Blog « Brad Powell Online

Blog

Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

January 27th, 2012

Communion…Inspiring or Boring?

I love communion…which is a long way from how I used to feel about the celebration of the bread and the cup. To be honest, in the early days of my faith, there was no way that I would have put the words “celebration” and “communion” in the same sentence. The way I experienced it was BORING!

But, it wasn’t meant to be and it doesn’t have to be. According to Jesus Himself, it’s intended to inspire…to inspire us to remember.

As a pastor, I’ve taken this seriously. We don’t approach communion as a throw away…as an unconnected tack on to our already full weekend services. On the contrary, when we celebrate communion, it is the point, the entire focus of the service. And, we don’t just mindlessly repeat the same service over and over and over again. We’re trying to wake people up to the vital reality and life defining importance of Christ in their lives. We’re not trying to dull them spiritually through mind numbing redundancy. We’re trying to sharpen them spiritually by taking them deeper in their understanding and experience of the power of the cross…of Christ’s sacrifice for them.

We do this by focusing the entire communion celebration on different aspects of Christ and what He did for us…can do in us…if we genuinely depend on Him. We do this by seeking to build on what Jesus did in giving us the bread and the cup…we attempt to use tangible things to bring to life the intangible. We’ve given people post-its to write their burdens on and then encouraged them to let go of them as they stuck them to the wall. (What a beautiful site…church walls full of burdens representing people free of them.) We’ve given nails to pound into the cross; party favors to remember their victory in Christ; cheap little erasable slates for them to write their sin on and see it disappear; etc. As the above video shows, this week we used suitcases to picture the baggage we carry in life…the baggage that, in Jesus, we no longer have to carry. (You can watch the full talk here: http://ow.ly/8IjZx)

We want to invest the creativity God has given us to inspire people to remember…Jesus died to set them free!

So…if you’re a part of NorthRidge, I encourage you to make our New Life Communion services a “not to miss” part of your life. If you’re a pastor, I encourage you to take a new look at and new approach to how you lead out communion in your spiritual family. If you’re a believer, remember…there’s nothing in all the world more worthy of celebrating than Jesus…and what He’s done for…and wants to do in you. Celebrate Him today by living for Him.

I’d love it if you shared some of your thoughts on or experiences with communion.

Categorized: Christian Living, Church Change, Leader Change, NorthRidge Church |

January 25th, 2012

Appetite

10 Comments LEAVE A COMMENT

Okay, I’m going to let you in on some of the excitement that my wife, Roxann, and I have in our private conversations. Here’s a common conversation of ours. “Where do you want to eat?” “I don’t know. Where do you want to eat?” “I don’t know. You decide.” Yes, we’re boring. But, I bet you can you relate! Right?!

Inevitably, as we repeat that mind-numbing conversation, one of us mentions how we wish we could go to Chick-fil-a or the Cheesecake Factory…two restaurants that we’re always hungering for because there isn’t one near us. When we travel, we’ll actually go out of our way to eat at one of those “heavenly places.”

However, the same use to be true of Carrabba’s, P.F.Chang’s, and even Baha Fresh. But, not any more. They came to our area. We ate at them frequently…too frequently. And now, they’ve just become like every other restaurant in our area. BORING! We go once in a while. They still have decent food. But, they’re old hat. We can have them any time. We want something different.

And, there we have it. The interesting truth about appetite. We tend to hunger and long for what we can’t have rather than what we can have. It tends to be a huge problem in our lives…in every area. Relationally…we tend to get bored being with the person we once would have given anything to spend a day with. Vocationally…we tend to get bored with the job we once would have given anything to have a shot at. And, tragically…the same thing happens spiritually.

Of course, when it comes to restaurants, who cares if we get bored and move on to other ones. It makes no difference. But, when it comes to our relational, vocational, and, more importantly, spiritual lives, we all need to care. It’s a big deal. If we get bored in our spiritual lives, we can (and will) get our minds on the wrong things and make messed up choices. (e.g. Peter in Matthew 16:23 - Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”)

The question is: what can we do? Here’s a suggestion…we can intentionally do new things to keep our spiritual lives fresh without changing the underlying appetite. We can’t stop hungering for God and His Word. But, we can try new recipes for filling and fulfilling the hunger.

Here’s one example from my life. I used to read the Bible through every year…year after year. To be honest, it got boring. It became a bit formulaic and even ritualistic for me. So, I began doing alternative things every other year. (e.g. Having read through the Bible last year…this year I’m taking a deep dive into the life and teaching of Jesus in the Gospels and reading as many books as possible focused on Jesus Himself.)

Point: I didn’t stop hungering for God and His Word. On the contrary, I’ve actually increased my hunger by intentionally doing “new things” that keep me growing in and longing for the right things. (I’ve done the same thing by getting involved in new areas and ways of serving.)

I’m curious…does this make sense to you? If so, what are some ways that you’ve kept from getting “bored” and “off track” in your spiritual life?

Categorized: Christian Living, Life Change |

January 20th, 2012

Last Laugh

8 Comments LEAVE A COMMENT

It’s true. Following God and trusting His Word can make us a laughing stock…especially in our unbelieving, politically correct world. But, why would it be any different for us than it was for the One we’re following.

They laughed at Jesus. Checkout Mark 5:40. But, don’t stop there because the story doesn’t end with them laughing. It ends with Jesus raising a little girl from the dead. Think about it. From the human perspective, it was crazy talk to refer to a dead girl as “sleeping.” But, from God’s perspective…the God with whom nothing is impossible…she was just taking an afternoon nap. Jesus got the last laugh.

When we follow, believe, trust, and obey Him, people will laugh at us. As hard as that is in the moment, in the end, we won’t regret it. Because what God says…no matter how crazy from the human perspective…is always true and He always does.

Though something may be laughably impossible or beyond belief for us, it is doable, easy, and possible with God. Remember, He’s God. Those laughing aren’t. So, don’t be swayed by them. Take His hand, like the little girl in the story, and let Him do His life changing work in you.

If you do, you’ll always get the last laugh.

Categorized: Christian Living, Life Change |

January 17th, 2012

Why Do I Keep Watching?

18 Comments LEAVE A COMMENT

I am so sick of the news. It’s mind-numbing redundancy. Soap operas are fast moving and changing in contrast with the news these days. And yet, I keep watching and reading it. When I turn my TV on, I instinctively turn it to a news channel. The same tends to be true with the radio and even my computer. Are you kidding me? I keep doing what I hate, and it’s making me question my own sanity.

Hmmmm! Sound familiar? I’m finding this isn’t a news thing…or a Brad thing. It’s a nature thing; a habit thing; a human thing. We all tend to fall into ruts and, instead of doing something to get out, we just keep pushing down on the gas pedal. We do it in our personal, relational, and vocational lives. Even worse, we do it in our spiritual lives.

But, there is a solution. Identify the problem, (rut, habit, etc.), and make the choice to change your behavior. I’ve begun doing this with the news. After instinctively turning it on, I then consciously change the channel or turn it off. In my car, I’ve been listening to a lot more music lately. It’s been refreshing.

Now, of course, there are areas of life and certain habits that are far more challenging to overcome than watching the news. (How’s that for understating the obvious?!) But, the principle is the same. Identify the problem and make the choice to change your behavior. It always helps to invite others into the circumstance to help…especially those who don’t have the same weakness or have overcome the same problem themselves.

Sometimes, inviting others into the circumstance is the only way out. This is certainly true with our spiritual lives. Apart from Christ, we can’t get past or overcome our sin, and we can never know or experience the love of God. But, it’s often true when dealing with other powerful habits that have developed in our lives…from an obsession with food to pornography.

So…here’s my simple encouragement. Stop watching. Change the channel. Do something else…anything else. Identify the problem, make the choice to change, and invite some trustworthy person or people into the circumstance to help.

Does this make sense to you? If so, I’d love to hear about it!

Categorized: Change, Life Change |

January 13th, 2012

Appreciation without Application

11 Comments LEAVE A COMMENT

Most of us love music. Though we have very different tastes, we share an appreciation for how music adds to our lives…enjoyment, inspiration, and beauty. And yet, for most of us, music doesn’t define us. We listen to it, but we don’t live by it. We know and even sing the words, but we don’t generally apply them to the way we live our lives. And, this makes sense. After all, most music is more committed to expressing feeling than truth. It’s more about creating beautiful art than sharing genuine wisdom.

Unfortunately, I find that most people tend to respond to the presentation of God’s Word in the same way. This DOES NOT make sense. Unlike music, God’s Word should define us. We should never listen to it without seeking to live it. It is not enough to appreciate it. We must apply it.

Though, in the same way we do with music, we’ll have very different tastes when it comes to how God’s Word is taught. As well, there’s nothing wrong with spiritual teaching that is enjoyable, inspirational, or even artful. But, unlike music, it is ultimately worthless if we don’t believe, embrace, and apply it to our lives.

And yet, this is a very normal response. It was in the past. And, it is today. Don’t believe me! Then, you should read Ezekiel 33:30-33. This isn’t my idea. It’s God’s.

So, when you have the privilege of sitting under or hearing God’s Word faithfully taught, make sure to go beyond appreciation to application. When you do, it will transform your life. And, if you’re a pastor or spiritual teacher, don’t ever minister God’s Word in the pursuit of appreciation. The only worthwhile goal of preaching or teaching God’s Word is life change…and that demands application. Make sure you challenge people to apply it, and make sure you give them the opportunity.

I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Categorized: Life Change |

Tagged: Preaching, Teaching

December 30th, 2011

My Best Reads didn’t make the Biggest Impact

8 Comments LEAVE A COMMENT

Since I threw out the value of reading in a recent blog, I thought that it may be potentially beneficial to share some of the more impacting reads of my past year. As context, I think it’s important to share a couple of thoughts.

First, the better books and/or reading experiences weren’t always the most impacting. In fact, this is often true. Many of the books that I enjoy the most are far from the most impacting or memorable. Of course, reasons abound. (e.g. I enjoyed them because they simply restated what I already felt or believed; they were simply fun or entertaining; they were well written but not necessarily thought-provoking for me; etc.)

Second, some of the more thought-provoking and memorable books are the ones that I disagreed with most profoundly. This only makes sense. My disagreement forced me to interact with them in a far more purposeful, and personal way. (I think that I some times write more notes on a page than the author.) I also tend to read and reread portions of these books. A good example of this in 2011 was Rob Bell’s “Love Wins.”

Third, I find that the reading experiences I have makes me better whether I ultimately remember or am in some way directly impacted by the specific book or not.

Fourth, I have a growing disdain for books that, like many movies, are simple repeats of the same old, (dare I use the word one of my English teachers taught me to never use?), thing. I really have grown tired of superficial drivel. After all, Christians are in relationship with the Creator. Shouldn’t we be the most creative, inspiring, thought-provoking people in the world? (If the answer isn’t obvious to you, then you’ll probably take issue with my view of so many of the popular Christian books these days.)

Fifth, this is not my exhaustive reading list from this past year.

Books of note and why…

The War of Art by Steven Pressfield – This was my second go around with this book. As a person who is constantly seeking to communicate the most important truth of the universe, God’s truth, in creative and impacting ways, I found this book to be sensationally motivating. Steven Pressfield gets the struggle of constantly creating…thus the title. Warning…he is not a believer and all of his ideas are not representative of or in line with God’s truth. But, as one human committed to writing or communicating with excellence to another, he has written a valuable little book.

Jesus Manifesto by Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola – Though I have to confess that I’m not a real fan of the style or typical thrust of Sweet’s writings and that this book is far from the best or most consistently written, it impacted me. To be honest…one simple but profound thought in particular impacted me. “What is Christianity? It is Christ. Nothing more. Nothing less.” YES! Sadly, I (we) so often make Christianity about all of the little stuff we’ve added to it or personally value about delivering it to the world rather than about Christ Himself. This challenged me, and I’m thankful that they wrote it.

The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard – I had to work hard to get through this book…again. (I think I’ve read it before…either that or I’ve started reading it so many times that I just believe I have.) So many of the concepts Dr Willard addressed in this book impacted me…really made me think again about my view of, value for, and personal application of God’s Kingdom in my life. Dallas Willard makes me wish I was smarter than I am, and, even more, makes me want to live, experience, and represent the Kingdom of God more and more and better and better.

King’s Cross by Timothy Keller – a simpler, more accessible book about God’s Kingdom than Willard’s “Divine Conspiracy.” It’s actually written from talks he gave from the Gospel of Mark. But, it was an engaging and impacting read. I really appreciate Keller’s ministry and have found personal value from experiencing it through his writing.

John Adams by David McCullough – This was an enjoyable read…but it had impact as well. Three examples: First: revolution tends to be a young man’s game. The older John Adams and Thomas Jefferson would have never done what they did as young men. We need to release young people, with their energy and idealism, into ministry and leadership. Second: leaders on opposite ends of the spectrum can make each other way better than they would be without them. Third: what we’re experiencing today between leaders, politicians, etc., though undesirable, is nothing new. Solomon was right…there’s nothing new under the sun.

Okay…this is already long enough. But, I’d love to hear about books that you’ve read and how they’ve impacted you. In fact, I’d love your “must read” recommendations as I begin to assemble my list of books for 2012.

Categorized: Change, Christian Living, Leader Change, Leadership, Life Change |

December 29th, 2011

Just Because the Calendar Changes…

14 Comments LEAVE A COMMENT

My wife, Roxann, does a whiteboard calendar for each month of our lives and hangs it in our kitchen. (Just what I need…a constant reminder of our thin-margined life.) Anyway, I’m always blown away at how quickly she has to pull it down and record the next month. It sometimes feels like my days are moving so quickly that I could cool a room with the breeze from the turning pages of the calendar. In the words of Bob Dylan, “the times they are a-changin.”

But, just because the calendar keeps changing…doesn’t mean we are. Sadly, many of us live our lives like a worker who doesn’t particularly like their job…we just pass the time. In harsher words, we waste the time, and, in so doing, our lives. Could anything be more tragic?

I like to use the time between Christmas and New Year’s Day to assess what I did with the gift of time I was entrusted with in the past year. Did I just thoughtlessly pass it, waste it, and squander it OR did I intentionally and positively use it, invest it, and live it? To be honest, this process usually makes me more melancholy than sanguine. But, it’s proven very valuable over the years.

This year, as with most, I’ve given myself mixed reviews. But, on balance, as I look back on this year in future years, I believe it will have been a course-changing, life-changing, ministry changing year. Interestingly enough, it won’t be as the result of all of the busyness that my precious wife recorded on her whiteboard calendar. In fact, I believe it will ultimately be inspite of the busyness. I believe that the real difference will result from a couple of significant, course-correcting decisions that I made.

Though the decisions are important to me, at least for the purpose of this blog, they’re irrelevant to you. But, what is relevant to you is that I made them. My point…the calendar will keep changing but you never will…UNLESS you make life-changing…course-changing decisions. Did you this past year?

If not, (or even if you did), I want to encourage you to do what it takes to make them this next year. All of my positive decisions this past year resulted from intentionally opening myself up to new ideas, thoughts, principles, etc. For me, this happened mostly through reading. To summarize an old adage…there are only two primary things that will lead to change in our lives…the people we meet and the things we read.

Whatever you do this next year…make sure you invest some time in meeting new people and reading some good stuff.

I’d love your thoughts.

Categorized: Change, Life Change |

December 8th, 2011

Less is More

15 Comments LEAVE A COMMENT

For those of us driven for success or significance, we’ll do just about anything to achieve it. By nature, this would include sacrificing issues of integrity and morality because getting ahead is the primary value. For those of us who have opened our lives to the nature transforming power of Christ, we tend to leverage everything we can to achieve our desired greatness while trying to maintain our commitment to integrity and morality. (The original disciples are a great example of this. See Matthew 20:20-21.)

The problem is that we go about it in a way that actually robs us of the very thing we’re looking…striving for. Of course, in His answer to James and John’s Mom in Matthew 20:25-28, Jesus makes this clear. He says that greatness, (success and significance), will only be found through serving. But, the place where I see this illustrated so beautifully is in the life of Daniel. Here is a guy who didn’t seek every advantage in order to achieve success in his life. In fact, he did the opposite. He gave up all the things that we would normally see as essential for gaining the upper hand in order to remain absolutely pure before and committed to God. And, the result is, from our human standpoint, unexpected. (Checkout Daniel 1:11-20.)

Though he gave up every human advantage for success, he became ten times better than his nearest competitors. How? By realizing that God is enough. He understood what I, and so many of us, fail to remember. God is able to do beyond anything we can “ask or imagine.” (See Ephesians 3:20.) God is the only advantage we need and the only One we should commit ourselves to never failing to seek.

Simply, if we really want to achieve and experience a success and significance worthy of our lives, then we need to always remember that “less is more”…when God is in it. It may sound too simplistic or trite, but it’s the truth. The only question is: are we, like Daniel, willing to stake our lives on it?

I’d love to hear your thoughts on how this could apply to your present circumstances and life.

Categorized: Christian Living, Leadership |

Tagged: Significance, Success

December 5th, 2011

When the Horse is Dead…

117 Comments LEAVE A COMMENT

Dismount!

It’s one of my all-time favorite leadership cliches! It’s simple, funny, relevant, and profound. When something no longer works, we should stop wasting our time, energy, and resources working it. So true!

It’s in the spirit of this cliche that I’m writing this post.

I’m wondering if the social media horse…(at least for me)…is dead? Seriously! My Facebook page, twitter, and blog require a major commitment of time, energy, and creativity that could be invested in a ton of different ways. Of course, if there was an obvious missional impact from the investment, it would be a clear sign that the horse is still alive, well, and worth riding. But, to be honest, I’m not seeing any obvious R.O.I.

So, I’m asking you to help me decide if I’m supposed to keep riding or dismount one or more of my social media ponies. Here’s how. I need to know if you care about the investment I make through Facebook, Twitter, or my blog, and, if so, why? What difference do they make in your life…if any? How do they or could they perhaps add greater value or benefit to your life? Is there one you prefer over the others…and why?

I think you get the point. And, by the way, I will be interpreting no comment as your very clear and loud recommendation to “DISMOUNT.”

Whatever I ultimately decide, I want you to know that I genuinely care about you (whether you’re a part of NorthRidge, a fellow pastor, or someone just interested in growing in faith or leadership) and remain committed to helping you know Christ and experience the fulness of life He came to bring you. The only question is whether my social media outlets are an effective means for doing this.

I’m really looking forward to hearing from you and processing your thoughts.

Categorized: Change, Leader Change |

Tagged: Priorities

December 1st, 2011

Creativity & Criticism

3 Comments LEAVE A COMMENT

We just experienced our very first snowfall. And, once again, I was reminded that God’s an artist….an unbelievably creative artist.

And yet, not surprisingly, the immediate response from many was to pan His creative expression. Amazing, isn’t it? Even the master creator gets criticized when He puts out a new piece of artwork. And, it’s not just His winter art that gets roundly rejected. People criticize the elements He uses in some of His work…they hate those blasted drips of water and few seem to like His use of wind. And, when He chooses to creatively hide His sunset behind some beautifully sculpted clouds, once again people complain.

Though maybe a bit exaggerated, I’m sure you get the point. Criticism is a very natural response to creativity. But, as God continues to reveal day after day after day, we need to keep creating anyway. Don’t waste your gifts, dreams, and life worrying about criticism. Rather, use everyday to the fullest. Keep creating. The world will be a better, more beautiful place as a result.

Is there something that you’ve not done because of the fear of criticism? What is it? What are you going to do about it now?

Categorized: Christian Living, Leadership |

Tagged: Creativity