A fear of mine over the years has been that familiarity with Scripture will lead me to a place where I am ambivalent…routine…robotic. Let me explain: “Familiar” Scripture are those places we know and know well. We’ve heard it, read it, preached it, memorized it. Yet, because we (I) know it so well, we (I) skim through the greatness of the passage missing what “freshness” God may have in store for me.
Today that reality hit me hard.
I have the opportunity of being a part time hospital chaplain for a local health system in the Birmingham area. Throughout my day I encounter a number of people with various needs. Some of my patients are recovering from simple procedures. Some of my patients are under medical observation to determine their sickness. And some of them are there because they are dying.
As I made my rounds today, I met an elderly lady. She was very sick. Her time on this earth is not long. I entered her room and sat down beside her bed. We spoke for awhile about our families. Her eyes, though dimmed with age, seemed to beam as she recalled memories with her children and grandchildren. Through her pain, she expressed her love for her Lord. As I listened to her speak about her confidence in Him, tears slowly made their way down her cheek.
I asked her why she way she crying. Was her pain too intense? Could I go get the nurse to give her something to give comfort? There were a few seconds of silence after I asked why she was crying. Then she grabbed my hand and placed her small Bible in my palms.
“What passage do you like most?” was my question to her. Without hesitation, she smiled and whispered, “Psalm 91”. I too smiled. I know that passage. I love that passage. I have preached that passage countless times at funeral services. I am familiar with that passage.
As I read the Psalm, she began to quietly speak the words of the Psalm. She too was familiar with the passage but her familiarity was much different than mine. She lives it…I’ve simply preached it. By the time I finished reading verse two, she and I were both emotional. Her tears were from her strong confidence in who God says He is. My tears were from not completely believing who He says He is. My familiarity with the passage exposed my contentment with my view of God. Let these two verses overwhelm and overtake you.
“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."
Take some time and become familiar once again with Psalm 91.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Big Changes in the Willis House...Part 2
Nearly 10 years ago Michele and I had a number of meetings with the Alabama State Board of Missions discussing, seeking, and praying to see whether or not God might be calling us to plant a church. As you might imagine, these were anxious yet exciting times for us praying over this new venture. However, at the end of the day, we felt it best to continue in the ministry where we were serving at the time. I was on staff at an awesome fellowship that was allowing me to finish seminary and frankly, neither Michele nor I felt a complete “release” from God to pursue new ministry options.
Since those meetings a decade ago, there have been times God has rekindled within us that vision of church planning. I have had the privilege to pastor 2 congregations since that time yet deep within my soul there has been a yearning…a stirring of what if. What if my family took this leap of faith? What if God all along has been orchestrating all things in my life to accomplish something AMAZING for His glory (by the way, He has a habit of doing that you know)? What if I literally took God at His Word and BELIEVED HIM that He IS Who He says He is and WILL DO what He says He will do?
I’m tired of what ifs. I shudder to think what my life will be one day, sitting on the front porch of my life, reflecting on the “what ifs”. Today is the day. No more what ifs.
After months (yea, even years) of prayer with my wife and a number of our close friends, Michele and I are sensing God calling us to plant a congregation.
This decision was difficult to make- difficult in the sense that we wrestled with our own lack of faith, our own confidence, and our own deficiencies. Yet we are drawn to the Scriptures and are clearly reminded that our confidence is in Christ, our abilities rest in His power, and our faith arises out of His promises.
So you may be asking what are the details about this new congregation? Here is what we feel like we know at this time.
• OUR PRAYER - We have assembled an intercessory prayer team that is committed to pray for us through this journey. In fact, we would love to add you on our email prayer team. If you can commit to pray for us on a regular basis, let me know and we’ll place you on our PT. Shoot me an email at ernwillis@yahoo.com and we’ll take care of the rest!
• OUR PROCESS – So how will all this go down? I am currently working through the steps of this congregation becoming a 501C-3. Please pray for this as it is a lengthy and time consuming venture! I have also gone through a number of training sessions with Association of Related Churches. These sessions have proven to be vitally helpful in equipping us for the journey ahead. Additionally, we will be finalizing our Board of Directors over the next 2 months so we covet your prayers for wisdom and discernment. Starting in January of 2011, we will be hosting monthly “gathering” times of worship and vision casting. Then, in April of 2011, our monthly gatherings will culminate with a public Good Friday service with our first launch service being Easter Sunday of 2011!
• OUR PURPOSE – So what will this congregation be about? I strongly believe that church should be simple and not complex; life giving and not life constricting; relevant, and relational. It will be a congregation that is driven for God’s glory, enabled by God’s Spirit, centered on God’s word, and sent by God’s Son to accomplish the greatest mission ever committed to mankind- fulfilling the great commission. With that said, our church will focus on three areas:
Worship & Celebration - The local body comes together in a public setting and celebrates the greatness of God. We will participate together in worship by remembering and rejoicing what God is doing in their private lives. People express their value of God in spirit and truth. Christ is exalted where He draws all men unto Himself.
But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” John 4:23-24
Connect & Grow- For the church to get bigger it most become smaller. People are driven by relationships. Small groups are vital to the lifeblood of any church. These groups are not exclusive; meaning that the groups are designed for both believers and non-believers. In fact, these groups serve as a key component in bringing lost people to Christ.
Additionally, these groups provide opportunities for people to mature in their journey with one another and with God. In these groups they discover their giftedness. This results in people “plugging into” the ministry where they are equipped to go serve people with the gospel.
“I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” Philippians 3:13-14
Go & Serve- The goal in mind is for every person, after they have been won to Christ, discipled in their faith, and discover their place in ministry, are challenged to serve people locally and globally with the life giving message of Jesus.
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8
• OUR PROMISE – I am compelled by Scripture that the New Testament church’s most significant calling is taking the gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth. This will be the centrifuge of this church-people being brought to Christ by us intentionally focusing our efforts and resources on the world. To assist in accomplishing this, 20% of the income that is given to this congregation will be given away to help directly support local, national, and international life giving missions. In other words, this congregation will budget itself based on 80% operations/ministry and 20% intentional missions.
Additionally, I am committed to not receive any income from this congregation for at least the first 24-36 months. To help meet the needs in my home, God has graciously opened the door for me to work at a local hospital system as one of their PRN Chaplains.
• OUR PLACE – The area which we feel God leading us to plant a church is the Springville, Al area. Why Springville? This community has seen unprecedented growth over the last 5 -10 years. Couple that with the fact that the state of Alabama has over 2 million lost people (according to ASBOM) we sense this is a large mission field.
• OUR PETITIONS – As stated before, if you would like to commit to being a part of a team of people that will pray for us, let me know. In the meantime, here are some of the requests that we ask you even now to pray for:
-Transition for our family as we are going through the adoption of our daughter from China.
-Approval for the 5013-C status to go smoothly and even granted by the end of the year.
-Launch Team to be assembled. We can’t do this alone so we are asking, seeking, and begging God to bring people and families into our lives that share this vision and will commit to joining our team in launching this ministry.
-Location-Though the church is not a place but rather a people, we still would like a physical place for our people to gather!
-We will need a Worship Leader! A major component of what we will do is corporate worship. Please pray God raises someone up to join us in this vision.
We love you all deeply and desire your prayers in the months to come! Keep watching our blogs for updates! Michele's blog is http://southerncheesehead.blogspot.com
Ernie and Michele
Since those meetings a decade ago, there have been times God has rekindled within us that vision of church planning. I have had the privilege to pastor 2 congregations since that time yet deep within my soul there has been a yearning…a stirring of what if. What if my family took this leap of faith? What if God all along has been orchestrating all things in my life to accomplish something AMAZING for His glory (by the way, He has a habit of doing that you know)? What if I literally took God at His Word and BELIEVED HIM that He IS Who He says He is and WILL DO what He says He will do?
I’m tired of what ifs. I shudder to think what my life will be one day, sitting on the front porch of my life, reflecting on the “what ifs”. Today is the day. No more what ifs.
After months (yea, even years) of prayer with my wife and a number of our close friends, Michele and I are sensing God calling us to plant a congregation.
This decision was difficult to make- difficult in the sense that we wrestled with our own lack of faith, our own confidence, and our own deficiencies. Yet we are drawn to the Scriptures and are clearly reminded that our confidence is in Christ, our abilities rest in His power, and our faith arises out of His promises.
So you may be asking what are the details about this new congregation? Here is what we feel like we know at this time.
• OUR PRAYER - We have assembled an intercessory prayer team that is committed to pray for us through this journey. In fact, we would love to add you on our email prayer team. If you can commit to pray for us on a regular basis, let me know and we’ll place you on our PT. Shoot me an email at ernwillis@yahoo.com and we’ll take care of the rest!
• OUR PROCESS – So how will all this go down? I am currently working through the steps of this congregation becoming a 501C-3. Please pray for this as it is a lengthy and time consuming venture! I have also gone through a number of training sessions with Association of Related Churches. These sessions have proven to be vitally helpful in equipping us for the journey ahead. Additionally, we will be finalizing our Board of Directors over the next 2 months so we covet your prayers for wisdom and discernment. Starting in January of 2011, we will be hosting monthly “gathering” times of worship and vision casting. Then, in April of 2011, our monthly gatherings will culminate with a public Good Friday service with our first launch service being Easter Sunday of 2011!
• OUR PURPOSE – So what will this congregation be about? I strongly believe that church should be simple and not complex; life giving and not life constricting; relevant, and relational. It will be a congregation that is driven for God’s glory, enabled by God’s Spirit, centered on God’s word, and sent by God’s Son to accomplish the greatest mission ever committed to mankind- fulfilling the great commission. With that said, our church will focus on three areas:
Worship & Celebration - The local body comes together in a public setting and celebrates the greatness of God. We will participate together in worship by remembering and rejoicing what God is doing in their private lives. People express their value of God in spirit and truth. Christ is exalted where He draws all men unto Himself.
But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” John 4:23-24
Connect & Grow- For the church to get bigger it most become smaller. People are driven by relationships. Small groups are vital to the lifeblood of any church. These groups are not exclusive; meaning that the groups are designed for both believers and non-believers. In fact, these groups serve as a key component in bringing lost people to Christ.
Additionally, these groups provide opportunities for people to mature in their journey with one another and with God. In these groups they discover their giftedness. This results in people “plugging into” the ministry where they are equipped to go serve people with the gospel.
“I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” Philippians 3:13-14
Go & Serve- The goal in mind is for every person, after they have been won to Christ, discipled in their faith, and discover their place in ministry, are challenged to serve people locally and globally with the life giving message of Jesus.
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8
• OUR PROMISE – I am compelled by Scripture that the New Testament church’s most significant calling is taking the gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth. This will be the centrifuge of this church-people being brought to Christ by us intentionally focusing our efforts and resources on the world. To assist in accomplishing this, 20% of the income that is given to this congregation will be given away to help directly support local, national, and international life giving missions. In other words, this congregation will budget itself based on 80% operations/ministry and 20% intentional missions.
Additionally, I am committed to not receive any income from this congregation for at least the first 24-36 months. To help meet the needs in my home, God has graciously opened the door for me to work at a local hospital system as one of their PRN Chaplains.
• OUR PLACE – The area which we feel God leading us to plant a church is the Springville, Al area. Why Springville? This community has seen unprecedented growth over the last 5 -10 years. Couple that with the fact that the state of Alabama has over 2 million lost people (according to ASBOM) we sense this is a large mission field.
• OUR PETITIONS – As stated before, if you would like to commit to being a part of a team of people that will pray for us, let me know. In the meantime, here are some of the requests that we ask you even now to pray for:
-Transition for our family as we are going through the adoption of our daughter from China.
-Approval for the 5013-C status to go smoothly and even granted by the end of the year.
-Launch Team to be assembled. We can’t do this alone so we are asking, seeking, and begging God to bring people and families into our lives that share this vision and will commit to joining our team in launching this ministry.
-Location-Though the church is not a place but rather a people, we still would like a physical place for our people to gather!
-We will need a Worship Leader! A major component of what we will do is corporate worship. Please pray God raises someone up to join us in this vision.
We love you all deeply and desire your prayers in the months to come! Keep watching our blogs for updates! Michele's blog is http://southerncheesehead.blogspot.com
Ernie and Michele
Monday, October 4, 2010
BIG Changes in The Willis house...Part One
Over the last decade my wife and I have been a part of numerous missions into the county of Mexico. We have seen our Lord there in many ways; especially in the children. Our hearts have been moved by the plight of the orphans. To the point when we came back from our most recent mission from LaQupia, Mexico, we felt called to adopt.
At the beginning of the year, Michele and I began the process of bringing our daughter from Mexico. We have been diligently praying, working hard to raise funds, and managing our expectations.
We have discovered over the last several months that it is virtually impossible at this time to adopt from Mexico. Our agency who we chose to help us adopt from Mexico did a wonderful job fighting for us but ultimately it was to no avail. The central authority of Mexico has refused to allow people outside the country to be connected to the orphans within their country.
It has been a difficult few weeks for our family trying to cope as we grieve this decision.
However, God's ways are not ours. My wife and I have to believe His word that He is who He says He is-Sovereign, Just, Merciful. As much as our hearts are for adoption, our Heavenly Father loves adoption much more-we have been brought near to Him by His choosing of us. His kindness and pity rescued us out of the death rooms of sin and given us a forever home with Him.
I believe He guides our steps and redirect our desires. Our desire to bring our daughter home hasn't changed. Knowing God has called us to this, we have prayed.
Now, His path for us is becoming more clear; His voice is becoming more pronounced; "Go, rescue my orphans." So, in a spirit of obedience and new direction we go.
We now are going to China to bring home our daughter. Our "Operation La Chica" has now become "Operation 女儿 'Nuer' ".
That is one of the BIG changes headed our way! Yahoo!
However, the changes are still coming. I'll let you know about "BIG Changes Part Two" at the end of the week!
Keep Praying...
At the beginning of the year, Michele and I began the process of bringing our daughter from Mexico. We have been diligently praying, working hard to raise funds, and managing our expectations.
We have discovered over the last several months that it is virtually impossible at this time to adopt from Mexico. Our agency who we chose to help us adopt from Mexico did a wonderful job fighting for us but ultimately it was to no avail. The central authority of Mexico has refused to allow people outside the country to be connected to the orphans within their country.
It has been a difficult few weeks for our family trying to cope as we grieve this decision.
However, God's ways are not ours. My wife and I have to believe His word that He is who He says He is-Sovereign, Just, Merciful. As much as our hearts are for adoption, our Heavenly Father loves adoption much more-we have been brought near to Him by His choosing of us. His kindness and pity rescued us out of the death rooms of sin and given us a forever home with Him.
I believe He guides our steps and redirect our desires. Our desire to bring our daughter home hasn't changed. Knowing God has called us to this, we have prayed.
Now, His path for us is becoming more clear; His voice is becoming more pronounced; "Go, rescue my orphans." So, in a spirit of obedience and new direction we go.
We now are going to China to bring home our daughter. Our "Operation La Chica" has now become "Operation 女儿 'Nuer' ".
That is one of the BIG changes headed our way! Yahoo!
However, the changes are still coming. I'll let you know about "BIG Changes Part Two" at the end of the week!
Keep Praying...
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Lessons From the Nine Fingered Man
High school for me was a blur. It was dotted with the typical trials and tribulations most teenage boys encounter. Yet through it all, there are numerous memories that stand above the rest. One of which was shop class. I loved shop class. It was the window of fresh air in the middle of my very mundane and stale week of school. Shop class raptured me from the day to day trappings of geometry and literature. Picture, if you will, teenage boys getting to play with things like band saws and drill presses…in the middle of the day…AT SCHOOL! That was so cool. To top off the coolness of our class was our instructor. I don’t remember his name but I do remember one thing about him; he had nine fingers. Do you see the irony in that? A shop teacher with nine fingers teaching teenage boys how to handle power tools? We thought it was awesome…but I digress.
Amidst the lure of all the power tools stood one instrument that fascinated me; it was the kiln. The basic purpose of the kiln is to heat materials and transform them at high temperatures. My first experience working with the kiln was making a ceramic horse (I called it Rex) for my mom for mother’s day. After going through great lengths of work and preparations to get Rex ready for my mom, he still had to face the fire. Rex had to go through extreme heat. You and I have kilns we must face. Heat has to be applied to our lives in order for transformation. Heat burns away non-essentials. It brings change.
Part of the core of Christianity is the precept believers must walk through adversity. Let me state for the record that as a finite, limited man, I struggle with the ultimate purpose why a Sovereign God chooses to allow pain and trial to be partner for life for his people. I can recite the Seminary clichés or Sunday school answers as to why but yet, when you personally experience the kiln of God, sometimes those prepackaged theological answers seem a bit trite.
Ultimately I find myself, like my old family pet Flops (God rest her soul), chasing my tail trying to completely comprehend the ultimate purpose of “The Kiln”. But through all my searching, I remind myself I may never fully understand the purpose for fire…for pain…for suffering.
Pain in the believer’s life is undeniable. Jesus said, “In this world, you will face troubles”. Anyone who has a Pollyanna view of Christianity is short-sided and misguided. From cover to cover the Scriptures scream the certainty of heat in our life.
Pain in our life is also unavoidable. Pastor James tells his congregation in James 1:2, “Consider it pure joy my brothers whenever you face trials of many kinds”. You can’t hide from it; at some point, we all experience it.
Pain in our life is unpredictable. I love the terminology James chooses to use, “…whenever you face (fall into) trials of many kinds.” He uses the same words Jesus chooses in the telling of the man who fell among thieves and was beaten near death only to be rescued by a Samaritan man. The idea is the difficulties this man faced came from out of nowhere. He was going along his journey in life and suddenly, without warning, the pain came.
It is not a question of “if” but rather “when” will we face “the kiln”. When you walk through the fire, remember the words of Isaiah 43:1-3, “But now, this is what the LORD says— he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. 3 For I am the LORD, your God.”
I close with this: God really is who He says He is and His word really is true. Through the pain, through the dark, through the tears, focus on truth-what God says about Himself. He is our great God who orchestrates the seasons in the kiln to bring glory to Himself and good for His kids.
I love the words of Paul in II Corinthians 4:8-10. If you our experiencing holy heat, may God’s word encourage you. 8We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body”
My prayer for you today is this: 10And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 11To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen. I Peter 5:10-11
Amidst the lure of all the power tools stood one instrument that fascinated me; it was the kiln. The basic purpose of the kiln is to heat materials and transform them at high temperatures. My first experience working with the kiln was making a ceramic horse (I called it Rex) for my mom for mother’s day. After going through great lengths of work and preparations to get Rex ready for my mom, he still had to face the fire. Rex had to go through extreme heat. You and I have kilns we must face. Heat has to be applied to our lives in order for transformation. Heat burns away non-essentials. It brings change.
Part of the core of Christianity is the precept believers must walk through adversity. Let me state for the record that as a finite, limited man, I struggle with the ultimate purpose why a Sovereign God chooses to allow pain and trial to be partner for life for his people. I can recite the Seminary clichés or Sunday school answers as to why but yet, when you personally experience the kiln of God, sometimes those prepackaged theological answers seem a bit trite.
Ultimately I find myself, like my old family pet Flops (God rest her soul), chasing my tail trying to completely comprehend the ultimate purpose of “The Kiln”. But through all my searching, I remind myself I may never fully understand the purpose for fire…for pain…for suffering.
Pain in the believer’s life is undeniable. Jesus said, “In this world, you will face troubles”. Anyone who has a Pollyanna view of Christianity is short-sided and misguided. From cover to cover the Scriptures scream the certainty of heat in our life.
Pain in our life is also unavoidable. Pastor James tells his congregation in James 1:2, “Consider it pure joy my brothers whenever you face trials of many kinds”. You can’t hide from it; at some point, we all experience it.
Pain in our life is unpredictable. I love the terminology James chooses to use, “…whenever you face (fall into) trials of many kinds.” He uses the same words Jesus chooses in the telling of the man who fell among thieves and was beaten near death only to be rescued by a Samaritan man. The idea is the difficulties this man faced came from out of nowhere. He was going along his journey in life and suddenly, without warning, the pain came.
It is not a question of “if” but rather “when” will we face “the kiln”. When you walk through the fire, remember the words of Isaiah 43:1-3, “But now, this is what the LORD says— he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. 3 For I am the LORD, your God.”
I close with this: God really is who He says He is and His word really is true. Through the pain, through the dark, through the tears, focus on truth-what God says about Himself. He is our great God who orchestrates the seasons in the kiln to bring glory to Himself and good for His kids.
I love the words of Paul in II Corinthians 4:8-10. If you our experiencing holy heat, may God’s word encourage you. 8We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body”
My prayer for you today is this: 10And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 11To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen. I Peter 5:10-11
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Five Things I Wish People In The Pew Knew
It doesn’t matter if you are non-churched, de-churched or over churched, I want to share with you five things from a Pastor’s heart that I believe you need to know:
Don’t emphasize monuments and maintenance; emphasize momentum and movement. While it is important to remember and honor the history of your church, you can’t stay there. You also can’t stay like you are.
Too often we enjoy living on yesterday’s memories and we fail to see the potential in the fields before us. We are not called to sit in our pews when the world passes us by. They need a real, relevant, and refreshing congregation to speak life to them.
Don’t emphasize personalities and programs over power. In many churches, busyness equates to godliness; the more we do the “better” we are with God. The truth is that busyness could be indicative of a much bigger issue- a lack of power.
There is no substitute for God’s power at work in His church. Pastors have their flaws. Leaders will let you down. That is why it is imperative the church understand those who lead them are finite and capable of failure. The church must be about something greater than the persons leading it.
We may be good enough to pull off some neat ideas or fancy projects but inevitably they will run their course. Man is not good enough to accomplish only what the Holy Spirit can produce and sustain-which is total life change. Apart from Christ and abiding in Him, we can do nothing.
Keep Your Perspective. Maybe I missed the memo, but when did choosing the color of paint for the building become a more passionate emphasis than penetrating the community with the hope of Jesus? I am AMAZED at how we allow Satan to use the smallest, most insignificant issues in church to distract us from becoming a life giving place. Don’t allow the minutia to consume you. Remember, your church has a God ordained calling to fulfill. Don’t surrender that calling to issues that have no eternal significance.
Let your Leaders Lead. Let’s be honest; from time to time the leaders in your church will make mistakes. Keep in mind they, like yourself, possess great abilities to really make a mess of things! With that said, they are still the leaders that God called. Honor them. Even if you don’t agree with them, respect them. It’s ok to disagree and even tell them about it, but do it in a respectful way. Pray for them…OFTEN. Encourage them-God knows they need it. Support them-even when it’s hard. God has gifted them, the Holy Spirit has empowered them, and your church has called them so now let them lead.
Lighten up and Enjoy Life. I recently attended a conference on church leadership and one of the speakers said, “Church should be fun.” At first, I was taken aback by the comment. Church? Fun? But I thought about it for a moment: maybe he’s right. We of all people have the right to be excited…and exciting…people should see our excitement! Not only have we been rescued from death and given new life in Christ, but we have been given life and life more abundantly to share with one another! Yet, many brothers and sisters in the Lord live their life as if they are sucking on lemons. Look, life is short. The world is dying and going to hell and we’re arguing over paint colors? Somebody needs to be excited about the hope that resides within them. Who better to do that than those in the pew that have experienced that hope?
Don’t emphasize monuments and maintenance; emphasize momentum and movement. While it is important to remember and honor the history of your church, you can’t stay there. You also can’t stay like you are.
Too often we enjoy living on yesterday’s memories and we fail to see the potential in the fields before us. We are not called to sit in our pews when the world passes us by. They need a real, relevant, and refreshing congregation to speak life to them.
Don’t emphasize personalities and programs over power. In many churches, busyness equates to godliness; the more we do the “better” we are with God. The truth is that busyness could be indicative of a much bigger issue- a lack of power.
There is no substitute for God’s power at work in His church. Pastors have their flaws. Leaders will let you down. That is why it is imperative the church understand those who lead them are finite and capable of failure. The church must be about something greater than the persons leading it.
We may be good enough to pull off some neat ideas or fancy projects but inevitably they will run their course. Man is not good enough to accomplish only what the Holy Spirit can produce and sustain-which is total life change. Apart from Christ and abiding in Him, we can do nothing.
Keep Your Perspective. Maybe I missed the memo, but when did choosing the color of paint for the building become a more passionate emphasis than penetrating the community with the hope of Jesus? I am AMAZED at how we allow Satan to use the smallest, most insignificant issues in church to distract us from becoming a life giving place. Don’t allow the minutia to consume you. Remember, your church has a God ordained calling to fulfill. Don’t surrender that calling to issues that have no eternal significance.
Let your Leaders Lead. Let’s be honest; from time to time the leaders in your church will make mistakes. Keep in mind they, like yourself, possess great abilities to really make a mess of things! With that said, they are still the leaders that God called. Honor them. Even if you don’t agree with them, respect them. It’s ok to disagree and even tell them about it, but do it in a respectful way. Pray for them…OFTEN. Encourage them-God knows they need it. Support them-even when it’s hard. God has gifted them, the Holy Spirit has empowered them, and your church has called them so now let them lead.
Lighten up and Enjoy Life. I recently attended a conference on church leadership and one of the speakers said, “Church should be fun.” At first, I was taken aback by the comment. Church? Fun? But I thought about it for a moment: maybe he’s right. We of all people have the right to be excited…and exciting…people should see our excitement! Not only have we been rescued from death and given new life in Christ, but we have been given life and life more abundantly to share with one another! Yet, many brothers and sisters in the Lord live their life as if they are sucking on lemons. Look, life is short. The world is dying and going to hell and we’re arguing over paint colors? Somebody needs to be excited about the hope that resides within them. Who better to do that than those in the pew that have experienced that hope?
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Carpe Diem
As a kid, I spent two weeks out of my summer with my grandparents. One day, grand mom loaded me and my brother in the car and we headed down to the local gas station. While inside the store, I passed by the candy aisle. Without fully thinking through the consequences, I put one piece of grape gum in my pocket for later. Yes... I was an 8 year old kleptomaniac.
When we returned home, I went to my room and popped the little treasure in my mouth. I was thoroughly enjoying the "grapesation" until I heard a knock on the door. Grand mom, not waiting for a response to her knock request, opened the door. I was caught-dead to rights. Sure, I tried to hide the gum in my cheek but there was no getting around the smell of grapes in my room; not to mention the gum wrapper laying there in all of its glory on the dresser exposing my dirty deed.
Oddly enough, she didn't freak out. She did punish me though and part of her punishment was taking me back to the scene of the crime where I was forced to confess my transgression to the store clerk.
I felt dirty. I would have given anything not to have touched that blessed gum. Who knew grape gum would cause such guilt.
To some degree, we all have a "grape gum" story. Maybe your story, like mine, is a simple, yet poor choice that you really regret. Maybe your story involves complicated decisions, interwoven with deep seeded self resentment of "how could I have been so stupid?" or “what was I thinking?”
We all have histories littered with dysfunction and disappointment. And for many, that history replays itself on the movie screen of our hearts and minds every day. It entangles us in bondage, keeping us from enjoying the FREEDOM of God's grace and forgiveness.
I love what Paul says in Philippians 3. He understood he had fallen woefully short of what God wanted for him and yet listen to his confession: Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12-14.
In short, as a friend of mine would say, we can't live our life looking in the rear view mirror.
Today is the day! Focus your mind’s attention and heart’s affection on the GREATNESS of God's grace. Enjoy the love He has lavished on us. Capture and renounce those thoughts that bring themselves against the TRUTH of who God says you are. Kick shame to the curb, bask in the beauty of repentance and restoration, and ENJOY all God has for you today. Live in His truth, act on His Word, and watch the transformation take place. Don't delay.
Seize the Day.
When we returned home, I went to my room and popped the little treasure in my mouth. I was thoroughly enjoying the "grapesation" until I heard a knock on the door. Grand mom, not waiting for a response to her knock request, opened the door. I was caught-dead to rights. Sure, I tried to hide the gum in my cheek but there was no getting around the smell of grapes in my room; not to mention the gum wrapper laying there in all of its glory on the dresser exposing my dirty deed.
Oddly enough, she didn't freak out. She did punish me though and part of her punishment was taking me back to the scene of the crime where I was forced to confess my transgression to the store clerk.
I felt dirty. I would have given anything not to have touched that blessed gum. Who knew grape gum would cause such guilt.
To some degree, we all have a "grape gum" story. Maybe your story, like mine, is a simple, yet poor choice that you really regret. Maybe your story involves complicated decisions, interwoven with deep seeded self resentment of "how could I have been so stupid?" or “what was I thinking?”
We all have histories littered with dysfunction and disappointment. And for many, that history replays itself on the movie screen of our hearts and minds every day. It entangles us in bondage, keeping us from enjoying the FREEDOM of God's grace and forgiveness.
I love what Paul says in Philippians 3. He understood he had fallen woefully short of what God wanted for him and yet listen to his confession: Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12-14.
In short, as a friend of mine would say, we can't live our life looking in the rear view mirror.
Today is the day! Focus your mind’s attention and heart’s affection on the GREATNESS of God's grace. Enjoy the love He has lavished on us. Capture and renounce those thoughts that bring themselves against the TRUTH of who God says you are. Kick shame to the curb, bask in the beauty of repentance and restoration, and ENJOY all God has for you today. Live in His truth, act on His Word, and watch the transformation take place. Don't delay.
Seize the Day.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Confessions of a Post Office Line Zombie
Is it me or does customer service these days really stink? Maybe inconsiderate people just seek me out but for the love of Pete it is ever before me! A few days ago I went to our local USPS branch. Granted it was lunch time so the number of people was greater than usual but I had great confidence that my government that was by the people and for the people could handle this lunch bunch.
I took my place in line waiting to mail a simple package. I knew I was in trouble when there was only one person to care for the sea of humanity gathering in the lobby. The middle aged lady behind the counter was a seasoned veteran; skilled at performing her single task with great lack of speed. Her expeditious efforts (or lack thereof) were matched only by her sincere concern for the customer (insert tongue in cheek). Moms with their kids were screaming. Business men were becoming agitated. And I waited…and I waited…and I waited. With each passing minute, I grew weary. Finally, after waiting for 20 minutes, it was my turn.
I wanted to express my concerns about the situation to the lady behind the counter. However I needed that package to go out that day and I didn’t need anything that would impede it from reaching its destination-so I kept my peace.
Let me stop here for a moment and mention something. I am low maintenance. I don’t require much. Even a simple greeting from the lady behind the counter would have sufficed. But not a word was spoken. I looked at her and she looked at me. Her steely eyes bore a hole through my soul as if to say, “Don’t tell me you just want stamps”.
I was already perturbed with the situation and my perturbedness was mounting as the stand-off continued. Why should I not be greeted? What’s wrong with a simple, “Hello sir, how can I serve you today?” Is that too much to request?
We stood locked eyes to eyes for what seemed minutes. Finally, the lady behind the counter spoke. “Yes?”. Are you kidding me? Is that all I’m worth? A simple, one word greeting? I just assumed after waiting for a half eternity, something more than a “Yes” would have been warranted. I mailed the package, walked past the line of “post office line zombies”, and sat in my car where I just shook my head and laughed.
After having some time to reflect on the event, I am reminded of the countless times I have acted like a person behind the counter. Obstinate, selfish, inconsiderate; you name it and I have acted like it. But I am also reminded of the calling we all have in life. Listen to what the Apostle Paul says in the book of Philippians, chapter 2:3-4, “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.”
God, help us view others the way you view them. Help us to live for something greater than ourselves. Give us the strength to speak to others the words of life-even when it’s hard. Empower us with Yourself and not ourselves. Amen.
I took my place in line waiting to mail a simple package. I knew I was in trouble when there was only one person to care for the sea of humanity gathering in the lobby. The middle aged lady behind the counter was a seasoned veteran; skilled at performing her single task with great lack of speed. Her expeditious efforts (or lack thereof) were matched only by her sincere concern for the customer (insert tongue in cheek). Moms with their kids were screaming. Business men were becoming agitated. And I waited…and I waited…and I waited. With each passing minute, I grew weary. Finally, after waiting for 20 minutes, it was my turn.
I wanted to express my concerns about the situation to the lady behind the counter. However I needed that package to go out that day and I didn’t need anything that would impede it from reaching its destination-so I kept my peace.
Let me stop here for a moment and mention something. I am low maintenance. I don’t require much. Even a simple greeting from the lady behind the counter would have sufficed. But not a word was spoken. I looked at her and she looked at me. Her steely eyes bore a hole through my soul as if to say, “Don’t tell me you just want stamps”.
I was already perturbed with the situation and my perturbedness was mounting as the stand-off continued. Why should I not be greeted? What’s wrong with a simple, “Hello sir, how can I serve you today?” Is that too much to request?
We stood locked eyes to eyes for what seemed minutes. Finally, the lady behind the counter spoke. “Yes?”. Are you kidding me? Is that all I’m worth? A simple, one word greeting? I just assumed after waiting for a half eternity, something more than a “Yes” would have been warranted. I mailed the package, walked past the line of “post office line zombies”, and sat in my car where I just shook my head and laughed.
After having some time to reflect on the event, I am reminded of the countless times I have acted like a person behind the counter. Obstinate, selfish, inconsiderate; you name it and I have acted like it. But I am also reminded of the calling we all have in life. Listen to what the Apostle Paul says in the book of Philippians, chapter 2:3-4, “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.”
God, help us view others the way you view them. Help us to live for something greater than ourselves. Give us the strength to speak to others the words of life-even when it’s hard. Empower us with Yourself and not ourselves. Amen.
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