Real

One of the greatest challenges for me as a pastor is to not succumb to the constant pressure of expectation. Members have fantasies of what their pastor should be. Church organizations, denominations or movements have fantasies of what its pastors should be. But worst of all, pastors themselves have fantasies of what they should be or would like to be.

I make it my personal challenge to be exactly who I am: myself. I also encourage others to be exactly who they are.

It is as the persons they are that preachers are called to this task, as these specific people with their own characteristics and histories. It is as the persons they are that they have been selected and called. This is what is meant by originality. Pastors are not to adopt a role. They are not to slip into the clothing of biblical characters. That would be the worst kind of comedy. They are not to be Luthers, churchmen, prophets, visionaries, or the like. They are simply to be themselves, and to expound the text as such. Preaching is the responsible word of a person of our own time. Having heard myself, I am called upon to pass on what I have heard. Even as ministers, it matters that these persons be what they are. They must not put on a character or a robe. They do not have to play a role. It is you who have been commissioned, you, just as you are, not as minister, as pastor or theologian, not under any concealment or cover, but you yourself have simply to discharge this commission. I encourage pastors everywhere to find the courage to live up to this arduous but simple task. I realize and personally know the cost of taking such a risk. You might risk losing support, popularity, your church and even your job. But would you rather lose that or yourself? After nearly twenty years in ministry, it's still a challenge at times not to play the fantasy game and try to satisfy people's expectations, assumptions, demands, etc. Reality is the best policy...

Thinking about Leaving?

Offense is never the right reason to leave a church. Leaving a church with offense in your heart is dangerous to your soul. Work it out. That’s the tough side of community that we don’t talk nearly enough about. Often times, it’s through the working out of hurt, pain, or offense that we become more closely connected in our communities. It grows and matures us.

Don’t just disappear. People do this all the time. POOF! They’re gone! (And often times they get offended when the church they left doesn’t desperately chase after them when they’re gone.) Look, if God is behind your decision, then trust that He will give you the courage and strength to have the (yes, somewhat uncomfortable) conversations needed to do it well. Finish your commitments. Connect with your leader through the process. Ask them to pray with you about what you’re feeling. Give God an opportunity to make it seem right with them too.

Don’t look for reasons to leave. If you are….trust me, you’ll find plenty of them! If God is calling you to leave, you don’t have to wait until you find a tangible reason to do so. Sitting around waiting for a “reason” can turn you into a nasty, judgmental, and negative person. It’ll hurt your soul and probably others too. In fact, if you’re walking around looking for reasons to leave, then I’d suggest looking at the inwardly condition of your heart and soul.

Don’t be negative. I hate hearing people talk negatively about the church or pastor they just left. Chances are, those same people will be standing in front of my pastor friend down the street saying the same thing about me in a matter of months. If you feel like you need to talk negatively about the pastor or church you’re leaving, chances are……you are the one who needs to change first.

Show Gratitude. Take time to say ‘thank you’ to the pastor and leadership of the church you’re leaving. If you stayed too long and are offended, that’s your fault – not theirs. When someone takes the time to send me an email or letter saying ‘thank you’ for pouring into their lives as they transition to a different church, that’s huge! I have a ton of respect for people who do that.

HOW you do things is just as important (if not even more important) as WHAT you do.

Peter and Andrew Argue Over the Woman Caught in Adultery...

One day as Jesus was teaching, a group of religious men dragged a woman through the crowd and flung her to the ground at his feet.

One of them said, “Master, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The Law of Moses says she should be stoned. What do you say?”

Jesus didn’t answer, but began writing with his finger in the dust at his feet.

After a few moments, the crowd of men clamored for an answer. So Jesus straightened, looked the spokesman in the eye, and said, “Let the one who is without sin among you throw the first stone.”

At that, he leaned forward and continued writing in the dirt.

Soon, several of the older men in the crowd turned and left. Then a few more, until the entire group of religious men had dispersed and left the woman alone in front of Jesus.

He stopped writing in the dust, and straightened. He looked at her. “Woman, where are your accusers? Does no one condemn you?”

“No one, Lord,” she said.

“Neither do I condemn you,” he said. “Go, and sin no more.”

When the woman had left, Jesus continued teaching. But Andrew pulled Peter aside. “Did you see that?”
“You bet I did,” Peter said.

“Wasn’t it great?”

“That’s not how I would describe it.”

“Why not?” Andrew asked.

“He just let her go.”

“I know. Such grace!”

“But don’t you see what people will think?”

“No,” Andrew said.

“They’ll think Jesus endorses adultery.”

“No way.”

“What else can they think? He didn’t say one word about adultery being wrong.”

“He didn’t have to. Moses made that clear.”

“But he didn't take a stand against her behavior,” Peter said.

“He just refused to condemn her. He showed her grace.”

“Exactly! Without a word of confession or repentance from her. He just let her off the hook.”

“But it’s the kindness of God that leads to repentance,” Andrew said.

“She doesn’t deserve his kindness, unless she confesses and repents beforehand.”

“If she deserves it, it’s not grace. Grace is for the guilty, not the righteous.”

Peter shook his head. “You’re wrong. People are going to think Jesus is soft on sin.”

“He told her to ‘Go and sin no more.’”

“And then he just let her go. Who’s going to make sure she doesn’t sin?”

Andrew’s face showed his confusion. “What are you talking about?”

“There has to be follow-up. He can’t just let her go as if she did nothing wrong.”

“He didn’t,” Andrew said. “She’s an adult. She’s responsible for her own actions.”

“That’s exactly my point! If Jesus keeps treating people this way, they’ll do whatever they want.”

“And that’s exactly MY point: they’ll WANT to follow him, and please him, because of his love and kindness…and grace.”

“But you have to take a long view,” Peter said. “I’m concerned for the reputation of the church.”

“I am, too,” Andrew answered. “And I think Jesus is, too.”

“People will say we excuse sin.”

“Or they might say Jesus forgives sin. And heals sinners.”

“You just don’t understand,” Peter said.

“I guess,” Andrew admitted.

Bad culture eats good vision...

This phrase helps shape my thoughts as a leader…

Bad culture eats good vision…
You can have the greatest vision…

You can have an incredible plan…

You can be cleverly strategic…

You can have the best of intentions…

But…

Bad culture eats good vision…
Every time….

Display seeds of dishonesty…

Spread some gossip…

Throw a little laziness in the equation…

Embrace complacency…

Have a controlling leader…

Let momentum dwindle…

Resist change…

Name the bad culture…

It will eat a hearty meal on your vision…

You know why?

Because…

Bad culture eats good vision…
It almost seems to make culture as important as vision…

Moral of this story: Always build and maintain a healthy church culture so you can protect your vision…

What kind of thinker are you?

Over the years, I have noticed that there are two kinds of thinking. One kind leads to success, joy, and fulfillment. The other leads to failure, fear, and discontent. “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he” Proverbs 23:7

The question is this: Which type of thinker are you? Maybe it’s time to do some honest self-evaluation.

Eight characteristics of abundance thinkers:

1. They believe there is always more where that came from.
2. They are happy to share their knowledge, contacts, and compassion with others.
3. They default to trust and build rapport easily.
4. They welcome competition, believing it makes the pie bigger and them better.
5. They ask themselves, How can I give more than is expected?
6. They are optimistic about the future, believing the best is yet to come.
7. They think big, embracing risk.
8. They are thankful and confident.

Eight characteristics of scarcity thinkers:

1. They believe there will never be enough.
2. They are stingy with their knowledge, contacts, and compassion.
3. They default to suspicion and find it difficult to build rapport.
4. They resent competition, believing it makes the pie smaller and them weaker.
5. They ask themselves, How can I get by with less than is expected?
6. They are pessimistic about the future, believing that tough times are ahead.
7. They think small, avoiding risk.
8. They are entitled and fearful.

The truth is that, for most of us, we are not either / or. We are a little of both. I certainly want to grow as an abundance thinker. Thinking about these characteristics has given me some clarity. How about you?

The Original Lie

We talk a lot about original sin, but have you ever stopped to consider the original lie?

Adam and Eve ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But how did the serpent tempt them?

He suggested that God may be holding out on them. Maybe He didn't want them to eat that fruit because then they'd be like him. In other words, the serpent tries to get us to doubt the omni-goodness of God. He plants a seed of doubt and says, "maybe God is withholding something". And when we doubt God's desire to bless us... we believe a lie, the original lie.

Waterproof Bible?

Now, this is pretty cool.

By way of ChurchRelevance.com, I learned about the waterproof Bible,an actual waterproof Bible that would be great for lifeguards and swamp dwellers, as well as people on missions trips and fishing expeditions, and pretty much anyone during Monsoon season.

It's reportedly a 100% Waterproof Bible with something called "Durabooks technology," which I guess makes it stain-resistant and waterproof. And it floats. Yet its pages also let you dry highlight and take notes in it.

It comes in blue, pink, and camouflage covers and in NIV, KJV, ESV, NLT, and NASB translations. Awesome...

Prayer

Whether from the outside or from the inside of the church, the Adversary will stop at nothing to try to disrupt and dismantle the body of Christ. But these struggles are not the demise of God’s people. On the contrary. They are our opportunities to apply biblical principles and priorities—the only solutions to the challenges we face.

We must keep our fingers on the pages of Scripture like a boat anchored to the pier in a raging storm. While we do not worship the print on the page, the paper and ink lead us to the knowledge of the One whom we do worship—Jesus, our Master and Savior.

We need to stay on our knees... prayer is a radical interference with the status quo. It is the means by which God grants power to those who rely on Him. This dependence never changes. Even as a sixty-something-year-old man who had been preaching faithfully for years, the apostle Paul continued to walk in a state of dependence on God. You have to love Paul’s humility.

Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak. (Colossians 4:2–4)

There was no pretense with Paul. No degree of success or number of years in the ministry gave him a false sense of ultimate accomplishment. He knew he had not yet arrived. He remained dependent on the Spirit of God. And so with a genuinely thankful heart, he entreated his fellow believers for their prayers. Can you see the power of that kind of attitude? Very refreshing in the first century. And very rare in the twenty-first. No wonder the man made such a lasting impact for Christ! The Lord honored and blessed Paul’s ministry because he upheld prayer and promoted God’s Word. Pray!

Leadership

Churches have a tendency to cling to what worked in the past assuming that it will bring success in the future. That rarely happens. In order to sustain growth and health, churches need to change. Because churches are unwilling to give up on what worked for them in the past, here’s what I see:

1. Most churches get pulled in many different directions and lack a unified purpose, even though the Bible reminds us “There should be no division in the body.”
2. Most churches hold on to their structure, even though Scripture tells us “New wine calls for new wineskins.”
3. Most churches don’t define and implement strategies to accomplish God’s vision, even though the Proverbs tells us “Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity.”
4. Most churches don’t embrace new leadership, even though God’s Word instructs us to find capable people and “Appoint them as leaders over groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten.”
5. Most churches fail to establish systems, even though we know “God is not a God of disorder.”
6. Most churches don’t prepare financially for the future, even though Jesus told us to “First sit down and estimate the cost.”
7. Most churches don’t welcome counsel from people with experience, even though we’re reminded that “Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others.”

I could go on and on, but I think you get my point. We can’t become the church God’s intends for us to be if we’re unwilling to become the church God’s intends for us to be. To allow Jesus to lead, I have to...

Injustice?

In this life every one of us experiences injustice. The Judge of all the earth never treats us unjustly. But we treat one another unjustly. The complication is, of course, that we don’t always agree on who is being treated unjustly by whom. It’s hard enough to chart a just path forward in conflict; but with this complication, which is almost inevitable, an outcome satisfying to everyone becomes that much more elusive.

So let’s say you and I have been mistreated in a given situation. We have had injustice shoved down our throat. A bitter experience. Especially when the injustice is perpetrated by the powerful, the privileged, those in control. But immediately, a wonderful thought comes to mind. Jesus experienced it too. That awareness alone is the beginning of comfort...

You have an Assignment

When God created you, He gave you certain gifts and talents to accomplish something that He wanted you to do. It's called an "Assignment".

I want to share something you've probably never thought about...

The problem that infuriates you the most is often the problem that God has assigned you to solve. Everything that God created is a solution to something. You are a life-jacket to someone drowning. Find them! Those who unlock your compassion are those to whom you have been assigned... this not a game...

"I praise you because I am fearfully & wonderfully made; you works are wonderful, I know that full well" Psalm 139:14 

Missional Church?

The gospel is always a stumbling block. But, the fact that so many people reject the gospel before they get to hear the gospel is a painful reality.

In our well-meaning bid to "make the Bible and God relevant," we often marginalize ourselves from the very culture we seek to reach. The Bible and God are relevant in this culture and in every other culture. He and His gospel are relevant! Always!

We are the roadblocks to relevancy, not the Bible...

We live in a way that makes God seem irrelevant, but He is not to blame...

A missional church with a Great Commission passion will care about relevance--making the message clear...

I think part of the challenge is to keep "missional" from dying as a buzzword but flourishing as an idea that presses believers forward into God's work. "Missional" is not a new word for cutting edge and contemporary. And, it should not be used as the adjective for every ministry so we can pretend we have missional music, missional quilting, and missional lighting. Instead, we need to ensure that "missional" is a driving force for how we live out God's work...

No Greater Love...

So, I'm starting a missional church. What does it mean to be missional?

Some clarification around the definition of "mission":

In my estimation, any definition of "mission" that is not biblically faithful and culturally applicable will be problematic. We should vigorously discuss our understanding of "mission" with love and humility. This, however, should not be the main focus of our attention. We must put into practice that which we know to be true:

1. The idea of "mission" originated with God when he sent His Son to "give his life as a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45).

2. God "desires all people to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:4) and we are assured that people from "every tribe and language and people and nation" will be present in heaven (Revelation 5:9).

3. Followers of Christ have been entrusted with the message of the gospel (2 Timothy 1:14) and given the mission to make disciples wherever they go (Matt. 28:19-20, Mark 16:14-18, Luke 24:44-49, John 20:19-23, and Acts 1:4-8).

4. Even if we develop a definitive definition of "mission," followers of Christ must still apply Jesus' command "to make disciples" to their daily lives. I am not sure that we need more "head knowledge" as evangelicals as much as we need to put into practice what we already know to be true!

Just a thought...

Church planting

There are many changes in church planting today, and I want to point out some good trends that I see that should be an encouragement to us and the mission we are called to in the world. Trends don't last unless there is a good foundation of support and more people buy into the trends as helpful and good. So I hope you won't just recognize these trends, but embrace them and promote them as far as you are able.

One of the trends is that there is more church planting. It's is getting recognized more, celebrated more, and done more. When I planted my first church in the Nashville, TN area in 1996, the idea of someone going out and starting a church was foreign to most people. As a planter I looked odd to people. People would wonder why I didn't go and pastor an established church. Unfortunately, not all denominations are getting this message.

Some are still focused on fighting and separation over the establishment of new, healthy churches.

Consequently, denominations are losing people who have caught on fire for God and desiring to see a movement they aren't finding in their denomination. So they leave and join a movement and take the Gospel into the world. That can hurt denominations. I would love to see more people stay in their denominations and work for reform. I would love to see them get serious about church multiplication in their own mission and ministry, setting an example to their denominations.

When I was planting a church in Kansas City, MO I went to a church planting boot camp (assessment center). It was a four day assessment on the qualifications and readiness of being a church planter. I was taught that churches should start new churches out of our new churches, and that if you didn't start a church within three years you probably never would start one. I love church planting and want to be about planting new churches, so I went back to Nashville, TN and planted another church five years ago. Today, I am two weeks into a church planting endeavor in Los Angeles, CA. I am meeting with new people everyday... God is faithful...

Vision is...

Vision... It’s a buzz word in leadership. It's the "what if?" question that drives us to create and communicate...

The challenge is molding that buzz word into reality. So,  I'm killing the sacred cow... Few things can derail vision faster than the mentality of doing something simply because “that’s the way it’s always been done.” Change is ok. In fact, it’s vital... That doesn’t mean I change the vision. It means I change the way the vision is carried out....  I will regularly look at what our people do - events, departments, programs and staff members, and if something begins to drag people away from the vision God is revealing, I will cut it. Also, I'm keeping it simple... For some reason, complexity is mistaken for being “deep.” But truly, complexity is just muddiness.

The most powerful message in the world, the Gospel, is incredibly simple and simply incredible...

A God-given vision doesn’t need fluff added to it. I will make sure to communicate in clear language what God is showing me... All I am asking for you to do is Pray... and if possible, financially support this vision to shed some light in a very dark place... Los Angeles, California.

The Best Medicine

Too often, we take ourselves too seriously and we don’t take God seriously enough. In fact, that’s one of the things that kept me from going into the ministry for a while. Too many pastors are so serious and boring and monotonous.  I thought to myself, “I don’t want any of that!”

As I read God’s Word more, though, I realized that God wants us to laugh. And I'm so thankful to have friends in life and in ministry who aren't afraid to laugh along with me.

God being God could have decided that our prevailing attitude should be one of boredom and solemn-ness and seriousness. But he didn't!  Throughout his Word, God has told us that one of the telltale signs that we know Jesus Christ is our outrageous, contagious joy.  And a by product of joy is... laughter.  So it is good to laugh!

When was the last time you just let lose and had a great laugh?