We all need a good ‘ol belly laugh from time to time. I got one today when I read the post, “How to Interpret Christianese” by Mark Driscoll. In fact, I laughed so hard my stomach is now cramping. If you’re a leader of any kind in any church, I think you’ll probably get at least a little chuckle from his post. Enjoy!
Brilliant work, Mark!
Insightful article from Relevant Magazine, “What the New Pope Means for Evangelicals”. This is especially good news for those of us who live and pastor in the northeast of the USA, where the overwhelming majority of religious affiliation is Roman Catholic.
A friend recently shared these simple words by Charles R. Swindoll with me and I thought they were just too good to not pass along:
He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but he who walks wisely will be delivered.
Proverbs 28:26
“This may shock you, but I believe the single most significant decision I can make on a day-to-day basis is my choice of attitude.
It is more important than my past, my education, my bankroll, my successes or failures, fame or pain, what other people think of me or say about me, my circumstances, or my position.
Attitude . . . keeps me going or cripples my progress. It alone fuels my fire or assaults my hope.
When my attitudes are right, there’s no barrier too high, no valley too deep, no dream too extreme, no challenge too great for me.
Yet, we must admit that we spend more of our time concentrating and fretting over the things that can’t be changed in life than we do giving attention to the one thing that can, our choice of attitude.”
In our church staff meeting on November 1st, I tried to prepare the staff at VALLEY Christian Church, for the aftermath of the Presidential election that would take place the following Tuesday. We talked about the possible outcomes and how Christians across the political spectrum might react, respond and also FREAK OUT depending on who won the election.
Since the election, we have been very surprised to see the reaction has been more of the FREAK OUT mode than any other (This is not specifically in our church, but with other Christian friends we all have). With that in mind, I’d like to share an incredibly insightful and Biblical post I came across yesterday that I believe EVERY Christian should read, whether they are elated or despairing by the result of the election.
To My Elated and Despairing Post-Election Friends
Thank you Scott Sauls for taking the time to write this. I believe you have helped many!
My wife Susie and I are pretty bummed right now because our trip to Kiev, Ukraine was canceled this week due to airports being closed on account of Hurricane Sandy. There are many reason why we are disappointed, but one of the reasons for me is, I was really looking forward to being out of the country for the week leading up to the 2012 election. I’m really suffering from what I like to call “Campaign Fatigue”. The rhetoric on the television and social media long ago hit the saturation point for me and now are about as welcome as a tooth ache!
It’s seems like many Christians (as usual) are frothing at the mouth, in a frenzy about the dire consequences of the candidate they oppose being elected. With that in mind, I’d like to encourage everyone to just take a minute, tap the brakes, slow down, take a deep breathe and let’s remember a few things:
1. God already knows the outcome of the election and isn’t losing any sleep over it. In fact, God has more power to influence rulers than our votes do! (Proverbs 21:1, Ezra 6:22)
2. Long after the election of 2012, those who name Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior will have to give an account for every vicious, scathing and sarcastic word they’ve said about the opposing candidate about/to others that don’t hold to their same political opinion. (Matthew 12:36-37, Romans 14:10-12)
3. No matter who is elected, Jesus Christ is still King of Kings and Lord of Lords! (Philippians 2:9-12)
Do I plan on voting in this election? Absolutely (And you should too)! Do I have strong convictions about my choice for President? Without question and I hold them firmly and passionately! I just believe that even during a political election, Jesus Christ doesn’t give me a pass from what He expects of me and He still requires me to follow Him and act like Him.
Everyone in the USA knows that today is Halloween, but many Protestant Christians don’t know that it’s also Reformation Day. On this day, October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed his “95 Theses” to the door of the church. He was very deliberate in choosing this day, knowing that the church would be filled on November 1st in celebration of All Saints Day.
Back then, the church door served as a kind of community bulletin board and Luther knew that many would take the time to read his list of arguments against the corruption and abuse in the Roman Catholic Church at the time. Luther never intended to launch a new wing of Christianity, he only sought to “reform” the current practices of the Church back to a place of Biblical truth, but launch a new wing of Christianity he did. And as the old saying goes, “The rest is history”.
To learn more about Martin Luther and the incredible importance of this date in history for Protestants, check HERE & HERE.
Happy Reformation Day!
This morning I heard the story about Manteo Mitchell of the USA 4x400m men’s Olympic relay team. To say it was inspirational in an understatement. Mitchell broke his leg while running his part of the qualifying relay yesterday and still finished (read the full story HERE)! When Mitchell was interviewed after the race, he was asked how he was able to finish running on a BROKEN LEG. His answer, three words kept repeating in his head, “Faith, Focus, Finish“!
Since hearing these three powerful words, I’ve decided to adopt them as my new mantra for life.
FAITH – This means keeping Jesus Christ as the center of everything I do and say. He cannot play a role in my life, he MUST be the star of the show!
FOCUS – Too many Christians focus on the storms of life and not on the Savior. Have you ever met a Christian who anticipates, and even looks for the next storm, rather than looking to the one who calms the storm, JESUS? I have, and it is a sad and miserable existence. To merely survive, is living below God’s plan for our lives. God wants his children to THRIVE (even in the midst of storms), walking in the power of the Holy Spirit. A friend of mine wrote an incredible song called, “My Eyes Are On You” about this very thing. You can check it out HERE.
FINISH – Quitting rarely ever accomplishes anything good in life. Faithfulness and patience are part of the Fruit of the Spirit that God’s longs to develop in every Christians life. Quitters never allow God to develop his character in there lives. There is incredible truth in the old saying, “It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish”.
So, this is my new mantra for life. Simple and yet powerfully profound. What’s your mantra for your life with Christ? How strong is your faith in him? Where’s your focus? Are you a quitter or a finisher?
Thanks Manteo Mitchell, for your courage and simple eloquence!
It’s been said, “If you want to be a leader, you’ve got to be a reader”. That being said, The Explicit Gospel is the best book I’ve read in the last 10 years (and I read 10-15 a year). Matt Chandler does an excellent job instructing and reminding Christians what the Gospel is really all about. I highly recommend The Explicit Gospel for every Christian and especially every pastor in America!
There are seasons in nature and there are seasons in life and ministry. If you’re not sure about this, check out Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. Currently, we’re experiencing an incredible time of growth at VALLEY Christian Church that is unprecedented in the history of our church; attendance up 30% in the last 15 months! Many are coming to Christ and we’re hearing stories of lives being transformed on a weekly, if not daily basis. Here are a five truths I’ve discovered during this season of growth:
1. There are no tricks, gimmicks or shortcuts in Kingdom work. It’s work, and the fact is, more time is spent plowing, sowing and watering than reaping. Nothing replaces good ‘ol fashion prayer, sacrifice, denial, serving study and generosity!
2. No one does it alone. Ministry (and life) were created by God to be done together. The stronger the team, the greater the impact and the more shared responsibility and reward.
3. Give it away. If it’s not your strength, find someone who has the strength and give the job to them. Delegation is a humbling and necessary part of leadership. “Jack of all trades” is often a title that Control Freaks cling to.
4. Perseverance is one of the most undervalued character traits of a Christian. People with tenacity demonstrate character over the long haul, week after week, year after year. Some of the greatest Bible giants were all bout perseverance (Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Joshua and David to name a few). Surround yourself with people who persevere.
5. Simplify. Every sermon, every meeting, every ministry should have a clear, simply expressed goal or purpose. If you can’t explain it simply, you’re not really sure what you’re doing and you’ll never experience success (Kingdom fruit).
This is just a quick list of what I’m learning these days. My heart is full of gratitude to God in this season and I’m enjoying every minute of it realizing it is just that, a season. More truths are sure to follow in future posts.
