Leadership
KYD [Part 2]
20.05.09 17:16
If you as a leader are
going to take people to a place you have never been
before, you must at least know where you’re going.
Joshua took the vision that was given to Moses and
put it into action. Take possession of the land. It
was at this point where we see something interesting
happen...
In Exodus 13 Moses lead all of the Israelites out of Egypt to the Red Sea... It was at this point where Moses stepped up, raised his staff and hands and God parted the Sea. Moses didn’t ask for counsel, he didn’t try to win anyone over to this idea, he just did it. This solidified his leadership in the eyes of Israel as the Sea came crashing back onto the pursuing Egyptians. Joshua just took over from Moses and here he finds himself at the crossing of the Jordan River.
Here is where things get interesting... If you remember when God split the Red Sea Moses, stepped up and took action. What does Joshua do? He stepped back and allowed God to shine. The result was the same--the body of water divided and the Israelites walked across the dry land. Joshua did a few things that showed the Israelites a NEW style of leadership that will accomplish the same original goal. Moses stepped up and God used him, Joshua stepped back and God used him. There are a few keys that I want to pull out of this passage for leaders who want to take people to a place they (the leader) have never been before.
1. Joshua sent his leaders to go through the camps and give orders to the people.
2. Joshua then addressed the people to sanctify themselves and get ready for what God is going to do.
Now this last one is the key. If you want to lead people to a place where they have never been before, they need to know that this is God’s plan. The priests stepped into the Jordan River with the Ark of the Covenant (signifying the presence of God) and the River divided.
3. Joshua stepped back and allowed the presence of God to go first.
4. Joshua got the people involved and created a significant moment of honor and remembrance of what God did after they crossed.
I think for most leaders we have a desire for people to follow us. The danger however, is that we have often never been where we are leading. The best thing we can do is keep our distance and allow the presence of God to lead the way.
In Exodus 13 Moses lead all of the Israelites out of Egypt to the Red Sea... It was at this point where Moses stepped up, raised his staff and hands and God parted the Sea. Moses didn’t ask for counsel, he didn’t try to win anyone over to this idea, he just did it. This solidified his leadership in the eyes of Israel as the Sea came crashing back onto the pursuing Egyptians. Joshua just took over from Moses and here he finds himself at the crossing of the Jordan River.
Here is where things get interesting... If you remember when God split the Red Sea Moses, stepped up and took action. What does Joshua do? He stepped back and allowed God to shine. The result was the same--the body of water divided and the Israelites walked across the dry land. Joshua did a few things that showed the Israelites a NEW style of leadership that will accomplish the same original goal. Moses stepped up and God used him, Joshua stepped back and God used him. There are a few keys that I want to pull out of this passage for leaders who want to take people to a place they (the leader) have never been before.
1. Joshua sent his leaders to go through the camps and give orders to the people.
2. Joshua then addressed the people to sanctify themselves and get ready for what God is going to do.
Now this last one is the key. If you want to lead people to a place where they have never been before, they need to know that this is God’s plan. The priests stepped into the Jordan River with the Ark of the Covenant (signifying the presence of God) and the River divided.
3. Joshua stepped back and allowed the presence of God to go first.
4. Joshua got the people involved and created a significant moment of honor and remembrance of what God did after they crossed.
I think for most leaders we have a desire for people to follow us. The danger however, is that we have often never been where we are leading. The best thing we can do is keep our distance and allow the presence of God to lead the way.
|
Keep Your Distance
19.05.09 18:12
As leaders we must
often take people to places they have never been
before. I have heard it said that as a leader I
cannot take people to a place I have not been myself.
(I would suggest that overall this statement is
true.) But what about when it’s not true? I have some
friends that always like to push the line and without
fail if I say something is 99.9% certain, they will
always ask, “Well, what about the 0.1%?” Allow me to
push the leadership line for a second here...
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU AS A LEADER, HAVE TO TAKE PEOPLE TO A PLACE THAT YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN TO BEFORE??
I think this is the unspoken challenge of the leader--to take individuals to a place none of us have been to before. Joshua had some very unique challenges he faced as a leader. He had been to the promised land before as a leader underneath Moses. One big problem, it was 40 years ago and he only scouted the land, he never took possession. So what did he do?
Joshua 3:2-5 [MSG]
After 3 days, leaders went through the camp and gave out orders to the people: “When you see the Covenant-Chest of God, your God, carried by the Levitical priests, start moving. Follow it. Make sure you keep a proper distance between you and it, about half a mile - be sure now to keep your distance! - and you’ll see clearly the route to take. You’ve never been on this road before.” Then Joshua addressed the people: “Sanctify yourselves. Tomorrow God will work miracle-wonders among you.”
I think Joshua outlines this instance very clearly and I think there are some truths we as leaders can learn from someone else who had to take people where he had never been before--taking possession of the land. I will be outlining my thoughts over the next few days... In the meantime I would love to hear any of your experiences... leading people to a place you have never been.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU AS A LEADER, HAVE TO TAKE PEOPLE TO A PLACE THAT YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN TO BEFORE??
I think this is the unspoken challenge of the leader--to take individuals to a place none of us have been to before. Joshua had some very unique challenges he faced as a leader. He had been to the promised land before as a leader underneath Moses. One big problem, it was 40 years ago and he only scouted the land, he never took possession. So what did he do?
Joshua 3:2-5 [MSG]
After 3 days, leaders went through the camp and gave out orders to the people: “When you see the Covenant-Chest of God, your God, carried by the Levitical priests, start moving. Follow it. Make sure you keep a proper distance between you and it, about half a mile - be sure now to keep your distance! - and you’ll see clearly the route to take. You’ve never been on this road before.” Then Joshua addressed the people: “Sanctify yourselves. Tomorrow God will work miracle-wonders among you.”
I think Joshua outlines this instance very clearly and I think there are some truths we as leaders can learn from someone else who had to take people where he had never been before--taking possession of the land. I will be outlining my thoughts over the next few days... In the meantime I would love to hear any of your experiences... leading people to a place you have never been.
Breaking the Mold
12.02.09 09:29
The church in
general is in need of what the Bible calls laborers.
Jesus actually encourages us to pray to the Lord of
the harvest to send laborers because the harvest is
plentiful but the laborers are few (Matthew 9
paraphrased). Problem right?
I am going to spend a few minutes trying to briefly outline a shift that I have noticed in the last few years as it directly pertains to laborers. 10 years ago I felt the call to be a laborer. I left the plans I had for my life and stepped into a new future that I felt the Lord had placed before me. I didn’t necessarily want to be a senior pastor, associate pastor, worship pastor, youth pastor, or master’s commission director... I really didn’t know what I wanted to. In fact there were aspects of each of those roles that intrigued me. (Well, except for worship leader... although I do have a pretty amazing set of pipes. And by pipes I mean my biceps.) However none of those roles were a perfect fit for me. So what did I do? I stepped into a role and I broke the mold. 10 years ago that is what you did... nobody wants to just fit into someone else’s perceptions of what your role should be, so we started to break the mold.
Here’s the shift I believe we’ve seen in culture. No longer are students coming out of college as willing to step into traditional roles. It feels like, 10 years later, they want the mold pre-broken and there is this picture perfect job just for them. I don’t claim to be an expert on culture, I just happen to be a youth pastor and run a Master’s Commission (discipleship program) and I’m just giving some observations. Maybe you’ve seen the same thing... maybe you completely disagree... either way I’d love to hear your thoughts so leave me a comment... Are you a laborer? Are you waiting for that perfect role to come along?? I encourage you to step into your day and break the mold today.
I am going to spend a few minutes trying to briefly outline a shift that I have noticed in the last few years as it directly pertains to laborers. 10 years ago I felt the call to be a laborer. I left the plans I had for my life and stepped into a new future that I felt the Lord had placed before me. I didn’t necessarily want to be a senior pastor, associate pastor, worship pastor, youth pastor, or master’s commission director... I really didn’t know what I wanted to. In fact there were aspects of each of those roles that intrigued me. (Well, except for worship leader... although I do have a pretty amazing set of pipes. And by pipes I mean my biceps.) However none of those roles were a perfect fit for me. So what did I do? I stepped into a role and I broke the mold. 10 years ago that is what you did... nobody wants to just fit into someone else’s perceptions of what your role should be, so we started to break the mold.
Here’s the shift I believe we’ve seen in culture. No longer are students coming out of college as willing to step into traditional roles. It feels like, 10 years later, they want the mold pre-broken and there is this picture perfect job just for them. I don’t claim to be an expert on culture, I just happen to be a youth pastor and run a Master’s Commission (discipleship program) and I’m just giving some observations. Maybe you’ve seen the same thing... maybe you completely disagree... either way I’d love to hear your thoughts so leave me a comment... Are you a laborer? Are you waiting for that perfect role to come along?? I encourage you to step into your day and break the mold today.
FOR
04.02.09 10:49
Last night was
a significant night in my year so far. I try to have
significant moments throughout my year, month, week,
day... Hopefully I can look back at my life and I can
notice multiple peaks rather than one moment in
time--my glory days.
If you are not familiar with myself or what I do I have one desire in my life... to make God famous. We are about to host our second annual National Youth Conference, Genesis (genesis09.com). Countless hours of work have gone into this event and we are expecting great things to happen. I wrote my third drama for the Friday Night of Genesis entitled, “Choose Your Own Adventure”. Last night was our last pre-dress rehearsal.
Let me stop for a second and explain something. I am a pastor. We pastor’s call what we do ministry. I am a pastor not as a vocation but as a calling. It was something that cried out to my heart, something I could give my life FOR. Many Christians have given their life TO God, but they have not given your life FOR God. Let me be very clear, just because you’re a pastor does not mean you have given your life FOR God. There are many pastor’s that have only given their lives TO God. If you are not a pastor and you are where God wants you to be and you live your life FOR Him, don’t look now, you’re in ministry.
Many times in ministry it is easy to get bogged down in what we do and the details of all of the events that take place. Like with our wonderful pre-dress rehearsal, we create environments where God can show up through practices and worship and every creative element under the sun. Pastors and ministers have done it so well for so long that we can manufacture these things with ease. The one thing that can never be manufactured is the presence of God. So last night we just stopped. We stopped practice, we stopped all the preparation and we refocused. I needed that... Maybe you can relate? You not only gave your life TO God but you gave your life FOR God, but something got lost in the excellence and chaos of ministry...
Let me ask you... Do you need to stop and refocus today? Don’t wait. Stop right now if you can. Take 10 minutes, throw on some music, and spend some time with the God you gave your life FOR. Make this moment a significant moment in your week today!
If you are not familiar with myself or what I do I have one desire in my life... to make God famous. We are about to host our second annual National Youth Conference, Genesis (genesis09.com). Countless hours of work have gone into this event and we are expecting great things to happen. I wrote my third drama for the Friday Night of Genesis entitled, “Choose Your Own Adventure”. Last night was our last pre-dress rehearsal.
Let me stop for a second and explain something. I am a pastor. We pastor’s call what we do ministry. I am a pastor not as a vocation but as a calling. It was something that cried out to my heart, something I could give my life FOR. Many Christians have given their life TO God, but they have not given your life FOR God. Let me be very clear, just because you’re a pastor does not mean you have given your life FOR God. There are many pastor’s that have only given their lives TO God. If you are not a pastor and you are where God wants you to be and you live your life FOR Him, don’t look now, you’re in ministry.
Many times in ministry it is easy to get bogged down in what we do and the details of all of the events that take place. Like with our wonderful pre-dress rehearsal, we create environments where God can show up through practices and worship and every creative element under the sun. Pastors and ministers have done it so well for so long that we can manufacture these things with ease. The one thing that can never be manufactured is the presence of God. So last night we just stopped. We stopped practice, we stopped all the preparation and we refocused. I needed that... Maybe you can relate? You not only gave your life TO God but you gave your life FOR God, but something got lost in the excellence and chaos of ministry...
Let me ask you... Do you need to stop and refocus today? Don’t wait. Stop right now if you can. Take 10 minutes, throw on some music, and spend some time with the God you gave your life FOR. Make this moment a significant moment in your week today!
Frustrated
01.01.09 23:25
Have you ever
been frustrated? Maybe someone didn’t listen to you
and they should have, maybe you feel overlooked or
ignored, maybe you feel like nothing is falling into
place the way you thought it would... whatever the
reason, you’ve been frustrated.
Lately I’ve been catching little attitudes in my heart that show up in my life as frustration in my words and actions. My lovely wife Sarah and I have been on vacation for the last week and I have just sat back and spent some time relaxing and reflecting. The question I was asking today is why do I feel frustrated? There is no easy answer, nor will I get into it right now but what I found out I wanted to share, in case you find yourself in a state of frustration at some point.
In Genesis 2:19 God established something interesting...
“Out of the ground the Lord God established every beast of the field and every bird of the air, AND BROUGHT THEM TO ADAM TO SEE WHAT HE WOULD CALL THEM. AND WHATEVER ADAM CALLED EACH LIVING CREATURE, THAT WAS ITS NAME.” God created everything in Genesis 1. In Genesis 2 he allows Adam, one of His creations to have a say in what God created. Adam, in his own creativity and insight, was able to name every living creature and that was its name. What trust our God has in us!
That’s really the issue isn’t it, when it comes to frustration (especially if it is directed at other people) we often feel like we are not trusted or that our trust was somehow violated. Adam had input because the Lord allowed him to. Maybe you feel that at you school or work or home you don’t have input and you should--you’re just frustrated... maybe someone violated your trust... maybe you aren’t able to name your animals like you want to... May you be reminded today that your heavenly Father trusts you with the mission He gave you, no matter what you may name your animals, that will be its name.
Lately I’ve been catching little attitudes in my heart that show up in my life as frustration in my words and actions. My lovely wife Sarah and I have been on vacation for the last week and I have just sat back and spent some time relaxing and reflecting. The question I was asking today is why do I feel frustrated? There is no easy answer, nor will I get into it right now but what I found out I wanted to share, in case you find yourself in a state of frustration at some point.
In Genesis 2:19 God established something interesting...
“Out of the ground the Lord God established every beast of the field and every bird of the air, AND BROUGHT THEM TO ADAM TO SEE WHAT HE WOULD CALL THEM. AND WHATEVER ADAM CALLED EACH LIVING CREATURE, THAT WAS ITS NAME.” God created everything in Genesis 1. In Genesis 2 he allows Adam, one of His creations to have a say in what God created. Adam, in his own creativity and insight, was able to name every living creature and that was its name. What trust our God has in us!
That’s really the issue isn’t it, when it comes to frustration (especially if it is directed at other people) we often feel like we are not trusted or that our trust was somehow violated. Adam had input because the Lord allowed him to. Maybe you feel that at you school or work or home you don’t have input and you should--you’re just frustrated... maybe someone violated your trust... maybe you aren’t able to name your animals like you want to... May you be reminded today that your heavenly Father trusts you with the mission He gave you, no matter what you may name your animals, that will be its name.
Malnoursihed Christianity
31.12.08 10:00
Today I read
the last few chapters of the One Year Reading plan on
youversion.com. Malachi 3 for those of you who are
familiar with it is famous (and in some minds
infamous) for being what is known as the tithing
chapter in the Bible. Tithing is a command to give
1/10th of your income to the storehouse--the local
church. It is the only command in the Bible that God
asks us to test Him on by following through that he
will open up the windows of heaven with blessing that
there will not be room enough to receive it.
Don’t stop reading now I am not going to talk about whether or not you should personally tithe--that is between us and the Lord. (In case you were wondering, I do tithe, and since I am a Pastor I have the incredible opportunity to choose to have my tithe taken out of my paycheck before it even gets to me.) The verse that stuck out to me this morning is Malachi 3:10 [NKJV], “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house...”
Many scholars believe that the food referred to in this verse is literal food so the priests can eat--after all, a workman is worth his hire. This may well be true but I just thought today could the “food” be more than that?? After all, Jesus himself said, “Man does not live on bread alone but from every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”
What if food also meant, spiritual food?? What if people or even churches that do not practice tithing are not able to grow spiritually the way God intended them? Could they be living a malnourished version of Christianity?
If you have any comments, questions, objections, or would like to carry this conversation on please leave me a comment.
Don’t stop reading now I am not going to talk about whether or not you should personally tithe--that is between us and the Lord. (In case you were wondering, I do tithe, and since I am a Pastor I have the incredible opportunity to choose to have my tithe taken out of my paycheck before it even gets to me.) The verse that stuck out to me this morning is Malachi 3:10 [NKJV], “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house...”
Many scholars believe that the food referred to in this verse is literal food so the priests can eat--after all, a workman is worth his hire. This may well be true but I just thought today could the “food” be more than that?? After all, Jesus himself said, “Man does not live on bread alone but from every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”
What if food also meant, spiritual food?? What if people or even churches that do not practice tithing are not able to grow spiritually the way God intended them? Could they be living a malnourished version of Christianity?
If you have any comments, questions, objections, or would like to carry this conversation on please leave me a comment.
Quote
30.10.08 14:31
“The
church that will impact the 21st century is the
church whose dreams are bigger than its memories.”
--Author Unknown
I have had a great week this week. I love being a part of what God is doing, I hope you feel the same way... I believe God is a risk taker. (After all he uses people like us right??) We all understand this when it comes to our finances--the greater the risk, the greater the reward. But I think somehow when it comes to producing change in our churches we become more conservative. As human beings we like things the way we like them. We want security. I would suggest that taking risks is not a natural human tendency. I desire to be a part of a movement that is willing to take significant risks to perpetuate the Message of Jesus Christ. Any risk for Him is worth it--I think you may agree. As I close my thought today, I’m reminded of one of my favorite quotes... It was on the wall in one of my personal heroes’ office it simply states, “A ship is safe in the harbor, but that’s not what ships were made for.”
Let me ask you...
What are you willing to risk to reach people? Personally?? With your church or organization??
We may be “safe” doing church the way we’ve always done it, but that’s not what we were made for.
--Author Unknown
I have had a great week this week. I love being a part of what God is doing, I hope you feel the same way... I believe God is a risk taker. (After all he uses people like us right??) We all understand this when it comes to our finances--the greater the risk, the greater the reward. But I think somehow when it comes to producing change in our churches we become more conservative. As human beings we like things the way we like them. We want security. I would suggest that taking risks is not a natural human tendency. I desire to be a part of a movement that is willing to take significant risks to perpetuate the Message of Jesus Christ. Any risk for Him is worth it--I think you may agree. As I close my thought today, I’m reminded of one of my favorite quotes... It was on the wall in one of my personal heroes’ office it simply states, “A ship is safe in the harbor, but that’s not what ships were made for.”
Let me ask you...
What are you willing to risk to reach people? Personally?? With your church or organization??
We may be “safe” doing church the way we’ve always done it, but that’s not what we were made for.
Tradition
23.06.08 14:31
These are my notes from our awesome
MCRemix
Graduation last night.
We carry on the tradition of making disciples. We are here tonight to celebrate that process. There are 28 disciples of Jesus Christ that dropped their nets, walked away from everything else, made huge sacrifices, all to follow Him. But they didn’t make it here alone. We have the staff, parents, home-openers, and many others who have played a significant part in this process of becoming a disciple.
2 Timothy 1:1-5 [MSG]
I, Paul, am on special assignment for Christ, carrying out God's plan laid out in the Message of Life by Jesus. I write this to you, Timothy, the son I love so much. All the best from our God and Christ be yours! Every time I say your name in prayer - which is practically all the time - I thank God for you, the God I worship with my whole life in the tradition of my ancestors. I miss you a lot, especially when I remember that last tearful good-bye, and I look forward to a joy-packed reunion. That precious memory triggers another: your honest faith - and what a rich faith it is, handed down from your grandmother Lois to your mother Eunice, and now to you!
THE GOD I WORSHIP WITH MY WHOLE LIFE IN THE TRADITION OF MY ANCESTORS.
Tradition. We live in a world where tradition is getting lost. Now let’s just be honest, there are some traditions, that just need to go... but tradition is important.
The NBA Finals just finished between the LA Lakers and the Boston Celtics. What you need to understand is that this rivalry is between 2 of the most storied basketball franchises in the NBA. They have met a total of 11 times in the NBA finals since 1959. The Lakers have only won in 2 of those 11 meetings. Many people don’t realize that prior to the 80’s the NBA was having some serious financial issues with low attendance and TV ratings. It was this rivalry that fueled by greats like Larry Bird and Magic Johnson that contributed mightily to the success of the league. Can anyone tell me what else helped making basketball one of the dominant sports in the US?? Michael Jordan. Did you know that I’m originally from the Chicago area, have I told you that?? Just checking...
These are franchises with a ton of tradition. I think about Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen... and I’m reminded of the days of Larry Bird, Robert Parish, and of course Bob Cousy and who could forget the legendary Bill Russell.
If any of you saw the NBA finals you saw a scene that may not have meant that much to you at the time, but you saw an emotional Kevin Garnett hugging Bill Russell saying thank you. He whispered in his ear, “I got mine.”
I got mine.
What you don’t know about Kevin Garnett is that he wasn’t always a world class athlete. In fact his past is riddled with failures and short comings. Many believed his entrance into the NBA was a disaster waiting to happen. He was too immature! The only reason he made himself eligible for the draft in the first place was because his grades weren’t good enough to make it into college. He failed 4 times to gain a score on his ACT Entrance Exam that would allow him to play college ball. Yet he shocked everyone when this passionate, young player was not too immature, but instead he has established himself as one of the classy young players in the league.
The cool thing about this program is it is a safe place to fail. If the church ain’t a safe place to fail where is?? Now as pastor says, “We’re not as bad as some people think we are.” But we’re not perfect. This class will be the first to tell you that they are not perfect, but they’re trying. They are worshipping God with their whole life as in the tradition of their ancestors. MCRemix you carry on the tradition of those that have gone before you, and what a grand tradition it is.
Pastor and Harvest Time: I want to say how grateful we are that you believe in this generation. Thank you for taking a chance on all of us and seeing past our imperfections. Thank you for seeing past our flaws, past our mistakes (and there have been many) to what we could become. Champions. Hopefully one day, many of these students will be able to come back and whisper in your ear, I got mine. (At this point I gave Pastor an authentic Bill Russell jersey and said, "Thanks for telling us we could win."--It was really cool.)
As I close, there is another famous basketball tradition. It started in 1947 with NC State after they won the National Championship where they proceeded to cut down the nets from the basketball hoops as a souvenir, a reminder of their victory. It is a tradition that has continued in every single NCAA National Championship since. Yesterday I had the privilege to spend some time with our wonderful home-openers and parents and I talked to them about John Wooden. A remarkable man and coach, I won’t get into everything I talked about yesterday, if you want to be privileged enough to be a part of that experience, be a home-opener next year... Was that ok to say?
But he had led UCLA to a remarkable 88 game win streak. January of 1974 they faced Notre Dame who the last time they played them UCLA won by 58 points. Notre Dame was the definite underdog facing the legendary UCLA Bruins and 88 straight wins. But Notre Dame coach Digger Phelps decided that his team was going to beat the National Champs. The game was on a Saturday. At the end of Monday's practice, he told his players to cut down the nets from each basket. The players we a little puzzled and reluctantly cut down the nets. After Tuesday's practice, he again told the players to cut down the nets, and every day after that. By Friday they were cutting the nets down with confidence and enthusiasm. And on Saturday, with 27 seconds left in the game Dwight Clay sunk a jump shot to beat UCLA 71-70. Notre Dame was able to cut down the nets for real, after beating UCLA in the game Notre Dame was certain to lose.
MCRemix you cut down your nets in practice long before you win a Championship. Church you want victories in the kingdom of God they come not from the pulpit but from the consistent quiet times with the Lord.
So what we did to remind you of the tradition of your ancestors of worshipping God with your whole life, is we got you some basketball nets. Some people may say you’ll never make it, that you’re an underdog. But we as a church stand behind you and say...
Go and cut down your nets!!!!
[VIDEO]
We carry on the tradition of making disciples. We are here tonight to celebrate that process. There are 28 disciples of Jesus Christ that dropped their nets, walked away from everything else, made huge sacrifices, all to follow Him. But they didn’t make it here alone. We have the staff, parents, home-openers, and many others who have played a significant part in this process of becoming a disciple.
2 Timothy 1:1-5 [MSG]
I, Paul, am on special assignment for Christ, carrying out God's plan laid out in the Message of Life by Jesus. I write this to you, Timothy, the son I love so much. All the best from our God and Christ be yours! Every time I say your name in prayer - which is practically all the time - I thank God for you, the God I worship with my whole life in the tradition of my ancestors. I miss you a lot, especially when I remember that last tearful good-bye, and I look forward to a joy-packed reunion. That precious memory triggers another: your honest faith - and what a rich faith it is, handed down from your grandmother Lois to your mother Eunice, and now to you!
THE GOD I WORSHIP WITH MY WHOLE LIFE IN THE TRADITION OF MY ANCESTORS.
Tradition. We live in a world where tradition is getting lost. Now let’s just be honest, there are some traditions, that just need to go... but tradition is important.
The NBA Finals just finished between the LA Lakers and the Boston Celtics. What you need to understand is that this rivalry is between 2 of the most storied basketball franchises in the NBA. They have met a total of 11 times in the NBA finals since 1959. The Lakers have only won in 2 of those 11 meetings. Many people don’t realize that prior to the 80’s the NBA was having some serious financial issues with low attendance and TV ratings. It was this rivalry that fueled by greats like Larry Bird and Magic Johnson that contributed mightily to the success of the league. Can anyone tell me what else helped making basketball one of the dominant sports in the US?? Michael Jordan. Did you know that I’m originally from the Chicago area, have I told you that?? Just checking...
These are franchises with a ton of tradition. I think about Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen... and I’m reminded of the days of Larry Bird, Robert Parish, and of course Bob Cousy and who could forget the legendary Bill Russell.
If any of you saw the NBA finals you saw a scene that may not have meant that much to you at the time, but you saw an emotional Kevin Garnett hugging Bill Russell saying thank you. He whispered in his ear, “I got mine.”
I got mine.
What you don’t know about Kevin Garnett is that he wasn’t always a world class athlete. In fact his past is riddled with failures and short comings. Many believed his entrance into the NBA was a disaster waiting to happen. He was too immature! The only reason he made himself eligible for the draft in the first place was because his grades weren’t good enough to make it into college. He failed 4 times to gain a score on his ACT Entrance Exam that would allow him to play college ball. Yet he shocked everyone when this passionate, young player was not too immature, but instead he has established himself as one of the classy young players in the league.
The cool thing about this program is it is a safe place to fail. If the church ain’t a safe place to fail where is?? Now as pastor says, “We’re not as bad as some people think we are.” But we’re not perfect. This class will be the first to tell you that they are not perfect, but they’re trying. They are worshipping God with their whole life as in the tradition of their ancestors. MCRemix you carry on the tradition of those that have gone before you, and what a grand tradition it is.
Pastor and Harvest Time: I want to say how grateful we are that you believe in this generation. Thank you for taking a chance on all of us and seeing past our imperfections. Thank you for seeing past our flaws, past our mistakes (and there have been many) to what we could become. Champions. Hopefully one day, many of these students will be able to come back and whisper in your ear, I got mine. (At this point I gave Pastor an authentic Bill Russell jersey and said, "Thanks for telling us we could win."--It was really cool.)
As I close, there is another famous basketball tradition. It started in 1947 with NC State after they won the National Championship where they proceeded to cut down the nets from the basketball hoops as a souvenir, a reminder of their victory. It is a tradition that has continued in every single NCAA National Championship since. Yesterday I had the privilege to spend some time with our wonderful home-openers and parents and I talked to them about John Wooden. A remarkable man and coach, I won’t get into everything I talked about yesterday, if you want to be privileged enough to be a part of that experience, be a home-opener next year... Was that ok to say?
But he had led UCLA to a remarkable 88 game win streak. January of 1974 they faced Notre Dame who the last time they played them UCLA won by 58 points. Notre Dame was the definite underdog facing the legendary UCLA Bruins and 88 straight wins. But Notre Dame coach Digger Phelps decided that his team was going to beat the National Champs. The game was on a Saturday. At the end of Monday's practice, he told his players to cut down the nets from each basket. The players we a little puzzled and reluctantly cut down the nets. After Tuesday's practice, he again told the players to cut down the nets, and every day after that. By Friday they were cutting the nets down with confidence and enthusiasm. And on Saturday, with 27 seconds left in the game Dwight Clay sunk a jump shot to beat UCLA 71-70. Notre Dame was able to cut down the nets for real, after beating UCLA in the game Notre Dame was certain to lose.
MCRemix you cut down your nets in practice long before you win a Championship. Church you want victories in the kingdom of God they come not from the pulpit but from the consistent quiet times with the Lord.
So what we did to remind you of the tradition of your ancestors of worshipping God with your whole life, is we got you some basketball nets. Some people may say you’ll never make it, that you’re an underdog. But we as a church stand behind you and say...
Go and cut down your nets!!!!
[VIDEO]
Taboo! [Part 2]
29.04.08 14:20
When did relational evangelism become such a cop-out?
It’s right. It’s the best way to evangelize by far. We talk about it as Christians not because of it’s effectiveness but many times because there’s no way to track it and so we feel relieved of our "Christianly duties".
We have a military base in our town. It's pretty famous actually. It's been in 2 different movies, A Soldier's Story and Biloxi Blues. Elvis Presley went through basic training there. It's called Fort Chaffee. In January of this year there was a huge brush fire that burnt down 150 abandoned barracks. In a matter of hours this raging fire tore through an important part of our town's history. In fact my grandpa stayed at Fort Chaffee after his time in Korea for 3 months before going back home to Rockford, IL. We went out to Chaffee after the fire (he happened to be in town and wanted to see it) and the very barracks he stayed in were gone. All that's left of these barracks are the chimneys and foundations hidden beneath the charred remains of the once epic buildings.
Any of you that have seen Chaffee, it was amazing. I didn’t realize how many old barracks we had out there. That destruction was from a fire that lasted a few hours, that has long since been quenched. But we have friends, family, students, etc that are going to a fire that will never be quenched and many of us are so desensitized to that statement, it doesn’t affect our hearts the way it used to.
It’s taboo. We just don't talk about it anymore.
I'm not saying that we all need to go find our lunch tables or anything.
DOES IT GRIEVE YOUR HEART TO HEAR THIS PHRASE, PEOPLE ARE DYING AN GOING TO HELL!?
Can I be brutally honest? I'm a pastor. And it really doesn't bother me that "people" are dying and going to hell. Maybe there's something wrong with me. Maybe you're more spiritual than I am. But if you were honest with yourself you would probably share my sentiments as twisted as they sound. So what are we going to do about this? I'll tell you what I did. I got ahold of a picture of Fort Chaffee and on the back I wrote down every name I could think of that needs a relationship with Jesus Christ. Then out loud, to myself, I said this phrase, "People are dying and going to hell." But I plugged in each of their names... because maybe I didn't care about people, but I care about that person. When there's a face to it, all of a sudden it matters more. Who knows maybe after all of this, eventually, I can care about generics. Maybe it won't be so taboo anymore.
Fort Chaffee Pic
It’s right. It’s the best way to evangelize by far. We talk about it as Christians not because of it’s effectiveness but many times because there’s no way to track it and so we feel relieved of our "Christianly duties".
We have a military base in our town. It's pretty famous actually. It's been in 2 different movies, A Soldier's Story and Biloxi Blues. Elvis Presley went through basic training there. It's called Fort Chaffee. In January of this year there was a huge brush fire that burnt down 150 abandoned barracks. In a matter of hours this raging fire tore through an important part of our town's history. In fact my grandpa stayed at Fort Chaffee after his time in Korea for 3 months before going back home to Rockford, IL. We went out to Chaffee after the fire (he happened to be in town and wanted to see it) and the very barracks he stayed in were gone. All that's left of these barracks are the chimneys and foundations hidden beneath the charred remains of the once epic buildings.
Any of you that have seen Chaffee, it was amazing. I didn’t realize how many old barracks we had out there. That destruction was from a fire that lasted a few hours, that has long since been quenched. But we have friends, family, students, etc that are going to a fire that will never be quenched and many of us are so desensitized to that statement, it doesn’t affect our hearts the way it used to.
It’s taboo. We just don't talk about it anymore.
I'm not saying that we all need to go find our lunch tables or anything.
DOES IT GRIEVE YOUR HEART TO HEAR THIS PHRASE, PEOPLE ARE DYING AN GOING TO HELL!?
Can I be brutally honest? I'm a pastor. And it really doesn't bother me that "people" are dying and going to hell. Maybe there's something wrong with me. Maybe you're more spiritual than I am. But if you were honest with yourself you would probably share my sentiments as twisted as they sound. So what are we going to do about this? I'll tell you what I did. I got ahold of a picture of Fort Chaffee and on the back I wrote down every name I could think of that needs a relationship with Jesus Christ. Then out loud, to myself, I said this phrase, "People are dying and going to hell." But I plugged in each of their names... because maybe I didn't care about people, but I care about that person. When there's a face to it, all of a sudden it matters more. Who knows maybe after all of this, eventually, I can care about generics. Maybe it won't be so taboo anymore.
Fort Chaffee Pic
Taboo! [Part 1]
28.04.08 14:17
Have you ever played the game Taboo?
"The object of the game is for a player to have their partner(s) guess the word on their card without using the word itself or five additional words listed on the card." --Wikipedia
It's pretty challenging to try to have to say what you're saying without saying it. (Did you catch that?) We do this a lot as Christians. We try to explain what we believe but stay away from what we consider "taboo". Let me give you an example: Yesterday I was riding with my friend Aaron Bettencourt and we came to what would be a busy intersection in our city. Across the street from us was a group holding a banner with the name of their church. They were red-faced and yelling at the top of their lungs about sin and hell and waiving their Bibles frantically in the air. They had a large banner with a picture of an aborted baby... abortion is murder... and of course what would any street corner "preacher" be without a sign that says, "Heaven or Hell, you choose."
What goes through your head when you run into situations like that? I have to be honest. It bothered me a lot.
But here's the kicker, I can sort of relate. See, I was the lunch table kid. The kid who at the end of my senior year stood on a lunch table and preached. I know what it's like to have this burning message inside of you that you just want to get out. I know what it's like to be so passionate for God that you make rash decisions that you thought would make a difference and they end up doing more harm than good. Some people stand on their lunch tables (or street corners) because they don't know better. Some because that's the best they could come up with. Others because they have been taught that evangelism has nothing to do with relationship.
But I didn’t know any better. I was just this passionate kid who wanted everyone to know about Jesus. The difference was I had lived it for years before I ever stood on a lunch table. My message wasn’t a you’re all going to hell experience, rather it was about how my life had changed. It took guts. It was ineffective. But it took guts. Once I had some more wisdom under my belt, I would get frustrated coming into contact with situations and individuals who are the street corner evangelists. I wasn’t frustrated at them personally, I was frustrated about the message of you’re all going to hell.
Do I agree that abortion is murder? YES
But will I say that at the cost of individuals who have had an abortion without any explanation or expression of love? NO.
They came across with this self-righteous, I know more than you, I’m better than you, yet I’m dressed for the 1920’s attitude.
LET ME BE REALLY HONEST... IF YOU DON’T HAVE THE GUTS TO PUT YOURSELF OUT THERE FOR JESUS, YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO MAKE FUN OF OR CRITIQUE OTHERS WHO DO. REGARDLESS OF THEIR METHODS.
They may make mistakes, but at least they’re trying. At least they’re not hiding behind the guise of we just need to live it out and we never really do. Living it out, means living on purpose. It means you have ulterior motives to your life. (Those motives are positive for His gain, not manipulative for our own.)
I saw these individuals and here’s what I noticed in my heart...
I was frustrated at them.
THAT SCARED ME ONCE I REALIZED IT.
Before I was frustrated at their presentation of the message. And how it would turn off more people than it would help. But this time I was frustrated at them. I was sitting with Aaron in his brother Zach’s truck and I had to stop and think, Craig, have you forgotten what it means to reach people?
The bottom line is many of us, consider it TABOO to hold up signs saying you’re going to hell... yet we don’t live our lives on purpose so our friends, family, students, etc don’t go there.
"The object of the game is for a player to have their partner(s) guess the word on their card without using the word itself or five additional words listed on the card." --Wikipedia
It's pretty challenging to try to have to say what you're saying without saying it. (Did you catch that?) We do this a lot as Christians. We try to explain what we believe but stay away from what we consider "taboo". Let me give you an example: Yesterday I was riding with my friend Aaron Bettencourt and we came to what would be a busy intersection in our city. Across the street from us was a group holding a banner with the name of their church. They were red-faced and yelling at the top of their lungs about sin and hell and waiving their Bibles frantically in the air. They had a large banner with a picture of an aborted baby... abortion is murder... and of course what would any street corner "preacher" be without a sign that says, "Heaven or Hell, you choose."
What goes through your head when you run into situations like that? I have to be honest. It bothered me a lot.
But here's the kicker, I can sort of relate. See, I was the lunch table kid. The kid who at the end of my senior year stood on a lunch table and preached. I know what it's like to have this burning message inside of you that you just want to get out. I know what it's like to be so passionate for God that you make rash decisions that you thought would make a difference and they end up doing more harm than good. Some people stand on their lunch tables (or street corners) because they don't know better. Some because that's the best they could come up with. Others because they have been taught that evangelism has nothing to do with relationship.
But I didn’t know any better. I was just this passionate kid who wanted everyone to know about Jesus. The difference was I had lived it for years before I ever stood on a lunch table. My message wasn’t a you’re all going to hell experience, rather it was about how my life had changed. It took guts. It was ineffective. But it took guts. Once I had some more wisdom under my belt, I would get frustrated coming into contact with situations and individuals who are the street corner evangelists. I wasn’t frustrated at them personally, I was frustrated about the message of you’re all going to hell.
Do I agree that abortion is murder? YES
But will I say that at the cost of individuals who have had an abortion without any explanation or expression of love? NO.
They came across with this self-righteous, I know more than you, I’m better than you, yet I’m dressed for the 1920’s attitude.
LET ME BE REALLY HONEST... IF YOU DON’T HAVE THE GUTS TO PUT YOURSELF OUT THERE FOR JESUS, YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO MAKE FUN OF OR CRITIQUE OTHERS WHO DO. REGARDLESS OF THEIR METHODS.
They may make mistakes, but at least they’re trying. At least they’re not hiding behind the guise of we just need to live it out and we never really do. Living it out, means living on purpose. It means you have ulterior motives to your life. (Those motives are positive for His gain, not manipulative for our own.)
I saw these individuals and here’s what I noticed in my heart...
I was frustrated at them.
THAT SCARED ME ONCE I REALIZED IT.
Before I was frustrated at their presentation of the message. And how it would turn off more people than it would help. But this time I was frustrated at them. I was sitting with Aaron in his brother Zach’s truck and I had to stop and think, Craig, have you forgotten what it means to reach people?
The bottom line is many of us, consider it TABOO to hold up signs saying you’re going to hell... yet we don’t live our lives on purpose so our friends, family, students, etc don’t go there.
The Hardest Part (The L Curve: Part 4)
29.01.08 09:18
The hardest
part about being a leader is feeling like you not
only need to
be all things to
all people, you have to
know all things for
all people and
do all things for
all people. As a leader you are placed by God in a
place of responsibility and authority. This does not
mean you've arrived. Rather it means that you will be
held accountable--not for perfection, but for growth.
I want to ask you 2 questions:
Have you forgotten that you are in a learning curve?
Because of that (question #1), have you stopped growing?
I want to ask you 2 questions:
Have you forgotten that you are in a learning curve?
Because of that (question #1), have you stopped growing?
The Following (The L Curve: Part 3)
17.01.08 13:26
Another
learning curve of new leadership insights is the
people we influence. There are 2 major mistakes
leaders make in their own personal Leadership Growth
Curve.
1. The leader allows the assumed pressure of "their following" looking to them as the example to taint the natural growth process in the leader's own life.
What I mean by this is we assume that because other people are counting on us that our growth curve needs to be faster, better, or more advanced than the process really should take. It's kind of like expecting a newborn to be able to read when they can't even speak. There is a natural process that needs to happen before that child can read. In the same way we as leaders cannot skip through the natural growth process in our own lives.
2. The leader prematurely teaches "their following" about what they as the leader are learning.
Now, it is important for us as leaders to be giving out what we learn. However, nobody wants to watch half of a movie. Allow the growth process to finish entirely before you start teaching others how they can grow in this area. You cannot account for everything that may happen in a growth process.
I will have one final installment of The Leadership Curve hope you've enjoyed it.
1. The leader allows the assumed pressure of "their following" looking to them as the example to taint the natural growth process in the leader's own life.
What I mean by this is we assume that because other people are counting on us that our growth curve needs to be faster, better, or more advanced than the process really should take. It's kind of like expecting a newborn to be able to read when they can't even speak. There is a natural process that needs to happen before that child can read. In the same way we as leaders cannot skip through the natural growth process in our own lives.
2. The leader prematurely teaches "their following" about what they as the leader are learning.
Now, it is important for us as leaders to be giving out what we learn. However, nobody wants to watch half of a movie. Allow the growth process to finish entirely before you start teaching others how they can grow in this area. You cannot account for everything that may happen in a growth process.
I will have one final installment of The Leadership Curve hope you've enjoyed it.
Lamblasted (The L Curve: Part 2)
14.01.08 16:53
If
you're reading this you are most likely interested in
growing as a leader. I am convinced that our most
difficult leadership challenges are not the outward
circumstances we are currently facing--it is the
inward battle of becoming who God has called each of
us to be.
2 Co. 3:18 [MSG]
All of us! Nothing between us and God, our faces
shining with the brightness of his face. And so we
are transfigured much like the Messiah,
our lives gradually becoming brighter and more
beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like
him.
Notice the word gradually. Often, we as leaders
expect that we (THE leader) should automatically
change and transform into perfection. Not because God
has those expectations on us but rather we have
placed that on ourselves.
We are lamblasted with leadership "propaganda"--which is not necessarily a bad thing-- and suddenly expect that from the moment the new knowledge enters our ears it has been formed into our lives as well. The danger in this is the fact that realistically it hasn't been formed into our lives and will only do so gradually as we become like Jesus. Just want to lovingly remind us that as we are lamblasted we are going through a gradual process.
We are lamblasted with leadership "propaganda"--which is not necessarily a bad thing-- and suddenly expect that from the moment the new knowledge enters our ears it has been formed into our lives as well. The danger in this is the fact that realistically it hasn't been formed into our lives and will only do so gradually as we become like Jesus. Just want to lovingly remind us that as we are lamblasted we are going through a gradual process.
The Leadership Curve: Part 1
13.01.08 01:20
Over the next
few days I am going to have a series of posts talking
about the learning curve that comes with new
leadership insights. Many times as we develop our
leadership skills and broaden our horizons we are met
with such great challenges that we cannot possibly
overcome them all in one shot.
May I remind you that all of your imperfections (as you see them) will not be erased after one inspirational experience. It will simply take time for you to become who God has called you to be as a leader. Get up, dust yourself off, and focus on one step at a time.
May I remind you that all of your imperfections (as you see them) will not be erased after one inspirational experience. It will simply take time for you to become who God has called you to be as a leader. Get up, dust yourself off, and focus on one step at a time.
Personal Growth Plan
12.01.08 15:14
What a day!
For those of you at the Leadership Retreat here is
the completion to my session "Highlights".
DID YOU KNOW THAT THE ONLY THING PEOPLE WILL REMEMBER OF YOUR ENTIRE LIFE ARE BRIEF HIGHLIGHTS? The entire Bible is filled with highlights--good and bad--for us to be encouraged as we create our own highlights.
Igdathia the man of God...
Matthew 5:14-16 [NKJV]
You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
Your "good works" are you highlights. What highlights are people going to see in your life? The thing is: Highlights happen on purpose EVEN THOUGH MOST OF THEM ARE SPONTANEOUS! What I mean is your highlights are planned even though you don’t know when or where they may happen.
I talked about creating a personal growth plan for 2008. Basically set one day aside to spend with God. Define or redefine your vision and your core values for your life (not your ministry or your job). Then create a plan for growth. The most growth you will have will come in areas of your strengths not your weaknesses. Your strengths are not necessarily areas that you are great at. They are the areas in your life that after you do them you feel strong or refreshed. A strength gives you energy and passion. We say all the time whatever unlocks your passion is the key to your calling.
HERE IS WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR: (This is just a plan. The beauty of this is you can tweak it to fit you!)
1. Read One to Two Books a Month besides the Bible. These are books that help you grow personally or professionally.
2. Purchase worship CDs and download podcasts or messages from your favorite communicators that I want to experience and learn from that year.
3. Choose 5 areas I want to grow in during the year. These are areas I believe are key to my effectiveness. (Sometimes #1 & #2 with correlate with this one.)
4. Select mentors for the areas I chose to learn. Meet with them or talk to them at specific, consistent times throughout the year (Maybe once a month, maybe once every other month, maybe once every 3 months, just consistently).
5. Subscribe to and read magazines or rss feeds for personal growth and stretching.
6. Meet with accountability partners to stay on track. These are individuals who will continue to challenge you and make you better.
DID YOU KNOW THAT THE ONLY THING PEOPLE WILL REMEMBER OF YOUR ENTIRE LIFE ARE BRIEF HIGHLIGHTS? The entire Bible is filled with highlights--good and bad--for us to be encouraged as we create our own highlights.
Igdathia the man of God...
Matthew 5:14-16 [NKJV]
You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
Your "good works" are you highlights. What highlights are people going to see in your life? The thing is: Highlights happen on purpose EVEN THOUGH MOST OF THEM ARE SPONTANEOUS! What I mean is your highlights are planned even though you don’t know when or where they may happen.
I talked about creating a personal growth plan for 2008. Basically set one day aside to spend with God. Define or redefine your vision and your core values for your life (not your ministry or your job). Then create a plan for growth. The most growth you will have will come in areas of your strengths not your weaknesses. Your strengths are not necessarily areas that you are great at. They are the areas in your life that after you do them you feel strong or refreshed. A strength gives you energy and passion. We say all the time whatever unlocks your passion is the key to your calling.
HERE IS WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR: (This is just a plan. The beauty of this is you can tweak it to fit you!)
1. Read One to Two Books a Month besides the Bible. These are books that help you grow personally or professionally.
2. Purchase worship CDs and download podcasts or messages from your favorite communicators that I want to experience and learn from that year.
3. Choose 5 areas I want to grow in during the year. These are areas I believe are key to my effectiveness. (Sometimes #1 & #2 with correlate with this one.)
4. Select mentors for the areas I chose to learn. Meet with them or talk to them at specific, consistent times throughout the year (Maybe once a month, maybe once every other month, maybe once every 3 months, just consistently).
5. Subscribe to and read magazines or rss feeds for personal growth and stretching.
6. Meet with accountability partners to stay on track. These are individuals who will continue to challenge you and make you better.
The Summit
10.01.08 10:03
The Reveal Story
09.01.08 15:08
Willow Creek again is leading the way but this time
in humility. In April of 2007 Bill Hybles (through
Greg Hawkins, Cally Parkinson, and Eric Arnson)
talked about the findings of a series of
conversations and surveys now known as Reveal. What
they have found out is staggering! I ordered the book
and received it yesterday, last night I read the
entire thing and some of it utterly shocked me to my
core. It is good. As a pastor I highly recommend it
to anyone on a pastoral staff.
Here is a brief synopsis...
When looking at church health, pastors have long been limited to one question: “How many?” With scientific research shining light on biblical truth, there’s a new question to ask: “Where are you?”
The health of the church is not just about the numbers. When it comes to spiritual growth, we need to be able to measure the unseen. We need a glimpse of people’s attitudes, thoughts, and feelings. We need words that reveal the heart of each person. We want to know what moves them at the deepest levels. We need to ask, “Where are you?”
FIND OUT MORE AT REVEALNOW.COM
Here is a brief synopsis...
When looking at church health, pastors have long been limited to one question: “How many?” With scientific research shining light on biblical truth, there’s a new question to ask: “Where are you?”
The health of the church is not just about the numbers. When it comes to spiritual growth, we need to be able to measure the unseen. We need a glimpse of people’s attitudes, thoughts, and feelings. We need words that reveal the heart of each person. We want to know what moves them at the deepest levels. We need to ask, “Where are you?”
FIND OUT MORE AT REVEALNOW.COM