mistakenly look at the numbers (attendance, giving, participation, etc) and think people must be growing in their relationship...not necessarily.

I think alot of us are trapped in the mentality that we have to "earn" or work for our salvation. We feel like we must "do something" before God will love us. In his book, Waking the Dead, author John Eldredge writes, "The heart is the connecting point, the meeting place between any two persons. The kind of deep soul intimacy we crave with God and with others can be experienced only from the heart". But then Eldredge goes on to say that "by worshiping efficiency, the human race has achieved the highest level of efficiency in history, but how much have we grown in love? Christians have spent their whole lives mastering all sorts of principles, done their duty, carried out programs of their church...and never known God intimately, heart to heart".

Keeping the 10 Commandments doesn't require your heart, but keeping the Great Commandment does. This is the point Jesus was making in Matthew 19 when he was approached by the rich, young ruler. This young man "did church" all his life, but his heart was never in it. Don't get me wrong: It's important to give of your time, talents and money to God, but what He really wants is your heart. Have you given that to Him?

Read Romans 10:9-10 and Ephesians 2:8-9

I'm Embarrassed

2011-01-20T08:33:00.003-06:00

This blog may generate a few comments and may get the emotions going, but regardless of your political views, I need to say something. First, here is my disclaimer: I consider myself neither Republican nor Democrat (nor am I part of the Tea Party). In fact I don't like titles, labels or affiliating myself with any particular group except to say that I try to be a faithful follower of Jesus. Period.

Now having said that, no doubt a few people will label me as self-righteous, naive, uninformed - but anyway, here's the deal: I received an email this morning from a dear brother in Christ that included this picture:There were other pictures included in my friend's email, but I'll only include this one. It was one of these emails that has made the rounds. You may have already received it. You may have already forwarded it to everyone in your contact list. (Lord, I hope not)

The thing that bothered me the most about this email was the fact that it has been sent and circulated by Christians - Mennonite Christians - who, I thought, "prided" themselves on living out Jesus' Sermon on the Mount which includes the directive to "love your enemies" and "pray for those who persecute you". I am not saying that President Obama is "the enemy", (nor am I saying that he is the savior of the world) but certainly this email I received implies that some people really do not care for him - AT ALL. That's OK. We are free to express those feelings in this country, by my goodness - I would have hoped that my Christian (Mennonite) friends would have been able to rise above this "childish-name-calling, President-bashing, send an email to get everyone else on board" game.

I understand that there are many people (myself included) who do not like or agree with certain political agendas and policies being implemented, but good grief, aren't we supposed to have a different response as Jesus followers? How about:

1 Timothy 2:1-4 - "First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth."

I know some of this administration's policies will most likely affect our standard of living, but Christians are called to live simple, quiet, holy lives being content knowing that God will ALWAYS provide.

Article 23 of the Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective says, "As Christians we are to respect those in authority and to pray for all people, including those in government...We witness to the nations by being that "city on a hill" which demonstrates the way of Christ".

What saddens me is that it is much easier to make fun of and bash those in authority than it is to pray for them. It saddens me that our "witness" appears to be no different than the rest of the world. Hear me loud and clear: I am not pointing fingers at anyone except at myself and for this, I am embarrassed.

A "Normal" Part of Life?

2011-01-07T11:35:00.002-06:00

When it comes to someone dying, people often say that death is a normal part of life. I would like to challenge that thought for a moment. I recognize that all of us will die someday and since death comes to everyone, we say it is "normal". But I don't think in God's big scheme of things that He ever meant death to be "normal" in the life of humans. In fact, one of His first directives to Adam & Eve was to not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God said if they did, they would die. Instead, God tried to "persuade" them to eat from the tree of "life" but you know the rest of the story.

So because of one bad decision (influenced by Satan), we say that death is a normal part of life. But that is not how God intended life to be. The Bible says in John 10:10 that the thief (Satan) came to steal, kill, and destroy (not God). God's plan (through Jesus) is that people would be able to live and have an abundant life. The Bible also says that anyone who believes in Jesus would live forever!

The apostle Paul wrote that "not everyone would die, but would be changed". The dead in Christ would be resurrected to eternal life. He then asks the question, "Death o death, where is now your victory? Where is your sting?" When the Resurrection takes place, Paul says that "death will be swallowed up in victory". (see 1 Corinthians 15)

Then John writes in Revelation 20 that after the thousand years of Satan being bound, "Death and Hades are thrown into the lake of fire". No more death. It doesn't exist. Not even in our vocabulary. That is what is "normal" - that people would live (forever) and not die.

Thank God for eternal life made available through Jesus Christ and thank you God for the Resurrection and return of Your Son.

Achieving the Mission

2011-01-04T14:07:00.000-06:00

These are my notes from last Sunday's sermon on "Achieving the (Great Co-) Mission".

To be headed in the right direction in life serves people well. Without a destination, people will meander and drift. We seem to have this inborn desire to want to know that we are headed somewhere – that our lives have purpose and meaning, not just are successful but significant. This, oftentimes is done through formulating a mission statement because people like to know where they are going - or in an organization, where they are being lead.

Matthew 28:16-20 records the mission statement Jesus gave to His remaining 11 disciples. It was a compass, a map to guide them and give direction. "Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

Jesus said these words to help give the disciples' lives meaning, purpose, and significance in fulfilling what He started. Living with a clear sense of mission is what the church is all about. Those that don’t, limp along with something called Mission Drift. It's what happens when people come together to support an objective but forget what the objective is. People lose their reason for being and get sidetracked even though they go through the motions.

A clear sense of mission is the reason a church exists. Being missional is not an adjective to describe a church; it is the very DNA of the church. So how are we doing at achieving the mission? Too often we look at the numbers to gauge how we're doing: "How many are attending worship services? How many are involved teaching Sunday school? How many baptisms have we had? How many tithe?" This is the wrong question to ask. Instead we must ask, "Where are you?"

In your walk with the Lord, where are you? Are you drawing closer to Him? The health of our church is not just about numbers. It’s about the movement of people toward Christ, toward deep love for God and genuine love for others. Once we answer this question, we can fulfill and achieve the mission.

Are you on this list?

2011-01-04T13:47:00.002-06:00

Resolutions from the Bible

2010-12-31T08:51:00.002-06:00

For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 1 Corinthians 2:2 (NIV)

Though you probe my heart and examine me at night, though you test me, you will find nothing; I have resolved that my mouth will not sin. Psalms 17:3 (NIV)

But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. Daniel 1:8 (NIV)

Taken from Rick Warren's Ministry Toolbox

When God speaks...You know it!

2010-12-10T10:43:00.004-06:00

I don't know about you, but it's been a tough week. At times I've felt overwhelmed, frustrated, somewhat hopeless, depressed, beaten up, chewed up and spit out. The other morning, I was fumbling through my Bible hoping to find some cure for my blues.

Honestly, I wasn't really expecting I would find anything. Oh we've all heard people say, "You won't believe this - I was down in the dumps but this morning my Bible just happened to open to this verse and God spoke directly to me". Well, that rarely happens to me. In fact, my Bible would probably fall open to one of the Old Testament books like Numbers 26:48-50 which says, "The descendants of Naphtali by their clans were: through Jahzeel, the Jahzeelite clan; through Guni, the Gunite clan; through Jezer, the Jezerite clan; through Shillem, the Shillemite clan. These were the clans of Naphtali; those numbered were 45,400". What do you do with that?!

Well, I have to say that it actually happened. On Wednesday morning my Bible just happened to open to 2 Corinthians 6:3-10. This is where Paul is talking about his hardships as a minister of the Gospel.

Here is what it says: "We try to live in such a way that no one will be hindered from finding the Lord by the way we act, and so no one can find fault with our ministry. In everything we do we try to show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind. We have been beaten, been put in jail, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and gone without food. We have proved ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, our sincere love, and the power of the Holy Spirit. We have faithfully preached the truth. God's power has been working in us. We have righteousness as our weapon, both to attack and to defend ourselves. We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. We are honest, but they call us impostors. We are well known, but we are treated as unknown. We live close to death, but here we are, still alive. We have been beaten within an inch of our lives. Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything".

That was exactly what I needed at that very moment. God is good all the time!

It's About Time

2010-11-30T10:26:00.009-06:00

Can you believe it's December already? Every month I say, 'Can you believe it's (fill in the month)". That great rocker and theologian Steve Miller had it right when he said, "Time keeps on slippin, slippin, slippin, into the future." Where does the time seem to go?

We all wish we had more of it. During the hectic holiday season, I'll bet it will fly by. There will seem to be alot less time as we rush to purchase that last-minute gift. Time will seem to evaporate as we have all of these good ideas of who to invite over, then poof - gone. The pressure of trying to get it all done before Christmas can be overwhelming. Why is it that this time of year when we focus more on "peace on earth" often feels like "hell on earth"? Well, I said on Sunday that I believe part of the reason is that Satan is reminded that this is the time Christians celebrate the birth of the newborn king - the rightful heir of God's creation - and he (Satan) is not happy. He will try to make your life miserable and sidetrack you from slowing down to focus on what Jesus' birth means for each of us - indeed the whole world.

When Jesus was on the earth, he talked alot about time. In most cases, he referenced the coming Kingdom of God. He encouraged his followers to stay alert because the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour. This coming Sunday at Bellwood (and for the next three Sundays), we are going to allow the worship service to be a time of intentional focus on making time for God. We will create space to allow us to be refreshed from the busyness of the season. And why not? It's about time.

Want some?

2010-11-24T08:27:00.004-06:00

At Bellwood we are concluding our series on the letter to the Ephesians. Paul saved the best part for last. He concludes by encouraging believers to always put on the armor of God - and closes with a reminder to always pray in the power of the Holy Spirit. He says to stay alert and be persistent in prayer for all believers. And then he asks them to pray for him.

He doesn't ask that his situation be changed. Instead he asks for boldness to be able to continue preaching the gospel while still in chains! If it were me, I probably would have asked for prayer to be released from prison, but he asks for boldness to continue on right where he is.

All of us find ourselves (at one time or another) in situations that we want God to change. And it's OK to ask God to change them. He certainly can, but what if (sometimes) God would rather have us pray for boldness? It's much easier to go around the valley, but sometimes God wants us to walk boldly THROUGH the valley. Psalm 23 reminds us that He is with us.

This Sunday at Bellwood we will have a special time of prayer. Anyone who would like to come forward after the message will be able to have myself or one of the Elders pray over you. We will ask God to fit you with His armor so you are able to stand firm in the battle. We will pray that God will grant you boldness to persevere in whatever situation you find yourself.

Folks, we have access to the greatest power in the universe. It is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. All we have to do is ask for it - and that's what we are going to do. Be there this Sunday if you want some!

10 Reasons to Be an Equipping Church

2010-11-16T10:56:00.002-06:00

Here are some practical reasons why we focus on "equipping the saints for the work of ministry (service)":

1. Assimilation - Newcomers are brought into the fold quickly, making friends and getting involved.
2. Stewardship - People give to what they believe in.
3. Freedom - You serve because you want to, not because you have to. Knowing your S.H.A.P.E. allows you the freedom to serve.
4. Longevity - Burnout will no longer exist. Stress levels will plummet.
5. Influence - You want to make a difference in someone's life and see lives transformed.
6. Unity - People are so focused on their ministries that there is little time or desire to complain about minor issues.
7. Growth - Nothing is more contagious than an equipping church. Non-Christians will see lives being changed and want to be part of it.
8. Depth - Believers are automatically being turned into disciples.
9. Breadth - Having more people involved enables the church to reach even more people.
10. Rejuvenation - New life and new energy kick into high gear.

Taken from article, "Equipping the Saints" by Brian Proffit. It appeared in REV magazine some time ago.

How Church People Feel About Change

2010-11-10T09:14:00.002-06:00

God was at work at SCC Outreach

2010-11-09T08:30:00.004-06:00

I've had several people ask me how it went on Sunday so I thought I would blog about it. SCC had their Open House on Sunday. This is the first time they had a Business Expo in the Welsch Center. There were probably 20 vendors that had tables set up. Several of the businesses and churches in Milford were there just to let current and prospective students aware of their services.

Bellwood was fortunate to be right beside Pizza Kitchen. Of course, they were giving away free pizza and we had homemade cookies to finish it off! It was a perfect location! We had a lot of traffic at our booth because we had a drawing for some give-aways: A $50 gift card to Best Buy, $25 gifts card to Casey's and a $25 gift card to Mini Mart. We simply asked the students to answer a 10 question survey so we might know what their needs are and how we could help to meet some of those. Everyone was happy to fill it out. I think we ended up with about 75 completed surveys.

Some of the questions were things like:
Would you need laundry services, transportation, overnight lodging in bad weather? Would you like a monthly home-cooked meal, a care basket of goodies? Would you be interested in a Saturday night Bible study or worship service? (Brenda Burkey came up with some great questions!) She will tally the results and then let us know how we can reach out to the students.

I am excited to see how God might be at work through all of this. Thanks to everyone who asked about this and especially to everyone who was in prayer about this. Keep praying!!

Just Do It

2010-11-03T10:11:00.003-05:00

This is Nike's famous motto, but it also describes what Jesus expects of His followers when he says something. Jesus meant what he said and he' s talking to us. Too often we complicate it, though. If Jesus says, "Love your neighbor", we say, "Who is my neighbor? I need to go study about this so I can interpret just what Jesus is talking about".

The Danish theologian, Soren Kierkegaard said it this way:

"Imagine that it says in the New Testament that it is God's will that every human being is to have $100,000. Do you think we would need a commentary or bible scholar to help us interpret that? I wonder if everyone would not say: This is easy enough to understand; no commentary is needed...But what stands in the New Testament (about the narrow way, about dying to the world, and so on) is no more difficult than this matter of $100,000. The difficulty lies somewhere else, in its not pleasing us - and therefore,therefore, therefore we must have commentaries and professors and more commentaries. We are not "running the risk" of its becoming ambiguous - no, that is precisely what we want, and we hope that little by little with the cooperation of commentaries, it will become ambiguous.

We have invented scholarship in order to evade doing God's will. This much we certainly do understand - that face to face with God and his obviously understood will to say "This I will not do" - this no one dares to do. We do not dare do it that way, so we protect ourselves by making it seem as if it were very difficult to understand and that therefore we study and investigate etc., that is, we protect ourselves by hiding behind big books". OUCH!

Good Quote

2010-11-02T11:40:00.003-05:00

I attended the AVDS Conference in Hesston, Kansas this weekend. I heard this quote:
"You can't really know or experience God's forgiveness until you offer it to someone else".

Let that sink in for awhile...

Repairing Relationships

2010-10-28T15:56:00.003-05:00

We have all been hurt by people in our life. Forgiveness is a choice we make for ourselves so we can live in freedom (whether the offender deserves it or not). The Bible has alot to say about forgiveness. Here are just a few verses:

Matthew 6:12,14-15 "...and forgive us our sins, just as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us. If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins."

Matthew 18:21-22 Then Peter came to him and asked, "Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?" "No!" Jesus replied, "seventy times seven!

Mark 11:24-25 "Listen to me! You can pray for anything, and if you believe, you will have it. But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too."

Luke 23:34 Jesus said, "Father, forgive these people, because they don't know what they are doing."

Colossians 3:13 You must make allowance for each other's faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.

We have also been responsible for hurting people in our life. It's not always easy to think or remember whom we may have hurt along the way. If you are having trouble thinking of anybody, perhaps these questions will help:

* Is there anyone to whom you owe a debt that you haven't repaid? A friend, family member, a business?

* Is there anyone you've broken a promise to? A spouse, a child?

* Is there anyone you are guilty of controlling or manipulating? A spouse, child, brother, employee, friend?

* Have you been verbally, emotionally, or physically abusive to anyone?

* Is there anyone you have not appreciated or paid attention to?

* Is there anyone you have been unfaithful to?

* Have you lied to anyone?

If God should happen to bring to mind anyone as you read this list, then here is what Jesus says to do before the next worship service:

Matthew 5:23-24 "So if you are standing before the altar in the Temple, offering a sacrifice to God, and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there beside the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.

Will there be anyone left in the worship service on Sunday? I guess we'll just have to wait and see...

Definition of a Hypocrite

2010-10-20T10:49:00.004-05:00

"How can we worship a homeless man on Sunday and ignore one on Monday?"

But Jesus said, "Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but I, the Son of Man, have no home of my own, not even a place to lay my head." Matthew 8:20 (NLT)

Thoughts from the book of Acts

2010-10-20T10:41:00.002-05:00

This comes from Perry Noble, Senior Pastor of NewSpring Church in South Carolina.

The church had to let go of the comfortable and the familiar in order to fully follow Jesus and advance HIS Gospel.
The church was passionately obsessed with seeing more and more people come to faith in Christ.
The message of the church was Jesus…nothing political or social, they didn’t try to legislate morality…simply Jesus!
God kept raising up gifted leaders who were willing to embrace their calling…one group of people were not expected to do it all…and when people embraced God’s calling on their lives–the church grew!
The people in the church were willing to work hard AND beg God to intervene on their behalf.
The crowds opinion can change often…the early church leaders knew that and were obsessed with Jesus and not with the opinions of others.
A praying church is unstoppable! (Acts 12!)
God reigns…despite circumstances…HE REIGNS!
The wisdom needed for leadership in the local church is plentiful and available if we will only seek His face and beg Him for it! I believe He will often allow us to expereince things that seem “impossible” just so we will continually learn that it is HIS church…and that we should seek HIS guidance!
Repentance must be taught…churches that do not preach and teach repentance are not being true to the call of God!!!
God wants the church to grow!!!
Vision that comes from the heart of God to the heart of a leader is what the church needs!

HMMMMM...

2010-10-13T09:12:00.001-05:00

Today's church prays for safety...the church in Acts prayed for boldness! Hmmmm....

Turning Your Pain into Purpose

2010-10-12T10:01:00.006-05:00

In his book, "Purpose Driven Life", Rick Warren made a statement that has helped my wife and me many times over. The statement is, "God never wastes a hurt". Stop and think about that. Reflect on it.

Everyone of us has had pain in our life and wondered what purpose it serves. Oftentimes in the midst of the pain we cannot see a point, but we are reminded of Romans 8:28 which states: "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them". God doesn't do or allow things haphazardly. He has a plan. We may not always see it, but we can be assured that something good will come from it - eventually.

Recently, I was changing our church sign in the pouring rain. The phrase I put up was: "There can be no rainbow without a cloud and a storm". After the rain stopped, someone snapped this incredible picture!

If you are experiencing pain or a cloud or even a storm right now, be encouraged. God is behind the scenes creating your rainbow. He is wanting to turn your burden into a blessing.

Combines, GPS, and God's Word

2010-10-06T10:05:00.007-05:00

Yesterday I had the privilege of riding in a combine with one of our members. Upon driving out to his field to meet him, he told me that he would be three miles south and one mile west. (all directions are given that way in Nebraska). As I was trying to watch my odometer to see if I was getting close, it wasn't hard to spot him. I looked over to the west and all I could see was a huge cloud of dust moving about 6mph in the field. (It was a bit windy yesterday.) Sure enough, that was my friend. I parked my car and climbed aboard the big rig.

There are so many neat little gadgets in these things. Much of the equipment is computerized to tell you the yield per acre, how wet the beans are, etc. But the one gadget that was most needed that day was the GPS system. As we drove down the rows harvesting beans, the dust began to fly. It looked just like a blizzard only it wasn't snow that was flying - it was dust. (It reminded me of Kansas' song, "Dust in the Wind"). It was impossible to see where you were going. Thankfully, the GPS system was able to guide and direct the combine in a straight path until we got to the end of the row.

My friend said, "That would make a good sermon, wouldn't it?" I agreed. How often in life do we not know where we are going? Or we think we might know but we can't clearly see the path? Oftentimes, there is too much dust blowing in front of us and we don't know what dangers might lie ahead. Psalm 119:105 says, "God's Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path".

God's Word is our global positioning system. There will be numerous times in our life when we simply will not be able to see the path clearly. This verse says that God will guide us one step at a time. Our job is to rely on Him. Faith means moving ahead, trusting God when you can't see anything in front of you - kind of like my combine experience yesterday. (Thanks Barry)

Gifted for Greatness

2010-10-01T08:54:00.002-05:00

Here at Bellwood, we are encouraged to use our S.H.A.P.E. to glorify God and serve others. (S-spiritual gifts, H-heart, A-abilities, P-personality, E-experiences in life). Pastor Erik Rees has written a book that talks about all of this. Here is a link to a recent article he wrote. If you struggle to know what spiritual gift God has given you, check out this list. http://erikrees.com/archives/126

Not the Only One

2010-09-29T08:52:00.002-05:00

Here is a link to an article entitled, "Loving Those Who Annoy You". I guess Jesus meant what He said - and yes, He's talking to me. I'm glad I'm not the only one who struggles with this.

http://www.themennonite.org/issues/13-10/articles/Loving_those_who_annoy_you

The four "F" words

2010-09-28T10:44:00.002-05:00

Now that I have your attention, let me explain what I mean.

Suppose an alien were to visit Milford (or any Midwest town). Suppose this visitor were to spend a week observing the ordinary citizens of our towns. What do you think he would conclude about our average, everyday people? Would he be able to determine what is most important to us?

He would most likely notice the four "F's"- Football, Farming, Family and Faith.

My only question is - in what order of priority would he notice them?

The Pledge of Allegiance

2010-09-22T09:27:00.006-05:00

I pledge allegiance to Jesus Christ, and to God's kingdom for which he died—one Spirit-led people the world over, indivisible, with love and justice for all.

The following article was written by Susan Mark Landis, Minister of Peace and Justice.

The Mennonite confession of faith states that first and foremost see the church as God's holy nation. "The only Christian nation is the church of Jesus Christ, made up of people from every tribe and nation, called to witness to God's glory."

Because Mennonites put their citizenship and allegiance to God far ahead of citizenship of any earthly nation, they have often been persecuted during times of war when they refuse to join the military. Because we know that God's church is made up of people from every nation, we believe that God blesses each nation and doesn't play favorites. This is why some Mennonites hesitate to sing "God bless America." They want God to bless all nations.

Mennonites began this denomination on the run from the government and many times through the years have found themselves opposed to their earthly government. Sometimes they have had good relations with their host country, but always there is an unease about how long this will last. Often the relationship sours over the issue of conscientious objection to war: when Mennonites weren't given this right, they often moved to another country.

Other parts of this section of the confession of faith talk about the respect due to our governing authorities and how important it is that we pray for them.

Because Mennonites give their primary allegiance to God, some choose to not say the Pledge of Allegiance. They claim the pledge does not allow them to first be citizens of God's kingdom. This issue has been so important to Mennonites over the years that many Mennonite communities built and staffed their own Mennonite schools, so their children did not have to say the pledge. Mennonites have often been persecuted in the United States for refusing to fly the flag.

One reason some Mennonites see the flag as a symbol of violence is because a primary purpose of a flag is to identify a nation during war. Back when the Revolutionary War was fought, the flag was created so that it could be carried into battle. As soon as territory is taken over during a war, the nation's flag is raised over it. Our national anthem was a poem written during a battle, glorifying war. That's the reason many Mennonites don't sing it.

Patriotism means different things to different people, but feelings often run deep and passionate on this topic. Mennonites have widely divergent views usually influenced by their life experiences. The main points in this type of discussion are:

focus as much as you can on the underlying personal relationship you have with each other as well as on the issue.

Take time to hear about the experiences which have brought people to their present attitudes.

Reflect on both the good and the bad of the necessity of being a citizen of an earthly kingdom.

Read "Agreeing and Disagreeing in Love" for a strong foundation to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace during these emotional times.

For further reading, check out Mennonites and Allegiance, The American Flag, and I Pledge Allegiance to Jesus.

Are You Full of It?

2010-09-09T09:34:00.005-05:00

I've been told that I am "full of it" many times, but what exactly am I full of? Great question to ask ourselves. The apostle Paul writes in Ephesians that we are to be "filled with the Spirit."

What are you filled with? Anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, fear, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, ego?

OR filled with: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, grace, mercy, hope, humility, generosity, compassion, faith, self-control? It's your choice.

Ever feel like you missed the boat?

2010-09-09T08:24:00.005-05:00

How Dinosaurs became extinct...

Beside the Night Stand

2010-09-03T10:05:00.010-05:00

These are list of the books I am currently reading.

Actually I just finished this one entitled, "Christian America and the Kingdom of God" by Richard Hughes. The premise is that too often America views itself as being God's, holy, chosen nation. With this type of mentality, it is easy to take an Old Testament approach to how we treat all other countries. Hughes' question is, "How does this square up with Jesus' Sermon on the Mount where he says we are to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute you?".

Many fundamentalists feel that it is the their job to bring all other peoples and countries into line with "American" thinking. The problem with this mentality is that the United States is NOT the kingdom of God (nor is any other country for that matter). Only the Church is God's holy, chosen nation. It's an easy read on a hard topic.

"The People's History of the United States:1492 - Present" by Howard Zinn. I am typically not a huge fan of history, but I have to say I'm getting into this book. It starts with the horrendous acts that were done to the Native Americans when the Spaniards and Europeans came over to settle. Diaries written at the time of Christopher Columbus detail the sad atrocities that were done to the original inhabitants of this land. It is a 700 page book. I am only about a third of the way through.

Along with Zinn' s book, I am reading "Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong" by James Loewen. Loewen reviewed 18 of the most commonly used high school textbooks and found that most (if not all) leave out important facts about the founding of this country, slavery and who actually owned slaves (this will surprise you), racism, the Civil War, Lincoln and his struggle with emancipation, as well as other issues in U.S. History. Loewen emphasizes the "dark side" of U.S. history, to help balance out the part that's missing from our education system. This is a real eye-opening book.

The final book I am reading is called, "Jesus and Empire: The Kingdom of God and the New World Disorder" by Richard Horsley. This gives an account of what Rome was like in the days of Jesus. Everything revolved around the empire and its Caesars. Statutes and coins paid homage to the great political and military leaders. In fact, they went so far as to call them "savior" (a term given to Jesus also). I am 1/4 of the way through this but my guess is that Horsley is going to make parallels between the social, political, and cultural parallels of imperial Rome with those of the empirical United States today. If you wish to be challenged intellectually and spiritually, this is a good book to read. If you wish to be disturbed and forced to think, read this book.

How to Respond?

2010-09-01T08:20:00.005-05:00

Change is happening all around us. The culture seems to be changing at a rapid pace. Facebook, Twitter, the Droid, Kindle, iPods, iPhones, iPads...I can't keep up!

Don't get me wrong. I like technology. I loved it when the first arcade game of Space Invaders came out in the late 70's. Now you can bring the arcade home with your PlayStation, Game Cube, Wii, or Xbox. I've tried to keep up with audio-visual technology. I adjusted from LP's to 8-tracks to cassettes to CD's, and now it's mp3's. I've also gone from VHS tape to DVD to BluRay disc.

I am a fan of innovation but oftentimes I get to a point where I am comfortable with what I know and so I don't bother to try and keep up. I say it's "good enough" and I stay the same. This is a mentality that many churches have. We find false security in always staying the same. We bow to the altar of tradition and think we are doing things the way God wants. We think we are doing things right. But my question is - "Are we doing the right things?"

Part of our problem is that we assume that God stopped creating after the sixth day. The Bible says that He "rested", not that He quit being creative or innovative. God is constantly doing new things. Our mindset should be to find out where God is at work and join Him, but too often we get it backwards. We want God to bless what we are doing and it might not even be in His will.

The church is not called to maintain the status quo. Think about it - if we are, Jesus would not have said things like: "You have heard it said...but I say unto you..." (Matthew 5:38-48). Jesus also said in Luke 5:37, that no one pours new wine into old wineskins because they will break.

The definition of insanity is to always keep doing the same things you've always done and expect different results. As the culture around us continues to change, Christians should be in prayer to see where the spirit of God might be hovering and wanting us to join Him.

A Band of Brothers

2010-08-19T14:47:00.003-05:00

One of the abundant blessings God has given me is the friendship of fellow pastors in Milford. Once a month, we gather to share what' s going on in our lives and ministry and we pray for one another. It is amazing how well we get along. There is definitely a spirit of unity present. We are all passionate about serving God and the church. We also have many of the same struggles and frustrations.

Today as we were praying, the Holy Spirit lead me to pray, "God, love your people through me." This really convicted me for some reason. Do the people of Bellwood experience God's love through me? Do others see God's love flowing from me? Am I allowing God's Spirit to fill me up so that I am overflowing and able to share His love with others? I can't fully explain it except to say it was a God-thing of self-examination.

"Thank you God for brothers in Christ whose hearts are turned toward You. Amen."

10 Characteristics of a Growing Church

2010-08-18T09:29:00.002-05:00

This comes from a fellow pastor, Perry Noble. http://www.perrynoble.com/

#1 – They have leaders that lead!

“For God so loved the world that He did not send a committee!” Not sure where I heard that…but its true!

#2 – A desperation for God’s power!

Prayer isn’t a good luck charm that is attached at the beginning or at the end of something…people are legitimately desperate for the power of God. They pray Habakkuk 3:2 prayers every day and…

#3 – They believe that greater things are in store.

They don’t just pray big prayers…but they have a sense of anticipation that is contagious! They don’t read Acts 2 and think “those were the good ‘ole days” but rather they think, “that’s where God STARTED this thing…we should be WAY ahead of this!!!”

#4 – They are full of ordinary people.

God always uses ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things. Jesus didn’t choose one scribe or Pharisee when He launched the church…and Acts 4:13 talks about how He used ordinary people to absolutely turn the world upside down.

Respect for tradition

Desperation for God’s power

Use of technology

Passion filled leaders

Belief that greater things are in store.

Ownership of the church – staff would actually attend if they were not on staff.

#5 – They leverage technology.

They don’t view technology as of the devil but rather as a tool given by God to reach as many people as possible for Jesus. (Btw…isn’t it funny that some churches are against the use of technology yet all of them rode to their church in a car and their church building has air conditioner?)

#6 – The church is full of passion.

People in the church actually LOVE the church and do not attend because they feel like they have to! (The only reason people get angry with the fact that you love your church is probably because they have no idea what it is like to actually love their church!)

#7 – They take ownership of the great commission.

They REFUSE to be “keepers of the aquarium” and instead embrace the COMMAND of Jesus to reach the world for HIM!

#8 – There is a willingness to change and adapt, even when it means they have to go against the very “innovative” ideas that they themselves once established!

Anyone can change the traditions of the past…but true innovation occurs when we’re willing to change the ideas that we once thought were innovative and ground breaking!

#9 – Generosity is embraced.

The world has never been impacted in a positive way by people that were greedy.

#10 – The people in the church are OWNERS, not merely “members.”

Members have rights, owners have responsibilities. The people in these churches understand that it is not the pastors job to minister to the people but rather the body's job to minister to the body! And as a result people serve Jesus by serving others instead of sitting on their “blessed assurance” and expecting to be waited on hand and foot.

The Giving Pledge - Why wait?

2010-08-12T11:18:00.003-05:00

Warren Buffett says he and Bill Gates have pledges from 40 of America's wealthiest individuals and families to give away at least half their fortunes to charity.

Buffett and Bill Gates, who have a combined wealth of about $90 billion, officially launched The Giving Pledge this year to urge wealthy individuals to give the majority of their money to charities of their choice either during their lifetime or after their death.

The latest list of 40 billionaires includes, among others, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, media mogul Ted Turner, film director George Lucas and energy magnate T. Boone Pickens.

"We've really just started, but already we've had a terrific response," Buffett, co-founder, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, said in a statement. "At its core, the Giving Pledge is about asking wealthy families to have important conversations about their wealth and how it will be used.

"We're delighted that so many people are doing just that – and that so many have decided to not only take this pledge but also to commit to sums far greater than the 50% minimum level."

This intrigues me. First, it is nice to see that the wealthy are concerned about making a difference in the world. They hope the money will benefit medical advancements, global crises, poverty, etc. I'm sure it will have a big impact for the good. The one thing that bothers me, though is Buffet said in an interview with Charlie Rose that the reason he was doing this was because he's always had everything he needed so it was time to give back. This is a mentality that many of us have when it comes to money - take care of me first, making sure I get what I want AND THEN I will help you after I'm dead and gone.

I'm not sure that is how Christians are called to live. Remember the story in the Bible where Jesus and some of his disciples were watching people go in and out of the temple dropping in their money? Then this poor, destitute widow drops in a measly two cents and Jesus says she gave more than anyone. Why? Because everyone else gave out of their abundance, but she gave from her poverty (and she was still alive)!

Don't get me wrong. I am not judging the hearts of the wealthy who have pledged 50% of their estates. May God bless them. My question is - why wait until you are wealthy and dead before you start to give it away and help others? The New Testament church in Acts 2 didn't wait to give their stuff away. It says that they sold their possessions and distributed to anyone in need. They were so excited by the new thing God was doing that they were totally trusting God to provide. They were filled with such love and compassion for others that material things did not much matter.

How can we recapture this type of sacrificial giving while we are still alive?

I'm done writing because I think the Spirit is convicting me too much...

The Pardon of Billy the Kid

2010-08-10T10:02:00.004-05:00

This appeared on Timothy Merrill's blog. Thought I would share it:

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson is thinking about granting a posthumous pardon to notorious outlaw, Billy the Kid, who died with his boots on when shot down at the age of 21 by Pat Garrett more than 125 years ago. Richardson's doing this for God knows why.

Actually, I’m not sure God knows why.

And so this is my question: What compelling reason (and he may have one; I just don’t know what it is—I do know about the amnesty thing and “what if” history) moves Richardson to even ponder this pardon? Have pardons already been granted to Jesse James, the Dalton boys or the Clanton gang?

The relatives of Pat Garrett are urging Richardson not to grant the pardon. The Kid killed people, and not even the passing of time erases the calumny of those deeds.

So—Gov’nor? What’s moving you to consider this?

We might also ask the same question of God re the pardon God has extended toward us. God must have a compelling reason, but in this case I know what it is: God loves us and justice has been satisfied.

We’re no more worthy of consideration of a pardon than Billy the Kid, but God’s done it anyway.

http://tmerril.blogs.com/timothy_merrill/2010/08/the-pardon-of-billy-the-kid.html

The Life of a Pastor

2010-08-03T09:28:00.002-05:00

August 2 marks three years since becoming a pastor. I am in the process of doing a pastor-congregational review to gauge how it's going. In three years, one thing I have learned is that pastoring is certainly not for the faint at heart. I have to rely on the verse that says, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me". I definitely cannot do this on my own power (although I forget that sometimes). Here is something I came across last week that describes how pastors oftentimes feel:

"He must generate group enthusiasm as does a cheerleader of a disappointingly slow ballgame.

He feels the pressure to produce a winning team, as does the ball coach.

He is given the responsibility of leading but always from a servant position.

He must give three or more speeches each week to the same general group.

He must not be repetitious or boring. He must have fresh, up to-date materials and data. He must do it without a speechwriter or research team.

He must be approachable at all times regardless of his own personal desire to be left alone.

He must teach from a book studied and read by his students, yet must be fresh and informative.

He is a walking, talking, loving man of God, man of men, man of a family who is called “Pastor.”

He is trained to preach, to pastor, to administrate, but somewhere someone failed to give him the magic word, which changes him into “Captain Marvel.”

He is a man, a good man, but just a man. Without the grace of God his load would be too great and he would break…"

Sometimes the load feels too great, but just like God reminded Paul, "My grace is sufficient for you". Praise God for the power and daily renewal of grace.

How will your church know it’s time for a change?

2010-07-23T10:57:00.001-05:00

Rick Warren has written a great article on being properly structured for change, but it's not the type of structure you normally think about in leadership. It is based on a deep relationship with God. Click the link to read the article from his website Pastors.com.
How will your church know it’s time for a change? - Ministry Toolbox - Pastors

Why Men Hate Going to Church

2010-07-20T10:32:00.007-05:00

I just finished reading this book. Very interesting. Here are some of the points author David Murrow makes:

He says that the current culture of "church" is not conducive to men. He sees the church valuing safety over risk, stability over change, preservation over expansion, and predictability over adventure. Murrow correctly observes that the Christan life is a matter of following Jesus. He says, "Fishermen dropped nets full of fish to follow Him, but today's' church can't convince men to drop their remote controls for a couple of hours a week". Following Jesus is a quest and might very well be what Jesus meant when He said that He came so we may have an abundant life.

Is the church challenging men (& women) to take risks? Is the church embracing change or trying to stop it? Are members challenging each other? There is a great story in Matthew 25 where the Master praises two servants who took a risk and invested their assets to produce more while the one who played it safe is cursed.

The early church grew in its first three hundred years because men and women were being persecuted for their faith (for taking a risk). The Anabaptist movement was all about taking risks against the established state church (and many of them died as well).

Does the church today have a big enough God-vision that men and women are willing to die for? Or have we domesticated them by sitting in a mauve pew and teaching them to behave for an hour a week? Murrow says that men are not able to check their testosterone at the church door which is why John Eldredge's book, "Wild at Heart" is so popular among male Christians. It reminds us that every man wants to live (& die) for something greater than himself. It's OK to want to seek greatness. Jesus promised His disciples that they would do even greater things because of the Holy Spirit, but it's not done through self-promotion. Instead, it is accomplished through self-sacrifice.

Murrow says, "Jesus had a vision. He called it the kingdom of God. It was huge. It involved nothing less than a re-creation of the world, one person at a time. And we are His partners in this task. This vision was the focus of His entire life. This vision is what kept Him focused on His mission. It was the reason He lived and died. If men don't have a vision of what God is doing in a church, they will not invest themselves. They want a cause, not another club."

I believe this is why it is not so important to "go" to church as it is to "Be" the church. What an adventure!

Prayer for Leroy

2010-07-13T14:57:00.002-05:00

The preacher said, "Anyone with 'special needs' who wants to be prayed over, come forward to the altar."

With that, Leroy got in line and when it was his turn, the preacher asked, "Leroy, what do you want me to pray about for you?"

Leroy replied, "Preacher, I need you to pray for help with my hearing." The preacher put his hands over Leroy's ears, and prayed and prayed and prayed. He prayed a "blue streak" for Leroy, and after awhile the whole congregation joined in with great enthusiasm.

When the preacher finally had prayed all he could pray, he removed his hands, dried the sweat on his brow, and said, "Leroy, tell the congregation, how is your hearing?"

Leroy answered, "I don't know. It ain't 'til next week."

God-focused Worship

2010-07-13T14:15:00.005-05:00

Does our worship service lead people to an encounter with Christ and the Holy Spirit? Think about why we do what we do in worship. Do we worship the way we do because it is how we have always done it? Do we worship the way we do because it is what we are best at? Do we worship the way we do because it makes certain members of the church happy?

Many people want a tangible, transforming encounter with God but never found it in worship, because worship has been focused on everything but that transforming encounter. If we don’t offer people a venue through which they can access the spiritual, they will gladly find some other venue and substitute the pursuits and pleasures of the world.

The church has to adapt its worship because our culture doesn’t recognize the value of worship when done as it was in generations past. Each generation is different in what it resonates with because over time the culture changes. Ultimately, the problem isn't that each generation keeps changing. The problem is that as time passes congregations and their leaders forget to keep the focus of worship on the encounter with the Holy. They forget that unless people sense that they have had an encounter with Christ, an experience of the Spirit and that through worship they are increasingly established in the Creator, then worship is no longer God-focused.

Do people encounter the Holy in our worship services? The challenge in restoring the Holy to worship is to recognize that different people experience the Holy in different ways. Churches cannot account for every difference, but they can become sensitive to these differences and adapt to them.

Article adapted from "Why Do We Worship the Way We Have Always Worshiped When People Keep Changing?" by N. Graham Standish. http://www.alban.org/conversation.aspx?id=9140

Faithfulness, not Success

2010-07-13T11:25:00.001-05:00

This is something I forwarded to my pastor friends. Thought I would include it here. It comes from a book entitled, "Confessions of an Insignificant Pastor" by W. Mark Elliott.

“God has called us to faithfulness not success. If we will be faithful, hang on to God, and keep doing our best in God's strength then God will take care of any success we may enjoy. Not quitting gives God the chance to show up in times of weakness and display His strength, wisdom, and love in our lives and ministries. Not quitting means God has to show up. We become a trophy of His grace shed abroad in our lives. If you decide to refuse to quit no matter what...then that is a decision you don't even have to entertain unless you get a "thus sayeth the Lord.? That frees you up to keep putting one foot in front of another for another day and to find your source of strength outside yourself. Remember: the battle doesn't belong to you but to the Lord.”

What I Can Control

2010-07-13T10:16:00.002-05:00

There is a story in the Old Testament about the prophet Samuel who anoints Saul the first king of Israel. King Saul is leading his nation in battle against the Philistines. God was directing Saul through the prophet Samuel.

Samuel instructed Saul to go on ahead of him to Micmash and wait. Samuel would join him in seven days to offer a burnt offering to the Lord. If you know the story, you know that pressure from the Philistines begins to build as they prepare for battle. The people of Israel are fearful and start to scatter. What is Saul to do? Where is Samuel? It has now been seven days!

Finally, King Saul, fearing the impending attack, took it upon himself to offer the burnt offering. At that very moment, guess who finally shows up? Samuel, and he isn't pleased. In fact he tells Saul that the kingship will be taken away and given to someone else. Indeed it was.

King Saul believed he needed to take control of the situation. He took matters into his own hands. In this case it was because of fear and impatience.

I have this tendency to want to control situations and people. From this story it shows me that the need comes from fear (of what others might say if not done a certain way) and impatience (what is taking so long? Let's Get 'R' Done). As a pastor this can be very tempting but I think I am finally learning that the only thing I can control is myself. In fact, that is a fruit of the Spirit (self-control). I cannot control what people say or the decisions they make. I cannot control who comes to a worship service or not. I cannot control who gets upset or their feelings hurt because of something someone else said or did. I cannot control what others think or say about me.

I can only control myself and how I respond to certain things. There is a great amount of freedom in that. I'm finding that when I begin to control things, it is because I am not trusting God to act in His time.

Here is a prayer from author Mark Elliott that I need to pray often:

Heavenly Father,
I am weak but you are strong. I am inconsistent but you never change. I am a sinner and you are my righteousness. I'm all about the destination but you are all about the journey. You have called me and are faithful to fulfill your ministry call and spiritual development in me. Therefore, I give you my sin, struggles, weaknesses, problems, and fears. I lay them at your feet. I am weary and heavily burdened. I come to you for rest, refreshing, and renewal. Give me a fresh measure of your joy that is my inner strength. I thank you God that your mercies for me are new every morning. I choose today to walk in your renewable strength, powerful presence, and jubilant joy. Thank you Jesus for being my all-in-all whenever I feel so down-and-out. The battle around me belongs to you so each day I gratefully deliver them in prayer to your capable hands. Thanks you for taking such good care of all that could burden me. Amen

Should Christians Tithe?

2010-07-02T08:31:00.002-05:00

Mark Driscoll (pastor of Mars Hill Church) does a good job of answering this age-old question. If you have 4 minutes, watch this video...

Are We There Yet?

2010-06-29T09:35:00.006-05:00

A pastor friend of mine recently asked this question on his blog. All parents have heard this most familiar question whenever they pile the kids in the car and head out for a predetermined destination. As Christians, we should probably ask the same question of our journey with Jesus - "Are we there yet?" Have we matured in the faith? Are we growing to be more like Christ? Ephesians 4 says that we are to be equipped for ministry so we mature and grow to the full stature of Christ. Are we there yet?

Here are some additional questions my pastor friend asks that I want to pass along. (Thanks Shawn).

How will I know when I get there?
Where is there?
Do I know where I am going?
Do I have a destination in mind?
Have I prepared for the journey?
Did I forget to pack something?
Do I know where to get directions?
Do I trust the directions?
Am I willing to ask for and follow directions?
Have I started the journey?

Here is a link to an article I read this morning that also challenges me on spiritual growth. Enjoy.
http://www.crosswalk.com/spirituallife/11633550/page0/