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Christian Living Category

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

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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

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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 |

December 30th, 2011

My Best Reads didn’t make the Biggest Impact

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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 8th, 2011

Less is More

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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 1st, 2011

Creativity & Criticism

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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

November 24th, 2011

Thanksgiving

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Though it’s possible to harbor a spirit of ingratitude, it’s…how can I put this delicately…DUMB!

Seriously, not only does it make life miserable, it defies reality. Yes, of course, there are people who have hurt us, circumstances that have detoured us from our dreams, and realities in this world that can make sane and caring people angry…very angry. BUT, we have been gifted life. And, though it comes with some shadows, it’s an incomparable gift.

Today, we’re alive. Seriously, there’s no greater adventure than life. There’s our reason for gratitude. We have the opportunity to love and be loved. We have within our power the ability to dream of new realities and actually be part of bringing them to life. We can give and experience the power of forgiveness. We can search for and experience truth, freedom, meaning, fulfillment, peace, joy, and hope.

And, of course, the potential of searching for and experiencing these positive realities leads to another reason to be grateful…Jesus Christ made them possible. When Jesus entered this world filled with and defined by darkness, destruction, and death, He announced that He came to bring “life and life to the full.” So, His love, His coming, His sacrifice, His life…have given us, no matter what negative realities we’ve experienced, everything to be grateful for.

Yes, I’m thankful for a beating heart, but, as multitudes sadly prove everyday, that’s no guarantee of truly living. No. The life that gives reason for perpetual gratitude is the life that Jesus came to give us. I’m so grateful to know it. I’m so thankful to have the opportunity to share it with others. I’m hopeful that you and those you love are personally experiencing it today. If not, I have great joy in knowing that it’s available to you…to all.

So, on this Thanksgiving 2011, there are no better words to read, understand, and put into practice than those Paul penned in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. ”Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Okay…now it’s time for family, food, and a win for the Detroit Lions.

Categorized: Christian Living, Uncategorized |

Tagged: Thanksgiving

February 17th, 2011

Sinlicious

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I gave a talk last night at NorthRidge that is creating more chatter than normal…in the social media world…but also in me. I actually woke up still thinking about it this morning. I really do believe it’s a huge deal for believers that, unfortunately, is being missed.

Sin is the great enemy of life. (By sin, I’m not talking of petty little preferences that some believers and pastors try to make a sin. I’m talking about sin…declaring independence from God; rebelling against Him by pursuing our desires over His; disobedience to His clearly expressed truth and will.) Of course, most believers have this idea down…at least in their head. Checkout Romans 6:23 if you’re wrestling with the truth of this idea. In John 8:34, Jesus made it clear that it was the slave master for all of us.

However, though sin is the great enemy keeping us from experiencing the freedom and fulfillment that Christ purchased for us, we don’t treat it this way. If we’re honest, we trivialize it…even flirt with it…as if it’s not all that serious.

A good example of this is found in the fact that the most common use of the word is in relation to food…especially desserts. You know…this dessert is “sinfully delicious” or simply…”sinlicious.” Though seemingly innocuous, I believe that it’s a clear picture of our mindset towards sin. We tend to see it, like a great dessert, as something we shouldn’t do, but we wish we could…because God, like a weight watchers consultant, is robbing us of the best parts of life. (Of course, this isn’t new. Remember Eve looking at the “tree” thinking how “good” it looked?!) We really do tend to view sin as something, while not all that good for us…not all that bad either. After all, if we gain a couple of pounds, we can always lose them. Right?!

This attitude is killing us. It’s keeping us from the freedom and fulfillment that Christ came to give us, (John 8:32, 36 & 10:10). If we’re going to “stand firm” in our freedom, we must see sin for what it is…the great enemy of everything we desire in life…of everything Jesus came to give us.

Here are some recommendations that I’m working through in my life. If I want to experience life as God has designed it for me, then I must…

Hate sin…as much as I would cancer ravaging my body or the body of someone I love. After all, it’s a cancer that is destroying peoples lives both now and forever. (Psalm 97:10)
Fear sin…knowing that, unlike a sinlicious dessert, it is able to control, enslave, and destroy me. It can rob me of everything God desires for me. (Mark 9:42-48) (Note: since sin stems from the heart, Jesus isn’t teaching that cutting off a limb can keep us from sinning. He is clearly teaching that we should fear it so much that we will take drastic measures to cut it out of our lives.)
Understand we can overcome it…we’re dead to it. (Romans 6:2,11-14) Jesus said that He sets us free from the master of sin. We need to believe Him. When we allow Jesus to own and control us…sin no longer can.
Commit to overcoming it. (Daniel 1:8)

Helpful hints: Admit you have the tendency to trivialize it; Claim your power over it (John 8:36); Flee it (2 Tim.2:22 – when you know an area of weakness…stay away from it); fill-up on God’s Word (Ps119:9,11); and live in total submission to and reliance on God’s Spirit (Galatians 5:16).

Too many “sinlicious” desserts certainly isn’t good for you. But, sin is certain death. Let’s see it for what it is and stand firm in our Jesus bought freedom, (Galatians 5:1)

Categorized: Christian Living, Church Change, Life Change |

December 9th, 2010

“Work Smart”

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I’m sure most of us have heard the old saying “work smart not hard.” Of course, as with most famous sayings, there is an intended truth and an unintended error. The error here is that, if we work smart, we can achieve our full potential without working hard. WRONG! Though there may be occasional exceptions to this, just as lightening does occasionally strike twice and a few have struck it rich through the lottery, the rule is that it takes working smart and hard.

For me, the saying would be far more valuable if it were cut in half. ”Work smart.” Now, we have solid and more complete counsel. “Work” suggests the need for some discipline…some sweat equity…giving our all. “Smart” suggests the need to invest your labor in a way, place, and area where it has a chance…a greater probability to succeed.

Here’s my point, (finally, 3 paragraphs in), if we’re going to experience genuine success in our spiritual lives, (the most important and valuable area of our lives), we have to “work smart.” As with all of us, I experience a lot of seasons where, though working really hard at it, I’m sliding backward spiritually. In my devotional time with God this morning, I found a passage that highlighted the problem for me.

“The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green…,” Psalm 92:12-14.

Think about it. No matter how hard I work to flourish spiritually, if I plant myself in a spiritual wasteland…a place where God, His truth, and His people are not being experienced or expressed, I will fail. Where as, if I plant myself in a spiritually fertile place…(represented by the “house of the Lord” in the passage above), I will flourish when I invest myself in knowing, loving, obeying, and serving God.

So, for me, working hard at my spiritual life isn’t the whole issue. I need to make sure that I’m “working smart.”

How about you?

PS If you want to take this idea further, contrast Abraham with Lot. Where they planted themselves made a huge difference.

Categorized: Christian Living, Life Change |

December 2nd, 2010

Invisible Pathway

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Wow…this passage lit me up big time this morning.

“Your path led through the sea,your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen. You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron,” Psalm 77:19-20.

This is all about the great exodus of God’s people from Egypt. In Exodus 14, we discover that God specifically led His people into an impossible circumstance. From a human standpoint, it was the worst leadership possible. He, through Moses, led them to a place of certain disaster…destruction. And, the people responded appropriately to this sorry leadership. They dogged Moses and God. Though it was a bit late, they wanted different leadership. They wanted out.

There’s only one problem with their response. It forgot to take into account that God ALWAYS KNOWS WHAT HE’S DOING AND CAN ALWAYS BE TRUSTED. As the Psalm above notes, God led them there because He had designed a pathway that was invisible to His people…but real none-the-less. It was the perfect pathway.

And, as you can read in Exodus 14, Moses, though He couldn’t see the pathway, knew and trusted God. In verse 13, He says to the complaining crowd…don’t be afraid…watch our God, the God of the impossible and invisible, do His AMAZING WORK. And, God opened up the invisible pathway by parting the Red Sea.

What a God! Yes. But, think of Moses. Because He genuinely knew God, He trusted, even when He couldn’t see the pathway, that God knew what He was doing. And, the result? He made a profound difference. He lived a life of significance. He was a leader worthy of following.

As for me…though I’m a great distance behind Moses…I want to be like Him. I want to know God so well that I am willing to follow Him into the impossible…I am willing to step off an obvious cliff when I know He’s leading…because I know that He sees the INVISIBLE PATHWAY that I don’t see. I want to make a difference, live a life of significance, and be a leader worth following. But, to do it…I have to trust God enough to walk the invisible pathway.

Come on…let’s follow God into the impossible and then through the Red Sea together. There’s nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Categorized: Christian Living, Leadership |

Tagged: Faith, Leadership