Inside The Church

This Site Has Moved

2007-12-04T11:45:00.000-05:00

I have moved to WordPress and can now be found at http://faithconnections.wordpress.com/

I will leave this blog up for about 90 days and then it will be deleted.

Generational Thinking

2007-11-24T10:10:00.001-05:00

Our family went up to Michigan this Thanksgiving to spend time with my wife's brother and wife. It was good to get away and we even were blessed to see some lake affect snow since they live right next to Lake Michigan. Since we were only there less than an entire day we spent time talking. In our conversations I brought up a Church that I had recommended to my brother-in-law some months ago since they were having a tough time getting connected to a congregation. His response was that they were getting connected with a Church that they had been attending for about a year. I was happy for them because they seemed to be enjoying their fellowship time with this congregation. They have had a tough time finding the right place to fit in which seems to be the case with their generation.

My brother-in-law and his wife are in their early 20's which would classify them as the Millennial Generation or what some describe as Generation Y. I began to probe them about their life of faith and their expectations of Church. For me this is research that has to be done by Church leaders everywhere. Every generation has a different outlook on what the Church should be and how to handle the functions within. As we talked I realized more than ever what big differences there is between them and those of us who are Generation X. They want a place that is more community centered and want to feel like they belong from the start. They are not as concerned about doctrinal issues as we are perhaps and want love and grace to supersede every aspect of the community that they attach themselves to. While I think that doctrine is significant I was blown away by the genuineness that this generation is looking for. So much of the time those who are younger adults get pushed to the side because of their age. Every generation has something to learn from one another and from this one grace is the lesson I believe that they want to teach.

Reflecting on my conversations with my brother-in-law and his wife took me forward to compare them to my parents generation. The boomer's as we call them are at the other end of the spectrum. They are more concerned with the structure and power in the Church in greater ways than any other generation. They cling to tradition which they attribute to true spirituality and in that process they smother the Church. While no generation has it completely right with the functionality of the local congregation these 2 generations have a lot to learn from one another. Grace is needed in greater ways in our lives together and structure in the Church most definitely has its place.

So much of the time in the Church we run in packs with people of our generation or those who think exactly like we do. 1 Corinthians is very clear that all of us have been brought together to bring glory and honor to Jesus as a community of believers. The Church that listens and communicates with each other is a Church that will go places together. The Church in America is losing ground and part of the problem is the selfishness of every generation wanting their own way. If we take James' advice to be "quick to listen, and slow to speak" we will gain ground within our local communities. Every generation is significant and every Christian that makes up the Church you belong to matters to God.

Why Would You Say That?

2007-11-13T09:55:00.000-05:00

I was reading a Christian blog a few weeks back and noticed something interesting. The person wrote something like "when I was in Seminary!" When I read that I as shocked because it reads as if the person has gone through Seminary which is not the case. The person who wrote the quote attended a few classes at Seminary. Sometimes we want to make ourselves out to be people we are not. Unfortunately this is not the first time that I have heard this statement from someone. The pastor that I did my internship underneath did the same exact thing as the blogger and like the blogger had only a few Seminary classes under his belt as well.

I get a bit worked up when people present themselves to be something they are not. I get a bit angry when this happens with those who claim to be Christians. God did not save us for who we were He saved us because He loves us. Knowing that I am loved by God is a driving force in my life. Knowing that helps me to remember that no matter what others think of me I need to be content with who I am in Christ Jesus. Those who are not in Christ will always boast of who they are and what they have. In the Church we need to be different from the world and live lives of integrity. When we make ourselves out to be something that we are not we break the heart of the ONE who calls us His own. Being content with who we are is not always easy, but it is the road that we have been called to travel on.

Changing Seasons and New Life

2007-11-07T14:54:00.000-05:00

The fall is my favorite time of year. I have always loved the fall since my grade school years. Most people like when the seasons change because we get tired of the way things are after a short while. For me the change of seasons is a reminder that the world and all around it is constantly moving forward. But are we changing in the Church like the seasons do with regularity? Are we becoming more fruitful each season and bringing more glory to God today than yesterday? The promise of the Christian life is one of constant change and renewal, but I wonder if we have forgotten that?

I know that without Christ my life has no value or meaning to it. I also know that without constant submission to Christ my life can get of track so very quickly. At one time in my life I did not like change very much, but in the past 2 years I welcome change in a way that I never thought was possible before. Change is exciting and always brings a fresh feel to things. As a Christian I want to be so connected to God that I allow His Spirit constantly change me from the inside out. I don't know if you want that or not, but it is a new life in the scriptures that is promised to every believer. When we learn to submit ourselves to God and truly let Him transform us we will not be as frustrated with ourselves and other people. I know from reading the word of God that I can have a greater spiritual life if I only allow God to move and submit to that movement. Like the fall I want to change and glorify God with a life of excellence.

Dan In Real Life

2007-11-01T19:57:00.001-05:00

There is nothing that good on television or at the movies much, but every once in a while you still get a good surprise. My wife and I found our surprise when we went to see Dan In Real Life just the other day. This is a great movie about family, love, and relationships. If you need something to tug at your heart and you like to laugh then this is the movie for you.

The movie is only 90 minutes long and none of those minutes are wasted. Steve Carrel plays a newspaper columnist widower who is raising three daughters in New Jersey. The film takes his relationship with his daughters and puts them on the road together heading to a family get together in Rhode Island with Dan's family. Dan meets up with a woman haphazardly on his first day out of town and as they connect romance seems to be around the corner. The only problem is that Dan is re-introduced to the same woman and discovers that it is his brothers girlfriend. As the movie unfolds 2 people are forced to connect and make decisions concerning one another. The ensemble cast adds great flavor to a movie that is probably one of the best I have seen in the past 5 years. The director of this movie also did an obscure independent film called Pieces of April that I would also recommend. If you like a heart warming story with a bit of an independent flavor then check this one out.

Lessons From New York

2007-10-31T15:59:00.000-05:00

Today on ESPN it was reported that former Yankees Manager Joe Torre (former Cardinal 3rd baseman) had agreed in principle to become the next manager of the LA Dodgers. Looking back on this situation with the Yankees I thought about how poorly George Steinbrenner and his sons handled this situation. It seemed that all of us knew the details of what happened between the Yankees and Torre. You did not have to even be a sports fan and you probably knew the details. When things go sour for any organization I always think that its better to keep the details in-house.

Too much of the time the Church acts like the Yankee organization. When problems arise between its members the community that its in seems to know whats going down. They might not even care about the Church and they still know. Some things that go on in the Church are usually solved, but even if they are not does the community at large need to know about it? The way that the Church handles its problems says a lot about its leadership and members. As humans we feel justified if we have been hurt by others and so we find comfort in those closest to us. The problem with this is that sometimes those closest to us are not the ones we worship with on Sunday mornings. If we love our Lord then we should show it by never profaning His name with the frustrating things that go on inside of the Church. We need to be mature and deal with any situation as the New Testament commands us to. A Church that handles all of its problems quickly and within the walls of the Church is a congregation going places with God.

Perspective & Grace

2007-10-29T12:08:00.000-05:00

I recently took some criticism over my article entitled "Do Pastors Get Paid to Study?" This criticism came from someone I believed to be a friend at my former ministry. I decided when I received that criticism that I would meditate on it for a good while before I ever commented on it. Sometimes I have noticed that I can become a bit too reactionary at times when criticism comes my way. That is one of my personality flaws that I am desperately working on. I realized through this how imperfect I still am.

The reason that I am so grateful to Jesus is the grace He extended me when I became a Christian. My life was a good representation of what it was like to live for SELF. Even though I have found peace with God I know that there is so much work to be done. All of us are going to be criticized by other people and we need to learn to not respond quickly to what has been said. Usually when it comes it is based on someones perspective which might not include all of the details about a situation. As a Christian how you respond to others can reveal your level of maturity. A person who has been impacted by grace will learn to move forward and grow from the way they were criticized. You might be mad at first, but at some point you have also been on the other end of things as well. Grace is one of the biggest elements that is missing in our fellowships. We have an expectation of God's grace every time we mess things up, but many times we are not willing to extend grace to others for words used against us. If you appreciate what the Cross accomplished for you then start extending grace to everyone around you.......even when you think that it is not deserved. After all that is exactly how Jesus treats us every time we go running to Him.

When Was the Last Time?

2007-10-26T14:52:00.000-04:00

I have been noticing a trend the last few years that bothers me a bit. I have noticed that people are not as courteous as they once were. Compliments don't seem to be the norm anymore. All of us to some degree probably feel under appreciated at times. This could be a sign of the times or it could just be the fact that we live in a cold natured society. You would think that among God's own people that showing appreciation for one another would be a normal aspect of our lives, but unfortunately it is not.

I made a decision a few weeks ago that I would start being a person who learned to appreciate everyone around me. This decision came after a deep conviction that I had began to mimic my culture. When I realized that I was not a person who readily gave compliments I became frustrated with myself. It is so easy to fall into the pattern of complaining about everyone around you more than you compliment them. But if you live you life like this you will rob yourself of a lot of joy. All of us have many faults! Who can say that they are perfect without any personality problems? You won't see my hand raised for that question. Everyone around us who we love deserves to hear how much we appreciate them.

You may not realize it but you have a lot of patterns in your life. Even if you are not analytical like I am you have certain things you do each week that are a part of your routing. How you use your words is probably one of the most common routines in your life. If you want to be appreciated by others around you for your good qualities then spend more energy and learn to compliment everyone around you. Let people know what you like about them and encourage them as much as possible. Life is too short for us to be negative people. Remember who you are representing everyday and learn to love everyone around you.

Say No To Gossip

2007-10-24T10:25:00.001-04:00

This past Sunday our Church completed a 7 week series on the book of 1 John. The last sermon covered the 5th and final chapter of the epistle. Doing the background study for the sermon my heart was drawn to a sentence from one of the verses that we do not talk about much in the Church. 1 John 5:16a states "If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life." This small sentence tucked away toward the end of our New Testaments is a reminder of our attitudes toward gossip and fellowship.It is both a warning and a reminder.

I wish I could tell you how many times that I have heard gossip in the Church, but the number is so high I don't have a tally. I think to some or many extents all of us who call ourselves Christians are guilty. God tells us through the Apostle John that there is a better way. We should pray about the person who is in sin and try to be there for them instead of talking about it to other people. Can you imagine the impact that someone would experience if you told them that you were praying for them and their frustrations? If you are close to someone and you know that they are walking in the wrong direction then come alongside of them prayerfully so that God will move in their situation. The wrong road is to talk about someones sin to others. The right road is to petition God on their behalf. God will bless those who listen to His counsel when it comes to our interaction with each other. Be a person who lives out the Word to others by taking this partial verse to heart.

Fire In San Diego

2007-10-23T11:10:00.001-04:00

It has been several days and the fire in Southern California is still going strong. Nothing can be more devastating that losing all of your possessions in a fire. The images on the news become so discouraging. None of us would wish this type of calamity on anyone. One report on the nightly news said that Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego opened its doors up to the public. There were many grateful people who appreciated the services that have been provided there. Sometimes in the darkest moments we see wonderful glimpses of hope from other people in this country.

When things get tough and disaster hits Americans can sometimes shine the brightest. That is one thing that I love about this country. When a multitude of people are affected by disaster we see that America still has a big heart. This is a lesson for the Church of America to absorb. I wonder as I watch the news each night with the fire still raging how many Christians are stepping up to help out those in need? When calamity hits our neighbors we have a chance to minister in the name of Jesus and bless those around us. Jesus said that the greatest 2 commandments were to love God with all we are and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Do we live that out like we should?

There is not a major disaster going on in the part of Illinois that I live in, but that doesn't mean that I should be slack in loving my neighbor. There are people around me who are suffering emotionally, financially, and physically. I need to have the attitude of the owners of Qualcomm Stadium and the love of Jesus to drive me to do what I have been saved to do. The hardest part of living out the Gospel of Christ is taking the first step out of my comfort zone.

Talk About Politics at Church

2007-10-22T12:09:00.000-04:00

This past year my wife and I have enjoyed watching the debates of both political parties. People like to whine about the President or politics, but much of what they talk about is only what the news is reporting to them. We feel at our home that we need to be informed of who believes what and what they are trying to accomplish. While I will never endorse a political party I will always talk openly for who I vote for. I will also talk about engaging politics straight from the pulpit. Recently I pleaded with people to watch the debates so that they can be better informed. The Church should never hide from politics! If anyone should care about where this country is headed it should be those who belong to Christ Jesus.

I am not certain if many Churches spend time talking about this, but I know at our Church we do. We don't always agree, but we know that this is an important time in our country and we want to be informed of what each candidate believes. In my former ministry there were some strong leaders who were outspoken Democrats and many confided in me that because of how they approached the subject that they were timid in expressing their own views. This is not productive for those who share a common faith in Christ. We have many leaders at our Church who are on both sides of the fence. Our discussions are always productive even when we do not agree. We realize that the issue of where we are heading as a country is of extreme importance to all of us. No matter which party you lean toward or where you stand on vital issues learn to talk about this with other believers. Those of us who represent Christ should be discussing major issues facing this country with each other and comparing every candidate's beliefs with scripture. Jesus engaged His culture.......why shouldn't we?

Take the Advice of a Seaoned Veteran

2007-10-19T15:22:00.000-04:00

A few years ago my cousin gave me John Pipers "Brothers We Are Not Professionals" as a gift. It was a easy read and it felt like being mentored by a seasoned Pastor of what the role of Pastor is all about. This is one of those books that everyone in full time ministry should read. I thought about this book as I was reading about Pastoral roles on another blog early this morning. I realized that sometimes Pastors can get caught up in letting others dictate what their role should be instead of being who God called them to be.

No matter who you are or where your Church is located you will always find some or many who seem to know and understand your role better than anyone else. By listening to the constant critic you can become unbalanced in your approach to ministry. This book will not tell you how to fulfill your role in the context of your current congregation, but it is a valuable tool that will help you focus on the ministry God has entrusted to you. None of us in ministry are perfect and most of us know that, but this book is a great tool that will help you focus in greater ways.

Faith Takes Time

2007-10-18T16:06:00.000-04:00

What do you think of when someone talks about biblical faith? Do you think of your relationship with Jesus? Do you think of Sunday morning worship? Maybe you think of your denominational heritage when the word is spoken. Biblical faith has many different sides to it. Faith is trusting in God's provision for all areas of your life. It is a trust that you are hopefully developing with God. I have a faith that God is transforming me into a better Christian by my submission to His Will everyday. But I must admit that the process to a stronger faith is the most difficult part of being a Christian.

In Hebrews 11:6 we read "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and the He rewards those who earnestly seek Him." We get the first part of that verse right much of the time in the Church, but the latter portion of the verse is where we get hung up. Our faith in God drives us to pursue His Will and the good things that He has for us in this life. The key to growing is the pursuing! Faith is a lifestyle that wants a radical transformation of the soul so deeply that it will keep pursuing God once the initial relationship has been established.

The best way to build up your faith is through deliberate quality time with God each day. Pursuing God means that I am on my knees communicating with Him believing that He is moving through my life. We become frustrated when we get serious with God because we may not see the results we want immediately. But trust me when I tell you that God is moving to those who trust in Him and are faithfully pursuing Him. It just takes time until we see His hand moving in our situations. Most people in the Church give up on prayer because they expect immediate results. If you spend quality time with God everyday for the next 60 days you will experience your faith growing due to God's movement in your life. Be a person who earnestly seeks God and watch how you are slowly transformed into a person with a strong faith.

Helping Those Who are Married

2007-10-15T10:40:00.000-04:00

Last spring several of us from our Church went to Indianapolis to attend the Song of Solomon Conference. All of us were impressed with the material presented that came directly from this book of the Bible. I was so impressed by it that we purchased the DVD set for our Church and just completed the series in 6 weeks. We did the program on Sunday nights so that anyone who wanted to attend from the community could join us.

Throughout this 6 week series I heard wonderful testimonies and wonderful comments about this program. As one who is a bit cynical about Church Programs I must say that I endorse this one without hesitation. No matter if you are a husband or a wife there is something in this study that everyone needs. I can testify as a Pastor that there are many unbalanced attitudes in marriages that I see in the Church. Love and respect are missing in many marriages and unless you are willing to hear a word from God it will not change. All of us struggle with issues in our marriages, but unless we deal with them they will fester and create greater problems. God has ordained marriage from the beginning with Adam and Eve and He desires that our marriages are honoring to Him by remaining healthy. If your Church has not gone through this program then look into it today so that you can make a difference in peoples lives. Just go to http://songofsolomon.com
to get more information.

This series from Song of Solomon is biblical and will make a difference in the lives of all who decide to go through it.

Biblical Literacy

2007-10-12T13:30:00.000-04:00

What do you know about the Word of God? Because what you know about His Word is what you know about Him! The Church is becoming a place filled with those who are becoming biblically illiterate. In this country there are no good excuses for not knowing the Bible. We have so many good modern translations and Bible helps today that were not present years ago.

This literacy problem is creating an atmosphere in the Church that is looking like the rest of the world. Our thinking and approach to ministry and each other is not what it can be or needs to be. I love the Church Jesus founded and I love the Church that I am blessed to Pastor, but overall as I interact with Christians here and from other congregations I am hearing that people are not getting into the Word of God.

If we do not understand what is required of us in our relationship with God and each other how can we function properly? Without a good biblical understanding of God we will never function like we were meant to and discord will abound. Church structures are the biggest complaint I hear from those who belong to other churches and the problems come from how the church is ran. Usually it is not a biblical model. I have been down that road before and it is a hard bumpy one to go down. Only through solid continual bible study can we move forward with God and function as a true Christian community. Without knowledge we are nothing more than a Country Club with a cross on the building.

Learn to Love

2007-10-10T10:05:00.000-04:00

On any given Sunday morning I assume as a Pastor that about 60-70% of the people sitting in the pews are hurting emotionally or dealing with major problems. On any given Sunday I could even be among that number. Just because we are Christians does not mean that life's problems suddenly have disappeared once we came to know Jesus. We live in a fallen world is a great theological explanation about the pain we all experience, but it does little good to solve the problem that we are experiencing. What we need is love and compassion from other people until we have pressed through this dark time in our life.

God has placed each of us within a body of Christ and that body is to function with an attitude of a family. We don't think about the Church as a family, but that is what God has intended it to be. Like any family if we don't communicate with one another we will not grow together. If we do not communicate with one another we will be a disjointed or dysfunctional family. I don't believe any of us want to be dysfunctional, but that is a major problem with the Church today.

Maybe part of the problem is that people are not telling each other that they are hurting or going through a tough time. Some people want others or the Pastor to read their minds and discover it on their own. But each of us is dealing with issues every week that tends to keep us inward focused. Every family that is successful is a family that has learned how to talk to one another and love each other. If we are feeling down and out and all alone maybe its because we have not let that be known to other people. Bitterness pervades the Church at times and this breaks my heart. We are commanded to love each other and love has many different sides to it. Galatians 6:10 in the NLT states "Whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone, especially to our Christian brothers and sisters." Those are words that each of us needs to digest and act upon. The Pastor cannot do it on his own. The Church was made to be a community that ministered to one another. If you start ministering to a few people in your Church on a regular basis you can expect to be ministered too as well. Learn to love the family God has placed you in and watch the love that is returned to you.

Why Do You Go To Church?

2007-10-08T10:59:00.000-04:00

Why do you go to Church every Sunday? Do you have an agenda or are you going to worship God with a community of believers that you are connecting with? Sunday worship is the beginning of the week and it is a time to come together and celebrate as a family. While that is what it is about in its basic form we do not realize that much anymore. People are coming to Church with an agenda that revolves around their needs. Shame on the Church of America for this attitude.

As a Pastor I must tell you that I love the Church because it was started by Jesus and in a dark moment in my life during the month of February almost 10 years ago He changed me forever. I do not come to Church with an obligation to preach each week. I come to Church to worship my God with sincerity and to fellowship with my Church family. But I understand that many are coming for something. What that something is can make all the difference in your life.

If you are coming to Church to worship, hear a word from God, or to fellowship then you are coming with the right attitude and can expect God to move in you and through you. If you are coming to fulfill an agenda or out of obligation then it is time to repent of that attitude. I have seen it many times that those with the biggest problems in with the Church usually are the ones spending the least amount of time with God. If you want to experience the presence and movement of God then spend quality time with Him each day and watch how you begin to enjoy Sunday worship in a more complete way. Ask yourself why you are going to Church on Sunday. If it is for the wrong reasons then spend the rest of the week sorting it out with God.

Christian Music Makes Me Think

2007-10-06T16:08:00.000-04:00

When I first became a Christian I listened to some hard core music. At the recommendation of my first Pastor I started to listen to Christian music just 10 years ago. It wasn't easy at first to switch from TOOL and Alice in Chains to the Christian music scene, but gradually I fell in love with contemporary Christian music. I was reflecting on all of this today as I was driving back home with my son on our father/son outing. We turned the music up and I began to praise God while he just sat back and called me "silly." The Christian music that is out there today is solid stuff that has many theological truths in it. And every once in a while a song comes along that really grabs a hold of me.

This month I heard a new song by artist Brandon Heath that I believe many can relate too. You can go to his site at http://www.brandonheath.net/ then click onto the place where it says you can watch the video. This video and the song is a reminder that change can take place in all of our lives as we keep walking with God and turning over our faults and sins to him. Plus it just has a good sound. I hope you enjoy it.

Stop Being So Frustrated

2007-10-01T21:33:00.000-04:00

You would think that being in a relationship with Jesus would make you so joyful that other people would be beating down your door to discover you secret way of life. But that isn't how it always is in the Christian life. All of us have our moments and to the outside world we don't always show that we have a greater hope beyond this world. Sometimes we those who are outside of Christ look at us and it is like looking in a mirror to them. What do you think is the missing element? Maybe what is missing is the promises of God. Maybe you are not holding on to them and hiding them in your heart to keep you going through each day.

Our church has been going through 1 John and I love the promises of God that are revealed in this book. They motivate me to draw near to God. They remind me that this is all temporary and that God is in complete control. This past week our church was reminded of the love of God and I began to think through New Testament passages that reveal God's love to His people. I thought of Romans 8 of course and would like to share the end of that chapter with you.

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39, NIV)."

Do you see the power of God's love for you in those 2 verses? Let them become a motivator to you to love God deeply through your actions everyday. Cling to the promises of God and remember His love toward you because sometimes it will be the only thing that will keep you going.

Forward Thinking

2007-09-25T10:08:00.001-04:00

Is your Church where it should be? Does it need change? Can you do things in greater ways than you are doing now? Then maybe its time to do something about it. Maybe its time to not worry so much about the few who get upset when change takes place and time to get on with the mission of God. That group or handful of people who do not want change in your Church are not going to change. How do I know that? Because I have experienced it in the past and it exists at almost every Church in America. It is a sad commentary of American Churches that only a few people can be allowed to hinder the progress of the Church.

Now I am not talking about change for the sake to make things more appealing. I am talking about changing anything and everything that hinders God moving among us in greater ways. That could mean implementing new leaders and asking contentious ones to step down. It could mean starting a new outreach program with only 3 people because no one else is motivated to reach out. It could mean that you have a time of concentrated prayer once a month at the end of you morning service even though it makes a few uncomfortable (the Church is not about our comfort levels). It could mean that you have family meetings once a month or quarter to make sure that everyone is on the same page even though one leader is fighting against it because they fear losing power. It could mean that you draw up new parameters for the functions of every area of leadership in your Church regardless of the few who criticize it. Are you getting where I am coming from?

Some of the things that I have mentioned we have done at this Church and every time there is a change there is a complaint. Realize that before you even step out of the boat. By realizing that it will help you become less frustrated and hopefully help you to keep moving forward. Our biggest enemy in the Church today is fear. We are frightened of change and the criticism that comes along with it. We need to overcome our fears because too many Churches are in stagnation mode right now. Is this what Jesus intended His Church to be like? No Way (as my son loves to say to every question asked)! Jesus wants His Church to be a thriving, living, active, spiritual, and dynamic place. And we want our comfort levels every time we walk through the door. If you want change in your Church then start today on your knees asking God for strength, wisdom, and insight and He will begin to direct you to what needs to be done. Paul wrote in Ephesians "Now to Him who is able to do immeasurable more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." This sounds to me that God wants to move among us in greater ways. Maybe He is waiting on His people to feel the same way.

Learn to be Silent

2007-09-24T10:38:00.000-04:00

Pastoral Ministry is an interesting adventure. Unless you have thick skin you should probably never undertake any leadership role in the Church. Any leader in the Church is always underneath a microscope no matter who they are. You are human like everyone else, but the expectation for you life is held up to a higher measure by all. Every word spoken, action taken, and ministry started will be criticized by a few or by many. Those in leadership roles are not perfect, but there is an expectation for you to be perfect by a few people in every congregation.

While we cannot hide from criticism in leadership we can model Christ in greater ways when it happens to us. Most people in and outside of the Church let criticism cut them deeply and create a lasting wound. This is a choice and a mistake that many make. When we become hurt by criticism we need to assess a few things in that process.

Who is the person criticizing me?
Do they readily criticize others in the Church also?
How involved are they in the Church?
Did their criticism have validity in any way?
Did they confront me in person or through a phone call (a person who does this usually has more character)?
Did I deserve the criticism?
Is there something that I need to personally work on?

It will take time to become a person who can assess the situation, but over time it will help you mature in greater ways. Learn to ask yourself some questions like the ones that I have listed before you ever respond in any way. By learning to accept it before you ever respond you will develop greater character and glorify God in greater ways by how you handle it. James 1:26 says "If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless." When you receive criticism that is unwarranted the best course of action is to listen to the words of James and give the matter over to God and let him sort it out. Even though someone is a Christian and you have tried to work through a matter with them does not always guarantee that it will always work out. Some Christians are just more mature than others. If you honor God's word He will honor you.

Is Doctrine Dead?

2007-09-22T11:25:00.000-04:00

Our Church has been going the the book of 1 John. This is a tough book with themes that can seem repetitive. It is a fabulous book and one that needs to be preached over and over again. I personally have never heard a series on 1 John when I was sitting in the pew as a young believer. This weeks text is taken from 1 John 2:18-27. In this text John says "See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you." That one bit from verse 24 says a lot to the modern/post-modern church. It reminds us that we have a Christian obligation to understand the basics of the Christian faith with as much depth as possible.

We are living in a time when people of any Church background do not understand their Church background or the basic tenets of the faith. Doctrine can seem like such a dry and scary word to many, but it is a word that needs to be elevated by Church Leaders and understood by them. When the Leaders of any Church do not know, understand, and teach basic doctrine the Church is left with a group of people who are bringing in their interpretation of what scripture means to their lives instead of understanding scripture and applying it to their lives. Those of us who are called to lead must teach the basics of the faith to our people because we are obligated to do so. In 1 Timothy, Paul charges his young disciple to keep the basics of the faith and to teach it to the congregation he is Pastoring. This charge remains!

When our Church is done with its series in 1 John we will be moving into the Doctrine of Salvation until the beginning of December. Every year I take one aspect or category of Doctrine and turn it into a Topical Series using a given complete text for each sermon. This is a simple task that allows the congregation to grow and gives freedom to the Preacher to piece the Bible together on a given but yet important matter. The sheep are hungry right now and they need to be fed! They have had enough milk and it is time to give them some steak!

Overflow

2007-09-14T11:59:00.001-04:00

We love to talk about the things that matter to us the most! I talk a lot about the St. Louis Cardinal because of my passion for baseball and my team. I tell everyone how I could do a better job than the current General Manager and point out the trades that he should have been involved in. In my own eyes I am the greatest baseball sofa Coach that ever lived. If I had a direct line into the dugout and could talk with Cardinals Manager Tony Larussa about the lineup the Cardinals would be in a much better position. At least this is what I think when I talk about my beloved Cardinals.

The things that we love in this world the most are always on our minds. As I type these words I think of how my Cardinals are on a bad losing streak that could keep them out of this years playoffs. Even though I love baseball I wonder if I fill my daily conversations with the same time dedicated to God? I am passionate about Jesus and salvation, but I have been questioning lately how much time is dedicated to telling others about this wonderful God I serve. So many different ways to do so, but sometimes I refrain out of fear of what people might think or say. I might seem a bit cultic or something. Does it really matter what other people think? Even people in the Church might find it strange to talk about God everyday! Other peoples perceptions should never stop me from talking about God. The only thing that does seem to stop me is when my walk is not what it should be.

As a Pastor there is always that perception by people that I am living on the mountain top. I wish that was what my life with Jesus was like, but it is far from the truth. No matter who we are in the Church we all have to be committed to spending quality time with God everyday. When we become committed Christians we begin to experience God moving through our lives in such wonderful ways that we will not be able to stay quiet about it. There is a pressing need in our country for people to hear about how wonderful, loving, gracious, compassionate, forgiving, and big our God is. I think the biggest problem why people are not hearing more from those inside of the Church is that the life of faith has become routine to many. I refuse to settle for a life with God of just going through the motions. I refuse to stay quiet about the goodness of God and the things that HE has brought me through. I have a faith that believes that when non-believers see God moving through the life of one of HIS servants that they will be impacted in some way.

The Church is here to help those in Christ grow through various means. As a Christian everyone has the responsibility of growing on their own as well. Whether you are a Pastor or just someone who shows up on Sunday morning. When you make a decision to start growing and put effort into the life you have been called to live you will discover over time that God will begin to move into many of your conversations. We need this in the Church! We need to stop thinking that it is strange to be consumed by God and that people are strange who want to speak about HIM whenever they get a chance. When the people of the Church begin to overflow with praises for God and what HE has done and is doing in their lives it will become a witness to the world around us. We need to be better witnesses to the world through our lifestyle in the Church. We need the overflow of God in our lives because we are losing ground. It is time for the Church to shine in new ways for the glory of God.

Solitary Confinement

2007-09-06T14:12:00.001-04:00

I have many Christian friends who come from different backgrounds and different denominations. Over the past month I keep running into people who love Jesus but attend a different type of Christian Church than I do. When the topic of Church comes up I find that I enjoy the conversation because its usually centered on what God is doing in someone's life or about how to get the Church moving. The Christians that I seem to gravitate toward the most are the ones that care more about the Great Commission than if their denomination is successful. That probably bothers some people, but it is all about Jesus first and everything else second.

Lately I have been questioning our focus at the Church that I Pastor and the others that are out there. We seem to be building our own personal kingdoms while people around us are far from Christ and are experiencing inner turmoil. I don't want to live like this anymore! I don't want to minister like this anymore! I want radical change! I want revolution and reformission like I never have before! But that change I desire will not just happen overnight because I have a desire for it. I have to give that desire over to God through prayer and learn to "Be Still" before Him and wait for Him to move. That is the hardest part. But I believe with every ounce of my being that God is waiting for all of us to wait. I believe that God is telling us to slow down, get on our knees, and wait for His movement in our Churches. But are we willing to pray, listen, and wait?

My answer is YES! I am at a point in my walk with the Lord where I am tired of not seeing lives impacted to such a degree that the overflow is a genuine and lasting excitement for the Christian life. It starts by pouring out all that I am before the Lord and letting Him constantly conform me to His WILL! While that is easy to type and talk about it becomes much harder to live out. What will make it easy for anyone who desires the same is to become so frustrated with the current state of the Church that you are willing to pray and wait until you experience a fresh move of God. My own tradition loves to quote the book of Acts and talk about salvation, but why don't we talk about how mighty God moved through the early Church that trusted Him? The early Church spent a lot of time trusting, praying, and waiting for God and He blessed them in spiritual ways they never expected. This is the same God I serve. This is the same God whom I will trust for a fresh move. I am tired of living in solitary confinement. It is a dark and lonely place to be. It is time to break out and I am willing to wait for God to open up the door.

Do Pastors Get Paid To Study?

2007-08-13T14:18:00.000-04:00

I was sitting in an Elders meeting several years ago at my former ministry in Ohio. One of the Elders who I had a great relationship with was teasing me about the amount of time I had been studying that month. As this was going on another Elder, who I will call Rodney (not his real name) had a very strange look on his face. When the teasing ended Rodney looked at me with all seriousness and asked if I had been using Church time to study for my sermons. When I told him that I had he began to get frustrated and a little mad. He told me that my job was to visit people during the day and I should study on my own time. He went on to talk about his military days and how he had to study "off the clock" on a regular basis. With all of the Elders now looking at both of us I explained to him that the Church paid me to visit, pray, study, and everything else that goes along with ministry. Rodney was not happy the rest of the meeting or the rest of the time I was in Ohio.

There are many misconceptions about what a Pastor does and does not do. All of us in full time ministry have very different personalities and approaches to how we accomplish things. For me I like to mix things up and work during the day and evening as well. I love to visit people and I enjoy my time in study as well. What my schedule is and what the guys schedule who ministered here before me are very different. Most leaders that any Pastor works with understands the dynamics that are involved with the different personalities and approaches by each individual Pastor. Still there are those out there like Rodney who feel that they know the best way that every Pastor should spend his days. If you are a Church leader and you find yourself frustrated with your Pastor then handle the issue Biblically and talk to him first. My situation right now is wonderful, but my heart goes out to my brothers who have to struggle through this with their leadership.

The Church needs to realize that it is imperative in todays culture for their Pastors to have enough time in study and prayer. These 2 vitally important elements are missing much of the time in a Pastors life. All of us in full time ministry need to be focused upon study beyond the Sunday morning sermon so that we are constantly filled with wisdom and insight. Our prayer lives have to take precedent over our busy days before they begin so that we are inviting God into our daily situations. Any Pastor who takes the time to pray and study several hours each day will be someone that God will use continuously. Those in the Church need to encourage their Pastors to take time for this each day. There is more power in a Pastor who prays with regularity than many realize. I always will wonder to myself why Rodney was so upset at that meeting? Would he have been so upset if he spent more time with the Lord? Maybe part of the problem is that some of the leaders in the Church think of their role as a position instead of having the mind of a servant. The Apostles in Acts 6 delegated ministry so that they could give their attention to the word & prayer. That still holds true for the Church today. I receive payment for working in full time ministry. A big part of that ministry is spending time in prayer and the word.

Communication Breakdown

2007-08-11T10:47:00.001-04:00

Several years ago I sat outside of the Chapel at Bible College and struck up a conversation with a Pastor of a healthy and growing Mega-Church. He had a very charismatic personality and I liked him from the start. As we talked I began to question him about his journey as a Minister and discovered that he started out working with the youth and was involved with several other key areas of the Church before taking on a Lead Pastor's role. I was intrigued by this mans journey and asked him what the difference was between Youth Ministry and being in a Lead Pastoral role. He said to me "the only difference between the youth and adults is their age! No matter how old they are they still act a little childish from time to time!" I thought that was a bit strong, but figured he must of had his reasons for his comments.

I had forgotten about my conversation with the Mega-Church Pastor until the past few months. I realized that what he said had a lot of truth to it. As adults we sometimes still act like teenagers and little children. When we don't get our way at Church we pout and throw fits until we get some attention. We do this because in America we have things theologically backwards. We have begun to think that the Church is there for us and that we need to be ministered too constantly. We have been fed lies by the spoonful and have eaten every last morsel of it. Our selfishness affects the bodies that we represent in negative ways. We have become more concerned with what we want in the Church than what God wants from each of us in our communities and homes. People have become consumeristic and will now shop around for a Church that fits their own needs. Once a Church is found the disciple begins to think of themselves as a customer who needs to be served and made happy if they are going to stick around for any length of time. This mentality is killing the Church!!!

The Church does not exist to make people happy or to fit some type of personal spiritual blue print. The Church exists to edify God through ministering to each other and the community that each Church is in. One of the key elements that is missing today is humility. Dallas Willard in his book "The Diving Conspiracy" says that humility is the hardest thing for the modern Christian to grasp. Our lack of humility is causing us to battle with each other over order of service, music style, and levels of authority within many congregations. Our lack of humility keeps us from loving, serving, worshipping, and praying together like we should. Our lack of humility hinders God's blessings and movement among us. I don't know how you feel about all of that, but personally I am tired of the lack of humility I see among God's people.

Pride is the counterpart of humility by the way. It is an affective tool that Satan has used through the centuries to divide God's people. Our pride holds us back from getting to know the entire congregation at times. Our pride holds us back from listening to each other and loving one another more passionately and deeply. Pride was not a problem for the Church in the book of Acts. They humbled themselves and God moved in powerful ways. When we learn how to humble ourselves we will experience God in great ways also. The road of humility is not an easy road, but it is the best road that any disciple can be on.

Do You Love Your Neighbor?

2007-07-28T09:54:00.001-04:00

The logo for this article is taken from a web site I sometimes frequent called Christian Church Today. I have it as one of the links listed on this site. When I found this site I was researching graduate schools over 2 years ago. I would look at the site initially every 3 days or so because they also have ministry listings and at the time I was in a tough situation with my former Church. I began to notice over time that the site had a forum section on it and all you had to do to participate was to sign up for membership. I first began just reading through the threads for a long period of time and eventually got the nerve to begin to post. I hesitated to post because while it is a Christian site I noticed that people could sometimes take theological debates and get a bit ugly with one another. Eventually I began to post and met some good Christians and experienced some decent online fellowship. I have even had some trouble with a few people just getting a bit nasty from time to time. Some of those who I have become fond of on the site have been harassed by a few rotten apples who like to come on to that site and create problems for everyone. I suppose in many ways a Christian website reminds me of the Church.

Of course all of this bickering on the website did calm down a bit through July because the website went off-line for a while and when it came back up the forum section was still undergoing maintenance. This past week the forum section was running again, but many have deserted this site for a better time of fellowship at a different location. I was among those who choose to fellowship at the other, but will continue to visit and perhaps even post at Christian Church Today. This type of bickering and frustration has always been in the Church since it started (see Acts) and it will unfortunately always be around. Paul wrote to Timothy and said that "in the last days the love of many will grow cold!" The last days started at Pentecost when Peter preached a powerful sermon and some 3,000+ were saved. We don't have to look very far today to see that there is a love problem, even within the walls of the Church building. This for me is the most frustrating aspect of the Christian life. The lack of love among God's people with each other and apart from each other. We need to learn to love as Jesus loved! We need to learn to extend grace as Jesus extended grace! I think part of the problem is our ego-centric thinking that we cling to everyday. We are being formed and shaped to be a community that loves each other and God.

I recently made a comment in the Church about someone who I think has potential for greater leadership responsibilities. When I mentioned this openly someone pointed out that the person mentioned has had some problems with their life. They were referring to the persons past sins. Isn't that incredible? Jesus can forgive us and wash us clean yet we like to point out the problems of others so easily. This is not what Christ died for! He died for the ungodly and the sinner. That is who I am! That is who you are!

While Christian Church Today website was closed for most of this month I began to frequent other Christian websites and blogs more than usual. I saw a lot of finger pointing by Christians toward other Christians. I read how each denomination has it right and how the other ones are all wrong. One of the days of this I experienced depression and headaches. This is not what Jesus suffered for. He suffered so that His people could have an abundant life. Jesus said the 2 Greatest Commandments were loving God with every aspect of you being and loving your neighbor as yourself. When the Church starts to learn the first one it will not have a problem with the latter. No matter what denomination you are in you are commanded to love your neighbor! If they bear fruit for the Kingdom they are your neighbor. When we learn to love we will learn to move forward with God into a greater spiritual depth. Everyday God gives me the choice to be a Christian who loves.

Freedom of Simplicity

2007-07-23T10:23:00.001-04:00

Our staff just finished Freedom of Simplicity by Richard Foster who writes primarily in the area of Spiritual Formation. I have always enjoyed Foster and believe that he and Dallas Willard are 2 of the best writers of our day in the area of Spiritual Formation. Freedom of Simplicity forces any Christian to look deep within at the lifestyle they are living. Foster forces the reader to re-evaluate what we value in the Christian life against the backdrop of the New Testament. This is a book that spends time on lifestyle and our Christian role in the area of social justice. Foster is a Quaker which means that he has a natural bent toward social justice, simplicity, and conservation. Personally I think that Foster was a bit too green for me, but believe that this is a must read for any Christian servant-leader.

Unfortunately this book will probably not find its way on to the top selling list of CBD or your local Christian book store. Those in the Church today spend more time justifying a lifestyle that mimics the world instead of re-ordering a lifestyle that fits a biblical model a bit more closely. If you have struggled with material issues as a Christian and have a desire to be challenged I would recommend this book. Some consider Foster a Christian-mystic which in itself is not a terrible label unless you are in the camp of ultra-conservatism. Foster is a voice that the Church needs to hear from and listen to in the 21st century. This book is a challenge and written with a philosophers heart so do not expect to be able to quickly run through this and not have to put it down occasionally to digest the material. If you want to be challenged then spend a little time with Foster. I also recommend Foster's Celebration of Discipline to those who want to have a richer and more fulfilled Christian life.

X + Y = CHAOS

2007-07-21T09:05:00.000-04:00

Yesterday in my travels of ministry I ran into many different types of people who represent our Church. As I look back on those interactions I realize that I engaged 4 different generations that make up the modern (or postmodern) Church of America. As I reflect on yesterday I wonder to myself if we understand our generational differences at all and even respect them? The answer is a simple no! Unfortunately we (all generations in the Church) kick and scream at times like little children wanting things done our own ways so that each generation will get what they want from Sunday morning worship or from the ministries offered from the Church.

In the past couple of years I have started to notice a trend with 2 specific generations that is starting to trouble me. The generations are X and Y (sometimes called millennials). In the modern Church I represent GenX being in my 30's and those who are Y are usually in their early 20's. The trend that I am noticing with these 2 different generations is what I like to call a "catered mentality." These 2 generations that have grown up at the height of the technological revolution are the most restless generations that this nations has probably ever known. We have grown up with television as our babysitter and our world is full of screens. Our attention span has been said by experts to have only a 3-5 seconds. We need to be entertained and always seem to be on the go. Slowing down for us is watching television for an hour or so. We have an expectation of being fulfilled or we will take our desires somewhere else and that includes that Church. These 2 generations have seen the largest divorces among any other generations in our American history that has lead to drug use, sexual addiction, homosexuality, and disrespect of most authority figures. But you would think that once a person has entered a relationship with Jesus that most of these problems would take care of themselves, but that is no the case.

Generation X & Y are two completely different generations. GenX is probably the last generation of teens who worked thankless jobs and have a quasi-hard work ethic. GenY are the children of those who did not have much and what they did have gave all of that to their children in the hope that it would bring them happiness. With all of this baggage some from these 2 generations enter through our Church doors every Sunday morning looking for fulfillment. We need to realize how they think and learn how to connect the preceding generations to them. X & Y need to learn from the generations who are ahead of them and need to connect to those from those generations for the Church to become a place of spiritual growth and nurture. Instead of battling over music and ministries we need to be finding some middle ground in light of God's Word together. The generations above X & Y need to be ministering to these younger generations who will and have begun to take over the operating functions of the Church. If generations do not learn to move forward together in the Name of Jesus there will be more chaos in the future than there is today in the modern Church. No matter what generation you are in you have a command to work together for the Lord in unity. Someone who answers Jesus' call to "love his neighbor" will respect other generations and do their best to minister too them.

Judge Not

2007-07-17T15:57:00.001-04:00

Bible study & prayer can be frustrating! When you get out of rhythm with it you are only left with a bad attitude. When you get into a rhythm of it you begin to be convicted by the Holy Spirit of things that hinder your walk with Jesus. My conviction over the past 2 weeks has been that of judging other people. Then when I get to this weeks passage for my sermon series which is James 4:1-12 I come across the word judge in the text. I do a little language work and notice that the word judge is in the present active mode which means that James is talking to those in the Church who are currently judging or involved in actively judging others. When it comes to understanding the Bible, context is everything! Read all of James 4:1-12 and notice how James not only talks about judging at the end, but he also talks about Church battles. I think this is a good text for all of us to memorize.

I don't want anyone to think that by talking about judging others that I am suddenly Politically Correct because I probably will never cross that bridge. I am talking about judging others by tearing them in half verbally or internally because of what they say and what they do. We have many passages in the New Testament for those who sin against each other or the Church and refuse to repent. Those passages must be adhered to without wavering. But judging each other due to personality flaws seems to be a trend that has been around since the 1st Century. We forget that most of the time we have a fallen nature that is always battling with our Spiritual life. Remember Romans 7? Because of this battle we are so quick to point out most peoples faults instead of admitting our own and working through them. It could be my culture, my country, my upbringing, or perhaps my sinful nature that leads me to be so quick to pick apart others. No matter what label I ascribe to this sin it is still judging others which causes disharmony between myself and God and many around me. I am tired of the Church falling prey to this sin and I am tired of falling into this sinful trap.

I have realized through introspection and Holy Spirit conviction that I am guilty as charged by the Word of God! I realize as a Christian that I have an expectation to turn this around. I have made a commitment to God and myself that this must change. It will take time, prayer, hard work, and reliance on the Holy Spirit to get me to where I need to be. But I am willing to get through this because I have been stuck in this rut for several years now. Can you imagine being freed from the bonds of judgmentalism? I want to spend more time correcting myself and loving others than I do judging them. Remember the golden rule? We break that rule by being kind to ourselves and disrespectful to others when we pass our judgments on their faults and attitudes. I want to love like Jesus loved which means more grace and less judgmentalism. It is possible, but it requires effort.

The Fruit of the Spirit Is....

2007-07-13T12:33:00.000-04:00

Last night I was reading on a private forum of a fellow Pastor and his struggles with the congregation he serves. When he talked about his situation it took me back in time to a situation that I would like to share with you today. The situations are so similar that I thought it was the Church that I left over a year ago. It is not the same Church, but it proves that many Churches in America have become consumed with Sunday morning instead of their relationship with Christ.

Cornerstone Christian Church (not its real name) is like most Churches in America. They cling to their traditions which primarily revolves around how they worship on Sunday morning. While at Cornerstone Christian the worship committee decided one evening that we needed to change things up a bit. One of the people proposed that we change the order of service since it had been the same for a very long time. We moved several things around and put communion (we partake of it weekly) after the sermon instead of before. The committee agreed and when proposed to the Elders they were all in agreement said it was a great idea. In just a few short weeks when I met with the Elders again there was a big problem with the new order of service. One of the Elders wives was upset and told her husband that communion should always be before the Word is presented. She told her husband that she could not focus on the Word until she had communion. This woman had been to Bible College for 1 year many years ago and was known for believing that she had a handle on the Bible more than just about anybody else in the Church. In the Elders meeting the Elder whose wife complained said we had to move it back. When asked why he repeated what his wife said and the added "who would know better than her where it should go?" We did not move it back to where she wanted it because Easter service was coming and many people enjoyed something a bit different for worship.

Looking back on this I have to shake my head and laugh a bit. We get so bent out of shape in the Church over the smallest things don't we? Unfortunately this problem I had experienced was one of many petty problems from my time at that ministry. What bothers me the most is that Cornerstone Christian represents many Churches in America. People are fighting and bickering over petty details of what should happen on Sunday morning instead of worrying about growing closer to Christ and bringing Him honor in their daily lives. When things like this happen we look just like the world to each other and to outsiders. What a shame! Then we wonder to ourselves why God is not using us or blessing our Church.

In Galatians 5:22-26 there are 9 attributes listed that are called the Fruit of the Spirit. These attributes should be flowing out of every person who is an apprentice (disciple) of Christ. We don't talk about the Fruit of the Spirit like we should. We need to be asking ourselves and others if we have these qualities in our lives. The ones we are lacking in we need to notice and pray about. 1 John 5:14 "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us." Powerful words from the Apostle John! We need to understand that it is God's Will that we bear fruit. God desires for you to have the fruit listed in Galatians 5. The problem is that we are taking our focus of of Jesus in the Church and putting it on other things that are unfruitful. When someone becomes fruitful in their lives the Church will reap the benefits. Others will see that it is possible to live and "abundant" life that Jesus promised. When more people become convinced they will give more time and energy to their relationship with Christ. As people grow the Church grows spiritually. When a Church grows spiritually it begins to focus on reaching out instead of focusing on the order of worship. We have a duty as Christians to think beyond ourselves and the Sunday morning worship. People who are consumed with the order of worship worry me. If you are worried more about Sunday morning order of worship more than glorifying God with your life and reaching out to a hurting world you need to repent and ask Jesus to move in fresh ways in your life. You have the choice everyday to bear fruit or to become a rotten apple.

How Spiritual Is The Modern Church?

2007-07-11T10:25:00.001-04:00

Many years ago I had a Church Leader pull me to the side because his Church was dealing with an issue of immorality. He wanted to know what the Churches authority was with members in this precarious situation. I began rambling off the different texts in the New Testament and then turned to him and said, "but you know what these verses say concerning this issue!" His response amazed me! He said "I really don't know what the Bible has to say about this issue!" When I asked him if he had ever been through the New Testament he just looked to the ground with a look of shame and told me that he had never read the New Testament.

I wish I could tell you that this was an isolated incident, but it was not. Through the years I have noticed that many Church Leaders and many Christians in the Church just don't have a good overall Biblical knowledge like they use too. Being a Pastor this not only breaks my heart, but it frustrates me to no end. We have greater opportunities than most people in the world when it comes to growth and development of our relationship with Christ. We are squandering it away because we are lazy in the American Church. Maybe part of our problem is that we come to Church with an expectation that growth should only happen within the walls of a building instead of being a continual process that we are to go through.

Every Church needs to make sure that its leaders know the Word of God and that they are promoting growth among its members. When we are not growing spiritually we are nothing more than a club or organization that meets once a week because we believe in something. The Christian life was promised to be a dynamic relationship with God. Do you feel that your spiritual life is dynamic? If it is not then can you say that it is the fault of your Church? While it does matter that you are getting solid Biblical teaching from the body that you belong too you also have a huge responsibility for yourself. We are forgetting that there is a lifestyle involved with the Christian life. Being a Christian is not a label, it is a name given to those who follow Jesus with passion and persevere with Him no matter what is happening in their lives. Pick up the Word and start growing and don't just rely on your Church to move you forward with God.

Are We Too Comfortable?

2007-07-06T09:56:00.000-04:00

I get upset sometimes in the morning if I don't have half & half to pour into my coffee. I don't get a little irritated, I actually become a bit angry for about a half hour or so. That seems very petty and immature I think to myself as the day goes on. Through the day I forget about it and then as I am flipping through the channels at 8:30 p.m. I am reminded how immature it really is. I come across a Christian channel that primarily shows many Pentecostal programs, but this one is not Pentecostal and it is very different. The Program I watched was Life Today which is a ministry of James and Betty Robison. I believe that James Robison is a former Baptist Pastor which is a bit different from the Independent Christian Church freewill theology that I am accustomed too. His background does not bother me at all because as I have been watching the program lately I see a fellow Christian brother with a heart that takes him out of his comfort zone.

Yesterday's episode had a guest on talking about wisdom and a little booklet that the guest had written. Usually they focus on a person and the ministry connected to that person and I enjoy the show if I am interested in the subject matter. Yesterday's program had a 10 minute segment at the end that dealt with the ministry work that James & Betty do on the continent of Africa. They have a heart and passion of making sure that those without clean running water will receive it. I have known about their work for some time, but last night it tugged at my heart in a new and fresh way. It made me examine my own lifestyle and I began to think of all the little things that I complain about and take for granted. It made me realize that I live a wonderful life of comfort without a great deal of sacrifice.

Our lifestyle as Christians are very lavish in North America. I believe that God formed me and knitted me together as Psalm 139 tells me. I believe that God formed and knitted me together for this time and for the place that I live. But do I buy into the comfortable lifestyle a bit too much? I am starting to think that I have too much. I find myself wanting to learn how not to be so materialistic. I am realizing that I am not so sure of the time God has allowed me to have in this place. There is no guarantee of my life span. What I do with the time God has given me is extremely important. I must prayerfully desire to become a daily blessing in all areas of my life and learn to be a sacrificial Christian. I might not be able to touch the continent of Africa in a way that James and Betty do, but I can have a huge impact in my own community.

Everywhere there are people around us who are hurting in some way. It could be financial problems, marital problems, emotional problems, or problems just dealing with life. A disciple of Jesus in North America must learn to get out of their comfort zones and self-centered living and engage those outside of the Church in the name of Jesus if they want to make an eternal impact. Our days are filled with meeting our own needs and we see this as normal. What a shame! Matthew 25 deals with people who did the work of the Kingdom and those who did not. Every Christian should periodically look at this chapter of the Bible. Have we forgotten that there is expectations on the Christian life? We need to get moving! We need to get out of our comfort zones! Jesus sacrificed His life for us! What are we doing for Him?

Respond If You Want

2007-07-04T17:29:00.000-04:00

When I started this blog I left the comments section of each article open to anyone who wanted to respond. After receiving anonymous comments from a guy at my former ministry I changed it to blog members only. I have decided once again to open every article up to anyone who chooses to respond. Of course this time I have enough sense to moderate every comment like a few of my brothers in ministry do on their blogs. I probably will let any negative comments into the articles because I like other perspectives and I enjoy a good debate. The Church cannot be afraid to debate one another in this postmodern milieu we find ourselves in. Christians need to engage other Christians to promote greater harmony and to hopefully build a greater desire to reach out beyond the sanctuary walls of our rote routine.

Anonymously Missional

2007-07-03T15:10:00.000-04:00

The word "Missional" seems to be a big buzz word with the Church right now. I don't know what you think of the word, but I have become fond of it in that last year. Our Youth Pastor gave me a book by Mark Driscoll (Confessions of a Reformission REV) and that was the first place that I heard of it. I like the word because it reminds the Church that there is work to be done. I like the word because the Church has become complacent in America instead of being Missional. Everyday I wake up I make sure I offer up praise to God for the Church that I am blessed to Pastor because they have a Missional mindset. Great Elders, Great Staff, and a wonderfully loving congregation.

Several days ago it was mentioned that a family in our Church had a need and that they are in a tight spot for the moment. It was mentioned because someone with a Missional mindset decided that it was time to quit talking about it and time to make a move about the situation. Within 48 hours of making the need known to one person, it became known to many more. Today I received a phone call from someone in the Church who caught wind of this need who also has a Missional heart and they decided to take care of the need. This is what it is all about! The love of Christ should compel His people to minister to each other because their lives have been so radically transformed by His love and grace.

Missional for me is reaching out to a believer or non-believer both in the name of Jesus. There are many in all of our Churches who do not have this mindset. Church has become a ritualistic practice instead of a transforming experience. We need Missional minds in the 21st Century to impact the culture around us. James 2 tells us that "faith without works is dead!" So if Sunday morning is nothing more than a ritual or a routine do you really have a Biblical faith? Missional Christians understand that there is always work to be done in the Kingdom and for the Kingdom. They are passionate people who are connecting to Jesus and in turn are on fire for His agenda in their communities to be accomplished. A Church that collectively understands this is a Church that is moving forward with God. This mindset needs to permeate every Disciple because it is what Jesus taught the first disciples. 12 men once changed the world, how much more can thousands of churches filled with Missional Christians?

All Mixed Up

2007-07-02T09:53:00.000-04:00

My wife and I drive a Ford Taurus. We like the car and after being in a small accident we can affirm that it is truly one of the safest cars in its class. We have been happy with the car until some recent news came out about the Ford Corporation. We learned that Ford had recently supported a Gay Pride Festival and were shocked that a major corporation would do something like this. We forget sometimes as Christians that not everyone around us shares our Christ-Centered Worldview. We made a decision that we will never buy a Ford product again as a family. This was not an easy decision because we enjoy their products. We feel as Christians that we must take a stand in as many areas that we can. In this process of discovering this out about Ford we have since come to find out about many other national companies. As Christians this is troubling because of what the Bible says about the sin of homosexuality.

The issue of the declining moral values in America is something that my wife feels a burden for. Both of us feel that the Church of America is laying down right now concerning many moral issues that will eventually affect all of us in the Church unless Jesus returns within the next decade. Being passionate about this my wife sometimes sends emails out to friends and family to let them know about issues like Ford or other companies supporting gay rights. We may not always agree in the Church about doctrinal issues, but we should always agree with the basic tenets of the Word. This past week my wife sent an email to a friend out west that dealt with the issue of gay rights and Christians taking a stronger stand against it. The friend replied with this statement; "I would love to hear from you, but please don't send me things like this. I am a huge advocate of equal rights for everyone, regardless of sexual preference, and some of the people I love best on this world are gay. " This response is from a fellow Christian. I believe it depicts that there is a dividing wall within the Church.

This reply took the wind out of my wife and stayed in her head all that day. It stayed in me throughout the entire weekend. Why should there be a dividing wall with the issue of homosexuality within the Church? I believe that we must minister to the gay community, but in love we must hold true to the Word of God. Romans 1:18-32, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, and Revelation 21:8 all deal with homosexuality and immorality. There are other scriptures that deal with immorality that can be linked to homosexual practices, but these are the strongest concerning homosexuality as a sin and the punishment of such an act.

Before you think I might be going off the deep end let me explain a few things first. I would welcome a homosexual into our Church without hesitation, but I would not back down from the Biblical stance of homosexuality and our Church would not let someone join as a member until they renounced that lifestyle. My wife and I know several homosexuals whom we love. One is a member of my wife's family and I enjoy their company every time we get together. Regardless of my feelings for those in the homosexual lifestyle I still must not waiver on the Biblical stance one bit. Someone might say, "But isn't Jesus all about grace?" Yes He is! "Then how do you think Jesus would say to a homosexual?" I think He would say "leave your homosexual lifestyle and follow me!" I say that because Jesus is saying to everyone "lay down your sins and come and follow me!" This issue of homosexuality is invading the Church and we need to be engaging it head on because it is not going away. My desire is that as we engage this issue we will do so in a loving Biblical manner.

Let It Go & Feel Better

2007-06-29T10:37:00.000-04:00

There are issues in the Church that have always troubled me. One of those issues has always been that of forgiveness and grace. You would think that having your life transformed by Christ would be so powerful that all who identify themselves as disciples or apprentices of Christ would have a spirit of submission to Him and His word. I know I use to think that way! Funny how spending time in a Church as a Pastor can change all of that. Don't get me wrong, I love the Church and think it is the greatest institution on the planet. I also think that is has the potential to be more real and sincere with a culture that is seeking answers and watching it. I think we are losing ground with outsiders because we have hardness on our hearts and at times a lack of love toward each other.

You might be wondering if something has happened to get me to be so straightforward. Yes and No! In the Church there is always an issue to deal with concerning people who refuse to forgive one another. Sometimes I experience it in my own life as well. That unfortunately is the nature of the Church. We are fallen individuals who are trying to conform to the image of Christ and we do that at times kicking and screaming. We like to justify our anger and our reasons for not granting forgiveness to others even when they have sincerely asked for it. I have to deal with this issue as a Pastor every couple of weeks. It has become frustrating. Part of the problem is what some have been taught about forgiveness through the years. Even if it was bad teaching that does not square up with the Bible they will still cling to it. When I was on my internship the Pastor I worked under for that time preached on forgiveness once. He said from the pulpit that you should forgive and never forget. Is that what the Bible teaches? One of my favorite areas of the Bible is the book of Psalms. Psalm 1o3 states "The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will He harbor His anger forever; He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. (NIV)" That is the ways that God treats us. Isn't that wonderful?

I am tired of us not having the same attitude toward others that God has toward us. We are representing Christ with all of our actions and all of our attitudes every day of our lives. I know the old phrase "you don't understand what they did to me!" Is it necessary for me to know? Will I be more willing do you think to take your side if I do? I probably would not. All I know is that I am commanded to have true forgiveness in my heart. Ephesians 4:32 says "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." It is not easy to live that verse out, but I am commanded to do so. When I learn to conform my life more to the standards of the Word than the world I begin to experience God in greater ways. Part of the problem that we have in the Church is that we are forgetting that obedience to the Word always comes with the promise of greater spiritual blessings. To live this out you will have to swallow your pride and prayerfully ask God to transform your feelings about your situation. He will transform you if you let him and spend time with Him in prayer. When you can grant complete forgiveness you will feel much better spiritually and you will have more grace upon your life.

Christian Education

2007-06-26T15:00:00.000-04:00

I wonder to myself as a Pastor how much Christian literature any disciple of Jesus might read each year. I think if I knew I would probably cringe. Some people believe that just by going to Church that they can grow enough to get them by. Maybe someone else thinks that they are in a small group so they put more effort into the Christian life than most people and do not need to educate themselves. Every person who is a follower of Jesus needs to be educating themselves every week of their lives. The more educated you are the stronger your faith will be.

When I was a young Christian I would bother my first 2 Pastor's with question after question. I would go to their house and knock on their door if I had too. I realized one day that if I was to grow like I wanted to in this new lifestyle I was going to have to do 2 things. I would have to get through the entire bible and keep going through it and I would have to study secondary Christian literature so that I could understand this life that I was called into. At the time I was only a nominal reader and since I knew nothing of Christianity I had to choke down my first five books. I began to read about prayer, the Holy Spirit, and anything by Philip Yancey. I noticed after the first year that I began to grow in big ways and I began to be more focused in the Christian life. At Church people would say "how do you know this stuff?" My response was always the same; "I have been studying!"

At the time of my conversion I was a delivery driver and covered between 150-250 miles a day. Because of my occupation I had the privilege of listening to 4 sermons a day. I would listen to Hayford, Swindoll, and Tony Evans. So my Christian education was ongoing. I was making a choice to grow in the Lord. Today the technology is much greater than when I was saved. You can go online and listen to sermons or download them to your ipod like one guy I know does. The point is, you have every tool at your disposal to grow in the Lord. I would not recommend every book from any Christian bookstore to you, but I will leave you with a few that I would. If you want to educate yourself and grow in the Faith in greater ways then you must begin to read. Ask someone from your congregation who understands Christian literature for some recommendations. Beware of the fluff books that promise everything will be ok. Here are a few I would recommend.

1. The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard.

2. The Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster.

3. Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire by Jim Cymbala.

When You Want To Grow

2007-06-26T10:59:00.001-04:00

It seems that the easiest part of deciding to move forward with God is the initial decision. You feel a deep and sincere conviction from God that there are changes in your life that must take place if you want to move forward with Him. You decide one day that you are going to submit to that conviction and you might even be a little excited. But sometimes that excitement or fire within can be extinguished quickly by the outward turmoil in our lives.

We call it attacks from the devil when we are trying to improve our spiritual lives, but is that what is always going on? In Hebrews 12 and Proverbs 3 we read that God disciplines those whom He loves. Sometimes when we get serious with the Lord it seems like we are experiencing some constant turmoil. It could be an attack from the devil or it could be that God is testing us in different ways to see how serious we are and to strengthen us for the future. In this lifetime we will never know with certainty what is going on. We can however know that some type of testing will come. It will be constant and when we try to move forward it could be a bit more intense.

We talk a lot about trials in the Church and have become familiar with the texts that surround the word, but have we become good at embracing it as a part of the Christian life? We kick and scream at times because we do not want the trial and maybe that is because we forget what they are for. They are a spiritual tool to help us draw closer to God and conform to His will in greater ways. I want to learn to embrace my trials to some degree each year in greater ways. I am living in a way at this point where I expect them to come at unexpected times. I do so because it always seems to work out that way. Romans 5:1-5 and James 2:2-4 gives us some insight about our trials. Every Christian should learn what the New Testament says about them and how they are to conduct themselves through them. Whether you want to hear it or not you are getting ready to go through a trial, in the middle of a trial, or coming out of a trial. There is rarely any middle ground. Just remember they are in place for a reason.

Dark Seasons Part 2

2007-06-21T08:35:00.000-04:00

How do you feel when you approach God? Have you every thought about how you approach Him and what your attitude is like during that time? I think everyone needs to think about how they approach God in prayer because I am seeing in the Bible that our approach matters to God. Sometimes I will admit I approach God like a timid child who is begging for candy! I don't know why I get this way, but sometimes I forget how important I am to Him. I think many Christians are like this. I don't know where it started, but it permeates the Church like Small Pox.

I am seeing in the Bible that God wants me to be strong and bold. I know just saying that sounds Charismatic or Pentecostal, but its true. There is something powerful that happens when any person becomes bold in prayer and truly seeks God. My grandfather was a Pentecostal Preacher and the one thing that I learned from him about the Christian life is to learn to be bold in prayer. His boldness did not help him to gain riches in this life, but his boldness helped him to be rich in faith and to experience God in greater ways. Sometimes I would go over to his house as a young Christian to listen to his stories of prayer. These stories have been motivators for me lately and a good reminder of the power of God in the life of a diligent Christian.

Maybe you even think that being bold before God can seem a little arrogant. That is not so! Think about how you would feel as a parent if your own child came to you in a timid way for everything they wanted. You would probably think that it was very odd. Timidity can hold us back from approaching God with boldness and experiencing Him at greater and deeper levels. Psalm 86:1-2 in the NIV says "Hear, O LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. Guard my life, for I am devoted to you. You are my God; save your servant who trusts in you." That is what boldness looks like. Those who learn to be bold will move forward with God.

One of the greatest rewards I have seen with those who have learned to be bold with God is that they truly have a peace that surpasses understanding. In the last few years of his life my grandfather had a peace like that. I believe all of us want to have a peace and contentment with God that we talk about, but do not have. It starts with prayer. It starts by making a decision that you are tired of feeling like you are in the darkness. It is taking that decision and following through with set times of prayer everyday. We are losing too much ground in our Churches, homes, families, and spiritual lives and it is time to be bold. If you remain in the darkness as a Christian it will not be because God willed it to be, it will be because you did not decide to take action.

Dark Seasons Part 1

2007-06-07T12:28:00.000-04:00

Right now as I look at the sliding glass door I see a windy and hot summer day. I like this time of year, but I prefer the colder weather. This is the time that my wife and I usually spend more time in our hometowns and more time in the yard with the neighbors. In the great land of Illinois the sun shines through most of the summer and the weather is usually very warm. Even though I love colder weather I do cherish the summer months. It is a great time to get out and do different things.

Even though the sun is shining right now I feel as though internally I am in a different season. I have sensed for some time God calling me to a deeper prayer life than I currently have. One of the links that I have on this site is for Christian Church Today which is a forum that many Preachers and Church Leaders frequent to discus the Christian life and the condition of the Church. Someone recently started a prayer thread that I had been following. Like most of the threads that have to do with prayer they never seem to get a great response or a good conversation going. As I read through this time I had a deeper conviction about prayer and faith than I have ever had before. I realized that I am not where I should be in this area. I realized that I go through ups and downs concerning my time with God. I do not feel ashamed to admit this because I am a Pastor, but I do feel ashamed because I am a child of God with a privilege that I take for granted.

So within myself I feel that I am in a dark season because I am lacking in the continuous flow of God's power in my life. Someone might say "well, that's the Christian life!" Is it? Sure, there are valleys, but I have witnessed many Christians who had a deep prayer life and seemed to conquer those valley's with a greater ease than most of us do. There is something profoundly life changing about a person who spends a good amount of time in prayer. As I read about the Spiritual Disciplines this always comes in at the top. The reason it does I believe is because many have discovered that true power for the spiritual life lies within a dedicated prayer life.

Those who choose to go down a road of connecting with God in greater ways can find themselves a little frustrated because trials and tests seem to follow us as we pursue God in greater ways. Knowing that should help us because before they come we can begin to prepare mentally and spiritually. The only other option for any of us is a Christian Life of going through the motions. I refuse to accept that! Reading through the New Testament I see a faith that was vibrant and dynamic by the Apostles and disciples alike. That is the type of relationship I want with God. That is the type of relationship that God has promised me as his child. Prayer begets a stronger faith and a stronger faith begets a greater desire to pray.

Psalm 34:8 states "Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him. (NIV)"

I am willing to stand on this verse all summer long. I invite all who read this blog to stand on that verse with me and to learn what a dedicated life of prayer is about and what it can produce. What have you got to lose?

Maybe, Maybe Not

2007-05-30T12:15:00.001-04:00

I had the privilege of serving my country during Operation Desert Storm with the 82ND Airborne. This past week or so I had been feeling a bit nostalgic as our 16 year anniversary rolled around of our return home. One of my best friends and I from my former unit began to talk about a 20 year reunion so I decided to see if I could find guys through the Internet with virtual ease. It worked much better than I ever anticipated. One number did cost me $7.99, but it was well worth it. Getting in contact with my former friends from the old unit brought back a lot of forgotten memories. Some things that I let go of since becoming a Christian were pointed out to me with laughter from some of the guys. One was shocked that I was in full time ministry.

Since becoming a Christian there has always been something that had troubled me about my time in Desert Storm. As we were leaving the country a group of us who were extremely close did something that made our commanding officer look bad. I never gave it a second thought until I came to know Jesus. Since that time the thought of our war time mishap would rear its ugly head in my mind. I had even had several dreams about it. I kept telling myself that if I could ever find my former commander that I would approach him and ask for forgiveness since I was under his command and it reflected greatly upon his leadership. During my Internet nostalgic frenzy I decided that I would try to locate my former commander and through 3 days of clicking and cross checking I located him. It took another day or so to get the nerve to call his house.

Today I left a message for him and within 10 minutes he returned my call. We talked for a while and then I reminded him of the famous "incident" but prefaced it with "I am now in full time ministry" with the hope for a little compassion and leverage. He remembered it once I mentioned it and let me get years of regret off of my chest. He granted me grace and reminded me that during that time I was just a kid even though they trained me how to kill effectively. After being gracious to me we began to talk about our lives and shared a few stories. We finished the conversation with him giving me his cell phone number and promising to talk more with one another. For years I had presumed that he would not be as gracious as he was when and if I had the chance to seek forgiveness, but that was proved wrong this morning. Had I not called and tried I would never have known.

Receiving forgiveness is not always so simple. I wrote an article on this blog once titled HEALED in reference to my former ministry. One of the guys from the Church became outraged by it and even though he commented anonymously I knew who it was. I sent him an email to try to work through the problem, but never heard back from him. I freely admitted where I as wrong and talked about my frustrations in that ministry. Some of what when on he probably did not know about. As Christians we will not always have those we seek forgiveness from ready to be as gracious to us as my former commander. We must seek the forgiveness where we have wronged others and trust that no matter what the outcome is we have done what is expected of us by God. How will you know unless you make an attempt? One thing is for certain you will have greater peace with God for trying!

DECISIONS

2007-05-22T09:47:00.001-04:00

About a week ago I received a phone call that my brother was arrested. The charges against him are severe and it will be months before we know what the outcome of all of this will be. Going down this road is difficult for my family and it is something that is heavy upon my heart. Looking at my brothers life I realize that most people who get into his position did not get there overnight. There is a progression in every persons life that leads them to where they are currently. Its all about DECISIONS! I love my brother and would do not want him in the position he made, but his own DECISIONS have put him in his current position.

No matter who we are in this life we are making a multitude of DECISIONS each day that will affect our lives for the coming months and years. In a culture that does not seem to slow down we need to remember to make the wisest DECISIONS that we can for every facet of our lives. Everyone wants to have their lives changed in certain ways, but most of the time they do not want to put in the effort to change them. Change means making some new DECISIONS about how you are living and then putting in the effort to turn it around. If there is one phrase that I despise in our culture it is "Well that's just they way I am!" Really? Is that working for you? Is that working for your family and friends? Have you attained some higher level of enlightenment by remaining the same? A person who wants people to accept them for who they are regardless of the negativity in their lives is a person who is DECIDING that DECISIONS don't really matter.

Galatians 6:7-9 states "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." That is a promise from God to those who are willing to make good DECISIONS and constantly strive to live by a greater standard than the worlds.

Make a DECISION every day that you are going to live in such a way right now that you will reap good benefits in your future. Every DECISION in your life everyday will determine what you will be reaping tomorrow and beyond.

Waiting

2007-05-11T16:28:00.000-04:00

"O Lord, hear me as I pray; pay attention to my groaning. Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for I will never pray to anyone but you. Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly (Psalm 5:1-3, NLT)."

Faith is having hope in God's movement in our lives. Faith is a trust that goes beyond the limits of my mind and transcends to an eternal expectation of movement from the hand of our Creator. We talk about faith because we are in a faith relationship through Jesus Christ with God. We use the word faith with regularity that sometimes we forget that with faith comes waiting.

I believe that when I give a situation over to God that He has begun to move in that situation the moment that I handed it over to Him. Faith is trust! The problem we have with faith is that we want God to move within a time frame that we feel would be most beneficial to us, others, or our situation. This is the most difficult part of our life of faith with God. We forget that God is infinite (unlimited) and we are finite (limited). Since God sees the big picture I have a trust in Him that He will answer my prayer and move in my situation in a way that He deems to be the very best. Knowing that should bring me more comfort, but it does not always work like that. I become frustrated and wonder what God is doing while I am still in my discomfort or turmoil. I begin to question if my faith is really big enough. I start to wonder if there is something amiss in my life that is holding God's blessing back from my life pertaining to the request that I keep making everyday.

Through much reflection and more time in prayer I begin to realize that I am a servant of God. I start to realize that He is not waiting to meet my every demand, request, or concern. I begin to realize that He loves me and is concerned for every aspect of my life and I remind myself that He is moving, but in a way that I cannot always understand and sometimes do not always appreciate. He is LORD! He knows what is needed and His timing is always perfect. I realize that I will never fully understand prayer and faith this side of Heaven and I accept that what I want for the moment is only relief, desire, or comfort.

As a Christian I have learned that I must resolve within myself to live a life by faith as Christ has called me to. That means that I trust God for the outcome of everything that I put in His hand regardless of what happens. I am praying with tears sometimes for a situation that is frustrating for some people I know, but I believe God is moving in His way and in His time. To continue to pray for this situation and not see the results that everyone is praying for is frustrating, but I believe by faith that God's purpose is much bigger than my personal desires. Waiting is one of the most difficult aspects of the Christian life, but it is a normal process that we all go through.

FAITH

2007-04-13T17:23:00.000-04:00

Faith is an interesting word in Christianity. It is used 270 times in the NIV translation alone. The New Testament Greek word for faith is PISTIS which can simply mean faith, trust, and belief. It is a word with power and great potential, but because we toss it around so frequently in the Church I think sometimes it loses the power that God intended it to have for His people. God desires that we have a greater faith than what I see in the Church of the 21st Century. Our faith has been deduced to attending Church instead of believing in God for His movement in our lives and in our circumstances.

We have sinned with our lack of faith perhaps. We do not believe in God for big things or for movement in our lives like He desires. Hebrews 11:6 in the NIV says "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that he exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him." A famous verse that we have learned to quote, but have forgotten its power. Faith is expectation and it is action. It is giving all situations to the Lord concerning our Church and our families. It is being detailed in seeking him with regularity and an expectation that He will move in those situations. It is a boldness that comes through believing that He is going to move in the situations that we lift up to Him. Our problem is that we sometimes become discouraged because God answers differently than what we envisioned in our finite minds. The Church and its people need to admit this an need to move beyond this type of thinking.

I have come to believe through my study in the Word of God lately that God indeed wants His people to trust and believe in Him for great movements in their lives and in their Churches. We have become timid and comfortable with our packaged Christianity that we have left little room for God's movement and have supplemented that with a great amount of knowledge. Where is the great revival of our day? Where are those being set free from things that hold them in bondage as Christians? Where is the emotional healing in families right inside the walls of the Church? Is God waiting for something from His people? I believe He is! I believe that He is waiting for a faith that seeks Him continually and is bold in that seeking. I believe that God is looking for those who trust in Him and are willing to wait upon his movement with a belief that He is going to move in the situation that they give over to Him continually. It is time for the Church to have a greater trust in the Lord and a greater sense of seeking their God. I believe that faith matters! What do you believe?

NEW LIFE

2007-04-09T09:26:00.000-04:00

Easter Service for our Church this year was presented at the local High School gymnasium. The Church has done this in the past, but skipped it last year being between Ministers. When the Worship Director and I decided to step out on faith and try this service again for our first time we were a bit nervous. Sometimes through the process of planning I remember thinking "is it really worth our time and effort to do this service?" There was a committee of course that was formed for this event and all of them were competent leaders. The service we came up with was very different for all of us and it had in mind reaching those who are lost or who had fallen away from the Lord.

This past Saturday afternoon we began set up for Easter Service at the High School. We set up about 415 chairs. We had been praying not so much for numbers, but that God would bless this service by filling up the chairs with people who are lost. We assumed that our regular attenders were coming, but our focus for the service was for those outside of Christ. The entire service centered around the theme of "Being Prepared." The sermon I preached was from Matthew 25:1-13 about the 10 virgins and how only 5 of them were prepared for the bridegroom. The sermon was a bit more narrative than usual, there was a game about being prepared in the beginning of the service, and we even did a contemporary skit. At the end of the service during the invitation time not one person responded. I kept wondering if anyone among this large crowd who was lost had been penetrated by any facet of this service.

When all of the lights came on as people were making their way out of the gymnasium I noticed one of our Elders and another man talking with a granddaughter of one of our regular attenders. This woman is 27 years old and comes to church occasionally when she is in town to visit her grandmother. She was asking questions about the process to becoming a Christian. I stood by as one of the Elders began to explain to her the Gospel as he flipped through scripture and began to read to her various passages with a gentle smile on his face. As this was happening she became more emotional with each passing moment. At the end of the conversation she told us that she wanted to be baptized. We all headed back to the Church were we heard her profess her faith in Christ and then was baptized. This woman and her grandmother were both highly emotional and weeping. This was a wonderful moment for this family and those of us fortunate enough to witness this new life from God.

All through this process of building up to this service we kept saying in the Elder meetings that "if only one person was saved then all of the effort, time, and money was well worth it." God revealed Himself to us on Easter Sunday by creating new life when we were least expecting it. Our efforts, prayers, and time matter to God. We forget He is moving sometimes, but when His people do as they are told He reveals Himself to them. All Glory to God!!!

Lessons From Billy

2007-04-02T10:31:00.000-04:00

Since I was a small child (born in 1970) I always remember there being a Billy Graham TV special on. I never really cared what Billy had to say because I was a little on the crazy side as a child and teenager. When I was in my 20's and still far from Christ I thought for some reason that Billy Graham was pentecostal and just wanted people to send him their money. It's funny how quick we judge others without knowing anything about them. When I became a Christian at the age of 27 I finally tuned into Billy one night and discovered a man who has a genuine heart for the lost. While I am not affiliated with any Baptist Denomination I have enjoyed reading books by Billy Graham through the years and have always been intrigued by his life.

Several weeks ago I received an issue of the 50th anniversary of Christianity Today which had an article about Billy Graham. I had not read the article immediately since there were other things I wanted to tackle in that issue. This past weekend I opened up the article which reflected on the life, ministry, and character of this renown Evangelist. I discovered 2 very significant things from that article. The first think I discovered was that Billy Graham started Christianity Today 50 years ago with the intention of having a solid publication that reached and touched the lives of Christians. When I read that I remember thinking "why did I never know about this?" Starting a major Christian publication is not an easy task, but it can be done when someone has a good heart and the right intentions.

Going through the article on Graham I discovered the most significant thing was that Billy stated he had wished he would have studied more. This grabbed at my heart in a very significant way. It hit me right between the eyes you could say. It was a gentle rebuke from an older preacher that I had needed for some time. I needed to hear this from a fellow Preacher because I realize that sometimes I go through seasons where I do not study like I should. When I do not study I become dry because I stop growing. Those who spend a good amount of time studying the word and growing through solid Christian writings always have something to share about God with others and always have enough spiritual food to get them through the dry seasons. I do not feel obligated to study the Word and to study about the Word because I am a Pastor. I feel obligated to spend time in study because I am a Christian who wants to experience God in greater ways each day of my life. Psalm 111:2 says "Great are the works of the LORD; they are pondered by all who delight in them." Thank you Billy Graham for that reminder this past week of what one of my Christian duties are.

Please Send Resume` To.....

2007-03-27T12:40:00.000-04:00

The process that any Church goes through to find a new Minister is always interesting to me. The Church that I met and married my wife at is currently looking for a new Pastor. Unlike the movement I am apart of her former Church is a mainline denomination. Instead of the candidate approaching the Church it is the Church looking at different candidates who have opened up their Resumes so that they can be considered by Churches who are looking. Instead seeking you become one who is hopefully sought.

Maybe you think to yourself that this is a good process, but personally I think that its frustrating. It is definitely more time consuming. The same problems exist with this process that do with the Christian Church tradition. It is a lot of effort on both parties taking the time to review each others profiles to determine if an interview will even happen. The problem is that Appleton Baptist Church (not the real name) is looking for someone to fit into a current system that has been in place for a good while. Sure there will be a little freedom, but there are major hurdles to jump to move forward at Appleton. I know this because the former Pastor was a mentor to me as a young Christian.

I had thought about sending a letter to one of the guys on the Search Committee just to give them some insights from a Pastor's perspective, but I realized it was none of my business. The reason that I thought of sending them a letter was out of the love that I have for Appleton. You see, they are like many churches in America; they are stuck in the rut of sameness. Appleton could be looking to move forward, but looking to maintain and that breaks this preachers heart.

Can you imagine what would happen if a Church advertisement said; Appleton Baptist Church, healthy congregation with a few minor problems, Looking for a Pastor with good speaking skills and a shepherd's heart to take a good size Church from going through the motions to where it needs to be. Willing to let someone try new and innovative ideas on a regular basis even if new programs fail. We need someone to help us reach out more and help us to stop being comfortable. We desire someone to challenge us to reach out and help implement new evangelistic ministries. What responses do you think that they would get? I think people like me in the Christian Church would be willing to jump across lines (almost) to have that type of opportunity. I praise God that I am in a Church where I can do new and innovative things and if they fail try other programs or ministries. But the Church in America is not like this! That is what breaks my heart. In all of our Churches we must stop accepting comfort and learn that there is an agenda given to us by God. That agenda is about growth, holiness, and most definitely about reaching the lost consistently. I made a decision a few months ago to get out of my comfort zone. One of my new ministries has already failed and one is succeeding. I don't know what the future holds, but I do know I want to reach the lost of this community. It's time to get out of the office a bit more and into the world with our life giving message.

CrossRoads

2007-03-23T13:33:00.000-04:00

The Church is a wonderful place and it is also a frustrating place. New people have been coming to our Church on a regular basis, but many of them have discontent for where they have been previously attending. While I want the Church to grow I would prefer that the numerical growth would happen through conversions. Before the Church can see numerical growth however it must be prepared and it must be working toward the goal of bringing new people to Christ. When I was a young Christian I experienced this once and have never forgotten the experience.

The Church was named CrossRoads and it was located on the edge of the University of Illinois Campus. The Church was started by Dave Short who Pastored the Church for several years. Dave began the Church with a vision of reaching lost souls in a liberal town and on a liberal secular campus. The only person besides Dave's wife who caught the vision for the lost was a young woman who attended the University. Together they met regularly and began to pray that God would help them reach the lost specifically. Within a few months there were services at CrossRoads with a handful of people. CrossRoads enlisted its new members to pray regularly for the lost and Dave challenged even new believers to spread the Good News on the campus. Within a few years CrossRoads had multiple services in a tiny stone building every Sunday morning. Through the week everyone began to meet in homes for small group worship. During the times of small group gatherings there was always a time of worship and a time of prayer. Many of those prayers were for salvation of the lost of that community. On Sunday mornings a few of the members would get together and pray for the services of that day and for the lost that frequently came in. I hardly remember a Sunday without a baptism during my short time at CrossRoads.

I thought a lot about CrossRoads lately since our Church is trying to reach the lost for Easter. This Easter we are holding our service at the local High School with the prayerful hope that salvation will come to those who are lost. We are praying and trusting in God's movement for this event. By doing this it forces us out of our comfort zone and hopefully will increase our faith in God. The Church does exist to help the saints grow closer to the Lord, but I am afraid that we have become to comfortable in America. The Church is not about being happy, it is becoming holy and reaching out. The second part is where we are falling short. I have a faith that God is going to give us a greater vision for the future. I believe that He is going to enlarge our hearts toward those who are around us everyday and are lost.

I recently drove past CrossRoads a few months ago. The Church no longer exists and the building has been turned into campus offices. Dave eventually left the Church and another Pastor stepped in who did not share his passion for evangelism. I don't fault CrossRoads last Pastor, but I wonder what happened to all of the passionate people that I worshipped with and their passion for the lost? The Church needs everyone to be sold out to evangelism, and if the saints are not excited together it will just become another buffett line where people just want to go and get fed. Growing in Christ is wonderful, but my growth should promote action!

I Am A Good Person!!!

2007-03-20T14:12:00.000-04:00

This past week I did something that I rarely do. I watched a program on the E Channel called True Hollywood Story. This is a series program for the Channel that features many famous people and shows the different sides of their lives. The episode that I watched last week featured Jenna Jamison who is a well known Porn Star. In this episode featuring Jenna the E Channel made her out to be a glamorous star who rose through the ranks of pornography with hard work and dedication. They made her out to be someone that all could admire. In the program they even boasted about her debating at Harvard on the subject pornography and winning the debate by a landslide. It was a very discouraging and depressing show. I wondered how many young girls watched this program and idolize Jenna?

The most discouraging aspect of this True Hollywood Story came toward the end of the program. People who are close to Jenna began to talk about how she was a good person and how that would get her into heaven. When it came time to talk of heaven for the Porn Star she said with her hands clasped together and looking very serious that she knew for certain that she would get to heaven because she was a "GOOD PERSON!" I was left speechless along with my wife as we heard those words come from her mouth. Jenna Jameson who just signed a new 7 year deal to continue to churn out porn believes that because she feels that she is a good person she will be accepted into eternity with God. Jenna has been in over 100 Pornography films and in the next seven years that number will continue to increase. By her standards it is alright to continue because she is basing eternity on earthly goodness.

I firmly believe that Jenna could be accepted into Heaven one day, but the key to her entrance can only come through a relationship with Jesus Christ! Until she repents of her sins and enters into a Covenant relationship with the Savior she is going to be surprised when life comes to an end.

About a decade ago I had thinking similar to that of Jenna Jamison. I thought I was a "good person" by secular standards and was positive that God would accept me one day. This is the belief of mainstream America. This is the thinking of our neighbors, friends, and some family members. We need to be engaging those around us about what it takes to make it into eternity and the wonderful life that they are promised in the here and now. Some people don't want to share their faith in Christ with others because it seems odd. Some don't want to do it because they feel they are not gifted in explaining the Christian Faith. As Christians we are expected to share with others the TRUTH of how to get right with God. If you are engaging God regularly you will have the desire to share with others. When you don't engage God you become a selfish Christian that buries the TRUTH in the ground.

In Matthew 25 there are 3 Parables grouped together. The 2nd parable has to do with talents that that the Lord has given His servants. 2 of the servants take the talents (money) and produce more, but one of them buries what has been given in the ground and it does nothing for the servant or the master who has given it. Jesus' reply to the 2 successful servants is "Well done, good and faithful servant!" But His reply to the servant who is lazy is "Throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!" Those are strong words, but they come from Him who gives me life. I think I will prefer to go and invest the talents given to me so that I can impact a corrupt generation for Jesus!

Lessons From My Father

2007-03-16T13:19:00.000-04:00

Someone somewhere once said "we are only a product of our environment!" With each passing year I like that statement a little bit more. I like it because it is a truthful statement! This past weekend my wife, son, and I went back home to see my nephew for the first time. It is the first child of my older brother and more than likely it will be his only one. This time with my brother and our sons left me very reflective for the rest of the day. I began to think about my childhood and the many different times throughout my life that my father has been absent. I thought of every important moment in my life and how my dad promised to be there, but never was. I realized how my brother and I have been given a great chance to break a family cycle that was started by our Father.

My dad will always be my dad and I do love him, but he really has not been a father to any of his three boys. So for all of us with our children we have the opportunity to set a new foundation that will last hopefully for generations to come. Being a Father means spending quality time with your children, loving them, helping them, teaching them, and guiding them through life. I realized this past weekend that the environment they grow up in will affect them for a long time. Perhaps their entire adulthood. One of the things that I began to notice was my Father's lack of morality. His morality was based on what he believed was and is right for himself. He had no foundation for a moral living except what he learned from the world. This type of thinking filtered down to all three of his boys. I never noticed my lack of integrity or morals until I became a Christian and at that moment in time my World-View was radically changed forever.

I reflected upon what I wanted for my son that I never received. I decided that I would never inundate him with heavy theological teachings or fill him full of doctrine (I will wait for that until the Jr. High years) I decided that I need to teach him about God in a practical way. For now it is praying together at night and right before he goes to bed. Although he is only 20 months old he clasps his hands together, bows his head, and closes his eyes, and we pray before I tuck him in at night. I realize that he will mimic me like my brothers and I mimicked our Father. My training him in the Lord will have to be more action than verbal for now, but he must be trained up in the ways of the Lord. "Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4, NIV)." Christian Fathers have a great responsibility to give their children instruction in the Lord. What we do from the beginning of their lives will impact them and their children for generations to come. One day I hope my son will look back and smile because I was always there for him and because I taught him true morality and integrity based on God's Truth.

How Hungry Am I? Part 1

2007-03-13T13:02:00.000-04:00

Food cravings will drive a person to do odd things! The other night I had a craving for some Culvers Custard and almost headed out of the house in my Pajama's. After all they have a drive through so what would be the big deal? We do love our food and those of us who have a sweet tooth will go through any length to find satisfaction. Take going to a Chinese Buffet as an example. Every time I go to one I tell myself that "this time I am going to eat in moderation", but I always end up stuffed. Last week our staff went to a Chinese Buffet and an hour later back at the office the only thing I wanted to do was to take a nap on one of the pews. Food for the American is a priority! We do have a love affair with our food!

The reason I have been contemplating my eating habits was due to a Fasting Thread started on Christian Church Today website that I like to frequent. In that thread there was a book mentioned that I have always wanted to read. The book is "A Hunger For God" by Dr. John Piper who is a fellow Pastor and a great author. I have respected this man for many years and have always enjoyed his writing. I ordered the book several days ago and now it sits on my desk. The only other books I have read about fasting are Fasting for Spiritual Break through by Elmer Towns, and the sections on Fasting in the books "Celebration of Discipline" by Richard Foster, and "The Spirit of the Disciplines" by Dr. Dallas Willard. While my previous reading on the subject has proven to be good I have noticed that I did not let it impact my life like I should have. So I have made a commitment to focus on this discipline of fasting in greater ways through the spring and summer because of my desire to draw closer to God. My goal is to read the Piper book by the end of the month and go back and read also excerpts from the Foster and Willard books as well. I think in the contemporary Church we are missing out on a lot by our lack of fasting.

I will be posting several more parts to this new article as I go along in my journey. Hopefully I will share insights from all of these authors and many things I discover in this journey this Spring and Summer. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said "When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you (Matthew 6:16-18, NIV)."

While I will heed Jesus' words and not boast or talk about fasting while it is going on I will reflect this spring and summer on what I discover through this practice afterward. Fasting needs to be discussed and practiced in the Church today. Of all the disciplines I think this perhaps could be the most forgotten one. The one certainty that I know is that I am hungry for God in ways that I never was before.

Friday Night Dinner Club

2007-03-12T10:02:00.000-04:00

Eating is one of our favorite pastimes! We love eating so much that statisticians tell us that 60% of all Americans are now overweight. That stat floored me when I heard it because I would have guessed at about 40%. We love to eat and we love to eat well in our country. We probably don't think about it very much but we eat better than most countries in the entire world. A friend of mine who recently returned from France told me that their food portions are almost half the size of our portions at most restaurants. We have a love affair with our food!

Knowing this about our culture should help us in the Church to think about ministry and fellowship with one another. We can integrate basic things like eating into our ministry at the Church to help bring people together. What I have started to notice in the Church is that when people start to get to know each other they begin to care for one another. When people care for one another with genuine affection then they learn to lean upon each other and perhaps even start to grow together in the Lord.

The first thing that we have to do is get together within the Church. The greatest way to do this is around the dinner table. Several moths ago a friend of mine by the name of Ronnie decided that he and his wife needed to expand people they knew in the Church. So Ronnie (this is his real name) had my family and another couple over for a home cooked meal. It was a good night and it was great food since Ronnie is an excellent cook. We thought initially that this was a one time event, but within another month all of us were at Ronnie's house for another wonderful home cooked meal. It seemed that all of our families began to do this on a regular basis. My wife calls it the Friday Night Dinner Club even though we only do this about once a month. This has changed since it first started because the last time we got together my wife and I cooked the meal at our home. We made everything from scratch like Ronnie and it was fun trying to cook something different that we don't normally eat. We are slowly getting the other couple to cook something from scratch as well for one of our Friday Night Dinner's. This has become a wonderful time of good food, new friendships that have developed, and a lot of laughter each time we eat together. Before we started to get together I thought that Ronnie's wife was a bit stuck-up, but I realize now what a sweet sister in Christ she is. Every time we get together now she reminds me of how I thought she was stuck-up and we laugh about it. I cherish these relationships within the Church.

Thinking about the Dinner Club this past week gave me an idea. Why not do something with this more and more in our Church? I have decided that this fall I will try to organize some type of Dinner Club that will help people in the Church to get to know one another better. One Friday night a month I will try to get 3 or 4 families together to share a meal and have a time of fellowship. It is easy to get people together in intimate settings like our homes and its easy to get people together to eat! I will enlist Ronnie of course to help with the organization of this even though he doesn't know yet. My hope is that it will strengthen our Church that has a lot of love in it already and help people to love those they do not know in greater ways. This concept is nothing new of course they did it all the time in the early Church (see the Book of Acts). Our problem is that we have lost sight of being intimate with other Christians.

Anonymously Speaking

2007-03-11T16:47:00.000-04:00

Everyone loves a good story! I personally love the funny ones that send you to the floor laughing in tears. Those are the stories that you remember and that you repeat to someone else even though it may not be your story. Some of the funniest stories I know in ministry are from fellow servants who have received anonymous letters from people of their congregations. When I hear the stories of anonymous letters I have always laughed because the stories are delivered in such a comical way. After hearing one of these stories I have always pondered what it would be like to receive one since I have never had the pleasure of getting one. That all changed this Sunday morning.

While I rarely use the computer on the weekends much I decided for an unknown reason to look at my own blog this morning. Still in the "Spring Ahead" fog at 5:45 a.m. (which was really 4:45 a.m.) I noticed an old post that someone made a comment on. At first it seemed a bit ridiculous because it was an "anonymous" complaint apparently from a congregant of my former ministry. The comment came from the Post titled "Healed" which I refer to my former ministry and being healed from the pain that my wife and I experienced there. The comment seemed somewhat derogatory but for some reason it did not make me mad. I actually smiled when I read it. I think the smile came because I know that every Minister in any ministry will have to take some type of criticism from someone. It happens all the time. "Don't judge me" people say, but yet they feel it is their job to criticize the Pastor! This is a personality type that is never satisfied with themselves and with life in general. So my smile comes from knowing that criticism will always come and that sometimes I might even deserve the criticism. After all who is perfect besides Jesus?

Before you think that I am a cynical person I want to set the record straight and let you know that I am actually a professional cynic. I love the Church, but too much time in ministry has given me the right to be somewhat cynical from time to time. While I am in a great Church with wonderful people who love me and my wife I have still dealt with criticism. A few weeks ago I was notified that one person was keeping their eye on me to see how I work out (which can be translated to they are watching to see if I fit their mold of Pastor). This will happen at every Church until Jesus returns.

I say love the critic and love the "anonymous" letter writers. Love them because you are commanded to by Jesus and by doing so the Lord will settle the matter for you (see Romans 12). Love them so much that eventually they will love you back and people will see it and praise God for it. But whatever you do don't stop being a little cynical! Cynicism if fun if used in a proper way. Just remember that Jesus is greater than our cynicism and greater than the critic.

Caution: Work Zone Ahead

2007-03-08T10:58:00.000-05:00

I have lived over a decade of my life in some type of City setting. I love the City! I love the sights, sounds, and smells. I love the buildings, concrete, and the pavement. I don't even mind traffic like most people do. With all of that said I must admit that even though I have a love for the City one of the things that frustrate me is when Road Constuction messes with my schedule. If you are a routine person then you know what I am talking about. We inwardly curse Constuction Sites and are disgusted when any road with construction is not fixed in a time frame that we think is appropriate. Our Western mindset is all about quickness. We want it done and we want it now.

What we need to realize is that any type of Road Construction happens to the benefit of the driver. We are inwardly cursing those who are trying to help us out. No one wants to drive on a bad road, but no one wants their schedule messed up by Road Construction. It is a double-edged sword.

Our thinking about Road Construction filters into other areas of our lives. We want to change certain things in our lives, but we don't want to put the effort into it. There is someone in my life who is a Christian and refuses to move forward and become the person that God desires them to be. This frustrates me and many other people connected to this one person. They just make comments like "this is just how I am so you will just have to accept it!" That statement is pure garbage and a smack to the face of our Heavenly Father! Every one who is "In Christ" is expected to let God transform them in every way. When we stop being unteachable we are just living like the rest of the world. I don't know about you, but I am personally always struggling with attitudes and thinking that needs to be changed.

I am willing to let God work on me knowing that it will mess up my agenda and it will be a long process. But like Road Construction I know that when God is done with me I will be better for it. The funny thing is God gives me the decision of being worked on or not. I make that decision every day when I wake up in the morning. When I let Him fix any area of my life I know that in a short time He will identify another area that needs work also. If you have ever lived in any type of City setting you know that Road Construction is always going on. The same should be true in any Christian's life. We should be letting God work on us constantly. If we do not then we are just wasting God's time.

Home Work

2007-03-03T14:43:00.000-05:00

Peoples perceptions never cease to amaze me. People have a view of the Minister and his family that we live a near perfect life. I sometimes wish that perception was a reality. The truth of the matter is that in my family of 3 we struggle with life and faith just as much as most people. Perhaps because I am a full time Pastor our struggles at times are greater than others in the body of Christ! In just 2 short months we will celebrate our 1st year of ministry at a Church that both my wife and I love dearly. First Christian Church is full of love and it is a joy coming into the office everyday even when I am in a sour mood.

With the incredible amount of joy that we have as a family you would think that everything is just fine. But it is not! I noticed that since moving back to Illinois my wife and I have let our spiritual lives slip just a little. At first you don't notice it, but eventually like a unpaid electric bill it all catches up with you. So at first we discussed it periodically, but we still were not moving forward. This over time began to trouble me more and more. I saw a pattern developing in my wife and me that happens to a lot of couples in the Church. It is what I like to call a "Sunday Faith!" What I mean by that is those who even though they read their Bibles and pray a little through the week they never share their faith as a family through the week like they should. So I even started wandering how much of God we have been missing out as a family because of my lack of Spiritual Leadership in the home? My answer was "too much!" So instead of whining anymore around the house and pointing fingers at one another I came up with a plan. I call the plan the "Moore Family Spiritual Standards!" We decided that by these we will live and we will watch and wait for God to move in greater ways in our lives. The Standards are as follows;

We will Trust in God prayerfully for all circumstances as a family.
We will pray with regularity as a family.
We will actively live out the Word of God daily.
We will honor God in words & deeds.
We will be wise with God's resources.
We will love others (inside & outside of the Church) as Jesus loves us.
We will worship God as a family everyday.

I know there has been a day or two when we did not pray or worship as a family, but we are making progress. My son who is only 20 months old will not sit still for nightly prayers after dinner, but he will pray at dinner and before bed with eyes closed, head bowed, and hands clasped together. For this I praise the Lord. In the Church regardless of position we need to have committed people who are leaving spiritual legacies within their families. We will only get from God what we ourselves are willing to give.

Leaving

2007-02-22T12:46:00.000-05:00

The Church sometimes is a word used by those who are Christians to talk about the building that we meet in. But the Church is really a body of believers that have been brought together by God to serve in the advancement of the Kingdom. I don't think that we have taught or emphasized this enough in the past or present. I say this because recently we have lost a couple at our Church that lives right in our community. They attended for a while and the woman was even a part of my Sunday School class. She connected well with others in the class and enjoyed our worship very much. But her husband had a different outlook.

The husband of this couple did not like the intimacy of our medium size Church. So one of my leaders told me in passing that Kyle (not his real name) decided that he and his wife would drive 20 miles one way to go and worship at another Church. Even though we have many new faces of all different age groups coming to the Church right now this still disturbed me. It bothered me because Kyle, his wife, and their child are a part of our community in many significant ways. It bothered me because I firmly believe that you should learn to connect with other Christians in your community and help the Kingdom to grow right where you are. Kyle decided that he would attend an up and coming mega-church where its easy to get lost and you don't have to connect with others as intimately. The old saying is true; "the Church has the thinking of the world in its pews!"

In a world that is increasingly closed off we need to be developing intimate relationships with others. We need this because life is usually overwhelming. We need this because it is God's plan for His people! In Ephesians 4:1-3 the Apostle Paul says "Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to live a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love. Always keep yourselves united in the Holy Spirit, and bind yourselves together with peace (NLT)." This should be a simple task, but for many it is not. In our life with others and our life with God we only get back what we are willing to put in.

No matter where you live you need to be connecting with others in one of the nearest churches that believes the word of God to be true. You might have to travel 20 miles or you might just be 5 minutes from a body of believers that God wants to use you in. Those who shop for the Church that they want will probably never know true connection with others and with God. Those who give their best to Churches in their communities will know the love from God and others just like them.

Healed

2007-02-21T11:22:00.000-05:00

This past week my wife and I finished doing our taxes. This is the first time in 2 years that we didn't leave the tax office upset. One of the W2's that I turned in is from a former ministry from the Youngstown Ohio area. Doing our taxes this year and seeing the W2 took me back in time to my 2 years of ministry at the Ohio Church. I wish I could say that this was a great experience, but it was not. It was a time of turmoil and frustration. It was a time of learning how people want their own way in the Church and are determined to get it at any cost. Even though the Church frustrated me I still loved many from that body of believers. Even though I probably frustrated some I am still thankful for the experience.

When my wife and I left Ohio we had to pack everything by ourselves. Little did we know until we came back to Illinois (our native land) that we also packed some emotional baggage from our former ministry as well. For some reason we spent the first 2 months still complaining about this former ministry. I suppose that would make us human. But since we are now closing in on a year at our current ministry I have noticed that the pain we had experienced at our former ministry is almost completely gone. Jesus has healed much of our pain and frustration. We had the choice of letting him do that! We had to hand him the box that we packed which was full of our bitterness and anger from the last ministry. We had to make a decision to lay it at his feet and to let him take it away from us. We should have done that in the first month we were back in Illinois, but we did not. Another lesson learned I suppose. But the greatest thing about this bad experience is that it has made us both wiser and it has given us a greater outlook on God's Church.

In Matthew 11:28 Jesus says "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Those are powerful words. Jesus wants me to bring all of my emotional baggage to him on a regular basis. He gives me the choice to do so. When I do I can experience healing. When I do not I will continue to walk in bitterness and anger. I will choose the road less traveled and let Jesus continue to heal me.

Homophob?

2007-02-17T13:22:00.000-05:00

I am a routine kind of person. Every morning I get up around 5:15 a.m. and get some coffee and plop down on the couch and watch ESPN. This has been my ritual for about 3 years. This is a quiet time that allows me to catch up on sports and wake up a little before I begin my morning run. This past week I did something that I usually don't do. I switched from ESPN to ESPN2 for a few seconds where the morning show on that channel is one called "MIKE & MIKE IN THE MORNING." One of the Mike's is former NFL star Mike Golic who was an outstanding football player and the other is Mike Greenberg who is a wonderful sports radio personality. The 2 Mike's offer a great mixture of entertainment, analysis, and interviews with this program.

When I flipped the channel last week there was a controversy over former NBA player Time Hardaway who last played for the Miami Heat. The controversy was over some remarks that Hardaway made concerning former NBA player Amaechi and how he felt about homosexual men being in the NBA. It seems that Mike Greenberg was a little upset with Hardaway for stating that he would have never wanted to play with a homosexual player. Greenberg seemed a little upset by these comments by Hardaway and even called him a "homophob." Hardaway readily admitted that he was a homophob and wanted nothing to do with homosexuals in any area of life.

I personally commend Hardaway for being who he really is in a world of Political Correctness, and a world that seems to be submitting to Homosexual Militant tactics for acceptance of their lifestyle. While I enjoy listening to MIKE & MIKE IN THE MORNING I certainly did not want to listen to Mike Greenberg's comments and judgmentalism toward Hardaway when looking to get my morning fill of sports news. Why is it that our culture can bash Christians, but when someone else speaks out about a subject that is slightly sensitive there is turmoil?

The Word of God is clear about Homosexuals and their practices. In the 1st chapter of Romans we find the Apostle Paul making an interesting statement after he plainly calls homosexual practices a sin. "They (homosexuals) are fully aware of God's death penalty for those who do these things, yet they go right ahead and do them anyway. And, worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too." (Romans 1:32, NLT) I personally would never turn a homosexual away from the Church and want to minister to them, but I would not hesitate to tell them that their lifestyle is completely against God's Will for mankind. This is what I teach and preach. I do so out of love because our world wants to have life on its terms instead of submitting to the one who Created them.

As for Mike Greeenberg I wonder why this troubled him so much? I can only think that it is because he is sold out to the Political Correctness attitude of our day. The Old Testament and the New Testament are clear about homosexual practices. Those who engage in them "will not inherit the Kingdom of God!" We should not be unloving or mean when we say this, but we still must say it. As a Pastor I am under the authority of God to preach every facet of His Word. That includes the parts that disturb the culture that I live in. If God did not want us to live by a set of standards then He would not have left us the written word.

Suited For Church

2007-02-07T10:40:00.000-05:00

I wear a suit just about every week to Preach in. To tell you the truth I am getting tired of it after only 5 years of ministry. Several months ago I decided that I wanted a change so I decided to wear a new sweater my wife picked out for me with some dockers. What I didn't realize is that one of the oldest women in our congregation was constantly bragging to one of her friends that her Preacher always wore a suit every Sunday Morning. That particular Sunday morning wear I wore my new sweater instead was the Sunday morning that the woman's friend came to church. She mentioned this to me after the service. I didn't even blink when she told me about this, but I sure did laugh all the way home. My wife and I even laughed about it over lunch that afternoon. What is wrong with people in the Church?

The Church is now in the 21st Century and many people have not realized this. Some people dress up just to be noticed. Some because this is what was instilled in them growing up in the Church. Perhaps it's my Gen-X attitude or perhaps it's my years of theological training, but I have come to realize that God does not care about what clothes I am wearing on Sunday morning, He cares about my heart being ready to worship Him!

Isaiah 66:2b states "This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word." Throughout the Old Testament and into the New Testament God is more concerned with a persons heart (the interior life) than with any other aspect. Somewhere along the way we have gotten off track with this truth. While I do think that everyone should look presentable on Sunday Mornings I do not think that those who dress up the best are closer to God.

I have decided that within the next year or so I am going to gradually get away from wearing a suit all of the time. I am doing this becuase I don't like to wear a suit every week and also because I want newcomers to feel more relaxed. The Church of the 21st Century needs to be a warm and inviting place. We are hear to preach and teach the Gospel, and the way we dress should be as welcoming as the words of Jesus.

In Jesus Name

2007-01-30T12:34:00.000-05:00

Operation Iraqi Freedom is a controversial subject in America. From what I have seen I would not refer to it as an operation, but call it by its true name; War! From the outside looking in it seems to me like most things in our culture this War and its soldiers are not talked about like they should be. It has been regulated to quick blurbs by most national news stations which has frustrated me lately. No matter what you believe about this War you probably are concerned for the well being of the soldiers, and you should be!

As a Desert Storm Veteran I wish I could explain what War actually does to someone, but they would be mere words. Time spent in combat changes a person in ways that they do not immediately recognize. You are living with the same people everyday, wearing the same clothes, eating the same things every week, and fearing for your life most of the time. During this time of "sameness" a persons psyche begins to wear thin. It is a life of complete stress and focus on survival and accomplishing the days mission. Some have mental breakdowns , and some become hardened by what they experience. No matter what a persons age or gender are there is one surety of War for every soldier; They will forever be changed by their experience. You might not want to think about it, but it is an undeniable fact. The unfortunate thing about the American Soldier in our Country is that we do not have a process for them to go through to find healing. We also do not have a process for the parents and spouses of the Soldiers to help them cope with the burden of their loved ones being gone to War.

I have decided that it is time for the Church to step up and get to it! I have decided to start a support group for the parents and spouses of Soldiers overseas to help them deal with the gamma of emotions that they experience everyday. We need to be doing ministry in different ways and need to be reaching out in the context of our culture. This is a need that fits into the context very well. Imagine parents and spouses of soldiers interacting with other parents and spouses. Imagine these parents and spouses leaning on one another and praying with and for each other. It is the type of ministry that Jesus invites those who are His apprentices to do. We do it for His glory and honor and in His Name.

The Soldiers are going to continue to leave and by the grace of God continue to come home. The parents and spouses of these soldiers are going to remain with us in the meantime and they will continue to wait everyday of their lives. They will wait for a letter, e-mail, or phone call just to let them know that their loved ones are still alive. While they are waiting the Church should be stepping up to help them through this difficult time. If we learn to do this right now then we will be more apt to minister to the American Soldier once their tour is done. In Jesus Name I hope and pray that the Church will carry this burden.

Spiritually Fat?

2007-01-29T13:58:00.000-05:00

This past week I received my new CBD (Christian Book Distributors) catalog in the mail. I buy just about every Christian book from them and I enjoy their catalog very much. This web based book store has everything you can imagine for the Christian to grow. Not all of it is good, but most of the publications are solid. As I began to look through the catalog I noticed several items that I plan on purchasing and was delighted at the prices. The rest of the day I kept thinking about all of the resources that every Christian has in this country. It is beyond what anyone else is probably able to get. With all of the resources we have for the Christian life we still have too many problems in the Church and too much inward focus. This is what really makes me mad.

We have Christian bookstores, Christian Conferences, Christian music, Christian web pages, and Christian TV. With all of these resources you would think that we would be filled with so much love and joy that it would make the rest of the world jealous, but that's not the case. We have become inward focused and self indulgent. We have become Spiritually Fat and consumed with our own Spiritual happiness. We need to put a stop to this! The Christian life is one of action and not one of just absorbing information.

A true apprentice (disciple) of Jesus is always to be growing, but that growth is to promote good works that the Apostle James talks about in the second chapter of his letter to the Church. This is the part that we leave off most of the time. People keep talking about getting fed and they are mostly the ones who never want to reach out. The Church exists for you to grow and serve. When you just grow you become Spriritually Fat and don't accomplish anything for your Church or for God.

Marathon Training as Parable

2007-01-26T12:25:00.000-05:00

For the past 1 1/2 years I have trained to run a Marathon that I have never run. The first time my first child was born so that came to an abrupt end. The second time I pulled a groin muscle that did not recover in time to continue the training. Now I am on my 3rd attempt and at the front of my training regiment for a Marathon in St. Louis for the month of April. Not all people enjoy running, but I always have. As a person who has been running for a good portion of my life I have realized that training for a race is very similar to training for the Christian life.

While most runners enjoy running there are rarely 2 days that are the same. One of the most frustrating ascpects of being a runner is that the way you eat today will affect your run tomorrow. This might not sound like a big deal, but if you have a sweet tooth like I do then it can be a huge problem while you are training. While I am an early morning runner and normally love getting up early it does not mean that I always feel like running. Somedays I am so tired that I have to talk myself into it. The funny thing is that after the first 2 miles I am always glad I followed through. Some days I wake up and feel great, but when I start running my body refuses to get into a good rythym and for whatever reason I feel about 100 lbs heavier and every mile becomes a struggle. To run everyday regardless of whether you are training for a Marathon or not is always an interesting adventure. To be a steady runner takes perseverance and diligence. The same is true for the Christian life.

No matter who we are in the Church or what position we hold we have to persevere in our relationship with God. I am writing these thoughts today because as a Pastor I have encountered too many people who do not treat their life with Christ with attention and care that is needed and required. When this happens they get out of shape spiritually and every problem that comes their way seems to overwhelm them. The hardest people to minister to in the Church are the ones who want a quick solution to problems that have been festering for a good while and problems that God was never invited into. Those who conquer and overcome quickly are those who have trained themselves in the Christian life. They are the ones who understand that there is EXPECTATIONS from God of His children.

Everyday as a Christian has its ups and downs just like running does. Those who keep going regardless of what they feel like are the ones who always have a close relationship with Jesus. Listen to the words of the Apostle Paul about what our part as Christians should be.

"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. " (1 Corinthians 9:24-27, NIV)

Are you in training?

Monkish Thoughts

2007-01-24T19:46:00.000-05:00

One of the most frustrating aspects of being a Pastor is the lack of confidence and time that people in the Church devote to God through the study of His Word. Every time someone comes into my office with a problem I have 2 basic questions that I ask them.

1. How much time do you pray every day?

2. How much time do you spend in God's Word each day?

I ask these questions because as a Christian I realize that without constant care of my spritiual life my world can crumble before me in just one short moment. There is no class that I ever had in my training to prompt me to ask those 2 important questions. Those questions are from years of experience of watching people in the Church trying to tackle everyday life without the guidance of God.

Many believe that only the Monks or Pastor's perhaps have the time or the drive to spend quality time with God each day. That is far from the truth. Before I went back to school to begin my training as a Pastor I was a delivery driver for a well known Food Distribution Company. I worked on an average of 65 hours per week. Even with feeling exhausted everyday I still carved out quality time with God because I knew that I can't make it through this life like I want to without the strength of the LORD working through me.

Psalm 119:93 in the NIV Bible says "I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have preserved my life." Our spiritual lives hinge on prayer and Bible study. There are other facets to the Christian life of course, but without a steady diet of the Word and Prayer you will not get very far. I have seen people completely frustrated with their lives as a Pastor and just about every one of them gave little or no time to God. What is the saddest part of all is that these are the ones who call Jesus their Savior.

If you want to move forward with God then begin to think like a Monk. Get some type of routine for your time in the Word and in Prayer. Set a time if you have to and stick to it. God somewhere quiet and let God begin to speak to your heart and your life situations. If you get into a spiritual routine and give God a chance to move in your life as a Christian I can promise you that you will not remain the same.

Recruiting The Priests

2007-01-24T09:19:00.000-05:00

There is a lot of frustration in churches of 150-300 people at times. It seems that in churches this size you can advertise all day long for people to get involved in ministry and nothing seems to happen like we want it to. I have been one of those who have been frustrated in the past, but have turned over a new leaf concerning this dilemma. I found a solution recently that has been a great help.

So what is the solution? It is the simple and time tested approach of recruitment. Even though people here there is a need for more people to be involved with ministry over and over again we can't expect people to come running. That includes those who would really like to be involved as well. I am not a psychologist, but one thing that I have learned about people in the Church is true for just about every facet of life. People want to be needed! People want to know that others need them to accomplish goals. It is true in life and most definitely true in the Church.

In 1 Peter 2:8 it says "You are a kingdom of priests, God's holy nation, His very own possession (NLT)." That is a wonderful piece of scripture that talks about how God views His people. The problem is that even though we preach and teach this truth to God's people they still need to be approached. When someone is personally approached to do ministry they know that they are viewed important and needed. You are telling that person that they are valuable in the eyes of the Church.

Over the past several months I have put into action what I am proclaiming to you now. We have approached 2 men in our congregation who are younger and both have great leadership skills. They were both involved in ministries, but it was time to get them to take on greater responsibility. By doing this we help fill in a couple of gaps where leadership was needed and we have hopefully shown theses 2 men that people need to be approached. Now I would like to note that this is not just about men for leadership either. Both men and women need to be involved and need to be approached. It just happened to work out that both areas we needed to fill were just right for the 2 men that I mentioned. The recruiting process should always be an ongoing event and should be done by everyone in leadership. The Pastor cannot do it all by himself and that is not a model of the NT Church. Blessings.

Are You Kidding Me?

2007-01-23T16:15:00.000-05:00

Strange things always happen in the Church! Things that you never expect. Yesterday was one of those days. There was a woman in the Church who I knew was upset with me because I did not know who she was. In God's wonderful providence she just happened into the Church yesterday to help out with a ministry.

After she was done we had a chance to sit down and talk about her being upset. She is in her 50's so the baby boomer mentality was there. What I mean by that is the baby boomers are known for their "me" type of thinking (my parents are boomers so I know this generation). When we began discussing the issue at hand I asked her politely if she was mad because I did not know who she was. She affirmed that she was. She also informed me that it was because she was a daughter of one of our Elders. Can you imagine that? First of all I told her that I had only been at the Church for 9 months now and it was immposible for me to know everyone here because we are a decent size Church. She still thought I should have known. In my mind I was really thinking "well, if you would attend regularly I probably would have known!" Did I also forget to mention that she has never introduced herself to myself or my wife? Well, now you know.

In the Church people are starving for relationships, but the problem is that know one wants to put out a whole lot of effort. Church should go beyond coming to Sunday morning worship and putting your blessed assurance in the pew and expecting everything to work itself out. To build relationships in the Church requires EFFORT! It requires time and patience to develop relationships with other people. It is not an overnight event. It takes a person who is committed to loving God's people as we are commanded to do.

To be honest I am glad that this has happened. It is a reminder to me as a Pastor that people need opportunities of fellowship so that they can get connected to one another. As a Pastor I am realizing that if the Elders and the Staff are not highly motivated, and involved with connecting people to each other outside of Sunday Morning Worship then it will not happen like it should.

What's it About?

2007-01-23T15:48:00.000-05:00

This is a blog with reflections from a 36 year old Missional Pastor. The Church in America is always doing something. Many people don't think about what goes on Monday-Saturday, but there is always something to do or someone to minister too. I have decided to open myself up with this blog to help people understand the Church and how it works in greater ways. I don't know where we will go from here, but it will probably be an adventure.