Dear kid in whatever third world country: Let me tell you about my bad day.

Dear Kid:

I saw your picture on tv today, so I figured I would write you a little bit about my day.  It was terrible.  One of the worst days of my life. 

I got up out of my comfortable Queen-sized bed, out of my warm flannel sheets and complained about having to get up early.  I started the shower (I let it run to get warm- at least five gallons of water went down the drain.  I heard water is scarce where you are, but this is about me, not you).  It took forever to get hot.  After my shower, I got out, and I was freezing cold.  The gas heat in my house was only set to 66 degrees (heat is so expensive and we hate paying the bills- I'm sure you understand). I was in a bad mood because I didn't want to go to work that day to a job that pays me very well.

I opened up the fridge (yes, we have a fridge- it keeps food from spoiling so we have plenty of it around) and I was so angry that all we had was Skim milk.  I swore under my breath as I went to the cupboard to look at my choices of cereal for the day.  I only had about five to choose from.  I was really mad at my wife for not getting my favorite cereal.  See how bad my day already is?

When I left for work, it was even worse.  I got into my 255-hp 2002 Nissan Maxima and had to wait a full minute before the heat kicked in.  I can't believe I have a car that is 8 years old.  See how rough my life is?  How old is your car?  Probably a lot newer than mine. 

I drove to work on paved streets.  They are so annoying.  There was, incredibly, ONE pothole in the road.  I'll bet they don't have potholes in the paved roads where you live.  Americans are so lazy.  They never fix anything.  When I got to work, I walked into the heated building, which was still cold- about 65 degrees.  You'd think people would crank up the heat a little in the wintertime, you know?  What temperature do you keep your house at?  I'll bet it's a lot more comfortable than mine.

I worked in this comfortable building until lunchtime, and then my friend and I went out for lunch.  I was pretty hacked off that we went and got Chinese food instead of going to get pizza like I wanted to.  As a matter of fact, the all-you-can-eat buffet we went to didn't have a single good thing.  I'll bet the restaurants you go to are much better. 

My iPhone wasn't getting good reception.  In fact, I had two dropped calls that day, and my internet was running slow.  It took almost two full minutes for all of my emails to be downloaded to my phone.  Who's got THAT kind of time?  I called my cell phone company and complained.  Do you have 3G at your house?  My house is in a dead zone and sometimes I have to walk around to different rooms in my house to get reception.  My life is so hard.  I hope you are hearing this.

When I got home from work, I turned on my DirectTV.  Can you believe it?  300 channels and there was NOTHING on worth watching.  Why the heck do I pay the cable bill?  My wife came in and started yelling at me.  I sat there in my leather chair with my feet on the coffee table in my comfortable clothes in my warm house watching tv and listened.  See how hard my life is?  My friends' wives don't yell at THEM.  Man, what a terrible day I've had.

The kids were loud that night.  I guess when all of them are healthy, disease-free, well-fed, and loved, they make a lot of noise.  It's so annoying.  After dinner, there was a huge stack of dishes that needed to be washed.  I complained about it being MY turn to wash the dishes.  Know what I had to do?  I had to actually walk over to the sink, turn on the running water (which I'm sure you have in your house, right?) and wash these dishes BY HAND.  Pain in the rump.  Can you believe the inconvenience?  Not only that, but the kids didn't eat half of what was on their plates, so I had to carry the plates over to the garbage can and throw it all away.  Talk about tough!  See why I've had such a bad day?

Then, when it came time to go to bed, I brushed my teeth with more running water with awful tasting toothpaste (what kind of toothpaste do you use?  I'm sure it's better than the kind we have here).  I had to crawl back into my warm, comfortable Queen sized bed with flannel sheets and think about how awful tomorrow was going to be.  See, tomorrow, I'm going Christmas shopping and I'm going to buy about $1000 worth of gifts to people who live just like me.  The gifts I get them will probably wind up in a yard sale in a year or two, but hey, you got to get the folks SOMETHING.  What did you get for Christmas last year?  Are the malls in your town as crowded as the ones here?  Do the people in your village spend as much as we do?  I hope you get better things for Christmas than I do.  Last year I didn't get half of what I was expecting.

Oh well, thanks for listening to my awful day.  Please write me back and let me know if you have days like I just had.

Your new pen pal,
Dave

Isn't She Beautiful? Part 2

Today I met my beautiful wife at Chik-Fil-A (most excellent!) and as we were sitting there, we ran into three people that blessed my day.  First was Bob Young.  Bob was a teacher at Henry Clay when I was there back in the late 80's.  To say that this is a godly man is the understatement of the year.  While I was at Southern Acres, I was blessed to be able to visit and care for his mother in her final stages of Alzheimers.  I also was blessed to get to know his father, the incomparable Palmer Young whose life influenced countless preachers and churches through his 60-plus years of ministry.  Bob's kind, caring personality and his steady faithfulness is a witness to the love of Christ.

Five minutes after we talked with Bob, up walked a good friend named Greg Williams.  Greg is a man passionately devoted to Christ- if you talk with him for more than two minutes, you are hearing about Jesus.  His powerful walk with Christ inspires and challenges me to surrender more and more of my life to Christ, and his passion is contagious.  Greg's challenging, courageous personality is a witness to the power of Christ.

Five minutes after we talked with Greg, I saw an old friend from my youth ministry days named David Jones.  David was an up and coming youth minister- one of the best in the business- until several years ago he was fired from his church for some immoral behavior.  I lost touch with him until today.  When I saw him today, I found out that not only is he back in ministry, but he is in ministry at the SAME CHURCH he used to work at.  To say this is rare is an understatement- I have seen so many graceless churches that would never give a minister another chance.  David has gotten his marriage together, his life together, and is going full steam in ministry now.  What a blessing.  David's restored life and renewed sense of calling is a witness to the amazing grace of Christ.

Three friends.  Three different people showing three different examples of Christ.  Christ's love.  Christ's power.  Christ's grace.  All in a period of one hour.  As I drove away from Chik-Fil-A today, I just whispered to myself, "Isn't She Beautiful?"  I would not have known these fine men without the church.  Like I said in another blog, I have met some of the worst people I've ever met by being in the church.  But like I said before, and say again today, the very BEST people I've ever met, I have met in the church.  I saw three of them today.  Bob, Greg, David- what blessings you were to me today.  It just reaffirms the statement, "Isn't She Beautiful?"

Are We Living in the End Times?

For many years, I looked with scorn at such a question.  I remember hearing people say, "Repent!  God is coming soon!"  He never arrived.  At least, He didn't arrive in the way I defined "soon."  I also remember as a little kid wondering when Jesus would return (after all, the Bible says Jesus will return to earth one day).  I was told by many people, "No one knows the day or the hour.  Only God knows that."

As I grew older, however, I began to notice Bible prophecy and ask that question again.  Are we truly living in the end times?  Is this the last chapter of human history?  Is Jesus going to return soon?  While no one knows the day or the hour, the Bible says we CAN know the season.  Jesus even told us to be watchful.  He instructed us to look for the signs of His soon return in Luke 12:

 ⁵⁴ He said to the crowd: “When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘It’s going to rain,’ and it does. ⁵⁵ And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is. ⁵⁶ Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time?"

I began to get interested in Bible prophecy about ten years ago after hearing Dave Reagan speak at Southern Acres Christian Church.  As I have studied the signs of the times listed in the Bible, from the prophesied re-establishment of Israel in 1948 by the Balfour Declaration (an event the Bible says is the beginning of the end times) to the multiple signs in the world today (the movement towards a cashless society, the movement towards a one-world currency, the movement towards a one-world religion, the turning of the world against Israel, etc) I am more and more convinced that God is calling His people and the people of the world to "interpret this present time" as Jesus instructed us to.

We will be doing a six-week study of Revelation in a series called "The End" starting this Sunday.  What better time to talk about the return of Christ when the world is thinking about His birth?  Jesus arrived in this world once as a baby.  The second time He arrives, He arrives as the King of kings and Lord of lords.  We will be looking intensely at the way the Bible says everything will end.  We will also be talking about what the role of the Christian should be.  Should we be afraid?  Should we cower in fear? Should we worry?  Should we deny everything?  Or should we structure our lives so that the return of Christ will be everything we've ever looked forward to?


I have never taught a series on Revelation before.  I have never really thought about the end times seriously before.  I have always just kind of gone on with things, thinking the times will last forever.  They won't.  If they do, the Bible is full of lies, because over 20% of the Bible is prophecy.  The times won't last forever- there will be an end, and I happen to believe it is soon.  I don't know the day or the hour, but I do know how to read the signs of the times.  If you want to know what these signs are, come to Catalyst for the next six weeks and find out.  Hope to see you there!

Isn't She Beautiful?

I heard that a pastor named Rob Bell up north did a conference about the church called, "Isn't She Beautiful?"  The gist of the conference was the beauty and wonder of the church.  I am so very glad he did this, because quite frankly, it's very "in" to bash churches these days.  Everyone you hear has something negative to say about the church.  Everyone says the church is full of hypocrites.  Everyone says churches don't reflect Jesus.  Everyone jumps on the church-bashing bandwagon and has their two cents worth.

I used to do that.  I used to be very critical of the church, and Christians.  Maybe because I AM a Christian and do belong to the church.  I don't know.  One thing I do know, though, is that the church is beautiful.  Yes, I said it.  Beautiful.  I have never seen something so beautiful in all my life.  I have never seen a clearer picture of grace, beauty, forgiveness, love, hope, friendship, and passion as I have seen in the church. 

I can already hear the church bash police wagging their fingers like Brainy Smurf saying, "I know a church that  . . . .  (fill in the blank with the latest and coolest criticism).   I do too.  As a pastor, I've been treated far worse in the church than any layperson ever has.  I've been cussed, disrespected, lied about, lied to, berated, undermined, criticized- you name it.  I've also been loved, accepted, supported, believed in, forgiven, trusted, and encouraged.  The very best people I know are because of my involvement in church.  I've seen God work time and time again, and it's always through His church.  I've seen the church rebuild homes after a flood.  I've seen the church feed the hungry.  I've seen the church accept the uncool.  I've seen the church step out in faith and give to missions when it didn't make sense.  I've seen the church rescue human slaves from human sex traffickers.  I've seen the church change entire societies from despair to hope.  I've seen the church restore marriages, restore friendships, break down walls of hostility, and demonstrate grace.  I've seen the church speak for those that have no voice.  I've seen the worst people in the world change, not because of judicial punishment or a life sentence, but because of the grace the church has shown them.

I don't often rant and I don't want to now.  I guess I am just sick of hearing this amazing group of believers being bashed and trashed all the time.  I love the church.  I love the people of the church.  She is beautiful.  So very beautiful.  This weekend we are celebrating the end of the 40 Days of Grace project we have been doing as a church.  The church will be blessed with a party- a huge celebration of God's goodness and grace.  One major part of this weekend will be at least 6 testimonies from people who have had an amazing encounter with God and His grace.  I have already heard most of them, and to see people changed, moved, restored, reconciled to God and people, truly is beautiful.  It all happened through the church.  The beautiful church.  God's amazing church.  Now, every time I think about the church, I think, "Isn't She Beautiful?" 

Media Fast: Day 3 and 4

C.S. Lewis said that the most effective people in this world are the ones who think most of the next.  By fasting from media, I feel like I have thought more from an eternity perspective than ever before.  The reason for this is that when I engross myself in the things of this world (right now, all the politics and political ads surrounding this election- bleh) I start to get shortsighted and my focus on eternity lessens.  Not having been bombarded by the things in this world that are SCREAMING for my attention- advertising, headlines, political ads, the newest tv show, the newest product, the newest cool-thing-that-will-be-totally-uncool-in-two-months, I have been free to focus on what is truly important.

It truly saddens me that people who have been saved from an eternity in hell, who have accepted this amazing gift of grace from God, who call Jesus Lord and Savior, have such a trouble giving up this distraction.  In both of my small groups, one more so than the other, there were people who were so utterly resistant to the prospect of fasting from media that they started to get angry.  The very suggestion that they turn off the iPod, the TV, the internet (and sit in silence, study the Bible, pray) was so utterly offensive to them that they could scarcely fathom it.

Why is our culture so afraid of silence?  Why is the worst thing in this world, a fate worse than death, boredom?  (And by "boredom" I mean the prospect of not being entertained every second of the day).  Why do we have to be surrounded by noise, distractions, sound, flashing screens?  Is it because if we were to truly sit in silence, truly turn off the distractions, we would come face to face with God?  Is that a prospect that is too much for us?  Or is it that we are afraid that we would come face-to-face, not with God, but with ourselves?  Are we afraid to truly look at ourselves because we don't like what we see, we aren't who we know we should be, and we aren't following our calling and passion like we should be?

We can drown out God by turning up the TV.  We can drown out our calling by cranking up the iPod.  We can insulate ourselves from the needs of this world (that we are equipped and called to respond to) by clicking the remote.  And we can do it all in the name of Christianity.  We can crank up Air1, satisfying ourselves that we are listening to "Christian" music, all the while ignoring the God who the singers are singing about.  We can replace the real world with an artificial online one.  We can replace real life and play it safe by living vicariously through paid actors on a screen.  We can experience the thrill of victory, not by accomplishing something ourselves, but by identifying with our favorite sports teams and watching them for hours a day.

 I guess what this media fast is all about is about focus.  Focus requires elimination.  If I am truly going to live this awesome adventure known as the Christian life, I don't have time for artificiality.  I can't afford to drown out God.  I can't afford to live vicariously through actors on a tv.  I have to roll up my sleeves and get to work.  I have a calling.  After all, I am a Christian.

Media Fast: Day 2

Yesterday was the second full day of the media fast, and honestly, it hasn't been that big a deal.  The most interesting thing that happened was yesterday morning going to the gym.  Now, I am not using my iPod this week, so I was forced to listen to the music that was playing in the gym. 

Having been surrounded by media most of the time, I never really noticed what was actually being said or promoted in these songs.  I had heard these songs a thousand times before, but only through the media fast was I able to really see what these songs were all about.  The first one I noticed was a techno song where the girl kept saying, "I know what I want, and I want it now!" over and over and over again.  She sounded like spoiled brat.  Veruca, sweetheart!

The next song was "I'm a Barbie girl, in a Barbie world."  To say that this song is ridiculous is an understatement, but when I listened to the worldview being presented in this song, it struck me like never before.  The next song was "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)" by Aerosmith- and I love Aerosmith. 

Song after song after song went on like this extolling sex, materialism, immediate gratification,  and the like.  I realized how immersed and bombarded I have been by these messages- in music, on tv, on the internet- everywhere.  I mean, it's everywhere.  Just like a fish doesn't notice the water it swims in, so it was with me and the media I have been swimming around in.  A fish only notices the water it's been in when it is taken out for awhile, then it REALLY notices it.  I've only been media-free for two days, and already just getting bits and pieces is a shock.  I realize how out of step I am with the values being presented 24/7 by music and tv.  I realize how it truly DOES influence me and lay down pathways in my mind that run contrary to Scripture.  I really had no idea until I got rid of it.  Now, I'm not sure I want it back.

Media Fast: Day 1

This week's small group challenge for Forty Days of Grace was based on the question:  Which influences you more, the Bible or the world?  We challenged each small group to do a media fast- no tv, no movies, no internet, no music, no video games- for whatever length of time the group came up with.  My group decided to go hardcore and do a week.  So I put plastic ties around the entertainment center doors, posted about the media fast on my Facebook page, and my kids voluntarily gave me their iPods and Nintendo DS's.  We were ready.

Day 1 was pretty amazing.  We already have a "no media before school" rule, so that wasn't a big deal Monday morning.  When Sam got home from preschool, we ate lunch and he immediately went to take his nap.  When the girls got home from school, Casey immediately started reading and Elsie and Sam played.  Elsie went upstairs, got out her guitar and her book, and began to teach herself how to play guitar.  Casey kept reading.  Sam got out some action figures and played.  Not one complaint about the tv.

Elsie then wrote a letter to the child we sponsor in Haiti (the child we haven't written to in about 4 years, regrettably).  Casey went to tennis practice, and Elsie and Sam and I went outside and played baseball, soccer, and football.  We rode scooters, played tag, and basically enjoyed the day.  When Rachel and Casey got home, we ate and then went and got Brusters Ice Cream (excellent).  Then, the kids got ready for bed, we prayed, did 40 Days of Grace devotionals, and went to bed.

Rachel and I, instead of going downstairs to watch tv, stayed in our room talking.  We fell asleep at 9:30, and when I woke up this morning at 5 am, I felt so rested and great.  This first day has shown me what a total and utter waste of time most media is.  This was one of the most fun days I've had in a while.  I felt so . . . . .  ALIVE.

A Tale of Two Stories

There are two stories going on at the same time.  In the second story, there is no author.  The characters have created themselves, and it is up to them to find some kind of storyline.  However, no storyline can really be found.  Because of this, they begin looking to the best-looking, the most talented, and most shocking characters around them and begin to imitate them.  They get frustrated, because of the seemingly meaningless existence they are living, and soon turn to temporary fixes to give them at least short-term pleasure- food, sex, alcohol, shopping, sports, politics, drugs, etc. 

In the first story, however, there is an Author.  The Author has laid out a plot, a storyline, revolving around the Central Character in the story.  The characters take up supporting roles in the story, each finding his or her part in the storyline unfolding before them.  Instead of looking to the best-looking, most talented, or most shocking characters around them, these characters look to the Hero, the Central Character, and begin to imitate Him.  What is important to the Central Character becomes important to them.  What bothers the Central Character bothers them.  What makes the Central Character happy makes them happy.

The second story people look at the first story people and think they are odd, weird, stupid, or downright crazy.  They can't imagine anything bigger than their own temporary pleasure or meaningless existence, and when they see first story people risking their lives to love others, giving up comforts and pleasures for a greater cause, or their love of the Central Character, they criticize and tear down.  

When God cleanses us of sin, He does more than just that.  We usually have a good sense of what we have been cleansed from, but do you have a good sense of what you have been cleansed to?  When Christ died on the cross for us, He took away every sin the people of the world would ever commit.  Amazing truth.  However, by His grace, He has also called us out of the second story, in which all of us have lived at one point or another, and called us into the first story.  It's a radical call away from  . . . . ourselves.  We are invited, by His grace, to take part in a story that makes sense.  It's the story of God, this first story, and although your role might seem strange or dangerous or difficult, the good news is- we know how the story ends.  The story ends with the return of Jesus- the triumphant King, evil vanquished, all wrongs put to right. 

I want to be a first-story person.  I know I have a role in all of this, and the rest of my life will be dedicated to seeking that supporting role to the Central Character in the story:  my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  I wish no longer to look to the best-looking, most talented, and most shocking people around me for my values, my leaders, and my examples.  I simply want to look to Jesus.  I know that will get me in trouble- Christians have been getting in trouble for that since day 1.  But I know how the story ends.  In that, I find hope.

God's Seeking Grace: Cold-Call Sales or Invitation to a Party?

Last night at home group (it's actually a small church now- over 40 people there last night with two actual groups meeting, one in the family room and one in the living room.  We are doing a multi-site home group) we were talking about Luke 15 and how God is seeking us out.  I had made the point that Christianity is more about responding than initiating.

One person made the statement, "I used to be in sales, and the thing I hated the most was cold calling."  (For those of you that don't know what cold calling is, it is walking into a business uninvited to try to sell a product nobody asked for.  Tough stuff.)  "This is what I thought Christianity was like- walking uninvited into God's office where He is probably hacked off that you interrupted Him and being received that way.  But you are making Christianity sound like a party we are invited to, and we have to decide whether we accept or reject."

Honestly, I had never even thought about putting it that way, but that is exactly what Luke 15 is saying.  How do the parables end up?  A party.  I have found that if God had waited for me to reach up to Him, I never would have.  He came and sought me out, calling me back to Him, convicting me of sin and pointing me to Jesus.  He came after me like the shepherd going after the lost sheep.  He looked for me like the woman searching for the coin.  And He waited patiently for me to return like the father in the prodigal son story.  Becoming a Christian, or approaching God, isn't like making a cold sales call.  It's responding to an invitation to a party.  Knowing that truth changes everything.   

The Uncomfortable Thing About Grace

This past Sunday, we started our series, 40 Days of Grace, with the topic, "Why Grace is Necessary."  It was a different kind of message for me, because although I am not Joel Osteen with his "Best Life Now" type messages, I am not a fire and brimstone preacher either.  However, as we speak about grace, it is necessary to talk about some uncomfortable topics.

The first topic that was uncomfortable was the topic found in John 14:6 where Jesus says, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me."  That is very unpopular in our society, but if we are to truly understand grace, we need to know that Jesus is the only way to heaven.  If heaven could be obtained in other ways, Jesus didn't need to die on the cross.  That is uncomfortable, because we all know people that don't believe in the crucifixion and Resurrection, and therefore won't be in heaven, if we believe the Bible is true (and Jesus' words are true). 

The second uncomfortable topic was the topic of hell.  If there is no hell, grace is totally unnecessary.  If we are not in danger, why do we need saving?  What is Jesus saving us from?  If you're okay, I'm okay, we're all okay- grace is totally unnecessary.  As a matter of fact, if there is no hell, the entire Gospel message and ultimately, the entire Christian faith is utterly irrelevant.  Without hell, and grace to save us from hell, Christianity becomes another in a long list of self-help strategies to make improvements on ourselves.  That was not Jesus' intention at all.

I had a person in my Sunday night home group that said he respected me because I was the first pastor he had ever had that ever mentioned hell.  Maybe that's why churches are so weak and anemic these days.  If Christians have no concept of hell, then they will never have any idea what they were saved from, no gratitude towards the Savior, and ultimately, no need for Him at all.  He becomes an annoying little guy over there telling us to give our money or show up for an hour on Sunday morning, not the savior of our lives from the most horrible place we could even imagine.

An old preacher told me, "In order to save someone, you have to get them lost first."  I believe that.  Until we know what we were saved from by Jesus' death on the cross, we will never know we need a Savior.  And yet, if I am the first pastor this guy has ever had that has ever talked about hell, no wonder so many people in the church have a low opinion of Jesus, if they have an opinion at all.  Even though it is only Day 3 of the 40 Days, grace has already been more than I ever thought it would be.  I look forward to the next 37 days.

Grace and Government Increase

I have noticed a disturbing trend in Western society in the last forty years.  Europe, once the hotbed of Christianity, has been thoroughly secularized with church attendance hovering around a whopping 8-9% in most places.  Although America has yet to reach these low numbers, the trend is definitely going that way.

Why should anyone other than a minister care about this?  Well, one thing that I have noticed is that with the decreasing influence of the church comes a decreasing emphasis on grace.  Grace is disappearing from our society as people turn their backs on faith and walk away from the church.  However, the problems still remain.  People are still concerned about divorce, violence, crime, homelessness, etc.  There still exists a desire for some kind of morality- people still hate being lied to, cheated on, cut off in traffic, treated unfairly, etc.  So what is the answer?

When grace leaves a society, the only thing left is legislation.  If people cannot deal with evil by grace, they have to deal with it by making more and more rules to govern an increasingly corrupt and rebellious society.  As Christianity has left the continent of Europe, government there has grown by leaps and bounds.  We see socialist states in the western part, and for a good part of the last century, communist states in the eastern part.  Government has grown and taken over more and more of life as the power of the Christian faith, and the power of grace, has subsided.

The same is true in America.  If American society does not embrace the grace found in the Gospel of Jesus, we too will see an increasingly alarming turn towards more and more legislation, as the world tries to deal with the problem of morality and evil in the only way it knows how to handle it.  More rules.  More guidelines.  More laws.  More government programs to create a fair society- one that can only be created through God's kingdom.  America needs to wake up and see that as grace disappears from society, rules and regulations increase.  As faith in Christ disappears, and the love and morality that goes with it disappears, we will see more and more governmental regulation and oversight. 

The answer isn't smaller government.  The answer is grace.  That's what this world needs.  But if the United States doesn't wake up and realize its need for grace, it will find itself under increasing government control.  I prefer grace.

Forty Days of Grace: What's So Amazing About Grace?

I have been studying Phillip Yancey's book, "What's So Amazing About Grace?" for about 8 months now.  I highly recommend it to anyone.

One of the many things I have learned through this study of grace (that I am about to present to my church over the next 7 weeks) is that grace MUST take place in a relational context.  What I mean is that grace, outside of a relationship with God, makes no sense.  If you try to practice or understand grace without Jesus, for example, all you get is empty forgiveness and/or permissiveness.  Neither works.  Neither is real.  And yet, that is where so many Christians and churches are in their understanding of grace. 

As much as I like the song "Amazing Grace," I wish that at least once in that song they would have mentioned Jesus.  All the emphasis in that song, as wonderful as it is, is on ME.  Count the number of times you sing the word "I," "me" and "we."  I once was lost but now I'm found.  Was blind but now I see. 

However, if our understanding of grace revolves around Jesus, we have to look at grace differently.  In the amazing story of the prodigal son, the son has run away to a distant land, spent all his money, lost all his friends, and is now starving and lost.  He comes back home to the open arms of his father.  There is no pretense of goodness.  The son knows he can't fake it.  He only returned for one purpose- the hope of restored relationship with his father.  It was a realization that his actions had deeply hurt the people he cared about.  It was the realization that his actions had not been good for him.  It was the realization that his actions had caused harm, both to him and the people he loved, and he needed to change. 

In other words, he experienced brokenness.  That is the starting point for grace.  Until we reach those same realizations, we will never be able to accept the amazing gift of God's grace.  The only reason we reach out for grace is the impossible hope of a restored relationship with our Father.  We don't reach out for grace because we have proved we deserve it.  No, we reach out for grace because we are at a point of hopeless brokenness, and we realize our desperate need for our Lord and Savior Jesus.  

Living with a Single Passion

We are getting ready to start a brand new intense series at Catalyst called "40 Days of Grace."  As with many big things, I approach this with mixed feelings- both of excitement and apprehension.  I am excited because if the church actually grabs hold of what we will be talking about over the next 40 days, God will move in ways I could never comprehend or imagine.  I am apprehensive for the opposite reason- what if the church just says "ho hum" or we don't communicate it in a way that is relevant?

The combination of Sunday morning messages, daily devos, small group DVD lessons (all produced in-house with no outside help) represent six months of labor and study.  What if the people don't get it?  Even more terrible would be this:  what if the people are the exact same after this series than before?

All these thoughts run through my head as we prepare to jump into this huge event in the life of our church.  I have realized that I can't dwell on them.  I can't make people learn or change.  That is up to God.  In other words, the success of 40 Days of Grace is not up to me.  It is up to God.  My job was to be faithful, to do the very best I can with what I have, and leave the results up to God.

I realize that this is also the way my walk with Christ is.  Whether I do great things or small things for God, it is simply my job to be faithful.  God wants faithfulness from me, not success.  I think as Christians so many times we get caught up in whether or not we are successful in the Christian life.  We look at our prayer lives, our struggles with temptation, our study of the Bible, and see no success at all.  Thank God we will not be judged on those things.  We will be judged on our faithfulness- did we love God with our heart, soul, mind, and strength?  Did we answer when He called?  Did we live with a single passion- to see the name of God glorified and known throughout His creation?

Faithfulness, not success, is the hallmark of the Christian life.  Therefore, going into this series, I am praying for faithfulness, both in my church and in my life.  I pray that through the 40 Days our church will become even more faithful to God.  I pray that I will become more faithful to God.  The results?  Well, that's up to the Man upstairs.

Pirates

I was watching Pirates of the Caribbean (the first one), and the scene where Captain Jack Sparrow and Will Turner are stealing the British Frigate caused me to think about my faith in Christ.

After faking out the British and boarding the little fast ship, the first thing the two pirates do is to cut the ropes that were holding the two ships together.  I can just see the close-ups of the ropes being cut, one by one, until all the things holding the two ships together were gone.  Only then was the ship free to be under the direction of the captain.

I began to think that my life is one of the ships, and this world I live in is the other.  I wonder how many "ropes" I have holding me to this world.  I wonder how securely I am tied to this world, preventing me from being free, under the direction of my Captain.  I think one of the most relevant statements to the Christian life is "In the world and not OF the world."

The Bible warns us that we are strangers in this world, travelers who are on their way through, and that this world is not our home.  The Bible warns us not to get too comfortable here, not to throw ropes across and anchor our lives to this place.  Yet everything I do seems to wed me more and more to this world.  My concerns of money, my desire for comfort, my lack of passion for the calling of God on my life, my lack of concern for the next world, my being consumed with petty daily concerns- all serve as ropes to anchor me to a place I don't belong.  I wonder how God sees my life- if He sees me as a ship who is so securely wedded to this world that I am unable to follow His direction, His will, His plans.  Am I truly free?  

Dogs and Cats

This past weekend, I said in my message that there were two types of people in this world:  dogs and cats.  Whether you are a dog or a cat will affect how you view faith, God, the church, and just about anything else in life.

A dog looks at his master and says, "Wow.  This person feeds me, gives me water, shelters me, scratches me behind the ears, and provides for my every need- he must be god!"  A cat looks at his master and says, "Wow.  This person feeds me, gives me water, shelters me, scratches me behind the ears, and provides for my every need- I must be god!"

Which are you?  Do you look at the cross, at Jesus' ultimate sacrifice and the gift of eternal life, and say, "Wow.  Jesus loves me, died for me, and has given me eternal life- He must be God!"  Or do you look at the cross and say, "Wow.  Jesus loves me, died for me, and has given me eternal life- I must be God!"  Is the cross an echo of your self-worth, is eternal life something you feel you deserve, or is it simply a gift God has given you because He is God?

We have lots of cats in churches and Christian circles today.  Cats feel entitled to grace, entitled to answered prayers, entitled to a place in heaven, and when it doesn't happen, get offended and mad.  They sulk and pout.  They may even criticize God for not giving them what they "deserve".  Dogs, on the other hand, are just happy to be with the Master.  Dogs feel it is a great honor to live in the home with the Master.  

Though I deserve nothing, I have everything.  Thanks to God, that is.  Woof.

Heaven

I was watching a movie called "The Ultimate Gift" a few nights ago with my wife (if you haven't seen it, it's worth watching.  It's very good).  It's about a spoiled rich kid that has to go through a series of tests to get his inheritance. 

One of the tests is that he is to make one true friend.  As soon as he is given this challenge, his credit cards get cancelled, he loses his corner penthouse apartment, his car gets towed, etc.  He has nothing.  The next scene shows him calling all his "friends" to help him out, and none of them want anything to do with him.

What he found out was that his friends were only his friends because they could benefit in some way from him- they liked his parties, liked his apartment, liked his car, liked the money he spent on them, etc.  When that was no longer an option, they didn't want anything to do with him.

I started to wonder if Christians are the same way with God.  Are we "worshiping" God because we want the good things He offers?  Or, like true friends, do we worship God because of who He is, regardless of how it might benefit us?  What if the promise of heaven or the threat of hell were not in the equation?  Would our churches still be packed with people?  Would they be packed with people, not looking for anything in particular, but simply adoring and worshiping God because of how glorious and beautiful, almighty and wonderful He is?

I doubt it.  I wish I could say otherwise, but I know my heart, and I know the hearts of people.  That's why there are so very few real friendships we ever have in life.  That's might be why the Scriptures tell us that the road to heaven is narrow and few find it.  So let me put it this way, "If you could have heaven- no pain, no suffering, all your needs taken care of, beautiful paradise, etc- could you be happy if God wasn't there?" 

What Can I Get?

Check out this killer quote from John Piper's "When I Don't Desire God":

"If Christ is followed only because His gifts are great and His threats are terrible, He is not glorified by His followers.  A defective lord can offer great gifts and terrible threats.  And a person may want the gifts, fear the threats, and follow a lord whom they despise or pity or find boring or embarrassing, in order to have the gifts and avoid the threats.  If Christ is to be glorified in His people, their following must be rooted not mainly in His promised gifts or threatened punishments, but in His glorious Person.  Oh, it is true that "Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them (Psalm 111:2).  I do not minimize the joy of seeing the works of the Lord.  But His works are great because they point us to the Lord Himself as our highest delight.  The faith that honors Christ is the faith that sees and savors His glory in all His works, especially in the Gospel."  (John Piper, "When I Don't Desire God," p 36)

Why follow Christ?  Is it because we fear His threats or want His gifts?  A faith based on either of those things is a faulty faith.  I didn't marry my wife because of the good things I could get or because I was afraid of being lonely- I married her because I love her.  We, therefore, follow Christ because we love Him and seek to see and savor His glory- to see Him high and lifted up as the most infinitely valuable, infinitely beautiful being in all creation.  You know your faith is happening when you would desire this even if there was no promise of heaven and eternal life, or threat of hell and death.  We worship God because it is the right thing to do- not because there is something in it for us. 
We, as a church, need to get back to the absolute magnification and glorification of Jesus Christ and move away from the self-centeredness that marks the lives of so many believers.  God is amazing.

Upcoming Fusion Series

Hey people,

Sorry it has been so long since I wrote- things have been pretty busy lately, but most of all, I've just been negligent. We are getting ready to start a series that will take Catalyst to the next level of reaching new people- a series about the church.

Back in the 90's, when I was in seminary, I was thoroughly schooled in the "seeker sensitive" church thing- you know, where churches needed to tailor messages and worship to people who were clueless about Christianity. A few years ago, Willow Creek Community Church, which was the most prominent proclaimer of this philosophy, publicly stated that the seeker sensitive movement was a failure. They had failed to create disciples.

First of all, what guts. That's pretty impressive to admit that. Second, I don't think it was a total failure. They did a great job of getting the church's focus off of itself and onto the people we need to be reaching. They just did it in the wrong way.

The reason why the seeker sensitive movement didn't work is they put the emphasis in the wrong place. They tailored the sermon and worship and everything else IN THE SERVICE towards new folks. The problem is- the new folks had already decided if they were coming back BEFORE they ever heard a word preached or song sung.

The part of church that needs to be seeker sensitive is the first seven minutes of the guest's experience at your church. Research has shown that the ease of finding parking, the ease of finding their way around the church, the friendliness of the first people they meet, the atmosphere BEFORE the service, hospitality such as donuts and coffee, and overall "feel" of the time before the service determines whether a person will return after a first visit. This is also the part of church that ministers neglect the most.

Most ministers spend hours and hours on a sermon. Worship teams practice throughout the week to be ready for Sunday morning. Tech teams rehearse sound, lighting, and presentation software for excellence in their areas. All of that is great. However, the church needs to be as focused on the pre-service greeting and warmth and the post-service follow-up as it is on the service itself.

That's what the Fusion series is going to be about. We are going to train our people to open their eyes to the first seven minutes of a guest's experience. What happens in the first seven minutes forms the lens through which they will view everything. If the sermon is on love and community, but the new folks were ignored in the first seven minutes, they will figure the minister is full of it.

I am excited about this series- I am excited about unleashing the power of hospitality at Catalyst. I think we do a decent job, but we haven't been intentional about it. Catalyst's hospitality has a great deal more to do with the wonderful laypeople living their Christian faith than it does with anything from the leadership. Looking forward to it!

Church

I was wondering the other day, "When did church become an upper-middle class thing?" From mode of dress to politics to music to everything else, church in America has adopted an upper-middle class culture.

I wondered when this happened. It wasn't that way from the beginning. Christianity, from the beginning, was a movement among the poor, the outcast, the downtrodden, slaves, etc. As a matter of fact, Christianity was a radical movement that challenged the status quo at every turn and called its followers to radical commitment to Christ. I may be reaching, but I doubt that very many sociologists would consider an upper-middle class lifestyle to be radical. I think they would consider an upper-middle class lifestyle to be "comfortable."

I guess if Satan couldn't stamp out the church, he could tame it, pare its claws, castrate it, and turn it into something that would really not make much difference in communities in which they were. He was able to do this, not because he attacked the institution of the church, but by allowing the Christians to settle for less. Less surrender to Christ (because you are STILL going to heaven, right?), less concern for the poor (because you are STILL going to heaven, right?), less life change (because, you got it, you're STILL going to heaven, right?), less living by the power of the Spirit.

The true Christian isn't content with the prospect of simply going to heaven when he or she dies. That's great and all, but that's not the goal of the Christian life. The goal of the Christian life is absolute, 100% surrender to God. Heaven is just a nice perk.

Jesus Forgotten

I have been reading a book called "The Last Christian Generation" by Josh McDowell. What he said has broken my heart.

"The research on the current generation of young people reveals an alarming fact: they have redefined what it means to be Christian. The majority of our churched young people do not believe Christ is the Son of God, do not believe the Holy Spirit is a real entity, and think 'doing good' earns them a place in heaven. And just as disturbing is the fact that their attitudes and behavior are virtually no different than those of non-Christians."

How can you be a Christian and not believe that Jesus is the Son of God? Is it because of namby-pamby sermons and lessons that are spoken with the express purpose of attracting more people to church? In our desire to produce numbers and large crowds, we have forgotten Christ. Christ the Redeemer, Christ the Son of God, Christ the Savior, Christ the Lord- forgotten, ignored, belittled, and misrepresented. When a majority of young people who have grown up in church do not believe that Jesus is the Son of God- which, by the way, is THE central belief in Christianity- what is left? The answer: behavior modification. Be nice. Look good. Act cool. Get good grades. Wear your seat belt.

That is not Christianity, nor does it even resemble Christianity. Jesus came to turn this world- and our lives- upside down. Jesus is about transformation. Jesus is about radical love, radical discipleship, and radical life change. Unless the church starts teaching that- and the people start believing and living that- the church will fade into oblivion, like a flower cut off from its stem. It looks good for a while, but inside it is dead. The church without Jesus is dead. The church without Jesus may have a nice building, draw crowds, entertain, and be a nice place, but inside the people are dying, cut off from the Source of life. The church without Jesus will have a lot to answer for on the day of judgement, when we truly find out how real, how powerful, and how majestic Jesus truly is.

I would love to be part of a team that transforms this generation that has redefined what Christianity is into young people sold out to Jesus Christ. Sometimes it seems like too big a task. The only thing I can do is to magnify Christ- lift Him up, exalt Him as the highest Being, worthy of glory, honor, and praise. I can make it my life goal to make Christ and His glory known among the students of this world. I can make it my goal to, like Paul, preach Christ and Him crucified.

If I do that, at the end of my life, no one could say that I didn't love Jesus with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. If I do that, no one could say that they were around me and never knew that I was a Christian. And most importantly, no one could ever, ever say that I was one of the Christians that forgot Jesus.

I don’t believe in discipleship

Got your attention, huh? Actually, I believe very strongly in discipleship. What I don't believe in is discipleship quantified, programmed, and measured. I hear all the time about the church's need for 'discipleship,' and that usually means there is a small group program or something similar. A program. The theory goes that as people join and continue in a small group, they grow closer to God.

That's excellent in theory. Please believe me- I love small groups and have seen people grow from being in them. Some of my best experiences have been in small groups. However, I don't believe that that captures the true nature of discipleship.

Discipleship takes commitment. Plain and simple. Without commitment, attendance in a small group or anything else means nothing. When Jesus called His twelve disciples, He called them to leave their jobs, their families, their homes, their means of income- everything. He called for total commitment. These twelve men made that commitment, and therefore were called "disciples." I'm sure they sat around in small groups from time to time, but the majority of the time the disciples watched as Jesus led by example- from His dealings with the Pharisees to His care for the poor to His sermon on the mount.

They followed Him. Most of the time they didn't understand what the heck Jesus was doing or saying. I'm sure that half of the time they questioned why they were still following Him. Jesus constantly asked them, "Why are you so dull?" and called them "You of little faith," and yet still they followed. Jesus had a huge crowd following Him at one point. He then turned to the crowd and, in a reference to communion, told the crowd that they must "eat His flesh and drink His blood (John 6). At this point, most of the crowd stopped following Him, yet the disciples continued to follow. They were persecuted, scared, discouraged, and disowned. Still they followed. They turned the world upside down with their ministry after the death of Jesus, and the world hasn't been the same since.

Now you see why I don't believe in 'discipleship' as many churches define it. I have never been called to that kind of commitment- probably neither have you. Most of us are like the crowd and run away when we don't understand what Jesus is saying or He expects too much of us. Church members are plentiful- disciples are in short supply. I guess being a disciple is harder than it looks. I wonder if Jesus would have chosen me if I had lived in His time.

As a church leader, sometimes I'm afraid to ask people for that kind of commitment for two reasons: 1) I might not be willing to go there myself, and 2) I would be seen as a bad minister if 90% of my church walked out on me, like the crowd did to Jesus in John 6. Maybe that's why so many churches are shallow and their congregants lead well-meaning lives but make no impact on a world that is rapidly going to hell. Who is REALLY willing to be a disciple as Jesus defines it. Me. Sometimes.

Comfortable

"Lukewarm Christians don't live by faith- in fact, they structure their lives so they don't even need it."- Francis Chan, or something close to what he said.

I remember asking my students when I was in youth ministry a simple question, "If tomorrow morning, you woke up and were an atheist (just miraculously became one) what would be the first thing you would notice?" I remember getting a bunch of blank stares. One of the more honest ones said, "Honestly, not much. I'd hang with the same people, talk the same way, act the same way- I guess I just wouldn't go to church."

Someone said we leave comfortable houses, get in comfortable cars, walk into a comfortable church building, and hear a comfortable message about God. No wonder it is very rare to see someone who truly trusts God for everything, lives by faith, and would be in serious trouble if God didn't show up.

Would your life be any different if Jesus hadn't been resurrected on the third day?  Sadly, I'm afraid that most of us, in a moment of honesty, would say, "No."

I want my Christian faith to be more than avoiding porn, reading the Bible, and hanging around a great bunch of people at church. Don't get me wrong- those things are great. But I could do all those things without faith. What are the things in life that God is calling me towards that would require great faith to accomplish?

I used to think I had a great deal of faith. I was very impressed with myself. However, the more steps of faith I take, the more lukewarm I really see myself as being. Kind of like the high school student who knows it all, then goes to college. The more he learns, the more he realizes he DOESN'T know. That's what happens when you step out in faith. You find how little you actually trust God with your life. You find that God has huge things for you to do, but you simply won't because it would make you uncomfortable.

When you decide that being comfortable and being Christian are mutually exclusive- that the Christian life IS one of continual trust and discomfort- then you quit worrying about what MIGHT happen.  You stop living in fear- fear of loss of status, fear of loss of income, fear of loss of comfort, fear of loss of possessions or position- and begin LIVING.  Truly living.

Someone said that the richest man is not the one who has the most but who needs the least.

This rule applies to faith as well.  What would you be capable of if you didn't need anything this world had to offer?  What if you didn't need popularity, or wealth, or position, or comfort?  What if you didn't need the approval of people or a pat on the back?  What if you didn't need the life that Madison Avenue and Hollywood constantly place before us as ideal?

You would be a person very rich in faith- because you would need very little.

Everything in life that we "need" impoverishes us in our faith.  If we "need" wealth, we will never live sacrificially as Jesus teaches us to.  If we "need" comfort, we will never risk as Jesus calls us to do.  If we "need" position and status,  we will never associate with the "least of these" that Jesus says to love and care for.  If we "need" the life that our neighbors around us have, we will simply continue to exist, never having fully lived.

And never having fully followed Jesus.

The richest man is not the one who has the most, but who needs the least.  I say that we as Christians should start sloughing off all the things we "need" and start gaining true wealth in the form of faith.  The less you need, the richer in faith you will be.  The less you need, the more faithfully you will be able to follow Jesus.  The less you need, the more you will realize what true freedom is.

Another Step of Faith

In three weeks, Catalyst Christian Church will start a brand new chapter. We will no longer do just one service on Sunday mornings- there are too many people for us to grow much larger. We will begin doing two identical services, one at 9:30 and one at 11:00.

It's difficult to explain how I feel about this new chapter. I have been so consumed with the need to do this and the excitement of it that I really haven't taken the time to reflect on it. Catalyst is kind of like a child to me, and I feel like one of my children has just taken his first step or is going to kindergarten for her first day of school.

Every parent knows this feeling of excitement, but we also know that once these steps are taken, the old days are gone forever. My children will never be small enough for me to hold in the palm of my hand. Catalyst Christian Church won't just meet for one hour on Sunday mornings anymore. Our band will play twice, I will preach twice; children's ministry will move to two hours instead of just one; we will need two sets of volunteers for things.

Do I regret this move? No way. If my children didn't grow and progress, something would be unnatural and wrong. The same is true of the church. If we stayed the same, year after year, no growth, no reaching new people, no outgrowing buildings (kind of like a child outgrowing clothes), something would be wrong.

All I know is that it is going to take faith. We've never done anything like this before, and we are not experts. I'm sure there are a thousand things we haven't thought of that could go wrong. There are lots of whatifs. However, God has sustained us and encouraged us and led us through the first two difficult years of starting this church. I have no doubt that He will continue to do so as we get older and mature as a church. He can see the picture clearly; I can see only a glimpse. Therefore, I trust in Him to lead us and guide us. I am finding out that this "trusting God' thing is really pretty cool. It is definitely NOT boring.