Bring Your Best

Pastor Steven Furtick blogged about "bringing your best" every time a few weeks ago. As I was reading Daniel Chapter 1 today, I couldn't help but think about how Daniel and his buddies brought their best even in a pagan work environment (that may sound familiar to many of you).

Despite being exiled and placed into the service of a King who denied God (at least up to the point of meeting Daniel), they brought their best and gave new meaning to the term, "bloom where you are planted." I know I have been guilty of "waiting" for God's best when God was actually waiting on me to give Him my best where I was at that particular time in my life.

There are times when I've been tempted to act on thoughts like these:

• "It's summer. Attendance is low, give a "half baked" sermon."


• "You're in the Navy. Your real ministry will begin later."


• "It's been a long week. Let's skip on that planned time with Beth."

When we "wait" before giving our best, we may actually delay God's plans and blessing for us. God says if we are faithful with a little (and bringing our best is part of faithfulness), then He will trust us with much. Not bringing our best even cheats the people God has placed around us

Last point, Daniel and company brought their best without sacrificing THE best ... which was their walk with God. They refused to defile themselves by eating the wrong foods which were against the law of their God. They perfectly balanced the tension between work and faith ... not sacrificing their walk with God for work
all while representing God by bringing their best.

The Rundown (6.22.08)

• The past 2 weeks in our FUEL series we've talked a lot about keeping our faith in Christ even when it doesn't make sense, when times are tough, and when we might be prone to question God.  Definitely, more serious but we will ALL go through tough times sometime ... and right now, lots of our people are going through adversity and our local economy is struggling = tough stuff.


• Our Students got back safely from Baltimore ... which means my wife is home :)


• My prayer retreat was great. It is amazing how when we are actually still how clear God's voice becomes.  I also got several concepts for our upcoming sermon series mapped out.


• Next Sunday we're talking about "Faith in America" and then our next series is "Man vs. Wild"!


• Going to the Lake tomorrow with some family.


• I haven't worked out in almost week and it's bugging me.

Healthy Tension

I'm learning more and more that certain things have to exist in a healthy tension with one another and that going to far in one direction disrupts the balance needed in an organization (or a life for that matter). 

Grace & Truth:  Jesus modeled this tension perfectly by confronting people with the truth which often made them candidates for His grace.  Paul worked hard to combat the legalism of truth without grace while James worked against the extreme of grace that breeds liberalism in behavior (faith w/o works is dead).

Control & Growth: Rick Warren said that you can either structure a church for control or growth but not both.  I believe many churches are too controlled by man and not by God.  The structure of many churches sets them up so they can't grow because they cannot make decisions without involving everyone under the sun and cumbersome committees.  Too often the church staff is held responsible for the church's "success" but not given the authority to take steps toward success.  I guarantee when the first church went from 120 to 3000 people in day there was a lack of 'man' control so God could bring growth.  However, having healthy and wise accountability and having enough control so decisions are not made in a vacuum is equally important (see Acts 6:1-7).

Clarity and Certainty:  We would love for things to be certain and for the Bible to address every situation under the sun, but that is not how life works.  Waiting for until you are certain something will work will probably leave you waiting way too long.  I'm learning that the level of certainty surrounding most decisions way less than 100% (which we'd like to have), but that you can be clear in the face of uncertain.   We can't wait for certainty (which we'll rarely have) before taking clear action.  We can let the clarity of our values, vision, and God's Word guide us to take action based on finite information with faith in an infinite God.

Church growth & Church health:  Is it all about the numbers?  Often times our interest is more in the statistics of a church over the spirit in that church.  Numbers and growth are important because they represent souls and people for whom Jesus died for and loves; however, a church can be big but unhealthy. Usually though, health will produce growth. Numbers can be a sign of health but they only tell part of the story.  The question is really what is going to be the bottom line: numbers or health?

Books By My Bed

Here are some books I've recently read or am reading right now ... good stuff!

 

•  Ezekiel in the Bible.  Another tough Old Testament book of prophecy.  The question I'm asking as I read it is, "Why does God have to go to such great lengths for us to recognize and obey Him?"


• Leadership Gold by John Maxwell.  A great summary of Maxwell's leadership lessons over the past 60 years of his life.  Honestly, one of the best leadership books I've ever read. 


• Experiencing the Presence of God by Charles Finney.  A collection of works by one of the great spiritual giants whose ministry shoulders we all stand on today.


• The Power-Filled Life by R.A. Torrey.  Another collection by another spiritual giant.  I'm being drawn in by some classic works of the faith ... GOOD STUFF!!


• Doing Church as a Team by Wayne Cordeiro.  Some of our staff are reading through this book on mobilizing the church to work together to accomplish more for God.

And 2 books I just bought:

• The Gospel According to Starbucks by Leonard Sweet.  (Yes there really is such a book!)  The sub-title is called "Living with a Grande Passion."  Leonard Sweet is a Christian futurist and has written some great works on the state of the church and Christianity in America and what we must do to reach today's ever changing culture.


• Jesus Brand Spirituality by Ken Wilson.  I just liked the title and backcover summary.   It sort of resonated with a series we may do around Christmas.

Some Questions I've Been Asking Myself

I read recently that you only get answers to the questions you are asking.  Sometimes it's tough to ask ourselves (and let others ask) the tough questions.  Lately, through blogs, books, and my prayer time here are some questions that I am seeking to answer:

• Do I want to be successful or a blessing? (sometimes they contradict)


• Do I want to make people happy or help people? (can't always do both!)


• Do I seek to preach what people want to hear or what God wants to say? (ouch!)


• What part of me does God not yet have? (ouch!)


• What changes do I need to make to be a better leader? husband? friend?


• What is it I don't know about {blank} that I need to know?

Baltimore Mission Trip

We've got around 80 people from both our campuses up in Baltimore on a mission trip doing work for a new church plant.  I got an email from the Pastor (Ellis Prince) and the goal is for our group to have 2000 contacts with people in the community!!  Meaning in 5 days, 2000 people will hear about Jesus, hear about the new church in the community, and/or experience the love of Jesus through service/mission work.  That's a BIG GOD type goal!!

Please pray for God to provide these opportunities and for our students and adults to be ready for them!!

The Rundown (Father's Day '08)

• I get more thankful for my dad and the things he taught me every year.


• Beth is out-of-town on mission trip with our students ... always reminds me of how boring I'd be without her.  Seriously, they are doing some cool work for a new church plant in the Baltimore area.  Baltimore is one of the least churched cities in America!!


• I'm heading out for a prayer & study retreat to seek God on a few things, seek His power for the work He has called us to do, plan out some message series for another 6-12 months, and just think.  It'll be just me, my two dogs, and God for about 48 hours.  No cell phone coverage, no internet (I've written some blog posts in advance) ... ok, I do have access to television :)


• Everyday is one day closer to football season!!!


• I'm loving mountain biking.  I may even stop at the new REI store around Marietta on my way through Atlanta to check out their gear.


• Here's a question I'm asking God:  What really big thing do you want me to pray for ... something so BIG that it would have to be undoubtedly a move of Your Hand to be realized?


• Over at Stage 123 they sandblasted the walls to expose the original brick and started painting.  I cannot wait ... 500 MORE SEATS FOR PEOPLE TO DISCOVER THE DIFFERENCE CHRIST & HIS CHURCH MAKE!!!!!!  That's a BIG prayer right there ... "God, fill these seats with souls who need Jesus!!"


• I have a Friday morning prayer, encouragement and accountability time with a good friend and Elder at our church.  I cannot begin to say how much this blesses me.  I used to be supposedly so "manly" that I never shared much of anything with anyone (Beth broke me of that real quick).  Life is meant to be shared and done in community.  Jesus, the greatest man ever, needed and created community for Himself ... if He needed it, then so do I!  Small groups, one-on-one accountability, mentoring, etc. are all tools God uses to conform us to Christ and carry us through life.


• I haven't done this much (and maybe I should do it more) but here are some areas where I need prayer:  to hear clearly from God this week and be radically obedient; for godly wisdom to lead and pastor this church; for more fullness of the Holy Spirit; for strength to stand against the forces of spiritual warfare (Yes, spiritual warfare is REAL); for greater holiness; for Beth, the adults & students on the Baltimore mission trip.


• We've got 2 more weeks of FUEL left!  Part 5 (6/29) is going to deal with faith in America ... so it will be a combinatin of my 2 favorite subjects: God & country!


• Have a great week!!

Weekly Rundown (6.8.08)

This week's rundown ...

• So we know our choices for President now (Obama or McCain).  I love following national politics and take pride in voting, but regardless of what these two guys say ... Jesus is the answer and the local church is the hope of the world!


• First Wednesday rocked this week.  I left that service so "full" and blown away by God's presence.  


• We have an office in Calhoun!!!  Right downtown, across from the library, behind the "Gem" Theater.  This is going to open up a whole new set of possibilities for us.


• Even though summer attendance is here, we still had more first-time guests today than in a long-time.


• We tried something new today regarding our multi-site approach.  Carll & I both preached ... the same message -- just tailored a little differently.  I can't wait to hear how this went.


• Had a great talk this week with someone about Chatsworth ... PRAY!!  The need and desire for a church like Rock Bridge in Murray County is pretty high.  Hardly a week goes by that I don't hear something ... don't want to get ahead of God but I KNOW God wants His message to spread.


• Pretty tough subject today in church ... faith without works is dead ... that will preach but it ain't comfortable!


• Our students leave on a mission trip to Baltimore to team up with Ellis Prince and Gallery Church.  These kinds of trips really helped give spiritual direction and motivation to my life and we are committed to giving students these type of opportunities.


• People are really hurting because of the economy.


• Beth & I bought bikes this week.  I've been riding 5 times!!  I love it ... but I think my body is in a state of shock.  The River Park in Chattanooga is so cool, Harrison Bay State Park has a good trail by the water, TVA Racoon Mountain is on the tough side, Saul Rasin Woods here in Dalton is a good ride with lots of twists and trails.


• Been thinking a lot about how to expand prayer more throughout our church.  I've really convicted about the church's need to be a place of prayer and for us to do more of this.  Our staff has been studying and focusing on the need for prayer since April's Staff Retreat.  I think it's time for us to lead the church in this ... SO MUCH happens when we pray ... so much DOES NOT happen when we don't!!


• After church and Father's Day lunch next Sunday, I'm going off to study and pray for about 2 days.  I really need this time with God right now.


• I am not sleeping well right now and I don't know why but it really stinks.


• The opening of Stage 123 is approaching and quickly!!  Do realize that by Aug-Sept. we will have 500 MORE seats per service than we do right now?!?!  This is a huge opportunity.  Do realize how cool this space is going to be for our student ministry?!? This is a huge opportunity.  Do realize some things we can do with this space during the week?!? This is a huge opportunity.  I think opportunities are stewardship issues ... let's make the most of these opportunities!

Survey Says!

We took a short survey to find out more about our facilities and creating future environments as we move forward with our Dalton campus expansion.  Here's a summary:

Favorite Bands/artists/singers ... ok, so we like country! (remember people could check more than one response)

Rascal Flats (50.8%); Kenny Chesney (47.7%); Faith Hill (33.6%); Daughtry (30.5%); John Mayer (29.7%); Leonard Synard (28.1%); Maroon 5 (25.8%); Nickleback (23.4%); U2 (22.7%); Aerosmith (21.9%); Switchfoot (18.8%); Coldplay (18%); 3 Doors Down (17.2%); The Fray (16.4%); The Gaither's (14.1%)

Favorite Beverages:

Bottled water (65.6%); Cokes/soft drinks (44.5%); Starbucks-type coffee (40.6%); Regular coffee (39.8%)

Why LIKE the Wink?

Overwhelming the answer was ATMOSPHERE!

Why NOT like the Wink?

Entering/Exiting (41.4%); Small Lobby (26.1%)

What if Jeremiah was your preacher?

Just finished the book of Jeremiah.  Tough. Depressing.  Confrontational.  Not a good ending. It got me thinking ... what if Jeremiah was a preacher in a church today?  He was not popular, he was not well-received, he spoke the bold truth of God without compromise and with conviction, he lived for an audience of one -- God.  Jeremiah's "ministry" never really took off with people, but he was faithful to God.  He was arrested, abandoned, put in a well, and beat up.  The church "committee" voted him out, the government didn't care much for him, the people hated his messages, but he "committed [his] cause to" God (20:12) Here's a snapshot:

• Jeremiah was called by God to preach.  God got him into the business and thus God was his boss ... not a committee, not the "people" but God.  I think God's call is huge in vocational ministry because sometimes that is all you have to keep you going.


• Jeremiah did not sugar coat sin.  He ruthlessly preached against idolatry and forsaking God and in the end they stuck him in a well for it. 


• Jeremiah extended God's grace.   Sometimes it is easy to get so focused on sin that we neglect grace.  What makes grace so special and so amazing is to be fully convicted of how horrible sin is.  Jeremiah balanced the "sin-grace" tension so that no one had an excuse not to realize the problem of sin or the solution of God.


• Jeremiah had passion.  God gave him something to say (a "word") and Jeremiah spoke with power and conviction (check out this verse).  He could not not speak the "word" God would faithfully give him.  And the reason God was faithful to give Jeremiah a fresh "word" was because Jeremiah was faithful to speak it!  (When a preacher is like that coming to church won't always be comfortable or fun, in fact people may leave or complain or look for a church "that better meets their needs" ... what does anyone need more than a true & timely "word" from the Lord?!?)


• Jeremiah was linked to God's cause.  He was not trying to attract a crowd; he was simply faithful to God's cause.  That meant taking "risks" and being "bold".  The outcome was totally up to God.


• Jeremiah had to spend time with God in order to hear from God.  I can honestly say how important this is for a preacher.  From Day 1 our Elders have sought to protect my time and ability to study, pray, and prepare messages.  I wish I was as faithful as I should be in that pursuit of God's voice.  It is easy for a "preacher" to get busy doing other things that are important (all the counseling, all the hospital visits, knee-deep in the finances, at every event at church and the community, every wedding, etc,. etc.); however, at that point he sees to be a "preacher."  This why a "preacher/pastor" must be a leader who can delegate and why a church must have a strategy to staff the church effectively to keep the church healthy ... and the "preacher" in the listening. {In one case, it took Jeremiah ten days to a clear "word" from the Lord!}


• Jeremiah stepped on toes and kicked shins.  He would do almost anything to get people to pay attention to God's truths -- he smashed a jar, he let a linen belt mildew and decay, he wept openly and often, he could not marry or have children, he wore an ox yoke ... and each time his point was clear and it was not comforting.  Jeremiah shows us that God's discipline is thorough and complete, and it is better to be uncomfortable b/c of what you hear than b/c of what you experience when you ignore God's plans.

So what do you think? Would you have gone to Jeremiah's church?

Weekly Rundown (6.1.08)

This morning I was thinking how much I LOVE this church!! Here's the rundown for this week:

• They started demolishing 3 buildings where we will eventually build our Ministry Center (children, small groups, "green" room, etc.)  I wish I could have operated that bull-dozer type thing ... it was so cool to watch!!


• Finished reading Jeremiah this week ... I'll blog more later ...  but WOW!!


• Great kick-off to FUEL!


• We're starting to plan how we launch and open Stage 123 this Fall.  Exciting stuff!!  It's pretty neat to think that we will suddenly have an additional 400-500 seats available at optimal service times.  Now, we need to pray (and invite our friends) so God can put a soul in those seats!!


• We're going to do something a little different in Calhoun next week for part 2 of Fuel ... Carll and I are excited!


• So far I haven't been too impressed with the summer "blockbusters" (and Beth & I love movies!).  Indiana Jones and aliens ... ??? What were they thinking??


• Even though we are officially into summer now since school is out, I don't think God takes vacations.  I think He still wants people saved, taught His truths, and to experience the life He alone offers.  That's why we can't let up ... too much is at stake!!!


• The survey results are pretty neat so far (check out this blog for details).  I'll post the results later this week.


• We are close to having a lease on one of the coolest office spaces ever in Calhoun!!  Right downtown, big, multiple uses, endless opportunities ... I'm so excited about God's work there!!


• We are about to take some major steps to improve our video graphics/preaching/broadcasting ... God has given us amazing techonology to tell His story and we plan on leveraging it for His glory!!


• I'm planning a prayer retreat for myself real soon.  It's about a year since I took one and I think I need some time with just me & God.  I always come back with a lot more clarity, passion, and vision.


• Had my first fish in months die this week ... not sure what happened but the other fish in the tank looked suspicious.