Leadership Lessons

On Monday I taught a breakout session at the Vous Conference in Miami. Here are the notes from my session on leadership.

1 Samuel 17:31-51
While others saw an impossible task in front of them, David saw an opportunity for God’s power to be on full display.

Leaders see the “impossible” as an opportunity for God’s power to be revealed.

1 Samuel 17:32-37

2 Perspectives

1. Saul – God sends him someone to defeat his giant. God often answers our prayers by sending someone to help us.
2. David – David’s decision to go after the lion and bear prepared him for bigger challenges. David went after the lion and bear.

Leaders respond with action even when it’s scary.

Many things come our way that either ignite fear and no action, or those things trigger us to effectively do something about it. How we handle those things, often determines how God will use us in the future.

Fears are learned, so we must unlearn them.

Leaders approach situations not confident in themselves, but completely confident in God. “The Lord delivered me…”

David did not allow the lion or bear to define him. Let’s not allow challenges to define us.

1 Samuel 17:38-40

David approaches the situation the only way he knows how, with the gift that God has given him.

David never used a sword or wore armor. He was going to defeat the giant the same way he defeated prior challenges.

Leaders know who they are and equally as important, know who they are not.

God desires leaders to overcome challenges by being who God created them to be.

David’s weapon was a sling shot. Know your weapon.

1 Samuel 17:41-47

David is not using God as a means to an end. The story is about David’s approach to God when faced with a challenge. This is about David not allowing the giant to define him, but allowing God to define him.

Matthew 16:25 – For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.

It’s by becoming nothing that we become something.

Leaders are more concerned about God’s glory, than their own glory.

What should our approach be to God when faced with challenges?

Luke 18:15-17

We approach God like a child. We feel the weight of our desperation to be saved, protected, and defined by God.

Leaders are completely dependent on God.

1 Samuel 17:48-51

A defining moment for David did not define him. He was not defined by what he did, but who he was and whose he was.

Leaders are defined not by what they do, but who and whose they are.
David is described as a man after God’s own heart.

If you’re defined by what you do, who are you when you aren’t doing that?

Coach Hanson

My college coach and basketball program is going to be featured on ESPN this weekend. Be sure to tune in on Saturday, March 12th at 10 am CST for the College Gameday broadcast. Coach Hanson has accumulated over 700 wins - all at Central Bible College. In addition, Coach Hanson has more wins than Roy Williams at UNC, Rick Pitino at Louisville, Bob Huggins at West Virginia, and Gary Williams at Maryland. His legacy, however, does not just include wins and 3 national championships (perhaps a 4th this year), but the fact that an overwhelming percentage of his players have gone on to serve the Lord as missionaries, pastors, and ministers all over the world.

Here's a teaser of the broadcast to be aired this weekend.

5 Reasons Young Adults Leave Church

1. We tell Young Adults what they should think

Young adults need to think through difficult issues, not be spoon fed the answers. If you want young adults to flee your church, I encourage you to not allow them to process their feelings, but to rather tell them exactly how they should think and feel about what concerns them. If you really want them to never come back, let them know that how they feel is wrong and unbiblical. You may even want to throw an out of context Bible verse at them…they really hate that.

2. We are unprepared to handle deep theological discussions

Young adults are often interested in discussing the complexities of our faith, especially those who have at least a bit of a background in church. They are hungry for spiritual transformation, not behavioral modification. The church needs to move away from just talking through concrete and behavioral issues and move toward abstract issues in Scripture. Instead of challenging the way they behave, we must challenge the way they think. They really want to know why many of their friends who have "behaved" correctly still suffer. Or why their heads are full of rules, but no real relationship with God. If we leave them in this place of confusing, they will disconnect from the church.

3. We have an agenda

One of the best ways to get young adults out of your church is to meet with them while having an agenda. Young adults are very perceptive so you don’t even need to be obvious about this. If the only time we call that great 23 year old guitar player is to ask him to play on the worship team Sunday morning, we have an agenda. Young adults are talented, creative, and can be hard workers. However, if we only see them for they can do for the church, we have an agenda. We must get to know them for who they are, not just what they can do.

4. We are dishonest

Young adults place a high value on honesty and bluntness. They will know you love them when you can gracefully be straight forward and honest with them. If you want to completely fail with young adults, I strongly encourage you to be unwilling to have difficult and honest conversations with them. They need and want someone to be straight forward with them about their spiritual journey. If you are reluctant to go down that road with them in a loving, yet confrontational way, they will feel unchallenged and unloved.

5. We are uneducated and disinterested about social issues

Young adults want to make a difference in this world and want to make a difference now. They know about the pain and suffering taking place in this world and truly believe that they can do something about it. If your church is doing nothing about poverty, human trafficking, orphans, widows, and other social issues…your church is completely irrelevant. A young adult couldn’t care less about a church that doesn’t care. While you complain about young adults leaving, they are giving their time to help restore the broken things in this world.

Your Will Be Done...

Matthew 6:9-10 reads, “This, then, is how your should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”(NIV)

Prayer can be one of the most beautiful, frustrating, and perplexing things imaginable. So often we hear stories of when God came through like a knight in shining armor to save the day by providing someone with a financial miracle, physical healing, or renewed relationship. When the church hears about these miracles they are quick to display "God Answers Knee Mail" on the church marquee for everyone to see. Probably well intended because these stories do offer us hope and are instrumental for our faith. However, I would suggest, more often we pray for God to do something with our finances, health, and relationships, but feel like nothing happens. We believe that God is the source of everything we need, but we wonder where He is when we truly need something from Him. I mean certainly it is not God’s will for us to struggle financially, suffer physically, or to endure relational hardships. Or is it?

We have probably all evaluated our prayer life at one time or another asking ourselves, “Am I doing this right?” It is safe to say that the disciples were asking themselves the same question because they asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. Jesus responds with a big, mature, pinnacle, varsity level prayer and then says pray like this.

When we pray “your will be done” what are we praying for?

It is a scary prayer because when truly communicated from the heart, it puts God completely in the center instead of us. It is not a prayer for God to make our dreams come true or for God to bless us, but it is a prayer that positions us in a way that when things do not go our way, it is okay because God is in the center of it all. This is not a prayer for a hedge of protection, or a million dollars, but one that requires complete trust and surrender in God.

The cry of our heart is not for a certain thing, but in the thing which causes our heart to cry out, God is magnified and our desire is for His will to be done. It is not just a five minute prayer in the morning when we wake up that we can cross off of our to-do list. It is a prayer that commits our entire day, month, year, and life to God and His will. It is a prayer that places God at the center of our job, relationships, family, finances, and future. It is a beautiful prayer and one that is completely God-centered and selfless.

How do we pray for God’s will?

Luke 11:9-10 reads, “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”(NIV)

With God at the center, we persistently ask, seek, and knock for His will to be done.

Ask - We ask for God’s will to be done in our relationships, job, life, education, family, etc. We ask God for healing, restoration, and provision.

Seek - Asking is sometimes the easy part. I have been guilty of saying, “I hate this about me, take this away from me Lord,” but then I do nothing about it. Sometimes the answer to our prayer is for us to do something about it. If we ask God to help us financially while spending money on clothes we do not need, food that is not good for us, and entertainment that does not bring glory to Him, we are telling God that we do not want His help. When we ask, but do nothing, we are not praying for God’s will to be done. Seek out advice, wisdom, and personal responsibility.

Knock (wait patiently) - When we knock we are in essence waiting for a response, waiting for some sort of answer. This is the hardest part of this prayer. It is often easy to trust God’s power, but not easy to trust His timing. It is tempting during this process to make things happen on our own, but it is encouraging to know that through the waiting process true spiritual transformation happens. It is in the knocking stage when we can evaluate our lives and discover if God is in the center or if we are.

Are you praying for God’s will to be done? Remember, it is not an easy prayer and one that requires complete trust and surrender in God.

Small Group Culture

"I believe that the theological recovery of this idea of 'the church of the house' is one of the most important tasks of our generation. Whereas the organization is an optional extra...the cellular structure of the church will be rediscovered as a necessity of its life..." - John A. T. Robinson, in On Being the Church in the World

Most likely, you have some sort of structure at your church for small groups. This could be a traditional Sunday school class, mid-week home group, or Sunday evening life group. While venues differ, the overall purpose of small groups seem to be the same…developing relationships and encouraging community. In my two years as the National Young Adult Ministries Coordinator, I cannot recall a growing ministry that does not encourage small groups.

In the early “house churches” described by Paul in Romans 16, relationship and community were almost always established in someone’s house (typically over a meal). During the first two centuries of the Christian movement, church buildings did not exist so it was necessary for people to meet in homes. It was under the “house church” format that the early church grew so rapidly. It’s safe to say that it’s no coincidence that we are seeing similar “success” all over the world of those who use small groups as their primary method for developing relational connection. It's also no wonder why church growth is so significant where small groups are so evident.

The “G12” life group approach in Colombia has grown from 600 small groups to well over 50,000 in 5 years. In Cuba, where church construction is forbidden, the Assemblies of God church has grown from 9,000 to over 500,000 in 20 years and has well over 3,000 house churches. Dr. Yonggi Cho pastors the largest church in the world in Seoul, Korea. However, because the church is built on the home group model, he describes it as both the largest and the smallest church in the world. In addition, the Hosanna World Outreach Centre in New Zealand is not only the fastest growing church in New Zealand, but also the youngest demographically and is organized specifically through small groups. Their pastor Josh Avia lays out their effectiveness with this simple statement, “We are a cell church where everybody does everything.”

Small groups where all members participate equally and as directly as possible are being proven to be more effective for life transformation then large gatherings. We often think of small groups as being part of the church, however, the New Testament church was a small group. In other words, instead of having our small groups serve the Sunday morning service, the Sunday morning service should serve our small groups.

What Does a Healthy Small Group Look Like?

There is currently a huge emphasis on leadership in church culture. While leadership in the church is extremely important as Paul does address in his letters, the overarching theme and emphasis of his letters to the church is for all members, not just those called to be leaders. Paul expects “ordinary” church members to be mature enough to sort out their own relational issues and gives plenty of guidelines to do so. The goal is authentic community with every believer, no matter what their spiritual gift may be. Paul continuously emphasizes shared responsibility as being true community. Every person is to serve with their gifts to build up believers and to advance the kingdom of God.

I find Paul’s letter to the Ephesians as being a significant tool when figuring out the purpose of small groups (the church). Almost the entire letter is dedicated to instructing the church in God’s purpose. Perhaps the most valuable passage of scripture in determining a metric for small groups is found in Ephesians 4:11-13, 16 –
It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

A small group should be…
Preparing all people for works of service – corporately and individually
Promoting unity in faith and knowledge of God – prayer, doctrine, theology
Producing spiritual maturity – transparency, confession, repentance
Progressing in love – loving God and loving our neighbor

How Does This Happen?

An effective functioning small group does not filter down through leadership, but comes through the supporting ligaments. The body is held together by people doing what they are gifted to do. It’s mainly through the interaction of every person that the Holy Spirit can truly become evident. This structure is so vital for today’s generation of young adults and it’s so important for the leader to recognize and pull the gifts and abilities out of people. Young adults don’t need an authority figure to access information, but they are interested in authority figures who can help them identify gifts which can produce restoration. In other words, healthy small groups are less about talking and more about doing and being.

Here are few things you can either begin or continue doing…

Get your small group involved in community service. Once you involve yourself in something corporately, you will be more apt to begin participating in works of service individually. Eventually, it will become less of an event and more of a lifestyle. Your goal should go from doing a service from being a service.

Attempt to get your small group unified doctrinally. Sometimes we assume that disagreeing about something means that we are not unified, however, some disagreement is healthy. Ultimately, focus more on how you live out the scriptures and less about how you exegete the scriptures. We can certainly find some common ground regarding the core foundations of grace, forgiveness, repentance, and prayer.

Model genuine repentance. Young adults are sometimes too authentic (if there is such a thing). It’s important for leaders to demonstrate how transparency can be managed in a healthy way. Be open about sin and repentance, however, don’t fall into the trap of glamorizing sin. The goal is spiritual maturity, not a misguided message of grace.

Commit to being a small group that is identified by your love for God and each other. Others should be jealous of the way your small group loves. Consistently communicate and demonstrate love. Love doesn’t mean never hurting someone’s feelings. Love is accountability and many things will need to be addressed. For example, gossip and slander should not be tolerated.

In can be difficult to facilitate a small group and to manage young adults through the complexities of life. I encourage you, however, to experiment with something. It's better to try something than to do nothing. When something is an experiment, you cannot fail.

Countercultural, Not "Relevant"

An entire movement toward being “relevant” is running amok throughout American churches. Once a useful adjective, this word has become the idyllic Holy Grail for churches craving the cool factor. – Gabe Lyons, The Next Christians

Can we become too relevant?

It may depend on your definition. For some Christians, it may be what they consider to be trendy, hoping that others will see their church as being “cool” or “different.” The idea is consciously or subconsciously, “if we can just make our church cool, everyone will want to join in.” For others, it’s simply trying to communicate or adapt the gospel message in a way that people can relate to.

Seems harmless, but may I suggest that by mimicking cultural tendencies, we are only making the church a trend follower and not a trend setter. Gabe Lyons explains it like this, “It’s a catch-up mentality. The pursuers end up in second, third, or fourth place, striving to be in the lead, but never quite get there. It’s proving to be a misguided premise.”

Culture does not provide accurate solutions for those who desire truth concerning grace, purpose, and meaning. Perhaps by trying to build a bridge to culture through relevance, we are only ignoring the true cravings of people. While we must be engaged in culture, as Mark Driscoll points out in a recent post here, we are also to reject some aspects of our culture and redeem the things that are not evil in and of themselves. In other words, embrace culture with the purpose of being able to recognize how your community should respond appropriately and faithfully. Maybe instead of trying to accomplish relevance, the church should be offering an alternative way of living that is counter to their culture.

I suggest the church becomes too relevant when it becomes more about fitting in with culture and less about becoming countercultural. I'm certainly not implying that we become more known for what we are against than what we are for. I think we need to become better at lighting candles than we are at cursing darkness. I just wonder if our faith communities need to be less about relevance and more about how to live counter to culture.

Culture doesn’t reveal that we’re actually blessed when we’re insulted, persecuted, and lied about. Culture doesn’t tell us to be glad when we’re mistreated. Didn’t Jesus basically say, culture says to hate your enemies, but I tell you to love them; culture says eye for an eye, but I say turn the other cheek; culture says don’t kill, but I say don’t even be angry toward another brother?

Our American culture tells us to chase after wealth, comfort, power, success, and complete happiness. These things aren't necessarily bad, but the values and commands of Jesus are different.

How is this counterculture message communicated?

It’s so cliché, the message stays the same, but the methods change. Well, then what determines when or how the methods change?

Here’s how Paul explains it in 1 Corinthians 9:22-23, “I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel.” Later in 1 Corinthians 10:33 he says, “even as I try to please everybody in every way…I am not seeking my own good but the good of many so that they may be saved.”

Paul was a missionary to culture. Wherever he went he preached the gospel and did it in such a way that Christ was glorified. When he was with Jews, he lived like a Jew. When he was with Gentiles, he lived like a Gentile. When he was with those of weaker faith, he was conscious of that fact. He embraced each broken and fallen culture all while not compromising who he was in Christ and by offering an alternative way of living that stood out.

His methods depended on three things…

- His Mission – Paul did what he did “for the sake of the gospel” and “so that they may be saved.” That was his mission. What he was doing determined how he was going to accomplish it. We need to first determine our mission before we start figuring out how we can going to achieve it.

- His Context – Paul’s ultimate message didn’t change, but what did change was the context of who he presented it to. Corinth was a town highly influenced by Greek culture, so Paul saw it appropriate to use Greek philosophy in his messages because people were interested. He used their cultural interests by not shunning them, but by using them as a catalyst to offer counterculture solutions. In Galatia, he needed to contextualize his message to address the bondages of legalism that were being placed on Gentiles. Paul’s method of communication was to simply deconstruct the false teachings of the Judaizers and then to reconstruct the message of the gospel – It is by grace through faith alone that man is justified. By listening to the influences of his context, Paul was able to offer biblical solutions. Similarly, when we put our ears to our city and truly listen to its questions and concerns, we can provide biblical solutions.

- His Style – I don’t know this for sure, but I’m guessing Paul didn’t sit around too much thinking, “If I could just preach more like Barnabas, Peter, or Silas, I would have a more relevant ministry.” In addition, I seriously doubt he wished he could write as eloquently as James or had as many Twitter followers as Timothy. Paul appeared to be pretty confident in who he was and who he wasn’t. Relevance takes on an unhealthy precedence when we try to become someone we are not. If it’s not you to show movie clips when you teach, then don’t. If it's not you to wear skinny jeans and v-necks, then for the love of God...don't. If you’re a leader who feels pressure to be the life of the party, but you’re not wired to do so, then don’t. If you’re not funny, don’t try to be.

I recently read a great post by Pete Wilson where he talks about the importance of knowing who you’re not. He writes, “I think it’s painfullly obvious that way too many Christian (leaders) are attempting to live a life that is not true to who they are.” I can definitely relate to that. Read the whole post here. When we get to Heaven, God’s not going to ask, “why weren’t you more like Andy Stanley, Rob Bell, or Francis Chan?” He may ask though, “why weren’t you more like you?”

Being too relevant is when it becomes more important than being true to your mission, context, and style. What is your mission? What is your culture telling you? How can you help offer Biblical solutions?

Sweet Vindication

Psalm 24:4-5 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. He will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God his Savior.

I like how “vindication” and “blessing” are used as synonyms in this passage. We typically think of blessing as a tangible gift or some sort of favor from God. While that can be true, here it is meant more as being treated justly or rightly by God; hence, the reason it is accompanied with vindication.

I think we tend to send out the boo's to God when it seems that our life is nothing but one fumble after another. On the other hand, we offer up enthusiastic clap offerings when we feel like God is scoring us nothing but touchdowns.

What an emotional roller coaster.

I am convinced that God wants us to be consistent despite the inconsistencies that life may bring. I’m not suggesting we be fake, but rather clear concerning the nature of God. There are principles laid out in scripture; however, living out those principles only guarantee vindication. I can at least have peace that God is treating me rightly even when it feels like life is tackling me down. Isn’t it peace that surpasses all understanding?

So, I can live out the following principles knowing that whatever happens, God is in control. I’m not seeking blessings. I’m simply seeking God. He’s enough no matter what. These are some of His principles to live by. I believe that the way He wants me to live is way better than any other way.

Clean hands = someone whose actions are guiltless

Pure heart = one who displays innocent actions with selfless motives

Does not lift his soul to an idol = doesn’t worship empty, false, or hopeless ideologies

Does not swear by what is false = places their hope, identity, trust, and purpose fully in God and nothing else

Lord, vindicate me.

Beautiful Things

I love this...

Beautiful Things from Canvas Coalition on Vimeo.

What's Your Purpose?

Do you ever wonder what your exact purpose is?

Rick Warren has said: “God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity. We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense.”

Furthermore, Acts 17:28 states, 'For in him we live and move and have our being.'

I think a lot of us get that we are created in God's image for relationship with him, and that relationship with God is the only thing that will ultimately satisfy our souls…to live, move, and have being.

We may recognize who we are supposed to be, but get confused when it comes to what we are supposed to do. While our identity should never be wrapped up in what we do, it is typically displayed through what we do. I recently heard John Maxwell say, “true success is only achieved after one discovers what they are here to do.”

I’ve also heard that the two greatest days of your life are when you are born and when you figure out why.

Consider a hammer. It's designed to hit nails. That's what it was created to do. Now imagine that the hammer never gets used. It just sits in the toolbox. The hammer doesn't care.

But now imagine that same hammer with a soul and a self-consciousness. Days and days go by with him remaining in the toolbox. He feels funny inside, but he's not sure exactly why. Something is missing, but he doesn't know what it is.

Then one day someone pulls him out of the toolbox and uses him to break some branches for the fireplace. The hammer is exhilarated. Being held, being wielded, hitting the branches--the hammer loves it. He discovers that he was created to be used by and for his owner. At the end of the day, though, he is still unfulfilled. Hitting the branches was fun, but it wasn't enough. Something is still missing.

In the days that follow, he's used often. He reshapes a hubcap, blasts through some sheet rock, knocks a table leg back into place. Still, he's left unfulfilled. So he longs for more action. He wants to be used as much as possible to knock things around, to break things, to blast things, to dent things. He figures that he just hasn't had enough of these events to consider himself a successful hammer. He concludes that just having more similar events is the solution to his lack of fulfillment.

Then one day he is used to hit a nail. Suddenly, the lights come on in his hammer soul. He now understands what he was truly created to do. He was meant to hit nails. All the other things he hit pale in comparison. Now he knows what his hammer soul was searching for all along.

I think we are a lot like a hammer. We know that we are to be used, just not sure for what. We submit our lives to our Master desiring to be utilized by Him for an amazing purpose, yet still end up unfulfilled.

I wonder if that’s okay. Could something bigger be going on when it seems like God is using us to just knock things around, break things, and dent things? Perhaps we need to first go through those things before we truly “hit the nail on the head.”

Do you know what your purpose is?
Do you feel pressure to discover your ‘exact’ purpose?

What if our ‘exact’ purpose was to do what we’re doing now the best that we can? Our approach to reshaping hubcaps and knocking table legs back in place can either prepare us for the future, or leave us bitter about our present. I think everything we go through in life is to prepare us for the next life event…whatever that may be.

As for me, I’m going to try and live out 1 Corinthians 15:58
Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Are We Making it Difficult?

“We should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.”

This is what James said in Acts 15 after some Pharisees suggested that the Gentiles should be converted to Judaism before they could come to faith in Jesus Christ. Basically, these religious leaders wanted these new converts to dress like them, have to be circumcised like them, and have to adhere to their calendar and way of doing things before they could receive the free gift of salvation.

Paul, Barnabas, James, and the other apostles and elders were not about to let that happen. Here’s the message they sent to the Gentiles…
“We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said…therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell.”

Are we making it difficult for those who are turning to God?

Believe it or not, more and more people are seeking out spirituality and their need for truth, grace, and purpose. People desire these things, but often choose to test things out before fully committing to a source.

2000 years ago the pressure for the Gentiles was to belong to a certain custom.

I wonder if the pressure for people today is not necessarily to belong, but to believe.

Anytime I’m in a car dealership and feel pressured to sign on the dotted line before completely convinced it’s the right car for me, I walk as far away from that place hoping to never return. Similarly, could we be making it difficult for people to turn to God by requiring them to believe it’s for them before they’re truly convinced it is? The reality is that Jesus is the right choice for everyone, however, each individual must first recognize their need for him.

I was talking with someone this past weekend who spent a few years wanting nothing to do with God. He mentioned that his church was making it too difficult for him to pursue a relationship with God. He had a lot of questions and wanted be a part of community that had open dialogue. He went on saying that his church didn’t allow him to ask any questions or doubt anything about the nature and character of God. He didn’t like that every response to his questions was, “you just have to believe that He’s the one for you and you need to put your faith in Him.” He suggested that he didn’t need all of his questions answered, but just would have appreciated the freedom to ask them.

I’m convinced that we’re not asking people to abide to certain customs and laws, but perhaps we are making it difficult by not allowing people to speak freely. I think we can agree that there’s a lot of weird stuff attached to Christianity and the Bible. Maybe we can make it less difficult for those who are turning to God by acknowledging how it all looks – and sounds – to someone from the outside.

Thirst Conference Highlights

This past Saturday, 9/25, I had the privilege of participating in the Thirst Young Adults Conference in Scotch Plains, NJ. The mission of THIRST was to connect, inspire, and equip young adults and leaders to meet the unique challenges they face in their communities and everyday lives. I believe the conference executed its mission. It's now up to the young adults who attended this conference to carry it out.

THIRST worship was lead by Gungor and general session speakers included: Anne Jackson, Jon Acuff, Gabe Lyons, Eric Mason, and Margaret Feinberg. Each speaker brought their unique style and inspiration. Here's a little (homemade) piece of what the almost 400 young adults experienced. Stay tuned later this week for interviews with Margaret Feinberg, Trevor Gordan Hall (musician), and Bobby Nemuth (local teaching pastor and young adult leader).

Engaging Your Faith in College

The following is an article I wrote for RELEVANT Magazine.

When I was 4 years old, while running along the edge of the pool, I slipped on a small puddle and fell right into one of the scariest moments of my life. I had seconds to figure out how to kick my legs and paddle my arms in order to keep my head above water. I initially panicked before survival mode kicked in. Obviously, I made it out alive, but the experience taught me that you can never be 100% prepared for anything. My few swim lessons had given me just enough confidence to tip-toe along the perimeter of the pool, but still left me to fend for myself once I entered.

Life is filled with experiences that force us to learn on our own. Many are about to embark on such a journey that will leave them feeling like they have just fallen into a pool for the very first time. The emotions when entering college can range anywhere from complete dread to complete freedom. While some may seem to fall in, some may enter slowly, while still others appear to dive right in. In high school, your world and life could have been perceived as somewhat manageable, conventional and predictable. Sure, there was the classic teenage drama like the ones depicted on each new episode of The Secret Life of the American Teenager. However, the sexual temptations, relational conflicts and emotional breakdowns often experienced on a college campus are intensified by the new pressures of becoming an adult. It’s going to be important to consistently remind yourself of the lessons you learned while in youth ministry. Often times, those lessons didn’t necessarily come from a sermon but from the time you were encouraged privately by a pastor or friend. Take some time to write down some examples of when and how your life was impacted most during your high school ministry. One of the best ways to get through discouraging moments, is to be reminded of past breakthrough faith experiences. This will help you cope when you suddenly find yourself disconnected from your encouraging youth ministry family. After all, keeping your head above water is going to take action, discipline and faith.

How students choose to engage in their faith once in college often determines whether or not they will keep their head above the temptation, stress and relational tension that often accompanies one’s college experience. Students who dive right in are the ones who are confident to take on the waters. Here are ways to engage your faith and to take on this new world.

1. Stand up for what’s right, not necessarily against what’s wrong.

What's the right thing do? This is the question young adults continue to ask. According to Lifeway research, 66 percent of churched young adults rated the opportunity to meet the needs of others (locally and globally) as extremely important in their lives, and 47 percent of unchurched young adults said the same. Inside or outside the Church, emerging generations are looking for opportunities to impact their world. Involve yourself in campus service projects, fundraisers and community events that support the Gospel. I think Bono said it best when he said, “At a certain point, I just felt, you know, God is not looking for alms, God is looking for action.” People are sick of hearing from Christians and ready to see us in action. Show people that righteousness is doing something right, not the absence of doing something wrong.

2. Get involved in a campus community.

No one should ever go through life alone. Thankfully, your campus will most likely have several Christian communities to get involved in like Chi Alpha, InterVarsity, FCA, Baptist Collegiate Ministry, Campus Ambassadors and many more. You can go online to see which ministries are offered at your college. You are going to want to do this early so you can begin building relationships with people of similar beliefs and convictions right away. The earlier you establish relationships, the sooner you can develop trusting friendships. Many other clubs are going to be vying for attention, but engaging in a Christian community must be a priority. Schedule a meeting with the leader of a campus ministry to see how you can get involved. Most likely, they will be thrilled you reached out and will have several areas where you can serve.

3. Allow your professors to challenge your theology.

Don’t be shocked when your beliefs are threatened. There will be some moments during a class lecture when you feel that everything you believe about God and the Bible is being completely attacked. You may be compelled to defend your theology in front of your whole class; however, I suggest that arguing with someone who holds a couple of Master’s Degrees and a Doctorate or two is not the best idea. On the other hand, you may feel obliged to re-consider everything you know about God right there on the spot. In those moments, take a deep breath and then find some time to further study and discuss your class material from a biblical perspective. Your response to anything that challenges the truth of the Bible will determine whether or not you allow it to build your faith or deplete it. Having your beliefs challenged is not a bad thing. Responding negatively, however, can be damaging.

4. Choose love.

A great and complex way to stretch your faith is by choosing love. Jesus interacted with and cared for the “least of these.” In the days of Jesus, these people were lepers, prostitutes, the demon possessed and even children. Discover who the “least of these” are on your campus and choose to love and accept them. After all, people will be able to identify something different about you by who and how you love. Make a conscious effort to be kind and gentle to everyone you come in contact with. In addition, make an attempt to show compassion by approaching people you would typically not interact with. Commit to going out of your way to show compassion to at least one person each day.

5. Set a precedent.

Determine where you stand early and often. I’m passionate about meat, bread and potatoes. On the other hand, I’m adamant about not eating anything green. I’m sorry, I just can’t get myself to put anything green in my mouth—I’m not going to do it. Because I set that precedent early on with my friends and family, no one ever expects me to eat broccoli, green beans or lettuce. When eating at someone else’s house, they don’t even bother preparing a salad for me because they know I won’t eat it. Similarly, if you take a stand early against immorality, people will eventually not even bother to ask if you want to participate. You don’t need to be over-bearing, but you need to be honest. When you have an opportunity to talk about your relationship with God, do so with grace and peace. Once you explain where you stand spiritually, you make yourself accountable to everyone else. Set these precedents early.

6. Find a church home.

I remember walking into a Starbucks for the very first time on my own to order a drink. My wife, being a Starbucks vet and fluent in the lingo would always order for me. This time, however, I stood alone before a bunch of completely foreign words and had no idea what to choose. The person in front of me ordered a Caramel Frappachino so I decided to do the same. I quickly realized that it was completely different from what my wife always ordered for me. I hesitated to even try it because it was so unusual to me, however, after the first sip I knew that this was my new all time favorite drink. Finding a new church is somewhat similar to my Starbucks experience. Most likely, your parents or girlfriend or boyfriend have always chosen a church for you. Once in college, however, you get to decide where you attend. So many college students don’t attend church because they haven’t found the “perfect church.” Let me reassure you that there is no such thing as the perfect church. I encourage you, in the midst of your church hopping, to eventually settle on the essentials. What are 3 areas of a church that are non-negotiable for you? This could be biblical depth, worship, and community. You don’t need to find the perfect church, you just need find the best church for you. Remember, a church may seem odd to you, but after your first visit, you may realize that it’s the one you’ve been waiting for.

My experience of falling into the pool at the age of 4 was traumatizing for me. I wasn’t completely prepared, I didn’t know all the steps, and it scared me to death … almost literally. You may be experiencing some similar feelings as you are about to enter college. Or, perhaps you feel as confident as Michael Phelps before he enters a pool, but still anxious of how you are going to get to the finish line. I encourage you to realize that God is a God of the journey and not just the destination. He is with you every step of the way and does not want to see you drown. God is cheering for you and wants to see you succeed. With that in mind, you don’t need to fall in or even slowly test the waters; you can have the confidence to dive right in.

*Originally appeared in RELEVANT Magazine College Edition.

Becoming a Berean

I made a commitment a while ago to become a Berean. Acts 17:11 states, Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

I'm not quite there, but I want that.

I never want to believe something just because it was said by a speaker who fluently comes across with flawless charisma and conviction. I also never want to read something and assume it’s right because it was written by an “influential” conference speaker and author.

My wife often calls me a skeptic and I have to agree with her on that one. I sometimes wonder if skepticism is my spiritual gift. For some reason, skepticism just comes naturally for me.

Anyway, I want to be one who examines the Scriptures every day to see if what people are telling me is true.

I did this today with a blog that I read. It doesn’t matter who the author is. I’ve read several posts by this person and generally appreciate a lot of what I read while other times respectfully disagreeing.

I caught myself reading right past some catchy phrases thinking, “this is good stuff.” I then paused and reminded myself that perhaps I should examine some of this.

Here are a few examples that I just don’t see lining up with scripture. His statements are in italics.

If you don’t say “oh crap” when God reveals what He wants for your life…then you probably didn’t hear from God!
Perhaps that is sometimes the case. However, I think God more often wants us to do what could be considered simple things like...love our neighbor, love our spouse, care for our kids, be kind to people, encourage someone. I don’t respond with “oh crap,” you want me to train my child in the way she should go!

David faced his fear and stepped out to face Goliath.
Does the Bible ever say that David even feared Goliath? We so often use this story in scripture to help us conquer our fears or giants. In elementary school it was the fear of bullies, in high school it was overcoming the ‘giant’ temptation of drinking beer and fitting in, and as adults it is conquering the giant of debt. We open up 1 Samuel and read about how “David overcame his fear of the giant and how you too can overcome your giant.” I just read all of 1 Sam 17 and don’t see any indication that David was ever afraid. He was an expert at the sling shot and saw a strategy to defeat the giant that others didn’t. He wasn’t afraid, he was a clever young man with a great plan who had a clear advantage. He previously killed a lion and a bear in the same way he was about to kill Goliath. We make an assumption that this story has to do with overcoming fear. I think it’s much more likely to assume that David had the clear advantage over the slow and uncoordinated giant. Maybe this story has more to do with Goliath's pride.

“I will do it one day” is a lie that we tell ourselves in order to justify our disobedience.
Or, it’s actually an act of obedience because God wants to prepare us for what He has called us to do. I wonder how many times David said, “I will do it one day” when referring to his destiny of becoming king? He waited 15 years. Paul spent 3 years preparing for what God had called him to (Gal. 1:18).

Just to make it clear, I am by no means attacking the author of the blog I'm referring to. I have written and have said several things publicly which I later examined and realized I was wrong. I am simply encouraging us to examine what we hear and what we read.

It seems to me like the whole premise behind his post is to communicate that God wants us to achieve greatness. He mentions that there are several things we need to overcome in order for us to “achieve everything God has for us.” Maybe it’s just semantics, but since when was the Christian faith ever about achieving anything? I thought the whole point of being a follower of Christ was to become nothing so God can be made great. We are here to bring Him glory, not vice versa.

Colossians 1:6-11
6Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,
7having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.
8See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.
9For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form,
10and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;
11and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ.

Please take time to examine this post and please feel free to disagree with anything I’ve said. I encourage you to truly love the Lord your God with all of your mind; however, God doesn’t just encourage it, He commands it.

Ten Commandments of Decision Making

Not sure where I got this, but it's great stuff.

1. Everything must address the central question, how will it help us to better fulfill our mission? And the mission must be connected to changing lives.
2. Focus on opportunities, not problems. Far too often, the best resources are assigned to solving problems instead of seizing opportunities.
3. Deciding what not to do is often more important than deciding what to do. “There is nothing as useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all.” (Peter Drucker)
4. Don’t wait for others to forge innovation, then seek to duplicate. Be creative, innovate, and think out of the box.
5. People decisions are more important than strategy decisions. People are our greatest resource. They are also constantly looking at what values we really hold.
6. Understand that all decisions are team decisions. No individual has the temperament and the skills to do every job. The purpose of a team is to make strengths productive and weaknesses irrelevant.
7. The three most important questions are “What is our reason for being?”, “Who are we serving?”, and “What do those we are serving expect of us?”
8. Resist the tried and proven approach. Just because it worked yesterday does not insure it will work today.
9. Don’t defend the indefensible. Admit you made a mistake and move to another option rather than putting a “spin” on everything.
10. Understand that plan B may be no better than plan A, and it could be worse. If it doesn’t work, it’s almost always better to do something different than to tweak it.

Hawaii

I recently returned from an amazing week in Hawaii with some of the most incredible people on the planet. I'm so thankful to Bethel Chapel and the Hawaii district for such an awesome experience. I had the privilege of speaking for the Getaway Young Adult Retreat, Sunday morning service at Bethel Chapel, and the Sunday night service at First Assembly in Red Hill. Other highlights included...

- The most delicious food imaginable
- North Shore
- Shaved Ice
- Pearl Harbor
- Aloha Stadium Swap meet
- Early morning body boarding
- Service Project
- Playing b-ball
- Forming and building relationships with an outstanding group of people

Here is some footage from our community outreach.



Here is my Hawaii experience in under a minute.

Leadership Lesson From Dancing Guy

Interesting video, isn’t it? I especially like the recap…

If you are a version of the shirtless dancing guy, all alone, remember the importance of nurturing your first few followers as equals, making everything clearly about the movement, not you.

Wasn’t that Jesus? He taught and displayed to his first few followers what real life was all about.

In today’s day and age we tend to get so caught up in capturing huge numbers. In the process we convince ourselves that we need to become big influencers with captivating ministries that will draw the masses. We read books and attend conferences that outline proven methods and principles from those who are considered “leadership experts.” We then attempt implementing those techniques only to find ourselves more frustrated at the end.

Why is that? Perhaps it’s because we focus too much on the methods and not enough on the mission. Maybe it’s because we are trying to build programs instead of building people. I don’t think shirtless dancing guy was trying create or build anything. If he was, his method in doing so was certainly unorthodox. When I see shirtless dancing guy I’m reminded a little of what Isaiah says about Jesus. Doesn’t he inform us that Jesus had no beauty or majesty to attract people to him, and that nothing in his appearance would cause people to desire him?

When I see Jesus in scripture, I don’t see someone intentional about creating a movement. I simply see someone loving people, building people, and releasing people. The books we read in the New Testament were not written by Jesus, but rather by those who were impacted by his leadership. Isaiah describes Jesus as one who was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Just think, he was willing to go through all of that so people like John, Peter, Luke, Timothy, Barnabas, Paul, and others could be a part of establishing the greatest movement of all time.

Place yourself in that grassy field for a moment. You’re trying to enjoy a nice little concert when, suddenly, shirtless dancing guy stirs up some commotion. If it’s me, I’m probably either whispering some jabs at him under my breath, or asking my friends if they think he’s crazy. Others might be thinking or discussing even worse things about him. This is where I love the narration… There is no movement without the first follower. Did you catch that? Followers begin movements, not leaders. So maybe, before we create great leaders, we first discover the true followers. These aren’t just the ones attending your meetings or your events, but these are the ones that are willing to get up and dance with you. These are the ones who are now leading out in prayer, coming up with crazy outreach ideas, and hosting Bible studies in their homes. Once they begin dancing, let them. It’s no longer just about your vision, it’s now about you helping fulfill theirs.

Finally, don’t think you have to be a big influencer. I encourage you to find a follower and then to work on influencing and leading that one. After all, there is no movement without the first follower.

We're told that we all need to be leaders, but that would be really ineffective. The best way to make a movement is to courageously follow.

Overcoming Loss of Hope

I looked everywhere: glove compartment, kitchen counter, dresser, night stand, bath tub, microwave, and even the refrigerator, but my keys were nowhere to be found. Finally, after searching for what seemed to be like hours, I patted my side pocket and realized they had been on me the entire time. Has this ever happened to you?

This is often how we treat hope. We search high and low looking in what seems to be obvious places while later becoming desperate, we begin to explore in the most obscure locations. After coming up empty each time, we ultimately discover the hope that we’ve been searching for is right with us, or do we?

In John 11 Jesus appears to Martha only to find her mourning her brother’s death. The first thing Martha says to Jesus when he arrives is, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” I often catch myself saying something similar when I feel that God is far away. It’s usually not because the loss of a loved one, but rather due the loss of an expectation. I thought for sure that job would have landed, or that raise would have occurred, or that check would have come through. I placed my hope in this expectation and when it didn’t materialize the way I thought God wanted it to, I doubted his existence in that area of my life.

When we wrap our faith around an external event to take place, our faith becomes only as strong as the outcome of that expectation. Martha understood that her brother would rise again in the last day, but she was still disappointed that Jesus didn’t prevent the death. Likewise, we often recognize that in the end most things will be okay, but we still leave certain situations puzzled that God didn’t come through how we thought He would. Later on Jesus explained to Martha that He was the resurrection and the life. Did you catch that? Jesus was the outcome, the event, the expectation, and all the hope she needed. While Martha was upset that her hope in a resurrection event didn’t take place with her brother, Jesus stands before her as the only hope she needs.

God has never promised to us a life that would turn out how we want. He never guarantees a life on earth that is free from pain, suffering, and disappointment. He never says, “Come to me, so all of your hopes and dreams can come true.” The true meaning of the gospel is that we give our lives over to Jesus, and He’s enough no matter what. Can we pray for healing, a job, and finances? Absolutely! Can we get mad at God when those things don’t turn out how we want? Absolutely not. Our hope isn’t in external expectations, but our hope is the Lord.

Isaiah 40:31 – But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Chelsea Baker

This is my daughter, Alyza, in about 9 years.

Matt Chandler - Preaching and the De-churched

A talk from Matt Chandler on how the church needs to refocus and how cancer has affected his family. I love this guy.

Backstage: Matt Chandler from SBC Greater Things 2010 on Vimeo.

Finding a Church Home

The following is some advice I recently gave to a college Freshman looking for a church home in a new town.

I remember walking into a Starbucks for the very first time on my own to order a drink. My wife, being a Starbucks vet and fluent in the lingo would always order for me. This time, however, I stood alone before a bunch of completely foreign words and had no idea what to choose. The person in front of me ordered a Caramel Frappachino so I decided to do the same. I quickly realized that it was completely different from what my wife always ordered for me. I hesitated to even try it because it was so unusual to me, however, after the first sip I knew that this was my new all time favorite drink. Finding a new church is somewhat similar to my Starbucks experience. Most likely, your parents or girlfriend have always chosen a church for you. Now, however, you get to decide where you attend. So many college students don’t attend church because they haven’t found the “perfect church.” Let me reassure you that there is no such thing as the perfect church. I encourage you, in the midst of your church hopping, to eventually settle on the essentials. What are 3 areas of a church that are non-negotiable for you? This could be biblical depth, worship, and community. You don’t need to find the perfect church, you just need find the best church for you. Remember, a church may seem odd to you, but after your first visit, you may realize that it’s the one you’ve been waiting for. Also, don't just choose a church that serves you, but choose a church where you can see yourself serving others.