Dale's Paradigm

Recruiting Help - Do The Ask

2011-02-02T01:45:00.008-06:00

In ministry I have at times noticed a recurring theme of frustration with many other pastors and church leaders in the area of recruiting volunteers and leaders for various ministry needs. Despite repeated public pleas for assistance the needs go unfulfilled and the leader becomes more and more frustrated at the apparent apathy from the congregation.

I too have experienced similar frustrations and have discovered a pretty simple solution. Instead of general requests from the stage or bulletin it is more productive to ask people on an individual basis. It seems the public requests often go unanswered because people are able to deflect the responsibility or simply may not be paying attention.

Here are the steps I try to follow when recruiting ministry help or leadership over an area.

Discernment

Pray about it - Ask God to give wisdom and guidance about who should serve and in what capacity.

Get suggestions - Talk with other leaders about who they see as potential workers or leaders.

The Meeting

Make the appointment - Set a time to meet with the person about the opportunity. It also never hurts to buy them lunch.

Share with them the vision for the area you are asking them to serve in or lead. This is important. If you are not clear on what you are asking them to do, they will have no clue. Be sure to be passionate about the offer. Enthusiasm really is contagious.

Tell them how they are specifically gifted for this area and how they can make their mark.

Give them ownership. It does no good to delegate help and then never let them actually help.

Tell them to pray about the offer.

Follow Up

Check back with the person at a predetermined time. Answer any questions. If they accept then begin training them in their new responsibilities.

Continue to provide supervision and feedback. If this is a leader you have recruited make sure to make time to meet with them and provide additional advice and encouragement. If it is someone who is serving in a specific ministry area make sure their team or ministry leader is following up with them.

Referral

Make sure to get referrals from you new recruit as to others they see who may also be willing to serve. If the person you recruited is a team leader encourage them to repeat this process within their own team to develop and grow new volunteers and leaders.

Encouraged to Go

2011-01-26T12:35:00.006-06:00

A recent conversation with a friend revealed to me that he and his wife were praying about the possibility of relocating from their current home in the Nashville area. This young couple is involved in one of the LifePoint campuses there but is trying to determine if God is calling them to possibly be a part of one of the other LifePoint campuses which are located in Seattle, Bangkok and Belgium. I did my best to offer advice based on my own experience of discerning God's will in such matters. One piece of this advice was for this friend to talk to as many people as possible about these thoughts.

It was at this point that I became thankful for the culture that God has created at LifePoint. Our goal as a church is to send people to be the church where there is no church. This simple statement is being fulfilled repeatedly in the lives of so many people. This unnamed friend is not the first to be thinking like this. I am amazed at how God continues to call people to accomplish His purpose among the nations.

What is equally encouraging is that my friend is able to ask these questions and discern God's calling in an environment that promotes this type of thinking. It seems that our churches often become a place in which we try to raise up leaders and hold on to them. Instead we are called to raise up new leaders for the purpose of sending them out to make an impact on the rest of the world.

I am convinced more now than ever that the church cannot be dependent solely on organizations such as the International Mission Board. Although the IMB is an incredible agency that has accomplished an incredible amount for the Kingdom it is simply not enough. The estimated 5000 SBC missionaries are not enough to reach the 5 billion people who do not know Christ. It is going to take people like my friend who are willing to accept God's call to go wherever He directs and to make an impact for His name in another culture and context.

Year In Review

2011-01-25T18:10:00.004-06:00

As we enter the new year I (like many others) am once again setting a goal to begin posting in a regular fashion to my blog. It seemed best to make the first post for the new year a summary of what happened in the life of our church plant in 2010. So here goes...

The last year proved to be a very fruitful time for our ministry here in the Northwest. The first few months of the new year were marked by steady growth of new families coming to our church. Many of the families that began attending in 2010 are still heavily involved in the life of our church. In addition to the numeric growth our church witnessed a great season of leadership development. We have seen several men and women step up to serve in areas such as the children's ministry, worship band, and set up teams. We are very blessed to not only have people serving in these areas but to also have several people that have accepted leadership roles over these ministries.

In addition to leadership development we saw a great amount of spiritual development in the lives of many of our members. Our church went through a series called Radical based on the book by David Platt with the same name. At the end of this series we challenged our people to a Radical Commitment which involved things such as reading through the Bible, praying for the world, giving sacrificially, and being part of a small group. As a result we now have many people who are reading through Scripture, giving of their time and money, and committing to go on mission trips. We even have over %90 of our people involved in small groups. One of the best markers of the spiritual growth is the act of baptism. We have seen 6 people be baptized in the later months of 2010 and we already have someone else ready to be baptized in 2011.

The previous year was full of outreach events such as block parties on Halloween and July 4th in which we reached out to the local communities. We partnered with the city of Lynnwood for a very successful Egg Hunt reaching hundreds of families. We have also continued to partner with several different organizations in the community through our small groups. Many of these outreach events were accomplished through the hard work of multiple mission teams from various churches that traveled to the Northwest to assist us in our ministry to the community.

As you may know 2010 also provided us with an exciting opportunity. Connect Church began with the help of several valuable partner churches and individuals. One of these partner churches, LifePoint Church approached us last year with an offer to merge and become a LifePoint campus in the Seattle area.

After much prayer, discussion, and seeking wise counsel the leadership of Connect agreed to merge with LifePoint. The merger did not require us to sacrifice any of our vision, purpose, or core values as a church because these same ideals were held by LifePoint. Our church went through this transitional process very well. For the most part all of the daily operations and ministries of our church have remained the same. What has been different is the additional resources this merger has provided our church. This has given us a stability that most church plants cannot enjoy. Furthermore, it has greatly expanded our opportunities around the world by allowing us to partner with other LifePoint campuses in Bangkok and Belgium and other ministries in Africa, South America and Asia.

Overall, we believe that 2010 was a very successful year for the life of this church. However, it is important to note that God alone deserves all of the glory and credit for these accomplishments. He is the One who promised to build His church. We are thankful that we have been able to be a part of the process.

Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!
Psalm 115:1

2009-11-19T13:56:00.000-06:00

In 2005 Bobby Welch called Southern Baptists to a renewed commitment to personal evangelism. This resulted in an increased passion within many to share their faith on a personal level. It is imperative that Southern Baptists and all Christians be involved in evangelism. However, for us to stop there would ignore the call of God to plant churches.

In Acts 13, we see that Paul and Barnabus were sent out by the church to take the gospel to the nations. The book of Acts documents their story of starting churches throughout the Roman Empire. Specifically in Acts 19:8-10 Luke notes that Paul’s preaching in Ephesus apparently resulted in the formation of churches throughout the area. The result, all the residents of Asia heard the gospel.

In order for the Northwest to be impacted with the gospel our convention must develop a renewed sense of commitment to church planting similar to our commitment 4 years ago to personal evangelism and like the one in the book of Acts. There are simply too many people in need of the gospel and too few churches to share it to adequately impact this culture for the glory of Jesus Christ. Furthermore, by committing to church planting we also solve the need for increased personal evangelism since newer churches tend to do better in the area of evangelism.[1]

Therefore, let us become passionate about church planting. This can take several forms. Some churches are large enough to directly sponsor and plant a church. Other churches may choose to partner with additional churches to support a new church plant. Every church can at least find an existing church plant and commit to pray and financially support that plant.

Southern Baptists have a rich history of planting churches and impacting the culture for the glory of Jesus Christ. I believe we can see a church planting movement take shape here in the Pacific Northwest. For example, one church develops a passion for church planting and seeks to plant 10 churches over the next 20 years. Each church planted by the original church possesses this same passion for church planting. As a result these new churches seek to plant multiple churches and the cycle continues. This results in dozens of new churches formed from the passion of one original church. Now imagine if every church in the Northwest Baptist Convention displayed this enthusiasm for reaching the culture through church planting.

Let us pray that God will begin a church planting movement here in the Pacific Northwest that will sweep across the nation and world. And then let us commit to action by starting new churches and partnering with church plants.

[1] Planting Missional Churches. Stetzer, Ed. pp.7-8.

Is It Okay for Churches to Die? Part 2

2009-08-19T10:07:00.003-06:00

It has been said that churches, like everything else in life, have a life cycle. There is a process of birth, growth and eventually death. Although many churches may experience multiple cycles of growth, decline and renewed growth, most if not all, eventually die.

So how does this apply to the church I am currently planting? I realize that Connect Church will not be on this earth forever. It may last 20, 50 or 100 years. However, at some point it will eventually close its doors. This should come as no more of a surprise than the fact that I too will eventually die. Before this sounds too morbid and depressing let me get to the point. My prayer is not for Connect to remain for 1000 years but that the vision and purpose of Connect survive and continue on in the core of the churches our church plants. I want our church planting vision to be carried on through the churches we plant and the churches that are planted from them and so on down the line. As a result Connect will live on through it's children, grandchildren, and great-grand children.

Unfortunately I believe many churches are like an elderly person that has no other family. They are coming to the end of their life and have no children or grandchildren to carry on their legacy. As a result these churches are fearful of the thought of closing their doors because they know of no one to carry on their work for the advancement of the kingdom of God. However, if more churches would commit to planting multiple, healthy, growing churches then they could rejoice in these times as they watch new churches grow and take the gospel to this culture.

Thoughts on Preaching

2009-08-10T11:38:00.004-06:00

The following are some thoughts I have on preaching. This list is in no way exhaustive but contains some of the key elements I seek to incorporate into my own preaching.

1. Expository - I often joke that I am not creative enough to come up with fancy and thought provoking sermon series and topics. Therefore, I often resort to simply taking a passage of Scripture and preaching through it verse by verse. Over the years I have come to believe that expository preaching is the most effective form. By preaching through books of the Bible in a systematic manner I increase my chances of preaching on all of the subjects and topics it contains. This also prevents me from only preaching on topics that I may consider important. Furthermore, it tends to help listeners understand the Bible more easily and completely since I work through passages or books in a systematic fashion.

2. The text can never mean what it never meant - This line of thinking comes from the book The Modern Preacher and the Ancient Text by Sidney Greidanus. The phrase speaks for itself. The Bible cannot mean for us today what it did not mean for it's initial hearers. This is extremely important to remember when preaching and developing the application of a particular passage. Therefore, it is imperative to do the proper research to determine the cultural and historical settings in which a particular passage of Scripture was penned.

3. So What? - As mentioned by Bryan Chapell in Christ-Centered Preaching, every sermon must answer this question. After all a sermon is not a classroom lecture. I believe it is my responsibility to help the listener apply the passage to their everyday lives and help them understand what Scripture is calling them to do as a result. Obviously the Holy Spirit may reveal an application to the listener that I do not mention. However, I believe it is important for me to help provide as much application as possible.

4. One Meaning, Multiple Applications - This is important to prevent the common statement, "this passage means this to me." Each passage in the Bible has only one exact meaning. Although we may disagree at times on various interpretations that does not mean that there are multiple ways to interpret a passage. I do believe that one can at times derive multiple applications from a passage. A person may take a promise such as found in 1 Peter 5:7 and apply it to multiple areas in which they are experiencing fear and worry.

5. Preach the Gospel - This was ground in to me by my preaching professor, Robert Smith at Beeson Divinity. It is imperative that every sermon point the listener to the cross and the need for salvation through Jesus Christ. Although it may be easier to do this with some passages than others, I believe all of Scripture serves this end.

So, there are a few simple thoughts on preaching. I have noticed that these ideas seem to be gaining popularity which is very encouraging. Those who believe that preaching is outdated and irrelevant and must be drastically changed would do well to reconsider. Otherwise they may not have anyone in their churches to listen to their new, "relevant" style of preaching.

Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.
1 Timothy 4:13

Is It Okay for Churches to Die?

2009-08-03T13:39:00.004-06:00

Over the years I have noticed two extremes among churches. There are some that are young church plants that are seeking to impact their community with the power of the gospel. These churches emphasize outreach and discipleship and appear to have a bright future ahead of them. Unfortunately these churches struggle to raise enough funds to effectively carry out their mission. The other type of church is much older, owns large facilities, but has very few people attending. They remember the glory days of ministry in the past. Now however, they are simply trying to survive.

I have often heard that the goal for the latter of these two churches is to find someway to revitalize their slow death and help them to regain their once healthy and growing status. As a result ministers and associations spend countless hours and energy trying to resurrect a dying church (many of which have no desire to change).

But what if we were to simply let them die? What if we were to help them transition their few remaining people to a new growing body and allocate their funds to new churches that are being started? Obviously this is not as appealing. The thought of letting a church die sounds like a defeat. But is it? For example, take a church that owns a facility and has money in the bank. If this church were willing to "die" it could then either sell the building and use the money for new church plants or allow another church or churches to use it's facilities. Furthermore, the remaining congregation could join another local church and participate in effective ministry in the community.

I believe one reason many people would be opposed to this line of thinking is due to the fact that we are not starting enough churches. Here in the Pacific Northwest there is a huge deficit of churches. As a result if one church closes it's doors it is significant loss. However, if there were 5 churches being planted for every church that closed then the loss would not be as significant.

Another reason we may be slow to accept this idea is we are often more concerned about our own church as opposed to the growth of the Kingdom of God. I believe it is important for us to strive for the growth and success of God's church as a whole instead of narrowly focusing on our personal kingdoms.

Therefore, I believe pastors, churches, associations, conventions, etc. should be putting much more effort into church planting and helping dying churches to transition their resources to new or existing churches that are growing and making an impact. The process of life and death is common for all of us, including churches. After all, none of the churches started by the Apostle Paul are still in existence. Maybe it is time we let go of the past and allocate our resources more effectively for the future so that we can impact this culture with the saving power of the gospel.

Connect Church Partnership Video

2009-07-22T17:20:00.003-06:00

Click on the link below to see a recently made partnership development video for Connect Church.

Connect Church Video

Conversations with a Four Year Old

2009-01-02T19:45:00.005-06:00

Our oldest daughter Hannah is becoming quite good at asking some tough questions. Recently Tina commented about the wars that are going on across the world at this time. Part of her statement included a remark about "bad guys." Hannah, who is always eavesdropping, remarked, "Why did God make the bad guys?" Tina's response, "Yeah dad, why did God make the bad guys?" I will admit that I avoided the opportunity to discuss with my daughter why God is not the author of sin. However, later she asked another question that did get me to thinking.

While I was rocking Hannah before bedtime she asked if she would be able to take her toys and stuffed animals to heaven. Keep in mind this is a big deal for a small child. She was very concerned that all of her favorite toys would be gone forever when she goes to heaven.

As I tried to explain (in four year old terms) that the glories of heaven and Christ will far outweigh anything we leave behind on earth I also realized something. I was reminded of how much we do value our earthly possessions which will not last. We are often so concerned with our "stuff" that we forget it will one day no longer matter.

All of this served as a simple encouragement to place my priorities on things that will last. Things such as investing in my family, planting a church that seeks to impact this culture with the power of the gospel and my own spiritual growth in Christ.

New Connect Church Promo Video

2008-12-19T18:28:00.004-06:00

Here is a video I recently filmed and created as a promo for our church plant. This is only my second video to create so understand that it may not be the best quality. Hopefully you will also enjoy the small snowstorm that occurred while filming.

Church Buildings and Wax Museums

2008-11-25T11:59:00.001-06:00

Last month my wife and I took a brief trip to Victoria, British Columbia for our anniversary. As we toured around the city I noticed several large church buildings scattered throughout the city. Each of these were beautifully constructed and maintained. Some of them boasted large auditoriums that could seat several hundred people.

However, like many churches of this style and location they were virtually empty. I quickly realized that these buildings had more in common with a local wax museum tourist attraction than a scriptural body of Christ. Like the people in a wax museum they looked real but they were hollow and lifeless. These churches had probably not made a lasting impact on the community in years. The buildings serve as nothing more than a reminder of a once apparent fruitful ministry.

Unfortunately this is true of many buildings scattered throughout the world. These buildings continue to take up space and money that I believe could be more effectively used for the kingdom of God.

As we continue the process of planting Connect Church I am reminded of the importance of not tying down a church to an overly expensive and ornate building. It confirms my desire to start a church that is more focused on people than expensive buildings. Our church has the desire to funnel its resources into life changing ministries instead of a building that can eventually become nothing more than a monument of past ministry.

It's Just a Drink!

2008-09-30T17:04:00.003-06:00

"I would like a triple grande, 180 degree, nonfat, no foam, double cupped, stirred, hazelnut latte." This is the type of language I have learned while working at Starbucks. The world of coffee has proven to be a very new experience for me. I can honestly say that I have enjoyed my time working at a local coffee shop for the past three months. However, I was recently very dissappointed with the experience a fellow barista dealt with shortly before my shift.

Apparently a customer did not have a satisfactory experience while visiting our store. As a result this person proceeded to cause quite a scene while she passionately complained to one of the employees. The part of this incident that stood out the most was that the person noted that they were on their way to church! Now I can understand that is normal to be frustrated when your order is not taken correctly or your food is cold. I have personally had many experiences with the onions left on a burger when I requested them to be removed. However, this situation reminded me of a few important lessons.

One: Christians need to act like Christians at all times. This person (if she was a Christian) did not do anything to promote the kingdom of God by her actions. By overreacting to the situation and then noting that she was on her way to church she did a great job of furthering the idea that Christians are nothing but a bunch of hypocrites. It is imperative that believers seek to live their lives in such a way that we point people to the reality of a gracious and sovereign God (Matthew 5:16).

Two: It struck me that I live in a culture that causes a scene over an incorrect order when there are people that do not have enough food to eat. We tend to bemoan our difficulties in America when Christians in other countries are being killed because of their faith in Jesus Christ. I was reminded of the need for me to personally try to keep things in perspective.

So, next time you go to Starbucks, give the person a break. Try smiling and acting in a way that will honor Jesus Christ. And then if your drink is made incorrectly, try to keep it all in perspective. Try being thankful for the millions of other blessings God has given to you already. I know that this does not come naturally for me but I pray that I can learn to be obedient in small things such as this.

They Don't Care

2008-05-08T11:32:00.002-06:00

Lately I have been thinking about the content of the worship services for our new church plant in the Seattle area. I am reminded of all of the books, seminars, and sermons that have addressed the topic of church worship. There are a multitude of opinions on how a worship service should look or feel. Many ideas are directed towards attracting non-Christians to our services. The thought process goes something like this. If we make our church service “cool” and relevant then people will be more likely to come to church. In addition, the reason more people are not coming to our church is because we are not relevant or trendy enough.
However, there is a huge problem with this line of thinking. Most non-Christians don’t care what we do on a Sunday morning. Very few non-Christians wake up on a Sunday and think, “I would go to the church down the street today if they were simply more trendy in their worship and preaching.” So for us to spend so much time and trying to make our worship services more attractive to a person that does not know Christ is silly.

I am not saying that we should not try to be relevant in the way we present the gospel. Nor am I saying that we should not seek to worship God with excellence. I am very passionate about both of these things. However, as I plan a worship service m first priority is to build up the saints for ministry (Ephesians 4). Furthermore, I believe that a room or building full of believers who are truly worshipping Jesus is very “attractive” to a non-Christian. See 1 Corinthians 14:24-25.

The key to growing a body of believers is not in how we do worship. It is how we train believers to share their faith. If we disciple people to be missionaries to their families, friends, and co-workers church growth will automatically take place. We can then make worship about challenging and encouraging people in their walk with Christ. And hopefully many worship services will be able to regain the depth and substance they are lacking.

Our Response

2008-05-08T11:31:00.002-06:00

Recently I drove by a church that had erected a monument in memory of the people affected by a tornado that struck a section of Nashville. On this memorial were inscribed the words, “God was not in the tornado, but in our response.” Although these words may seem clever and maybe even comforting I think they are biblically inaccurate.

This is often man’s way of trying to deal with tragedy. It is an attempt to try and defend God from His accusers who say, “if God is good then why would He allow something like a tornado to destroy our city?” However, the words spoken by this pastor do not defend God. They only serve to rob Him of His sovereignty. All throughout Scripture we see a God who is in control of every aspect of our lives. He provides for our needs, defends us from our enemies, and often heals us. God also does allow hardship and suffering into our lives. As we look at the lives of Old Testament men such as Job and Habakkuk, we see God allowed trials and suffering. In the New Testament we see the ultimate act of suffering allowed by God when His Son is nailed to a cross and crucified. All throughout modern history Christians have experienced hardships, trials, and even death because of their faith in Christ.

So what do we say to this? The answer is not that God was not in these events. To say this would mean that we serve a God that is not all-powerful and sovereign over our lives. This is a frightening thought. I believe Paul answers this best in Romans 8 when He declares that God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love Him. We must trust that God is good and that He is sovereign. Everything that happens in our lives is for a purpose.

So the key to all of this actually is in our response. Will we curse God’s name when adversity comes? Or will we praise Him like Job and trust that He loves us and will work all things together for His glory and our good?

Healthy Churches

2008-04-22T09:30:00.001-06:00

How do you determine the success of a church? Is it the size of the congregation or the budget? Too often I think these two factors are what determines the health of a church. Although there are many good churches with a large membership and budget I don’t think this should be the determining factor of the health of a body of believers.

As we look in the Old Testament we see a principle at work that is established by God for His people. He says that if the nation of Israel obeys His commands they will prosper. If they disobey they will experience hardship and difficulty. Over time we see that some of the Jewish leaders began to distort this principle. The idea was changed to say that if you were prospering then God was pleased with you. If you were experiencing difficulty and hardship then God was angry with you. Obviously this is not true. The book of Job highlights that a devout believer can experience trials and suffering and still be devoted to God. In the New Testament this is repeatedly demonstrated by Jesus and the apostles whose lives highlight the fact that believers who are passionately pursuing God will experience persecution.

Could it be that we have used this perversion of the principles found in Deuteronomy to determine the health of a church? It is tempting to think that a large church is healthy and pleasing to God and the small church is obviously not experiencing the Lord’s favor. However, just because large amounts of people show up each Sunday does not mean a church is honoring God. Nor does a lack of thousands each Sunday in worship mean a church is not following Christ. I have seen just the opposite. I have witnessed churches filled with thousands of people who gather to hear the preacher barely reference Scripture on a continual basis. At other times I have seen people gather to hear preachers who advocate outright heresy from the pulpit. On the other hand, I have seen churches whose attendance is substantially less, preach the Word with integrity. These churches are filled with people who are loving and serving God with their whole heart.

So if size is not the determining factor of the health of a church what is? Here are a few possibilities…
• The Word is preached consistently and thoroughly
• The leadership possesses a mature and authentic faith
• The congregation is full of regenerate believers
• The membership is active in sharing their faith and serving
• The church is involved in the community
• The church is involved in local and global missions

These suggestions have nothing to do with the size of the church. A church of 50 can fit these requirements just as easily as a church of 5000. My hope is that ministers who lead the various churches across our nation will not fall into the trap that the size of their church determines its health. Instead I hope that pastors will look to the standards found in Scripture such as the ones previously listed to determine the success of their congregation.

Expensive Pants

2008-03-07T21:44:00.005-06:00

Recently I was forced to lie on my back for a few days because I caught a case of the flu. I was forced to watch the Today Show one morning because ESPN and Fox News were out on my cable. I listened to one story in which the main theme was the supposed effect the economy was having on people. One of the hosts of the show interviewed a financial "expert" on ways that Americans can get through these "difficult" times financially in America.

All of that was palatable. What was so annoying was the story that immediately followed. It was a fashion segment giving advice on what type of clothes people should buy in order to look good. The irony of this segment was the price tag on all of these clothes. Each of the outfits displayed totaled close to or over $1000! I think I have some advice for their next financial segment. If you are in financial distress in our current economy, quit spending $1000 on one set of clothes!

This just highlights how out of touch many people in the media are with average America. I don't think I have spent $1000 on clothes over the past several years combined much less one outfit.

What if God Wants You to Fail?

2008-02-19T15:23:00.001-06:00

This is the exact opposite of most messages that you will hear from pulpits today. I often hear pastors preach themes such as “God wants You to Succeed” or “God Wants You to Conquer.” But what if He doesn’t? What if the purpose of your life is not to be healthy, wealthy, and famous? What if you are called to be an utter failure in the eyes of the world?

These questions have been on my mind as of late. As I continue to prepare to move my family across the country to plant a church I think about the possibility of failure. I realize that it is possible that our church plant will fail and we will have to move in a different direction. If this happens does this mean that we were not following God’s plan for our lives? Possibly. But maybe we were following God’s plan and His plan was not for us to succeed as we thought we should.

Maybe it is possible that God calls some of us to failure. There are several examples of this in Scripture. Look at the life of Isaiah. Following his call to ministry in Isaiah 6 Isaiah is told that all of his preaching will fall on deaf ears. He is told that no one will listen and head the call to repentance. Look at the life of Job. He endured horrible suffering and hardship despite having a sound faith in God. Even Jesus experienced failure with His disciples. After pouring three years of His life into the twelve all of them deserted them during his arrest and crucifixion.

There are several present day examples as well. The most noticeable for me is the life of Jim Elliot. As a missionary to a tribal group in Ecuador he seemed to be making progress. But then something happened and the tribe turned on him and his companions. The last thing Jim witnessed before his death was a man stabbing and killing him.

To the world these men seemed to fail. Isaiah’s church never grew. He did not lead the state convention in baptisms. Job obviously was not displaying the faith that the health and wealth preachers call for. Jesus’ disciples bailed on Him in His darkest hour. And Jim Elliot did not have a single convert before dying on the mission field as a martyr.

However, we know the rest of the story. We know that Isaiah’s preaching would be recorded and placed into Scripture as God’s Word. God has used the book of Isaiah to call many to repentance. Job’s faith has served as a source of comfort and encouragement for countless believers experiencing hardship. Following Christ’s resurrection the disciples are empowered by the Holy Spirit to preach the gospel throughout the world. And as you probably know a second missionary effort was put together following Jim Elliot’s death which resulted in the conversion of the majority of the tribe. Furthermore, in his death he has impacted the lives of many Christians including myself.

So maybe it is possible that God calls some of us to fail in the eyes of the world. But in truth we are successful in accomplishing His goals. I think it is time we redefine what it means to be successful in ministry. It does not mean having the most baptisms or the largest church budget, or the newest church building. I think success is defined by obedience. The man or woman of God who is obedient to God’s call on their lives is successful no matter how they may appear to the world.

So what does this mean for me? Don’t get me wrong. I am not hoping that my church will fail. I pray that God will bless Connect Church in an incredible way. I pray that He will use this church to start multiple churches who in turn start more churches. The result being that we see the Northwest transformed for the Kingdom of God in my lifetime.

But I cannot measure my success by that standard. I pray that I will have the faith to accept God’s plan if it is not “successful” as I define success. I pray that I will leave my children with an example of success as being obedient to Jesus Christ. In all of this I must remember something that is very counter intuitive. Obedience to God will always bring more joy and satisfaction than anything else this world can offer. Even if that obedience does not result in a “successful life.”

In the Name of God

2008-01-08T09:07:00.000-06:00

I have to admit that I do sometimes enjoy the politics that are occurring at this time of the year. I am thankful to live in a country that allows for so many freedoms and also allows for leadership change without military violence. I will actually be watching the results of the New Hampshire caucuses tonight with some interest.

However, I am already a little tired of the political use of the Christian theology that I hold so dear. It seems candidates on both sides have discovered the power of the "evangelical/conservative" movement. As a result presidential candidates are tripping over themselves to display their vast knowledge of Scripture as it relates to their political platform and motives.

For example, I have heard many use the Bible to support their views by saying Scripture calls us to help the poor and oppressed and to provide aid and care for those in need. I could not agree more. But I have two problems with this. First, these commands were given to the church and to believers, not to a government. Although it is good for a government to help those in need I think this primarily is a responsibility of the church that we have often neglected. Second, some of those who quote the previously mentioned verses are also the ones who support the killing of babies through abortion. This is the most unrepresented minority in our country. They might want to read the passage about removing the plank from their own eye before trying to remove the speck from someone else.

I feel that I am being treated like an idiot. Am I supposed to start jumping up and down with excitement because a political candidate quoted the Bible? Am I supposed to just blindly follow them because they have now quoted from the book that I use to guide my life? I would simply ask that the candidates running for president stop patronizing me and many other believers who have read the Bible and take it seriously. Just because you quote it does not mean I think you actually believe it or are seeking to live by it. Instead why don't you take the advice found in the book of James. Prove the authenticity of your faith by your actions.

I guess I should be encouraged that the candidates will at least have to read the Bible when they quote it in their speeches. After all the Word is being proclaimed, although it may be coming from the mouth of a donkey (no political pun intended, I was thinking more of the donkey owned by Balaam in the Old Testament and not the symbol for the Democratic party). Maybe God will use this proclamation of His Word through politicians to actually convict and change hearts.

I Am A Little Confused

2008-01-08T08:50:00.000-06:00

Over the past several years in ministry I have often been confronted with a worldview that basically states it really doesn't matter what you believe as long as you are sincere. This often takes shape in the Oprah Winfrey theology of our time that believes there are many ways to get to God. We are no longer allowed to say that any other religion is wrong. Instead they are just different and seeking God in their own way. Bottom line, all of this is a belief system that denies the existence of absolute truth.

However, I also hear the same people lament the horrible tragedy that occurred in our country on September 11, 2001. These people will become angry at the mention of the terrorists who killed so many Americans on that day in the name of their god.

But isn't this a huge contradiction? Were not these terrorists seeking to secure a place in heaven according to their belief system? Were they not simply living out their faith with sincerity and passion? Do we have the right to say that what they did was wrong?

I believe that you cannot have it both ways. You cannot say that all religions lead to heaven and then say what the terrorists did on 911 is wrong. Simply because they were doing what they thought their religion taught.

I believe that 911 and similar tragedies like it such as the genocide that occurred under the Nazi regime pose the biggest problem for one who wants to support the idea that there is no absolute truth. You cannot make statements like "all religions are correct," "don't judge me," or "I'll do what works for me and you do what works for you" and still say these atrocities in our history are wrong.

I don't know what frightens me the most. That we live in a society that allows for such glaring inconsistencies or that one day people may actually say that 911 or the Nazi regime were not tragedies but instead they were simply cultures trying to live out their beliefs. When my daughters go to school I think I will allow them to answer test questions according to what they personally "believe" or "feel" and tell the teachers that they cannot mark their answers incorrect since their is no absolute truth.

Cultural Relevance

2007-11-28T15:35:00.001-06:00

Cultural relevance is a common desire among many churches today. The old saying that the methodology may change but our theology never changes has become a battle cry for many pastors and church leaders over the years. This attitude is very beneficial for the church. It is important for us to seek to present the gospel in a manner that is relevant to the people in our communities.

However, there is more to it than just using a praise band for worship and using up-to-date media. For many churches cultural relevance actually means being relevant to only one particular group of people. As a result these churches tailor their styles to that particular group. But what if your community has different types of people? What if being culturally relevant requires different methodologies for the same church?

Could it be that we are currently in the process of raising up another generation that views the church and worship as something that must be tailored specifically to them? We have already been through this once before with the “worship wars” of the last two decades. During this times churches would try to be more “culturally relevant” by adding various instruments in worship or using power point for songs instead of hymnals. As a result some were pleased by the changes while others felt like the church was going in the wrong direction. Why the disagreement? I think it stems from people who are more focused on their selfish desires than on worshipping God.

My fear is that churches who seek to be culturally relevant to only one specific community will raise up more people who are focused on themselves. I am afraid we are catering to the mentality that says, “I can only go to a church that seeks to reach my specific niche in life.”

Instead of continuing to build churches that only reach one segment of the population we need to teach people to be culturally relevant and not just churches as a whole. We must get individuals to adopt Paul’s mindset that we are to be “all things to all people.” By doing so we can allow the church to be what we see in the New Testament, a collection of different people from different cultures. Not one homogeneous unit of cultural relevance.

So what does this look like? I see a church full of people who understand that things such as worship styles, dress codes, building design, etc. are not as important as reaching people. These church members are willing to not have everything in the church exactly as they might prefer. They understand that these methodologies are preferences that vary from person to person. Instead of bickering over non-essentials they are more concerned about making sure their theology is sound and the message is presented in a manner that is culturally relevant to multiple groups of people. In order to do this, they must be willing to sacrifice their own personal preferences from time to time.

Why Church Planting? Why Seattle?

2007-11-19T14:18:00.000-06:00

So why have we decided to start a church? After all aren’t there enough churches out there already? Surely I should just go find one of the many churches that need a pastor and settle in there. These may be the thoughts of some when the subject of church planting is discussed but these thoughts are not based on facts.

It is true that there are many churches already in existence. However, if you take a moment to drive around on a Sunday morning you will see that there are still many more people who are not involved in church. In Tennessee, where I currently serve, there are about 6 million people. We currently have about 3000 Baptist churches for these 6 million people. Obviously there is still a need for more churches in order to effectively reach the current population.

As a result we must continue the process of planting new churches to reach our communities. I have become convinced that church planting is the main way in which God will spread His Kingdom. Although things like short term mission trips and parachurch ministries are effective they cannot replace the ongoing ministry of the local church. Therefore, if we are going to see the gospel impact society we must be willing to invest in the practice of starting more churches.

Which brings me to another question some may ask. Why Seattle? Although there is still a need for more churches to be planted in the South there is an even greater need in the Northwest. Recently I visited my home state of Texas and toured around the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. As I drove around on a Sunday morning I was amazed at the large amount of churches that were literally everywhere. Each of these churches had parking lots full of cars. Each of these churches were filled with people in their pews.

Seattle on the other hand is a totally different scene. If you drive around the area you will see very few churches and consequently very few people in church on a Sunday morning. In the Seattle/Tacoma area there are between 4 and 5 million people. Only 4% of this population claims to be Christian. There are only 150 Baptist churches for this vast population. So, as you can see there is a definite need for churches in the Pacific Northwest.

So, that is a large reason why I feel called to start a church in the Seattle area. The need is there and I believe God is calling more and more people to respond to this need and take the gospel to every part of our nation.

Accepting God's Call

2007-11-19T14:17:00.000-06:00

Well, it has definitely been a long while since I have posted on the ol’ blog. A lot has been going on in my life and the life of my family since my last post. For the past several months Tina and I have been contemplating the decision to start a church in Seattle, WA. A few weeks ago we officially decided to head to the Pacific Northwest to plant a church.

This has been one of, if not the most difficult decisions Tina and I have made. Seattle is one of the more difficult places to plant a church. It is very far from all of our family and close friends. However, Tina and I cannot escape the call of God we see in Scripture. As I read through God’s Word I read of a God that calls us out. He calls us to take the gospel to places where people have not heard of the saving grace offered in Jesus Christ. He calls us to surrender our life to His lordship and control. We have been reminded over the last several months that this life is not our own. It is not our goal to be comfortable and to build up treasures here on earth.

So, with fear and trembling, we continue forward towards what we believe God is calling us to do. I must note that although we are nervous about this endeavor we are also excited about what God is going to do in and through our ministry in the Northwest. We are excited about the possibility of impacting the lives of people who do not know about Jesus and impacting a culture for the kingdom of God.

If you would like more information on the specifics of our church plant and how you can partner with us go to www.connectseattle.info.

The Abundance of the American Church

2007-06-18T09:25:00.000-06:00

Recently my wife and I finally rented the movie, The Pursuit of Happiness. After hearing so many good reviews of this movie I was not disappointed. As you probably know, the movie is based on the true story of the trials endured by a man and his son as he tries to pull himself out of poverty and homelessness. This movie was able to do something that few movies are able to do anymore. It actually made me think about life.

After watching the struggles of the character played by Will Smith Tina and I were reminded of the many blessings in our lives. This was also a reminder to me of how ungrateful I can be at times. I complain when we don’t have enough money for me to eat out more than once or go to the movies more frequently. Yet we sit in a house we own, we have two nice cars, clothes, and most importantly two beautiful, healthy little girls.

This movie also reminded me of a recent sermon I heard from Dr. David Platt at our youth camp. He noted how much of the world is in desperate financial shape. He discussed the plight of many young children in foreign countries who do not have food to eat. And here I sit complaining that my steak was not cooked to perfection in a nice restaurant.

Don’t misunderstand me, I am not saying that it is bad to enjoy nice things or the blessings of this wonderful nation. I am just confessing my need to be more thankful for the many blessings I enjoy and often take for granted.

However, I do not think it is enough to just express gratitude. All of this also makes me think of the state of the American church. As I drive through different cities I see large church buildings costing millions of dollars. I am aware of the enormous amount of money spent on many frivolous aspects of ministry. Is this right? Could it be that we are spending too much money on our own creature comforts? Could it be that while we sit in our nice multi-million dollar buildings we are turning a deaf ear to the suffering of many other people?

I am not saying that it is sinful to have a nice building. However, Jesus’ statement in Luke 12 comes to mind, “for everyone who has been given much, much will be required.” The American church has been given enormous freedom and resources. And to the credit of many godly men and women much good has been done. The SBC alone has sponsored thousands of missionaries all over the world. I have seen the graciousness of many men and women from churches across the nation reach out to people in need during times of crisis such as Hurricane Katrina. But can we do more? I think the answer is an emphatic yes. I believe our churches need to have more of a desire to reach out and help those in need. We need to focus more energy on spreading the gospel and less on building comfortable buildings. We need to spend less on temporary structures and more on things that are eternal.

I do believe that God has blessed this nation. However, these blessings are not to be kept to ourselves. The American church has the ability to make a huge difference in the lives of millions across the world. We have the resources to help expand the gospel into all the nations. Ultimately, we have been blessed so that we can be a blessing to others. We have been given much, I think much will be required.

Advice to Young Men (Age 20 - 30)

2007-05-25T18:37:00.001-06:00

This year I officially left my twenties and entered my thirties. This of course entitles me to give some needed advice to young men in their twenties. The longer I serve in ministry the more I see that the following basic principles are needed among young men. These recommendations are best followed in order.

First, get a job. There are many young men out there who are still too dependant on their parents for their livelihood. Furthermore, it seems that some young men still do not know what they want to do with their lives. As a result they bounce around from job to job. Or worse, they do nothing, waiting for God to miraculously drop their career path in their lap. These young men need to decide what to do with their lives and go after it. Until then, at least get busy doing something. Earn some money and establish something in the work force so that when God does reveal a career path you will have a foundation to build upon.

Second, get married. Outside of a relationship with Jesus Christ this is the most important relationship you can enter into. Being married makes you think of someone other than yourself. It causes you to focus on the needs, wants, and desires of another person, thereby causing you to realize how selfish you are and seek to change. Some young men seem to enjoy sitting around with other young men contemplating their own lives too much and the deeper meaning of life in general. This would be fine if they actually made a significant impact on the world as a result. Most do not. Getting married causes a huge reality check in a person’s life. It forces them to quit living in a dream world and focus on a person other than themselves.

Third, have sex with your wife. Although this seems like the obvious result of the second recommendation it is not. Many young married men are still involved in pornography, and even adulterous relationships. One of the contributors is they are not experiencing the sexual satisfaction God intended for a married man and woman. Young men need to love their wives as Christ loved the church (Eph. 5) and seek to find fulfillment with that woman God has blessed them with and not a fake relationship over the internet.

Fourth, have kids. I used to think I was busy. I used to think I was tired. Then I had children. Now I know what it means to be busy and tired. Having children matures you in a way I never thought possible. It forces you to prioritize your life. It forces you to live a life that glorifies God at all times. It forces you to be more of a spiritual leader. It forces you to be purposeful in how you lead your family. It also makes you less sympathetic to younger people who are single who say they are busy and tired.

Before some of you get angry with my recommendations let me qualify the preceding statements. I understand that there are exceptions to the rules. I realize that God does not call everyone to get married or have children. I know of incredibly godly and productive single people and married adults who do not have children. However, these ideas do apply to the vast majority of young men. It seems that many young men are afraid to grow up. For whatever reason, it seems that many men between 20 and 30 years of age are maturing at a slower rate. All of this poses a problem for the future. Especially in the area that I focus much of my energy, the church. We need young men in this age range to step up, mature, and become the leaders that God has called them to be.

Worship Wars

2007-05-25T18:36:00.002-06:00

Unfortunately there is still a conflict in the church today that divides many congregations. It is not over the doctrine of the Trinity or the inerrancy of Scripture. It is actually something much more secondary. It involves worship in a congregational setting, specifically the songs we sing in worship. This conflict does not revolve around the content of the songs but the manner in which they are sung. The reason I know this is there are some who are not satisfied when a favorite hymn is sung using a more modern musical style. Apparently songs must be sung in a certain style in order to be pleasing to God.

The purpose of this article is not to necessarily reopen this debate about worship style that has gone on for far too long. Instead I just want to briefly add a couple of perspectives that may need to be considered when trying to decide what worship is pleasing to God.

First, we need to consider the author of music. Despite the opinions of a few, Satan did not invent rock music. God is the creator of all music. Therefore, what are we saying if we refuse to worship to a style or genre of music? Are we not in effect saying that God did not do a good job of creating that form? I realize that there are many genres of music that have been used to convey messages that are in radical opposition to the truths conveyed in the gospel. However, I do not think this means we must abandon those forms in a church worship service.

Second, we need to be reminded of the other forms of worship in the world. When people declare that worship must only consist of hymns or contemporary music they forget about worship in other cultures. There are many cultures that have received the gospel which do not worship to our form of music. They do not worship with hymns or contemporary choruses. They may use different styles altogether. Does this mean that they are not worshipping God correctly? I think not. This reminds us of the simple truth that God loves a variety of different styles. Maybe we should be open to them as well.

I believe the church in America needs to focus on the proper aspect of worship. The content of what we sing to God. I know of hymns and modern songs that are shallow and even theologically incorrect. This does not mean that all hymns or contemporary songs are bad. As believers I think our focus must be on the God we worship and the words we sing to Him, not on the form in which we sing. When we focus on the form we are not focusing on the content or the One to whom we sing.

Scripture Memory

2007-05-25T18:36:00.001-06:00

Growing up in the church I must confess that Scripture memory was not a priority in my life. I knew many of the standard verses such as John 3:16 but I did not have a disciplined approach to Scripture memory. In college I came across a system for Scripture memory that really caught my attention. It was written by a pastor from North Carolina (I think). It takes the approach of memorizing actual books or long sections of Scripture. The advantage is that this allows you to really get an understanding of the flow and structure of a passage. It also allows you to understand the context in a way that you may not get from memorizing individual verses. I have included a summary of this method of memorization. I encourage the reader to give it a shot. Although memorizing an entire book of the Bible may seem intimidating it is definitely possible and worth the effort.

1. Day One: Read Ephesians 1:1 out loud ten times, looking at each word as if photographing it with your eyes. Be sure to include the verse number. Then cover the page and recite it ten times. You’re done for the day.

2. Day Two: Yesterday’s verse first!! Recite yesterday’s verse, Ephesians 1:1 ten times, being sure to include the verse number. Look in the Bible if you need to, just to refresh your memory. Now, do your new verse. Read Ephesians 1:2 out loud ten times, looking at each word as if photographing it with your eyes. Be sure to include the verse number. Then cover the page and recite it ten times. Your done for the day.

3. Day Three: Yesterday’s verse first!! Recite yesterday’s verse, Ephesians 1:2 ten times, being sure to include the verse number. Again, you should look in the Bible if you need to, just to refresh your memory. Old verse next, altogether: Recite Ephesians 1:1-2 together once, being sure to include the verse numbers. Now, do your new verse. Read Ephesians 1:3 out loud ten times, looking at each word as if photographing it with your eyes. Be sure to include the verse number. Then cover the page and recite it ten times. You’re done for the day.

4. Day Four: Yesterday’s verse first!! Recite yesterday’s verse, Ephesians 1:3 ten times, being sure to include the verse number. Again, you should look in the Bible if you need to, just to refresh your memory. Old verses next, altogether. Recite Ephesians 1:1-3 together once, being sure to include the verse numbers. Now, do your new verse. Read Ephesians 1:4 out loud ten times, looking at each word as if photographing it with your eyes. Be sure to include the verse number. Then cover the page and recite it ten times. Your done for the day.

This cycle would continue through the entire book. Obviously, the “old verses altogether” stage will soon swell to take the most time of all. That’s exactly the way it should be. The entire book of Ephesians can be read at a reasonable rate in less than fifteen minutes. Therefore, the “old verses altogether” stage of your review should not take longer than that on any given day. Do it with the Bible ready at hand, in case you draw a blank or get stuck … there’s no shame in looking, and it actually helps to nail down troublesome verses so they will never be trouble again.

Top Twenty Things a Minister Should Know

2007-05-25T18:35:00.000-06:00

In a recent discussion with a student called to ministry I came up with a list of the top 20 subjects I think all ministers should know what he or she believes. This list is not in any particular order of importance.

1. Calvinsim vs. Arminiasm
2. Roles of women in ministry
3. Dispensationalism (right or wrong?)
4. View on Spiritual gifts (cessationist or still in effect?)
5. View on End Times
6. What happens to infants who die?
7. Can you lose your salvation?
8. View of baptism and Lord’s Supper
9. Leadership in the church (Deacons, elders, etc.)
10. Tithing
11. Abortion – Is it wrong? Why or why not? Are there exceptions?
12. Emerging Church
13. Alcohol (Can Christians drink? What about ministers?)
14. Scripture (inerrancy, hermeneutics, authority, open or closed cannon)
15. Trinity
16. Salvation (how is a person saved, more than one way, people who never hear)
17. Evolution vs. Creation (also age of earth)
18. Church History
19. Difference in Protestant and Catholic Theology
20. Role of Christianity in Culture

I am sure there are more things that could be added to the list. The point of this list is to get young ministers thinking about some of the core elements of the Christian faith and some of the key questions facing the next generation of church leaders. It is important that young ministers know early on where they stand on these issues in order to minister more effectively to the culture.

Spider-Man 3 & Forgiveness

2007-05-07T10:25:00.000-06:00

Recently I along with thousands of others flocked to the newest Spider Man movie. Don’t worry I won’t spoil any of it for those who have not seen it. Nor will I provide any critique of the film.

While watching the movie I was prompted to think about one of the recurring themes. The subject of forgiveness. A character in the film makes the statement to young Peter Parker about restoring a relationship which has been damaged. She says that Peter must first do the hardest thing, forgive himself.

I began to wonder. Could it be that many people have a hard time forgiving because they cannot forgive themselves? Or could it be that many people have a hard time forgiving because they have not experienced true forgiveness?

Check out Ephesians 4:32. Paul tells us that Christ models for us how to forgive. We are to then extend that same forgiveness to others. I believe that this is an amazing command. It is impossible to live out on our own. We are not capable of this type of forgiveness. Unless, we have experienced it first hand. Unless we have known this type of forgiveness from God as we confessed our sins and witnessed the miracle of God declaring us forgiven. When we experience this type of grace and mercy we are then able to extend it to others through the power of the Holy Spirit working in us.

Someone who does not feel forgiven will have a hard time forgiving others. After all, if they have to suffer so should every one else. This type of person holds on to their anger or hurt. They are unable to comprehend letting go and forgiving someone else. They do not want to give to others what they have been deprived. Unfortunately I think many Christians live this way. Even though they have experienced the greatest pardon they hold on to their bitterness.

What is needed is a reminder of the grace and forgiveness that God offers to sinners deserving eternal separation from Him. When we realize we have been forgiven. When we realize that God has canceled out our massive debt of sin. We can then extend same forgiveness to others. We can then forgive as Christ has forgiven us.

Politically Correct Mexican Food

2007-04-30T16:09:00.000-06:00

As I walked down the isles recently at a grocery store I noticed an unusual sight. The isle that contained food items such as taco shells, salsa mix, and jalepeno peppers was labeled Hispanic. Usually I would expect a sign describing this section as Mexican. Is that right? Doesn’t the word Mexican label food that is primarily found in Mexico? Isn’t Hispanic a more generalized description of people from countries such as Mexico, Spain, Brazil, etc.? Growing up in Texas I never referred to my favorite restaurants as Hispanic. They were always Mexican restaurants. So why the change here? I just wonder if this is another attempt to be politically correct. Could it be that some grocery store owner has changed the signs on a type of food in order to keep from offending someone? Which raises the question. Is the phrase Mexican food becoming politically incorrect?

Regardless of this particular situation it reminds me of a more global problem in our society today. It seems that we live in a culture of fear. We are so afraid of offending someone with the words we speak. I am well aware of the command in Ephesians 4:29. We are to be careful with what we say. We are to encourage people and not use language in an offensive manner. However, it seems that in many areas we have taken this too far. As a result it becomes difficult to say anything at all.

Unfortunately this mentality has also entered the world of Christianity and theology. Over the years there have been many attempts to make Scripture gender inclusive. Some have tried to make the Bible less offensive by taking out any reference to men. I understand the desire to replace the universal “man” with words such as “humanity” or “people”. However, this is not good enough for some. There is also a desire to remove the masculine nature of the Father and even Jesus. Although, as my old seminary professor pointed out, no one wants to make Satan a woman! Another politically correct aspect is sin. It is no longer acceptable to discuss this aspect. For some it is too discouraging. For others it is too offensive. Furthermore, certain particular sins such as homosexuality are being targeted. It is becoming more and more taboo to label sins such as homosexuality as sinful.

We must be very careful in how we allow politically correct language to affect our theology. Although I do not have a problem with saying “humanity” instead of “mankind”, I do have a problem with making God into a female or not mentioning sin. As Christians we must not be ashamed of the content of Scripture. Furthermore, we must not become obsessed with trying to make it inoffensive. In truth, the Gospel is extremely offensive. It calls all of us sinners deserving hell. Furthermore, we cannot do anything to change our situation. Our only hope is found in a Savior named Jesus.

In the end I believe many more attacks will come against Christianity and the truths found in Scripture. Christians must be on the alert. I do not think the attacks will be as obvious as they were in church history. I believe the attack will be more subtle as people slowly try to make different aspects of our faith taboo or even illegal to talk about.

Thou Shalt Not Judge Me

2007-04-30T16:08:00.000-06:00

“You can’t judge me.” How often have you heard this phrase? Many times it is used as a defense mechanism for people who have been confronted on conduct that many would deem inappropriate. The Bible is often used as proof for this viewpoint. Many will quote Matthew 7 and say that Jesus prohibits us from judging one another. But is that really what the Bible says?

Look at Matthew 7:1-5 more closely. In this passage the prohibition in verse 1 is not a prohibition on judging but on judgmental attitudes. This is proven in the following verses. Jesus encourages us to examine our own lives before judging others. We are called to first confess and deal with our own sins. Once we have done this we are allowed to confront other believers in sin.

Paul continues this theme of judging in 1 Corinthians 5. In verse 11 Paul tells the Corinthians not to associate with a believer that is involved in a sinful lifestyle. Paul gives authority to believers to judge other believers within the church. What areas are up for judgment? It is not such things as clothing or music preferences. Although this is what some in the church have the most disagreement over. It is over areas such as morality and theology.

It is important to note that Christians are not allowed to judge non Christians. Why? Because that is God’s responsibility. We cannot judge them for being immoral since they have not been saved by God’s grace and given the power of the Holy Spirit.

But how are we supposed to judge someone? Paul also provides the answer in Galatians 6:1. He notes that we are to judge someone for the purpose of restoration. We are to seek to point out their faults for the purpose of helping them grow closer to Jesus Christ. This is to be done in a gentle manner with grace. Paul also warns those who seek to restore someone in sin to be careful. They too can fall into temptation if they are not alert.

Can anyone else judge Christians? According to 2 Corinthians 5 all Christians will be judged based on our lives here on earth. This is not to determine admission to heaven. Instead it is an evaluation of our lives. It is a reminder that we are saved for good works (Eph. 2:10) and not to live out our own sinful pleasures.

Furthermore, according it seems that in John 17:23 Jesus notes that the world will judge Christians. They will judge us based on our love for each other and unity. The world will know that Jesus Christ is real based on how we as Christians relate to one another. These two judgments provide a serious reminder to live our lives in a manner worthy of our calling (Eph. 4:1).

Sources

The First Epistle to the Corinthians NICNT Fee, Gordon.

The Second Epistle to the Corinthians NICNT Barnett, Paul

The Gospel of John PNTC Carson, D.A.

Matthew NAC Blomberg, Craig

Student Nutrition

2007-04-26T15:45:00.000-06:00

John Calvin, Jonathan Edwards, St. Augustine. These are names that are normally reserved for seminary courses much less a youth minister’s sermon. Some student ministries often focus on relevant issues such as friendships, dating, and lifestyle evangelism.

These are important things to emphasize. However, could it be that youth could handle much more? Could it be that some churches are selling students short by only giving them baby food when they desire steak? In school, students are tackling calculus, advanced history, and chemistry. They are writing 10 page papers and taking college level courses. But when they get to church they are often exposed them to light and fluffy sermons on dating.

Maybe it is time that we raise the bar on what students are taught.

This will require youth ministers to raise the bar on sermon preparation. Less time may need to be spent on creative manners to present the message and more spent on the content of the message. I have often been guilty of spending more time preparing how I say something instead of what I say. Don’t get me wrong, presentation is important. But maybe youth sometimes need less flash in preaching and more content.

So what does this look like? Here are a few suggestions for those who work with youth. First, preach through biblical books or major passages. This will give students a more complete exposure to God’s Word. Second, tackle some deeper issues. Look into topics such as the Trinity, the purpose of God, or the three phases of salvation. These are topics that may not have an easily discovered application but are vital to our Christian faith. Finally, spend more time in preparation. Crack open those commentaries, refer to some of the previously mentioned great theologians in our church history, or reference the wealth of sermons online at places such as www.desiringgod.org. Finally, challenge students to take steps to grow in their faith outside of church. Encourage them to memorize Scripture, develop a bible reading plan, and read some challenging books.

Our churches today are full of adults who are immature in their faith. One way to solve this problem is to provide our teenagers now with a faith that is deep, intellectual and authentic. This will enable the next generation of leaders in the church to possess a more mature and solid faith.

American Idol and Joy in God

2007-04-25T08:58:00.000-06:00

Surprisingly in a recent episode of American Idol I was prompted to think about why I strive to do what is right. This particular episode had a theme of giving back to the needs of various organizations around the world. Throughout the show they showed clips of the various needs in places such as Africa and urban areas in LA. The highlight of the night was a particular company agreed to donate to charity .10 for every person who called to vote for their favorite performer up to 50 million calls. This would total a maximum donation of 5 million dollars.

My jaded nature came out as my first reaction was one of cynicism. I thought this company is getting a great deal. True they are donating up to 5 million dollars to charity but they are getting major advertising throughout the show and a great public relations spin. This company isn’t doing just to help needy people. They are doing this to benefit themselves! This was just a selfish media spin to promote their name and get a lot of advertising.

Or was it? I was assuming that just because this company benefited from the act of kindness that it was therefore not virtuous or sincere. Is that true? Is the amount of virtue in an action determined by the lack of benefit to the person performing the action? In other words is a good deed only good if it does not benefit the one performing the good deed? If the deed is done in a totally selfless and non-beneficial manner does that make it better? Philosophers such as Kant would seem to think so.

All of this forces me to ask, “why do I do good things?” And to take it one step further, “why do I sometimes not do the right thing?” Why do I try to help those in need? Why am I faithful to my wife? Why do I try to be a good father? I think ultimately it is because I will benefit from it. I believe there is great joy to be found in being obedient to God. This is because God is our Creator. He has designed us to live and work a certain way. When we are obedient to His will we are happy. When we are disobedient we experience hardship and frustration. So why am I not always obedient? Because I often forget this truth. I buy into the lie that doing things my way will make me happier.

John Piper notes that our obedience to God is for our satisfaction. God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in Him. When we obey God we are doing so in order to be satisfied. Therefore, our Christian obedience is done out of a desire to gain something, joy in God. When I read my bible, share my faith, or help a person in need I do so knowing these things will bring me a true sense of joy and satisfaction. As a result the person whom I have helped has their needs met and I have the joy of serving and being obedient to Christ.

One example that Piper often uses highlights this idea. Suppose my wife asks, “why do you love me?” “Because when I am with you I am full of joy. You make me feel good. I enjoy being around you. You bring such happiness to my life.” If I respond in this way my wife is not going to call me selfish. She is not going to say that I am only around her because she makes me feel good. The reason for this is my desire to be around her brings glory and honor to her. In this relationship my wife’s need to be loved is met and my desire to be happy is met by being around her.

So, I guess I owe an apology to the company donating millions of dollars to charity. You can in fact do a good deed and benefit from it yourself.

Jesus: A Leadership Failure?

2007-04-24T13:21:00.000-06:00

Go to any bookstore and you will find a host of books on leadership. Many promoting ideas on how to be an effective leader. However, no matter what type of leader you are, you will still experience some forms of failure. In today’s society failure is considered a sign of weakness. Only the incompetent experience failure. Truly good leaders will never experience problems with those they lead. However, Scripture seems to disagree with this.

Don’t believe me look at the life of Jesus. In Matthew 26 Jesus is betrayed. After pouring 3 years of His life into the twelve disciples Jesus is handed over by Judas. In Mark 10 we see division within the disciples. They experienced inner turmoil as they fought amongst themselves for a better position of power and importance. And finally Jesus was abandoned by His followers. During His darkest hour Jesus was totally abandoned by those whom He discipled. One of which promised to die with Him if necessary.

What can we learn from this? Even the Son of God experienced difficulty when leading groups of people. Why? Because He was leading sinful people. We are no different. When leading we must keep in mind that we will encounter our share of hardship and frustrations. This is common to both the experienced and novice leader. What determines our leadership ability is how we handle these difficulties.

Good leaders entrust themselves to God. They realize that their ministry is a gift from God. Any good fruit that results from their leadership is a result of God’s grace working in and through them. Good leaders work hard for the Lord and entrust the results to Him.

Good leaders do not get distracted by traitors in the camp. Every church has people that will seemingly betray us. They will pull away after we have invested time and energy into them. They will suddenly lead attacks against us or try to steer things in a different direction. Some of these people need to be dealt with directly. At other times it is best to simply ignore them and move forward. The key is to not let them get you off course. You are God’s person. You have been given the call to lead your area. Therefore, move forward and don’t be sidetracked.

Good leaders do not allow others to drain their passion and intensity for ministry. Some people are negative. They see only the dark side of things. These people can become a distraction and discouragement. A good leader must continually seek Christ through His Word for encouragement and renewal in order to maintain their passion. They must learn to lovingly ignore those who are by nature negative and focus on the fruit being produced in the lives of others. All the while praying that the Lord would also convict and renew those who may provide the discouragement.

Good leaders persevere. One of the biggest temptations in leadership is to give up. Give up on people, on the ministry, on God, on your own ability to lead. However, good leaders persevere through all of the disappointments, challenges, and failures. In the Christian life perseverance is key to our faith. This is true also of our leadership. When we persevere to the end we are at times allowed to see the benefits of our labor. Take for example Jesus’ own following. If we had left them just after His crucifixion we would be given the impression that they would never amount to anything. But as we know from reading the book of Acts God used those men to change the world by spreading the Gospel.

All Roads Lead to Heaven. Really?

2007-04-24T13:06:00.000-06:00

All roads lead to heaven. That seems to be the popular view when discussing the afterlife. From Oprah to the average person on the street all faiths lead to the same destination. This may be partly due to the fact that there are so many faiths in our world. Therefore, no one wants to say that everyone else is wrong and they are right. Instead, it is not so much what you believe that is important, but how you believe. A person goes to heaven not based on a correct belief but in the passion and sincerity with which they believe.

However, this view does not work in other areas of life. For example, 2 + 2 = 4. It does not equal 5 or any other number. Or take money as an example. If you owe a person $100 and you try to pay the debt with a $10 bill you will still owe $90. And finally, directions. If you want to go from Los Angeles to New York City across the US by car you must travel east. You cannot get there by going north or south. In each of these scenarios there is only one possible solution. In practically every area of life people have no problem with only one solution to a situation. No one is saying that 2+2 should also equal 6 so as not to offend others. No one is suggesting that we make $10 equal to $100 to make it easier for people to pay debts. Yet in the area of religion and admission to heaven we swing the door wide open for all to enter as they choose.

As we look at Scripture we see that all are welcome to spend eternity in heaven but not as they choose. The invitation is open to all but only through the one way provided. In John 14:6 Jesus says that He is the only way to be saved. A person can gain access to heaven through Him alone. It is only by accepting Christ as Savior and Lord that a person can spend eternity with God.

To some this may seem offensive. Many will say that people are being excluded from heaven. However, Jesus does not exclude people from eternal life. The invitation is open to all who will call upon Him for salvation. Yes it does require a denial of false beliefs. However, if you were wrong would you not want to know and believe what is true?

On September 11 the tragedy that occurred exposed a major flaw in the belief that all roads lead to heaven as long as the believer is sincere and genuine. The men who crashed planes into buildings were practicing their beliefs with extreme devotion. So if you want to say that all roads lead to heaven then you must also say that what those men did was not wrong. They were simply doing what they believed their faith taught. However, if you believe that heaven can only be accessed through one person, Jesus Christ, then you have the ability to call what they did evil and reprehensible.

Organized Religion

2007-04-21T19:48:00.001-06:00

“I believe in God, I just don’t like organized religion.” This seems to be a growing view among many who consider themselves spiritual. As a result some church leaders suggest eliminating much of the structure and organization found in our churches in order to allow people to experience a more fluid relationship with God. Religion has now become the enemy. We must rid ourselves of anything that resembles it.

However, I think caution is needed when examining these issues. Some churches do have too many outdated programs that do not minister effectively. Church has become irrelevant to many people. Sometimes the organization in the church makes it difficult at times to do ministry.

But let’s not throw the proverbial baby out with the bathwater. Maybe organization and structure is not the enemy. Maybe programs are not the reason people are not satisfied with church. Maybe the problem lies with the people creating and implementing the programs and organizations. Organization is a neutral thing that is not inherently evil. What determines if an organization is good or bad is the people running it.

Furthermore, Scripture is full of people who were organized and implemented programs. In the Gospels Jesus organizes the twelve disciples for ministry and sends out seventy disciples to minister to the region.. In Acts we see the formation of the deacon ministry and Paul describes the elder as an organizational leader in 1 Timothy.

So what are we to do? Instead of starting over with how we organize our churches we simply clean them up. Here are some suggestions.

First, always have a specific goal and purpose for your program. Without purpose a church can stay busy but not actually meet any needs. Churches need to know what they want to accomplish and how to accomplish it.

Second, frequently examine your programs and organizations. If they become too complicated and inhibit ministry get rid of them. If they do not fulfill the mission of the church they need to be cut. Too often churches hold on to irrelevant or dead ministries for the sake of tradition.

Third, keep it simple and do it well. Each church has an unlimited number of good things that they can do. As a result many churches end up doing too many things poorly. It is better to say no to some things and do a few things with excellence.

Fourth, minister to real needs. What are the needs of the community? How can the church help? These are questions to ask when deciding on what ministries to initiate. The church must be careful to focus as much on the needs of the community as well as the needs of the congregation.

Finally, keep Christ as the center. Although this seems obvious how often do we become guilty of losing our ultimate reason for ministry. Our goal as the body of Christ is to bring glory and honor to the Savior. We must always remember that all ministry is for the glory of God.

Theme Park Church

2007-04-21T16:46:00.000-06:00

Have you ever been to a theme park? Growing up outside of Dallas/Ft. Worth I loved going to Six Flags. It was always fun to ride the newest coaster and eat my fill of funnel cake. As I survey the church landscape in America I believe many churches experience difficulties because they are more like a theme park than a church. Churches that start with a vision and passion for expanding the kingdom of God stall or decline because they follow a theme park vision instead of a Biblical mandate. This can be seen in three areas.

Facilities vs. Ministry A theme park is best known for its facilities. Enormous amounts of money are poured into the newest rides. They have immaculate grounds, nice restaurants, and eye catching shops. And rightly so. After all, who would want to go to a theme park that is trashy and run down? Although this works well for the theme park is it the best philosophy for the church? Some churches spend huge amounts of money on buildings and comparatively little on ministry. We spend a disproportionate amount of our tithe money to pay bills, building notes, or paint. As a result little is left to do the work of ministry. We end up focusing more on maintenance than on ministry. Buildings and facilities are important but they must be kept in proper focus.

In Ephesians 2:21 Paul notes that the building God is concerned with is not a physical building but a spiritual one. He notes that God is in the process of building a new holy temple for Himself and we are the building materials. This is the true building that believers need to focus on. We are called to be more concerned about ministry than maintenance.

Entertainment vs. Service Why does someone go to a theme park? The obvious answer is entertainment. This entertainment mentality has crept into the church, as well. Church should be an exciting and encouraging place to attend. However, it is not a place to be entertained. People attend church expecting to be served and entertained. If the church does not offer instant gratification and excitement it is severely critiqued or abandoned. Churches are filled with people who sit but do not serve. As a result, it becomes easy to negatively critique aspects of the church in which people are not actively serving such as the music, the preaching, or the most recent program.

Scripture offers a better alternative to this. In Ephesians 4:11,12 Paul notes that God gifts His people to serve, not to be served. Every believer is called to serve. We are not to go to church to be entertained. We are to go to serve others and be discipled in the Word of God.

Come and See vs. Go and Tell A theme park has a come and see mentality. They spend their time and resources making their facilities a place that everyone will want to see. The expectation is for people to travel sometimes large distances to come and see what they have to offer. Unfortunately, the church has bought into this line of thinking as its only form of evangelism. Many in our churches operate with the mentality that a lost world will arrive on our doorstep asking for more information on Jesus Christ. This is not the case.

Christianity is no longer a driving influence in culture or thought. We live in a post Christian culture. The majority of Americans are not concerned about what churches are doing on Sunday. Furthermore, we cannot rely simply on church staff to create outreach programs to reach the lost.

In Matthew 28 Jesus provides us with another form of evangelism. We are called to make disciples as we go into the community. It is important that churches train their congregations to be ministers in their work, schools, and families. Evangelism is not just for the church staff it is for every Christian. Christianity is more than come and see, it demands us to go and tell.

It is important to ask a simple question. What is the purpose of the church? If the purpose is to build our own little kingdoms and adopt a theme park mentality for the local body I believe that the church in America will continue to decline and lose influence in our culture. However, if the purpose of the church is to make disciples of all peoples for the glory of God then I believe we are promised success by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.