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Life Change Category

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 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 |

January 17th, 2012

Why Do I Keep Watching?

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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

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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

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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 29th, 2011

Just Because the Calendar Changes…

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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 |

April 28th, 2011

The Power of an Invitation

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Easter is behind us, but the impact is eternal. There are so many stories of life change. And, most of them thank me and/or our phenomenal team of staff and volunteers for what we did. (And, I have to admit…our team is amazing. They gave so much to make our 11 Easter services beyond any superlative I could assign it. I am so grateful to them for their passionate commitment and to God for gifting us with these awe inspiring people. I’m humbled by the privilege I have to serve with them.)

However, the truth is that all of the stories of impact and life change don’t stem from what we did in putting on our services. Though God used us to play a role, these stories stem from the willingness of these people to take a risk, go out of their way, and put themselves on the line by inviting someone. All of these stories reveal “the power of an invitation.”

The following excerpts, from two letters I received from the same person…one prior to Easter and one post Easter, are a great example.

First letter:

“I was really moved by your talk last weekend (April 9-10, 2011 “The Mission”) and I decided to invite a specific person to come to the Easter weekend service with me…I know you say to never give up hope, but it is hard to have hope when I hear the things that come out of this person’s mouth. I know I am not the person to get through to him, so I know it would have to come from someone else. Anyone who would ever try to talk with him would more than have met their match…But I asked him this time, because of your urging, and he said he would come with me to the service. Of course he already believes in his mind that he won’t agree with anything he hears, but I guess getting him there is the first step. I am praying that something you say will strike a chord with him, but I also have to admit that I am very doubtful.”

Second Letter:

“The person I invited did come to Northridge with me. He was awed by it and truly impressed. He did not receive Jesus, but this is a start. And he wants to come back. Praise God! He even thanked me for bringing him. I was shocked. If you knew him, you would know how huge this is…The only reason I asked him to come with me was because you encouraged us to do so. If not for your urging, I most likely would not have asked him to come. So, thank you so much for that. He really liked your message and delivery. He told me he could relate to you. That is so amazing. Know that you made an impact on many people’s lives, the person I invited being one of them. I am so grateful to you. I don’t know how else to say it.”

Obviously, a letter like this is a huge encouragement to me and our team. But, please don’t miss the point. Though we’re being thanked, it was the invitation that made the difference. Think of all the people who never experience the power of Jesus’ life changing truth simply because no one ever invites them. Now, think of how many of those people are in your sphere of influence. You have the power that could ultimately lead to their lives being changed…eternally.

There really is power in an invitation…and we don’t have to wait until Easter to use it. Every weekend at NorthRidge, (along with any church working to faithfully and relevantly share the hope of Christ in their community), is another opportunity. Take advantage of it. Invite someone this weekend.

Categorized: Life Change |

Tagged: Mission, Outreach, Weekend Service