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March 29th, 2012

POWER

I hated it. Though I know God is in control and was able to accomplish good through it, from my perspective, it ruined everything. “It”, in this circumstance, is the fact that we lost all of the power to the building at our largest campus this past weekend. Two minutes before our first Sunday service was to begin…everything shut down. It was dark. Nearly three thousand people were already in the building, and everything was ready. Our staff and volunteers had worked hard. The talk I was getting ready to share was an important one. But, when the power cut out, none of that mattered. There would be no service…no impact. In fact, the problem was so severe that we would have to cancel both of our services scheduled at that campus. What a waste. All that effort and nothing to show for it. No life change. No opportunity for life change.

I have to say that I’m so proud of the reaction of our staff, volunteers, and church. Everyone responded brilliantly. Many of our people actually sped off to one of our two church satellite ministries. I was one of them. Though my talk was scheduled to be on video, I was able to give it live. It was fun…for me and them. Others joined our church online service. But, all the while, the campus with no power sat empty, and, at least in that moment, totally wasted…unfulfilled potential. I hated it.

Now, here’s the lesson. The same could have been true, (and I believe often is in many churches on any given weekend), even if the electrical power hadn’t been lost. The truth is that all of our planning, working, creating, inspiring, studying, talking, singing, preaching, and gathering is a total waste…unfulfilled potential…wasted effort…results in no real life change…unless it’s done in God’s power. Without God’s power, there’s no reason for or result of gathering. Jesus said it flat out in John 15:5…”without me you can do nothing.” This is the reason that, after fully training His disciples, He told them in Acts 1:4-5 to wait in Jerusalem until the coming of the Spirit. All the preparation and readiness in the world is nothing without power. It’s a waste to do church…to do life for that matter…without God’s power. Yet, if we’re honest, we usually spend more time planning, preparing, and doing than seeking His power. Could this explain what we’re experiencing in our churches…in our lives?

As much as I hated the result of no power at our church this past weekend, we will ultimately hate MUCH MORE the result of the days, seasons, years of our lives and ministries that we live without God’s power. So, with all the planning, preparing, and doing that we need to and should do in our churches and lives, let’s not forget to “abide” in Christ…to walk in His Spirit…to make sure we seek and find God’s power. Life’s a waste without it. All that effort and nothing to show for it. You’ll hate it.

Thoughts?

Categorized: Christian Living, Leadership, Life Change |

March 21st, 2012

Boredom

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Boredom is a huge…potentially dangerous problem for all of us…in every area of our lives. Yes, even in our spiritual lives. I had opportunity to write on “boredom” in my regular column, “Leading Change”, in Outreach Magazine. It was in response to a question relating to church becoming boring. However, I really do think that the principles and practices I give for overcoming it can apply to all of our spiritual lives…to every part of our lives.

If you’re interested in reading it, Outreach Magazine just posted it on their website. Here’s the link: ow.ly/1ISEZv .

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Is boredom something you deal with? Do the ideas I share make sense to you…sound helpful? Have you come up with other ways of making sure that boredom doesn’t defeat you?

Remember, Nehemiah 8:10 says “the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Do whatever you can to keep your joy and stay strong.

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

Tagged: Boredom

February 11th, 2012

Living More Radically

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Categorized: Christian Living, Life Change |

January 27th, 2012

Communion…Inspiring or Boring?

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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