GUEST BLOG: DEAN PETERSON on The Art of War

I just finished reading SunTzu's classic work and it is well worth your time if you haven't read it yet. There are some great leadership principles and practical wisdom. My only recommendation is to get a well organized version. There are several translations and the commentary provided is often as solid as the text. My version was too choppy with its commentary. Just wanted to share a few thoughts and hopefully stir a personal examination of the work.

LESSONS:

• There is no substitute for purpose and preparation when engaging in battle.
  
• "You must have a vision of victory before you can achieve it."
  
• The commander who has dared to dream of taking impossible ground and then prepared his army to attack with a bold maneuver that takes the enemy by surprise will find success.
  

Isn't this our calling in poignant terms? We must have a God-sized vision of reaching people(bold evangelism) and we must train ourselves and the rest of the church(discipleship) to conquer new ground. What bold strategy will we employ? What creative and biblically relevant things can we employ in battle?

Finally, there are five faults which cripple leadership:

• recklessness (not properly preparing and understanding the conditions of the battlefield),
• cowardice,
  
• a quick temper,
  
• delicacy of honor(a fragile ego),
  
• worry which produces inaction rather than making swift decisions.

Hope you all have a great day. It is an honor to serve with you in battle.

"Strength and honor",
Dean

Dare to Fail

When I was (attempting) training for the Baltimore marathon back in late summer, I wasn't feeling very confident about the prospects of running 26.2 miles. And a very supportive (albeit, slacker) friend ask me, "why don't you just wait until next year? you're not ready yet, and besides, why bother doing a marathon?"

My response is more telling then just training for a marathon. I said something like,

"I like setting goals and aiming for something that I'm relatively sure they I can't accomplish at this moment, and don't feel confident that I'll ever accomplish." And I asked in return,

"Wouldn't you rather try and fail than never try at all? See, I want to do things that press the limits of what I'm capable of doing or have faith to believe in. I'd rather aim high and fall short, run and not finish than never run at all."

DARE TO FAIL.

What would you do if you knew you couldn't fail? Do it anyway, what's the worst that can happen? Be realistic, but dare to fail when you set goals.

What spiritual goals, giving goals, ministry goals are you setting? If they are truly faith-filled goals, they must seem impossible unless God intervenes.

Only dream and aim for goals that you're guaranteed will fail without God showing up. Then, you know you're living by faith, and relying on God. If it's humanly possible, we don't need God. Do everything humanly possible, then leave the impossibilities up to God.

This time every year, when I'm writing our church budget, I wrestle with this tension. What's prudent and what's faith? When I look back at the year's budget, I think, where was my faith? I only projected 25% or 33% growth. Only to be blown away with 40-50% growth. Then, I look ahead to the next year and think, "No way, I can't project 40% growth, better go with a more conservative 20% growth. That actually seems possible." See what I mean?

Set goals that you could actually fail in? Trust me, the sting of failure is overwhelmed by the exhilaration of triumph, faith, and daring great exploits for God.

Paradigm shift

This is a challenge to think greater than you have in the past. We all have governing rules (paradigms) that put boundaries on what we believe is possible, acceptable, advisable, and even achievable. These paradigms provide the framework (rules and limitations) for our dreaming, thinking, and working.

Look at the two pictures. What do you see?













In both images, there are two different pictures. In the first image, you may see either a duck OR a rabbit. (hint: the ducks bill becomes the rabbit's ears). In the other: either an old woman or a young lady (hint: the check line of the young woman is the nose of the old woman).

What if the things that you've been told were impossible, became possible?

• what if running 26 miles was nothing compared with the hundreds of miles that some people regularly ran in Africa a century ago.
• OR when the clock revolution went from standard dial to digital
• OR when the Wright brothers challenged popular thinking to suggest and prove that man could fly

Often we're letting others define the rules, set by their own limiting thinking, dwarfed dreams, and personal convictions.

In ministry and leadership, what if we had a paradigm shift and broke the rules:

• truly lived like their is only ONE true Christian Church,
• this Church shared resources and cooperated together to fulfill the single purpose of sharing God's message and love with everyone in all of the world,
• in local churches, we chose to support the whole Church and refuse to compete,
• instead of counting how many people are coming to church, we counted how many are not and kept our focus on how we can reach more, i.e. not the 300 we do have, but the 60,000 we haven't reached yet,
• we saw every believer as a minister of the gospel and invested into their lives so that they would be fully empowered and trained to truly testify for Jesus,
• we invested more into the souls (Peter calls us "living stones") of the Church than we do into the brick and mortar of the churches,
• we worked urgently everyday, recognizing that the time is short and the night-fall is at-hand,
• rather than competing for the "best" program, sermon, video idea, we shared our ideas, training, leadership, and finances, so that the whole Church was strengthened!
  

We might just see a paradigm shift in how ministry in the local church happens if we started thinking differently and started breaking the rules.

Lessons from Photonics

Photonics is the science of or study and application of light and its particle properties. Not excited yet? Without getting into quantum optics or optoelectronics, I'll keep this simple and to the point.

What's the difference between the light that is produced by a standard 60w light bulb by the lamp in your living room and a laser? To be fair, from a scientific view-point, there are a multitude. But from a leadership perspective- few.

A light-bulb produces a diffused light and the purpose is to light a large area of space, while a laser concentrates light into a beam. A bulb is designed to spread out the light and provide some light to a lot of space. A laser focuses the light into a narrow beam so that it can be used in a vast number of fields, from industry (think DVDs), military (laser-guided missiles), medicine (think laser surgery and hair-removal), research, and entertainment.

Are your passions, gifts, and God-ordained purposes being diffused into a lot of areas OR focused?

If you're a light bulb:

• you'll keep wanting to turn up the wattage to light more space (get more done),
• feel inadequate for the jobs at hand,
• feel guilty for not getting enough done and keep referring to the list that still needs to be completed,
• compete with others who are lighting the same or nearby area and feel threatened by brighter light bulbs,
• feel discouraged by the constant replacement of light bulbs around you. You've begun noticing that light bulbs are replaceable and exchangeable. What do I mean by this? It's not about doing what you love, just getting the "jobs" of ministry done, and if you can't do it, then the church sticks someone else in who can. "Punch and plug" ministry and service. You even begin to feel like maybe you should be replaced by a "light bulb" that shines brighter or is "longer-lasting",
• struggle with questioning if this is really why you were created. You ask often, "is this really what I'm supposed to be doing?" and feel this inner tug toward something more purposeful and meaningful,
• need as much affirmation as possible for the role you play (because you feel so insecure about your effectiveness), and want to pass the blame because you don't want to be seen as useless or unnecessary, i.e. not pulling your weight.
  

On the contrary, if you're a laser, you:

• recognize what you are specifically called and gifted to be and do,
• want to keep giving away responsibilities that you don't "love" so that others can fulfill their destiny, and so that you can stay focused on only what you should be doing and being.
  
• enjoy being focused and doing it and passionately embrace the challenges and struggles of that responsibility,
• at times, may feel overwhelmed, there's nothing you'd rather be doing,
• appreciate the laser focus and unique giftedness and passion of others, and want to see them succeed as well. You can see how necessary they are to the Church and are often amazed by their unique role, and even the fact that they enjoy doing what you can't stand doing or clearly have no gift or passion for,
• see the fruitfulness of serving together with others, and find that you are exponentially more effective when you work together with others who have differing gifts,
• can give away the credit with joy, so that you make sure others feel valued and necessary, and take the blame because you recognize your responsibility over the situation, and feel like you can improve on that failure next time.

Are you a laser or a light bulb? What would you add from your personal experience to this list of differences?

Sunday in the rear view mirror

One of our leaders asked me this week, “What was the one thing that made such a big difference this Red Carpet Sunday?” Yes, it’s true. This Friend Day was our most effective one yet- highest attendance, most first time guests, and so on. So many worked so hard to invite their friends, family, neighbors, and made sure that they showed up.

Effectiveness, changed lives, even great events, and having over 100 guests at one service- these things don’t just happen because of one BIG thing. They’re the accumulation of hundreds, if not thousands, of little things. (read this review of the Flywheel Principle in Good to Great)

What we are BEGINNING to see is the fruit of faithfulness, relationships, sticking to our core values, staying focused on the Cause, prayers, BIG prayers, fasting, prayers, hard-work, servant-mindedness, and above all GIVING GOD ALL THE CREDIT AND GLORY! Another church or ministry could replicate all the ideas, videos, marketing, sermon series, and not get the same results. Why? Because it wasn’t this event! They haven't invest enough "sweat equity".

We’ve planted tons of seeds, been faithful in the small things and now God is entrusting us with more things.

To my point: while we can enjoy and celebrate putting a W in the win column for God’s Kingdom, we stay focused. We continue to be faithful with the little (yes, what we have is little in light of the need- 60,000 people in our community who don’t know Jesus as their Savior). We’ll continue to do the little things- serve willingly, disciple urgently, give generously and sacrificially, love extravagantly, and multiple leaders like we’re a bunch of rabbits:)

Let’s keep our focus on doing and being whatever it takes to win as many to Christ as possible before He returns. I love my team and feel privileged to serve with each of them!

Fired Up

Most of you who know me and some who don't (whoever you are), have heard me say, write, shout, "I'M FIRED UP!" At times I am saying this to convince myself, but most of the time I have good reason for it. Here's what I recently wrote to a friend,

The secret to my fire

A few things I’ve learned about being fired up:

• It doesn’t matter how I feel. Being "fired up" is lite by a passion that I believe in what I’m doing and that I can make a difference for eternity (read Jeremiah 20:9-10, "But if I say, “I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,” his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.”). I have determined to stay focused and “fired up” regardless of my circumstances, only then can I lead others. Otherwise, I’m a roller coaster- fun to ride, but always ends up back where it started with no change except an emotional rush. And yes, sometimes, many times, I am putting my game-face on. But I won't tell you when, because it doesn't matter.
  
• I honestly believe what I read in the Bible. You know- that whole heaven, eternal reward thing- yep, all true. I don’t care the cost on earth, I’ll get my rewards in eternity. It’s worth it! And that hell thing. It keeps me passionate to rescue as many people through Jesus' message as possible. And realizing that my time is short, that gives me urgency.
  
• God uses ordinary people like me and you. How can you NOT be fired up about that! To think that the King of the Universe has adopted me and commissioned me to be both joint heir to His Kingdom and fellow-servant for His Cause. Unfathomable!
  
• Sometimes I wish it would go away. It gets tiring. At times I’d rather take the easy road of lazy ministry, small dreams, and normal work days. Yea, I know. It’d be boring, unrewarding, but easier and I could be selfish. Then, I relate back to the other points above.
• Some people will come just to “watch you burn”. When we’re on fire, people want to be around us, because we’re passionate, full of conviction, vision. Who doesn’t want to be around a person who believes passionately in what they’ve given their life to?
  

Okay, that’s it! Keep serving God and giving him your life! Only God knows how our lives will impact eternity.

My greatest fear: that I will get to heaven and be disappointed to learn that God had so much more planned for my life but I didn’t fulfill it.

What about you? Are YOU fired up? What keeps you "fired up"?

'Tis the Season

Just read an article that I found interesting, Scrooge Lives.

"...researchers found, is that some would-be donors don't trust how churches and religious organizations would use their donations... several church families say they don't have high levels of trust in their denomination's management and allocation of funds."

"A larger problem isn't that the parishioners distrust their churches; it's that they [congregates] are acting just like them [the churches]. American families are repeating their churches' examples."

"Relatively little donated money actually moves much of a distance away from the contributors," ...The money given by the people in the pews, it turns out, is largely spent on the people in the pews. Only about 3 percent of money donated to churches and ministries went to aiding or ministering to non-Christians.

"...major reason Christians do not give is because they are not asked to." Americans know that nearly all denominations teach that Christians should give away 10 percent of their incomes. But this teaching is rarely reinforced. Pastors are reluctant to bring it up because the issue is so closely tied to their own salaries. And the study found that pastors themselves are often not great models of financial giving, which can exacerbate their reluctance to preach on it."

Wow! Challenging article, challenging ideas!

My thoughts:

• You've heard it said to you, "You can't out give God," but I say to you, "Let's try and fail!"
• You've heard it said recently to you, "This is the worst economy in generations, so let's hoard, save, and hid what we have left," but I say to you, "This sense of desperation is good. It drives us back to priorities, to simplicity. Spend less. Give more. Make presents. Give more compliments and fewer flowers. Give more love and less unnecessary packages."
  
• You've heard it said to you, "If I give then I will have less," but I say to you, "We can't afford not to give."
• You've heard it said to you, "Seek wise counsel on how to invest your money, so that you'll get the best return on your IRA, 401k," but Jesus said to us, "Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven where thieves cannot break in and steal, and moths cannot eat.

Random Quotes

Just a few quotes I've read recently that made me... think.

• Women should not have children after 35; thirty-five children are enough. -anonymous

• The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not. -Thomas Jefferson
  

• A wise and frugal government, which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor and bread it has earned - this is the sum of good government. -Thomas Jefferson

• There are two ways to live: you can live as if nothing is a miracle; you can live as if everything is a miracle.- Albert Einstein
  

• To take from one because it is thought that his own industry and that of his father’s has acquired too much, in order to spare to others, who, or whose fathers, have not exercised equal industry and skill, is to violate arbitrarily the first principle of association—the guarantee to every one of a free exercise of his industry and the fruits acquired by it. -Thomas Jefferson.

• If you are out to describe the truth, leave elegance to the tailor. -Albert Einstein

• Only one who devotes himself to a cause with his whole strength and soul can be a true master. For this reason mastery demands all of a person. -Albert Einstein

The Truth is Absurd

Here's the trailer for Lifehouse's newest sermon series, beginning on Red Carpet Sunday (we're rolling out the red carpet for YOU), December 7th:


We're exploring the absurdities of Christmas. Most have grown up with Christmas both as a tradition and as a part of their heritage.

Have you ever really just wondered about it? I mean taken a critical look at what the Bible presents as the story of Christmas? It's craziness. The "why's" will make your brain hurt. It doesn't all fit neatly into our logical, reasonable, contractual human minds. God laid a gift under the tree at Christmas, and when we opened it to see what was inside, it has blown our minds away. He defies our reason, and anyone who's intellectually honest, shakes their head and thinks,

"This TRUTH is ABSURD." Discover the hidden treasures, the truths that most be explored, and the story that keeps being retold.

Struggling with our WHY

Both those who attend and who don't are questioning the relevance of the Christian Church.

• why does it exist?
• what should her energy be most focused in?
• where is her greatest impact?
• why is she declining in the US?
• how should the resources of the church be best used to make the greatest difference?
• what difference should the Church be making?
• what efforts are worth her time, energy, and money?

I realize that some are "sorta" repeats. But I'm struggling because I hear opposing thoughts both from leaders within and talking-heads outside.

Here are some varying thoughts:

• the Cause of the Church is the greatest in the world. (Hybels) The Church is the ONLY organization/ organism in the world that can bring hope and healing to the human heart.
• if everyone in the US who attended a Christian church tithed (gave 10% of income to the church), the Church would have the greatest financial resource in the world, and would be able to finance every major social injustice in the world.
• the Church is the largest organization in the world, and is strategically placed around the entire world as a center of education, medical help/ disease control, and health resource (food, clean water, AIDS prevention, etc).
• the Church is the largest voting block and, as such, should stand up, speak out, vote values, and take lead of electing politicians that are most aligned with biblical values.
• the Church shouldn't get caught up in politics. It's a waste of time and energy, and she is better suited to lead and transform hearts rather than changing people's politics.

For some reason, I struggle with how much of the Cause of the Church is in truly reaching our communities, cities, and world for Jesus, and how much of it is in earning rapport through meeting felt needs. If we spend all our time meeting real needs will we be a powerful Messenger of Jesus' love and life to our world? On the other hand, if we don't meet real needs, do we have any credibility to share Jesus?

How would you answer these questions:

• what efforts are most worthy of the Church's efforts?
• where should the bulk of the Church's resources be allocated (time, volunteers, money)?
  

Thanksgiving- build some traditions

If you've been around me much, you can tell that I'm not a big fan of doing things because they've always been done that way. Yeah, I'm a gifted tradition-breaker.

But what you may not now is that I don't break traditions just to break them. My heart is to challenge the status quo, to mess with routine, and get myself and as many others as possible to get back to the essence of following God and being the Church!

Traditions can be great tools. They are built-in life-memorials and altars. Places of safety, worship, and celebrations. Traditions create markers in life that we can return to and build in essential practices.

What are the traditions you value most at Thanksgiving?

Here are a few of my favorites and a few I'd like to build in:

1. Being with family (it says that no matter what, family is top priority)
2. Eating together (ok, obvious, but sometimes we forget that eating together is an important part of keeping/ building healthy relationships)
3. Thanks-giving (everyone goes around the table and shares what they are grateful for before and while we eat- usually because some take too long and the rest of us get hungry)
   
4. Communion (we share communion as part of our Thanksgiving meal- it keeps our gratitude aimed in the right direction; this can wait until the end of the meal)
5. Special thank-yous (think of 1, 2, or even 3 of the people who've had the greatest impact on our life, and send them and email, or better, a letter, to say "thank you". These are meaningful, specific to how they've impacted our life)
6. Giving (build into this season opportunities to give and serve others- give a turkey to a neighbor, friend, or co-worker in need; volunteer at the local soup kitchen; clear out favorite clothes, toys and donate them to a local shelter)
7. Football (I miss playing football with my brothers before Thanksgiving dinner- so I like to go outside with whatever guys are around and throw the football; then, veg after dinner and watch football or at least sneak a few minutes.)

What are your favorite traditions and why? What would you add to this list?

RED CARPET SUNDAY ticket info

You can do it! Get reserved seats of your choice for both YOU and YOUR FRIENDS! "How," you ask. Simple, follow these steps:

1. Just get some fliers.
2. Give fliers to friends and invite them to come on December 7th.
   
   
3. Tell them it will be an amazing experience with FREE breakfast, FREE horse-drawn-carriage rides, FREE family photos, and a chance to win a VIP dinner package.
4. If they are willing to commit to coming, give them a ticket (with reserved seat).
5. Fill out the stub with their info on it and turn it in on Sunday morning.
6. That stub will enter them into the drawing for the VIP dinner packages.
7. DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE THEIR ON DEC. 7th!

RED CARPET SUNDAY

Here's the plan. We're going all out for our guests on December 7, 2008, rolling out the Red Carpet! And we're breaking all the rules in church:

• Rule #1: you can't have people in every seat in church, 'cause people need their space. We're filling every seat in the theater.
• Rule #2: only stuffy, religious churches have reserved seating, i.e. elderly women with bun in her hair has sat in that same indented pew for 63 years. Don't you dare take her spot! Well not on 12/07. We've got tickets for every seat in the theater, and if you've got that ticket, you've also got exclusive rights to that seat. Woo hoo! On the other hand, if you've got a ticket to a seat, you better make sure there's a warm body in the seat (and your dog doesn't count).
• Rule #3: church is only for religious people. We already broke this rule every week for the last 5 years, but we want everyone to know it. The whole point of Lifehouse is to reach people who are experts in "the way of religious formulas". We're just a bunch of ordinary, "normal" people who love God and want to know how to follow Jesus every day of our lives.
• Rule #4: God will strike you dead if you bring food, coffee, and yes, even that hard candy into church! Again, we blew this rule out the window a long time ago, we're just going public with it now. At Lifehouse, we eat in church, drink coffee during sermons, and beg people to take a breath-mint! And so far no one has been struck by lightning or keeled over from food-poisoning.

So, INVITE YOUR FRIENDS, CO-WORKERS, NEIGHBORS, and FAMILY to Lifehouse East for RED CARPET SUNDAY on December 7 at 10 am. And if you want breakfast, you better get their at 9:30. There will also be:

• FREE Horse Drawn Carriage Rides!
• FREE Professional Family Photos!
• NEW Sermon Series- the X-Mas Files, "the truth is absurd"

SO, DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO GET THE SEATS FILLED! See video below for ideas on how to get people there:

Date Night

Laura and I enjoyed a date night.

Got a chance to go see Fireproof at the Cinemas. Our first movie out together in about 6 years. Was a little nervous about it being a chic-flick or something. But I thought it was great, both from a personal perspective and as a pastor.

I'd HIGHLY RECOMMEND to every couple to go see FIREPROOF. It will give you plenty to discuss in your marriage, great insight into your spouse, and I think it's the kind of movie we should be supporting at the cinemas.

I'm Voting For...

I'm not apolitical or non-political. I believe that my calling and responsibilities are bigger than politics. Matter of fact, I believe that the Church is the Hope for Change in the world. The only Hope for true change. God has entrusted to us the responsibility to bring the message of Jesus Christ to ALL. We are bigger and more powerful than the US government, UN, the World Banks, and nuclear proliferation (combined). We've been entrusted with the duty of eternity. I will not be detoured or deterred from my sacred call.

We've also been entrusted with a vote. Here's a great video to help guide how you make a decision on who you will be voting for in this election, not only for President, but for state and local government. We must be careful not to vote for "my" best interests, but the best interest of our nation, freedom, and life.

Convoy Marathon- more exhausting, more fulfilling

This past weekend was unbelievable.

Friday night we had a Volunteer commissioning rally for all who wanted to serve on Saturday for Convoy of Hope. It was electric. 420 Jesus-followers who showed up just to be a part of serving and giving to our community through Convoy of Hope. Probably one of the coolest experiences I ever had being a part of the excitement and passion of so many coming together as ONE.

Saturday from 6am was a marathon of serving, ministering, leading, and celebrating.
Convoy of Hope was a day of compassion for all of Washington County. One Big idea- compassion in the name of Jesus, 30 churches cooperating (unheard of), 80+ different agencies, organizations, and companies, 700 volunteers, and we reached 2,300 guests. Unprecedented! Awesome! We treated EVERY guests as our guest of honor, and we enjoyed every minute of it.

Sunday at Lifehouse was more rally and celebration than church. We "did" and "were" the church on Saturday, so Sunday was just an opportunity to be a "family of friends". I love pastoring Lifehouse and leading the Church to reach this region for Jesus!

65,000 Steps

If you watch the video closely, you'll see me somewhere in the crowd running the Baltimore Marathon this past Saturday. Finished it in 4:38. Not great, but I finished. Considering my longest run before that was about 13-15 miles, I'm pumped. Besides, I've joined 1% of world population that's done it.

You read right. Marathon (26.2 mile race) = about 65,000 steps. It felt like a million on Saturday when I got to mile 21. They say a marathon can be divided in half: the first 20 miles and the last 6. That's about right.

I DID IT! I had set this a goal and now I've checked it off the list. Next up, shooting for eventually achieving one of my life goals, finishing an Ironman (swim 2.4 m; bike 112 m; run 26.2). Someday.


Lots of life lessons from the race which I'll be using in videos that I recorded with Corey about 30 min after the race. It's for our series at Lifehouse called, "OCTANE!"

Weekend in the Rear-view Mirror

What a way to finish out September. In a farewell moment for Jon and Carrie, they lead as our band covered "Stop and Stare" in "God at the Billboards".

This series is a blast. Great moments, since the top songs really grab the tension and struggles we all have. One Republic identified one in this song, "have you ever stopped, stared and noticed that you're no where near where you thought you'd be or wanted to be."

I challenged Lifehouse, and my self in the process, to gain direction from God by stopping and listening. We need to slow down long enough for God to speak to us through the busyness of life, and then we must listen. Not just hear, but actually listen by doing.

Looking forward to next Sunday, October 5th. Where covering "What about now?" by Chris Daughtry. Great song with a focus on how we can have great impact in the world.

Change Inevitable- So, let's be proactive!

We've heard it ad-naseau, "the only thing certain is change". Change is inevitable, and that's not a bad thing. A great friend and mentor in my life suggested this about church and ministry,

"The methods that brought growth in our church that helped us grow from 0-100, needed to change in order for us to have a continued impact and grow to 200. Equally, the things that got us to that point need to change, so that we could continue to grow and impact more people."

So, there are two ways of viewing change: it will just happen and we will be bystanders watching OR we will lead change and proactively guide through tumultuous times and initiate change and truly be leaders.

We recently have navigated and lead significant change at Lifehouse. That's nothing new. We've been changing and growing every month since we began. We've navigated pastoral and leadership personnel changes, style adjustments and enhancements, budgeting shifts, and the wonderful challenges of leading change through growth.

What scares you about change? What change do you need to start leading, and stop following?

A player in a great novel

Frank Peretti's This Present Darkness is a fictional story about what is happening in the spiritual realm around us everyday. Recently I have felt like a character in a Peretti novel. I'm busy working, leading, training, and pastoring our church, and I don't think I realize often enough the profound spiritual implications of what we are about.

Every prayer is a battle cry. Every moment we overcome temptation we're defeating the enemy. Every act of faithfulness is a stab in the heart of the enemy's tactics. Every trial grows our faith. Every struggle with despair expands our understanding of God's love. Every question deepens my apologetics. Every arrow fired at our Cause strengthens our resolve. The struggles, challenges, frustrations, and conflicts are simply opportunities for growth- both personally and of God's Kingdom.

James 1:2-4 states, "Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way (The Message)."

Thin Places

In Wild Goose Chase, by Mark Batterson, he mentions the idea of inattentional blindness. The idea that we become blinded to things that we see all the time. However, the wonder of God is found in the routine of life, and when we stop and notice divine moments in ordinary events, those are called "thin places" according the Celtic Christians. The place where heaven meets earth.

I found a thin place in Hagerstown, MD at 5:45 this morning while running. When I began, the stars were bright and the moon lite the street. It was magnificent, breathtaking even. Then, as I ran, dawn began. I don't mean it crept in the way my daughters sneak into my bedroom. It gloriously arose. It was awe-inspiring. Truly wondrous. Steadily, what happens everyday happened, not again, but in a special way, that is one-of-a-kind. And as dawn arose, I could see the dew covered fields, and watched as a heavy fog began to descend over our town. Even the fog was spectacular. Toward the end of my 12 mile trek, the fog began to break and the sun shown through. And all I could say was, "Wow God! You Rock!"

What "thin places" have you seen recently? Would love to hear your stories.

A Moment of Silence

Today we pause and remember.

We stop for moments and offer our silence as the loudest prayer and testament to our honor of those lost on 9/11 and our solidarity to the values and freedom that make America great.

Even after seven years, the horror, tragedy, and also the great compassion of the events surrounding 9/11/2001 still burn in my heart as true as they did in those days. Close my eyes, I can see it. I can feel the emotion welling up in me right now. Mourning. Anger. Fear. Eventually the solemn confidence that God is bigger than terror, evil, and fear.

May we never forget...

• the victims and heroes of 9/11

• that there is true evil and evil people in this world
• that there are people who hate America and freedom
  
• that there is good in this world
• that there is hope in God
• that God is big enough.
  

May God bless America!

Recharged?

We have set aside this week (8/17-22) for fasting and prayer among Lifehouse leaders.

Why? This is a critical time to put our focus on God and keep our hearts broken and centered on Him. Fasting and prayer are not tools to twist God's arm, but a way to quiet ourselves and prepare our hearts for what God wants to do in and through us. Since fall is an exciting, busy, and forward- moving time for us, this week is an opportunity for a spiritual tune up before September hits.

Here are a few themes over the last few days:

• Monday- Isaiah 61:1-7 The great exchange. We believe that God wants to refresh us and renew our spirits. Take time for the great exchange, trading our mess for His mercy, our tragedies for His triumph, and our failures for His forgiveness.
• Tuesday- Psalm 51 Cleansing waters. God is in the triage business of accessing our sin, guilt, and shame, and forgiving, healing, and making us whole. We are made new when we accept His love and forgiveness.
• Wednesday- Joshua 3:1-4 Let's invite God to lead us into scary, dangerous territory and dreams. We must have His presence before us, and consecrate our hearts and lives so that He can do amazing things through us.
• Thursday- Joshua 1:1-9 Be very bold, very courageous. "Dream no small dream for it stirs not the hearts of men..." and it requires not the hand of God. We're praying for impossibilities to become divine possibilities. We're asking for the hand of God to be powerfully apparent in our lives and within Lifehouse Church East.

What is God speaking to you during your personal time with Him?

How are you removing the distractions of life to focus on God?

New Book

Looking forward to reading Wild Goose Chase, by Mark Batterson. I'm waiting for my copy to arrive pre-release, and I'll post a review here for you. In the meantime, here's some info on the book:

Most of us have no idea where we’re going most of the time. Perfect.

“Celtic Christians had a name for the Holy Spirit–An Geadh-Glas, or ‘the Wild Goose.’ The name hints at mystery. Much like a wild goose, the Spirit of God cannot be tracked or tamed. An element of danger, an air of unpredictability surround Him. And while the name may sound a little sacrilegious, I cannot think of a better description of what it’s like to follow the Spirit through life. I think the Celtic Christians were on to something...

Most of us will have no idea where we are going most of the time. And I know that is unsettling. But circumstantial uncertainty also goes by another name: Adventure.” -from the introduction.

More about the Author:
Mark Batterson is the lead pastor of Washington, DC’s National Community Church, widely recognized as one of America’s most innovative churches. NCC meets in movie theaters at metro stops throughout the city, as well as in a church-owned coffee house near Union Station. More than seventy percent of NCC’ers are single twentysomethings who live or work on Capitol Hill. Mark is the author of the best-selling In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day and a widely read blogger (www.markbatterson.com). He lives on Capitol Hill with his wife, Lora, and their three children.

You can order a copy here (and no, I'm not getting any royalties. Just wan to encourage people to live the adventurous life as well).

Olympic Mind-set

Awesome to watch the Olympics, especially when we get to see the best in history. Mike Phelps crushing world records and winning gold medals in droves. Wow!

I also watched a documentary on how the Chinese build their Olympic team. Since their Communist, they tell the people what to do. So, if they find a family that is athletic and decide that their 3-yr will be a great athlete one day, then they kindly drag the kid from the parents and off to the gym. They groom them into world-caliber athletes and then put the best on their Olympic team. Great to be an American! We do it just a little different, but have unbelievable success. Parents and children here volunteer to train rigorously for years to obtain greatness. From a young age, parents are taking their kids to intense training, home schooling them to keep them in athletics as much as possible, and forking out $10,000s, if not $100,000s. The young athletes train about 8 hrs daily for years. They have a focused-intensity on only achieving greatness in their sport.

I wonder what would happen if we would put that kind of intense focus and discipline into
our relationship with God and giving our all to Him. What if we devoted ourselves to following Jesus the way these Olympians have to a sport? What if we gave our kids and all new believers in our churches the same kind of focused support and backing to grow spiritual as these parents have? We would probably develop an "Olympic-class" of Jesus-followers.

Read: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 and Hebrews 12:1-4.

How can we step up our own intensity in following Jesus?

What holds us back from being as intense about Jesus as these Olympians are about sports?

Can We Make God Smile?

I don't feel that spiritual. I mean like all those really spiritual people. The ones that make me feel inadequate, not good enough. What's worse? I don't really feel that bad about it.

I'm learning to define my spirituality, less by what others think, and the measurements of the religious world, and more by how often I'm making God "smile". I have this thought that worship is simply anything we do that causes God to look in at our life and smile. So, I ask myself, "What do I do everyday that makes God smile?" It has begun to change my outlook on spirituality.

Jesus said, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." (Luke 12:30)

How does that impact ordinary spirituality? We can worship God with our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Have you ever thought that by simply using your mind in creative, intelligent ways you can express your love to God? Or by using your strength and physical abilities, God is smiling down on you?

Eric Liddell is quoted in Chariots of Fire as saying, "I believe that God made me for a purpose... but he also made me fast. And when I run, I feel HIS pleasure." Maybe we can be spiritual while running, swimming, thinking, reading, painting, studying, climbing, writing, feeling, dreaming, or doing anything that brings a smile to God's face. Maybe it's un-spiritual to waste what's in our heart, soul, mind, and strength to bring God fame.

How can you use your passions, gifts, strength to bring a smile to God's face?

How NOT to Burn Out

I shared this simple devotion with our staff yesterday:

Remember the story of Moses and the burning bush. Moses was attracted up the mountain to see a bush that burned but wasn't consumed. When he got close, God spoke to Him, and warned him to take off his sandals because the place where he stood was holy ground.

What's my point:

• Others are drawn to people who burn, are passionate, full of life.
  
• In order to not be consumed, the source of the flame must always be God.
• The moment the we (or the bush) become the source, we're consumed.
  
• The only way to keep God as the source of our "fire" is to keep God as the center and the fuel of our life.
• We are only the conduit of God's presence and "fire". It's not about us but God.
• Maintain a constant relationship and daily time with God to keep your "fire" hot.

Just a thought?

What do you do to keep your fire hot?

DOING vs BEING

There is a significant difference between doing something and being somebody. The difference may only be in identity, but that matters.

Do you swim OR are you a swimmer? You may go swimming, but a swimmer IS more.
Do you run OR are you a runner? It's a matter of commitment and accomplishment.
Do you parent OR are you a mom or dad? Not just a behavior but a way a responsibility and identity.
Do you do Christian disciplines OR are you a Jesus-follower? One is legalistic and behavior focused, the later is a way of life, an identity.

We're not just going through the motions. There's no set stuff that we "do" that makes us something or somebody. "Being" is a way of life, a commitment or devotion to something. Being requires more from us, and outlast the actions themselves. We're parents even when our kids are at home with the babysitter. We're runners even when we're not running.

We are Jesus-followers regardless of the setting, posture, or moment. "Being" doesn't require pews, organ music, robes, or even a Bible in-hand. Being a Jesus follower is a way of life.

Don't just do stuff, BE!

Don't Spend Side-ways Energy

I've been reflecting recently on the idea of expending "side-ways energy". Here's a definition first: an investment of time, resources, emotions, and/or spiritual focus on issues or situations that are not productive or expedient. They are typically situations or issues that are contestable but provide little or no effective ministry or relational growth or benefit. They simply create trouble, arguments, or require an unbalanced amount of personal investment compared with the return.

We will give our time, energy, and resources to something. May we see all of these as resources that God has entrusted to us, and now we are stewards of these things. I don't want to waste them in areas that will not produce the greatest, most effective results. How we spend our personal resources must be in line with our spiritual values and seem pleasing to God. However, I realize that we may not all agree on what is an issue that demands side-ways energy. (And debating that would probably require a certain amount of side-ways energy.)

The challenge is to be most intentional about the use of my life and energy so that it's being used on what matters most. Here are some areas that I'm beginning to avoid spending side-ways energy:

• denominational theological issues, i.e. doctrines that separate on church from another that are not part of what we consider to be part of the essential beliefs of the church.
• political banter. While I'm deeply passionate about my political views as well as an ardent patriot. I'm convinced that I can do more good leading people to Jesus and helping them in their journey with God than I can argue political views.
• petty conflict. There are certain things that I think we just have to get over. How cares if the toilet seat is up or down? (ok, that's not even an issue in our home, just an example).
• justifying mistakes. I used to spend time explaining why I did something wrong, even though I knew it was wrong, so that I wouldn't look bad. Then I realized, it's okay to just apologize and say, "I'm sorry" without trying to explain myself. It's so much easier too.
• micromanagement. This isn't one of my deep challenges, but every once and a while, my perfectionist juices kick in and I stick my nose into an area of life or church that is unnecessary. We have great people in leadership who I profoundly trust, and they should be given the freedom to lead, fail, and win big.
• TV/ internet/ games. Laura and I are disciplined about our family time and what we watch on TV. I stink at video games and hardly have time for the internet except for research and an occasional blog or facebook. However, this may be one of the all-time great America side-ways energy suckers. At the end of the show, game, viewing- what do you really have... nothing. This is opinion not gospel. But certainly worth chewing on.
  

I'm sure I could think of more examples, but you get the point.

What are some areas in your life that demand side-ways energy that can be eliminated or avoided? Where can your time and energy be better spent?

Sunday in the Rearview Mirror

Here was Sunday in all it's fun:
5:15 woke up and got 4 sets of clothes, my computer bag, and Bible/ notes ready
5:30 on the road to Snook Park- Hagerstown, MD
6:00 check in for the race, get body markings (not what you think, they just right your number on your arms and legs)
6:45 got ready for race time
7:00 the Hagerstown Sprint Triathlon began
7:08 got handed our team band, jumped on my bike and took off riding
7:41 got a flat tire 3 miles from finishing that leg of the race, and road on a flat the rest of the way. While that slowed me down, I wasn't about to get off and lose more time.
7:51 dismounted and took off running (if you could call that running)
8:15 crossed the finish line after biking 11 miles and running 3.1. Not bad, but could have been better without the flat.
8:50 off to the YMCA to shower and get ready for Lifehouse
9:35 arrived at Lifehouse and got ready to preach
10-11:15 Lifehouse service, preached message in series "Anatomy of God"
11:50 lead an orientation for those who wanted to be baptized in the evening
1-3pm final group session with Spring Life Developments students who are our newest leaders and disciplers at Lifehouse
3-5 BBQ with my Ironheart buddies who race in the Sprint Triathlon as relay teams
5:30 arrived at Lifehouse- Bethel to prep for the baptism service
6-8 enjoyed the connection of 4 churches celebrating together as 1 family. We baptized 4.
9:30 made it to Rich Vieira's house to taunt the Red Sox getting smacked in the mouth by my Yankees, only to watch them lose miserably.
12:30 finally went to bed.

Hard Questions

Many people feel the need to apologize for asking hard questions about Christianity, the Bible, God, the Church, or Lifehouse. But here's the thing, if we stand on TRUTH, questions and scrutiny should never intimidate or scare us.

It's similar to the idea, "only liars need good memories". Only dishonest or deceitful organizations, religions, etc need to be scared of honest questioning and scrutiny. Why do you think cults have "all" the answers to what they believe? They want to appear intelligent, polished, and as though they have it all figured out. If they have an answer to every questions, then there's no reason for you to doubt.

But faith includes a component of doubt and questioning. Unquestioned faith isn't faith at all- it's blind allegiance. I'm confident that the TRUTH of Jesus and the power of the gospel have, are, and will continue to endure all scrutiny, critique, and critical analysis. We have the TRUTH so we don't need to be frightened by the investigation of it.

Invite questions. Ask hard questions. Wonder! Think! Ask, "what if?" God is big enough for our ponderings. Besides, if you/ me can explain everything there is to know about God, maybe we're not following a very big God. I want to believe in a God that I can't entirely explain. I like moments when I'm caught off guard by God, or confused by what He does or amazed by His mystery.

New Sermon Series

You can say you saw it here first. Here's the preview for my next sermon series kicking off this weekend, "the Anatomy of God".



The goal of this series is to challenge Lifehousers on our core beliefs about Jesus. So often the media defines our theology, and I want everyone to be on the same (biblical) page as far as our views on who Jesus was/ is and what He did for us. These aren't just dry theological ideas but deeply impactful truths that guide the way we live everyday.

Growth and leadership

When training for any race, the experts have figured at a pattern that helps you reach peak performance (however, pitiful that "peak" may be, as in my case). This patter includes incrementally training to build endurance and stamina, while also increase speed. As you approach race day, you have days where you simulate race distances. Then, as you near race (about 5 days out), you do one last long day (about 25% more than the race), then start backing off, so that you have one easy day (about a 33% of race distance), and finally a day off.

It's critical in life and leadership, that we make it our mission to grow regularly. Leadership and growth is a process not a destination, and we can't expect to go 0-60. It's a slow life process that is lived out over an extended time. Slowly, we build leadership experience, clarity of vision, credibility in character, fortitude under pressure, skilled communication, and the ability to discern next steps. These come through hard work, determination, perseverance, and prayer.

There is also a necessary season of rest. We can't push hard all the time, 24-7, and expect to "perform" well on "race day". We need to allow for days off, vacation, and lighter seasons at work. If we are diligently growing and pressing, then we are not only justified, but actually need to rest in preparation for growth to higher levels.

By the way, cheer our Ironheart teams on Sunday morning 7am as we do a relay sprint tri at Snook Park in Hagerstown, MD.

Bumper Stickers

Would love to hear your ideas for a new Lifehouse bumper sticker. I think bumper stickers, t-shirts, car wraps, and tattoos (just kidding)- are some of the best organic marketing tools around. So, I want to leverage these simple tools (minus tattooing peoples bodies).

Here are a few of my ideas:

So, these are ones that I think are funny, but I probably should keep to my self and not even post here, but they make me laugh so, here you go:

1. my pastor beat up your honor student.
2. my pastor ran over your pastor.
3. Jesus goes to Lifehouse (only)
4. if you were cool, you'd go to the Lifehouse
5. Mike goes to the Lifehouse (I know, but it'll make people think)
   
6. Lifehouse Church... just because we can.

Can you give me some funny and actual usable ones?

Why I Love Lifehouse

Now that I'm back into the mix of things, and enjoying my busy schedule, I'll take a moment and tell you what I love about Lifehouse:
10. Blue jeans while preaching.
9. cool website and I can even drink coffee on the web.
8. my next door neighbors come to church with me.
7. we're not hypocrites (at least I hope we're not).
6. authenticity and candor.
5. raw Christianity.
4. I actually like everybody at Lifehouse.
3. Even though I'm the pastor, I feel like I can be real and have friends at Lifehouse.
2. Our leadership team may be the best team of any church.
1. Coffee and breakfast every Sunday, even while I preach.
0. Jesus goes to Lifehouse Church East.

So, there you have it. I love Lifehouse Church East unabashedly.

From Vacation and Beyond

My family and I returned from vacation last night, and deeply enjoyed sleeping in our own beds... ahhh! And since I didn't blog anything along the way, here's a quick overview of our 1,700 mile, 10 day (including missing two consecutive Sundays for the first time ever) vacation:

• to Brewster, NY to see Laura's family,
  
• onto Greenwood Lake, NY for 4th of July weekend and BBQs and fireworks on the lake,
• to NYC for church at the Journey which meets at the Manhattan Center right in the shadow of the Empire State Building,
  
• then onto Toys R Us at Time Square where our girls enjoy the largest Barbie house ever,
  
• then into the subway to Battery Park, where we waited forever in line to get on the ferry to see the Statue of Liberty, only to get to the front of the line and learn that we can no longer get into to the Statue since it was so late in the day. So, what better thing to do next, but to go get some NY PIZZA...
• on Monday we decided to head back to the City to see the Aquarium and Coney Island,
• golfing Tuesday (shot a 89) then meatballs and pasta at the Costellos,
• then to the beach for two days... ah, I love the beach. I could have easily been a beach bum. I love it, everything about it. But it is challenging getting the girls to bed after 11,
  
• then, back to Brewster for some hang-out time, and chicken marsala,
• and we took a Sunday off at my parents, just relaxed, had a private church time with our family, and even sang a few worship songs (although Bethany is convinced "Twinkle, Twinkle little star" is a worship song.
• and beat rush hour traffic all the way home.

Thanks for your prayers. I have lots more thoughts from our trip, the beach, church at the Journey, and fresh vision for Lifehouse East. But there are more blogs ahead.

Fired up (and watch out 'cause I'm rested up too)

Must-Listen to Music

Just a heads up that Jon and Carrie (our worship pastor) just released a new CD, (here). Great stuff. Some of the music we sing on Sunday mornings is on their CD, so it's definitely not just any CD, but a worship CD. So, what does that mean for you:

• you can buy it, listen to it, and encourage others to check it out.
• we want to promote them as the promote God. If you know of other churches, cafes, or groups that would be interested in bringing them in to train other worship teams or play a worship set, contact them at jnc_lewis@yahoo.com.
  

Here are some links to check out:
Jon and Carrie's home page. On the air, so listen here. And you can purchase here.

Great Weekend

Came into the weekend already exhausted, but somehow doing what I love and being with people that I enjoy sharing life with, is rejuvenating.

After traveling back and forth to Montgomery Co for the viewing and funeral of my good friend Chris Patton, and speaking at his funeral, I then spent 2 days in DC at Unplugged Conference (notes coming soon).

Saturday we celebrated with our new pastoral couple, Joe and Lois, on their 50th wedding anniversary. To hear more about them, look back about 2 posts and watch their youtube video. How cool to have pastors with tons of life and marriage experience coaching and guiding a young pastor and church. How refreshing that they are willing to embrace changing styles without losing the passion for the Truth.

Onto Sunday, I preached my heart out. I give it my all every week, but not every week feels like my best. But for "On the Shoulders of Giants: Courage" I left it all at Lifehouse. Looked at Acts 1:8 and read chapter 3. These disciples of Jesus were transformed from cowering students to courageous leaders.

Our challenge: BE BOLD by relying on God's power and as witness of Jesus. The commitment I asked for: talk with at least ONE person about Jesus and invite someone to Lifehouse next week.

BUSY DAYS

These are busy days for me. Not saying it's good, but the last 3 nights I've been miserable, because I did what I hate doing... coming home and kissing my girls on the check while they're asleep. Getting home between 10-12 each night is not a healthy pattern. But we'll make up for it soon with vacation. The girls are begging to spend time with daddy. So, I really owe it to them to get home early. I also owe it to Lifehouse, since my family's my first ministry, and if their not happy no one's going to be happy.

I'm in DC today finishing up a conference called Unplugged at capital hill. It's a great informal setup for conversational development among church planters. I'll blog more later.

New Tech Stuff Going Live

This is an arena that I think is a giant waste of time, but really do hope somebody reads it and uses it. If not, I'll truly feel as though I wasted a lot of time with little impact. So, help me out- if use facebook, I just set up and account. Go ahead and check it out.

Also, I'm trying to figure out how to add an rss feed chicklet to my posts. And soon, we should have podcasting up live both on my blog and at our website.

Finally, after much work, several of my most recent sermons are now available at our website here.

WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE?

I was just doing some reading between my morning swim and our prayer time as a staff, and came across this news story. Here's the brief: Americans are becoming increasingly less exclusive in their views about their own faith and path to heaven. A majority believe that there are many ways to heaven, and that their personal faith doesn't have a handle on heaven, nor the right to suggest that if a person doesn't follow their faith, that they will end up in hell. Alright, just read the article...

Tolerance is very trendy and 21st Century and American. It makes people feel good and doesn't put others in a disparaging light. And therefore, it makes the holder of those views more civilized and sophisticated for not holding to a "narrow", bigoted theology.

However, when I was in college calculus and was asked a question, the goal wasn't to make all my classmates feel good about their varying and opposing answers. I wanted to know the right answer and how that answer was derived. Same in chemistry, in English, in history, in physics, and in just about every academic and life pursuit I've studied.

It is primarily because people don't like the premise of being wrong about something so profoundly life-altering as their personal faith, that they expected others to "lighten up" on their theology, and give them a pass or let them off the hook. I'm not being harsh, just honest.

I'm confident that the Bible doesn't just contain A way, but THE Way to an eternity in heaven. I believer passionately in Jesus and His LOVE for all mankind, that I'm willing to risk offense, my own reputation, and even a little "political correctness" backlash, to communicate as broadly and as relevantly as possible that Jesus is the Answer that ALL people are looking for.

And He is the ONLY way! If you don't like it, that's okay... my classmates didn't like it when they got the answer wrong and I had it write on the final either, only this time there's a lot more at stake. The beauty of this final is we are all willing to share the answers and even show everyone how to come to the same answer.

ON THE SHOULDERS sermon media

how many faces can you find in the clouds?

If you missed yesterday's message at Lifehouse East, to bad for you...

No, it was great. These are the times when I feel like I'm preaching as a third-party. It feels like I'm watching myself preach. The message is so powerful, the content so BIG, that I quickly realize I'm a very small part of this amazing Cause of Jesus. Here's some media stuff and the videos from yesterday. Watch both to see the contrast.

This is good:


Now for the better, more powerful video:

WE ARE ONE VERSE IN THE SONG...

If you can't tell, I'm having a blast preaching this message series "On the Shoulders of Giants". It's amazing to put our life into the broader context of history. It forces me to get my eyes off of myself and onto what I've been given by the heroes/ giants before me and what is expected of me.

It's an incredible challenge to think about your part as a verse in the song of redemption, a chapter in the book of Life, a stanza in the great love poem of God. We're responsible to carry with wisdom a baton that has been handed to us by giants like Abraham (no last name needed), Moses, David, Gideon, Samuel, Isaiah, John the Baptist, Peter, John, James, Paul, JESUS himself, Ignatius, Polycarp, Tertullian, Jerome, Augustine, Martin Luther, Calvin, Tyndale, Wesley brothers, and Billy Graham, just to name a very small few. Who among us will rise up and be counted? Who will we pass the baton to? How well will we have apprenticed them and model for them what it means to be a Christ-follower?

A side note: every time a start preparing for a sermon series, which is usually a few months in advance, I think that I'll never come up with something more creative or as powerful as the one I'm in at the moment. So, I'm constantly amazed by the reality that God is the other of creativity, and He is omni-creative. Never runs out of ideas and always offers us new insight to present the same powerful message of God's love in new, fresh, and powerful ways.

POLITICAL OPINING

Here's my thoughts from Memorial Day weekend, and I shared this on Sunday morning...

I have been careful to keep my political opinions to myself and my personal views personal. But NOW, for this weekend only, I'm putting it all out there, my thoughts, allegiances, and voting patterns.

I AM...


an American. That's right! First and foremost, I am an America. Not a Republican or Democrat, not voting for one party or another. I'm an ardent patriot, and passionately believe in the United States of America. I believer that we live in the greatest nation in the world. I believe in protecting the freedoms of our nation and her citizens. This nation was founded on Judeo-Christian values based on the Bible and heralded by God-fearing Jesus-followers. When studying American history, I am amazed by the deep Christian roots of America. And so, I love America.

It is always appropriate to honor those who have served our great nation and say THANK YOU! Thank you to ALL who have served to protect freedom both in the Armed Forces and Law Enforcement. THANK YOU!

DO CHURCH-GOERS ACTUALLY LISTEN TO THEIR PASTORS?

I'm a little annoyed (ok, more than slightly annoyed) by the premise in the news that people can attend a church for a long period of time, completely disagree with their pastor's teaching and ideology, and not be impacting in any way by his messages.

Why do I say this? Thanks for asking. Allow me to explain so that I can make the point.

It's old news, and that's why I've waited this long to say anything. My comments are not political in nature. But, if you've been listening to the news about Barak Obama's pastor, Jeremiah Wright, you'd know what I mean and why I'm ticked. Here's the thing: Obama and his family sat under Mr. Wright's pastoral teaching and leadership for 20+years. His rhetoric, vitriol, and hate-centered talk have made the headlines recently. I actually listened to one of his sermons nearly in its entirety, and it was disturbing.

And I don't care about your political bent, we are after-all one America, one nation under God. But no matter your tradition, this kind of speech is wrong, contrary to Scripture, and a horrific, if not entirely sac-religious interpretation of the Bible. And this isn't even the point of my blog...

And what is Obama's out? How did he get away with attending and sitting under this kind of hate-filled preaching?

He said things like:
-I wasn't there that day.
-I never heard him say that stuff
-He's my pastor but his teachings have no impact on my personal beliefs and values
-yea, he's a little out there, but I don't really get effected by anything he says
-yes, he did our wedding, dedicated our children, and I've attended regularly for 20 years, but I don't think anything like him and actually disagree with most of what he says

Those aren't exact quotes, but down-right close.

WHAT'S MY POINT?

If anyone who sits under my leadership, teaching, and preaching regular is as equally un-impacted, un-transformed, un-challenged and un-changed by your experience at church and under my leadership. You need a new church. I'm not doing my job. I've failed. If anyone says that about the ministry of Lifehouse East, even after only 2 years, I'd be devastated.

I hope that people are so changed, transformed and impacted by their experience at Lifehouse East, my teaching, and God's love that they are dramatically different. That your thinking, living, and values have so changed that it's undeniable.

May it be OBVIOUS to everyone around you and may it be provable in the court of Law that we are JESUS-FOLLOWERS. By the way, I'm a die-hard Lifehousers. And I'll stand behind our teachings, experience, and family!

RECENT NEWS

We're on the news... maybe you saw the story last night on NBC 25 or at Hagerstown Magazine.

I'm also doing an interview with WGTS 91.9 this afternoon to tell the Lifehouse and give project story. These news stories and interviews always make me nervous, because I want to present the message of Jesus and say all the right things. And when I'm done, it never came out quite right.

We have gotten emails of people who read or heard our story and felt challenged. People all over the US are giving and helping others. Let's keep following Jesus!

SUNDAY in the REARVIEW MIRROR

What a blast!

Enjoyed the excitement of leaders, volunteers, and the response from all who invited over 50 first-time guests out to Lifehouse Church East yesterday. I thought everything from the cafe to the rocking opening song to the atmosphere was incredible. Okay, we'll have to overlook the extra 2 seconds on the video clip and the references to other religions, but... hopefully all there (about 300) will extend grace. We had 6 people commit their lives to following Jesus! Wow!

And I spent the afternoon with my family at a neighbors house hanging out with some of my other neighbors who came out to church. Now, to all who did similarly- YOU ROCK! Way to BE THE CHURCH!

My Greatest Leadership Challenge:

I recently posted this on another blog where the author asked what pastors' greatest leadership challenges were:

Balancing the biggest priorities! Allow me to explain:

I love being a husband, father, church planter, and leader. Most of the time, I'm red-hot passionate, even in dealing with tough stuff. My on-going greatest challenges is balancing my passions for family, ministry, and leadership. To me it's not "work" planting, leading, and pastoring our church. I love what I do (and that's not because we haven't been through tough stuff).

I believe firmly the core value communicated well by Martin Luther, "pray like everything depends on God work like everything depends on you". But type A, entrepreneurs will finish praying and keep on working.

I'm learning to balance putting down what I'm passionate about and what I'm called to and prioritize my marriage and family.

• What are yours?
  

It's Scary When...

The worst thing possible for me is to be stuck in a rut or consumed with details and administrative responsibilities. It stifles my passion and fire. And as you know, I want to stay fired up, focused on God's purposes for my life and at Lifehouse Church East.

Recently, when reviewing my weekly schedule with our administrator, I noticed that I'm actually in control of my weeks... wow! I can plan meetings, schedule sermon prep and event prep and set aside time to plan, read, pray, meet with lots of leaders, organize ministries, or even meet with other pastors. My schedule and the urgent aren't driving me.

And that's when it gets scary. Oh, not for me... but for everyone else on our team. Why you ask? Because the more time I have to think, pray, plan, study, and lead leaders, the more passionate I get, the more our vision grows for Lifehouse East, the more I'm convinced that we've only just begun, and the more I know that we've only seen the tip-of-the-iceberg of God's favor working through us to impact this city.

Let's change the world. Not just make a difference, but make it different. That's what I'm praying and planning for. I've got red-hot vision and passion running through me. And I don't want to just spew it all over this blog. So, little by little you'll be hearing of the ways we are going to continue to organize and strategize to impact this city, region, and world for Christ.

FRIEND DAY promo...

Here's our video promo for Friend Day. This is crazy, fun, and incredibly biblical. Don't know why we didn't think of it sooner, but tons of kudos to Melody, our administrator for the idea (heaven will be populated differenlty because of this event and because Lifehousers will "be the Church").

Check it out:



Here's the plan:

• on May 4th we're asking that all Lifehousers invite 4 people/ families to church
• then out to lunch- whether over for a BBQ or to a restaurant.
  
• Hang out with them, build relationships. That's it.
  

HOW BIG IS YOUR GOD?

Often I will challenge people with a what seems like a brash statement, "I think you have a wimpy God!" or the question, "How big is the God YOU believe in?" Why? I don't think Christians have a very magnified view of God. We do the God-of-All-Creation a serious disservice. Now, before I vent too much, please forgive me too... I'm in the same boat. There are many times when my view of God is pitifully small.

Maybe if we believed what we say we believed about God, we would pray bigger prayers, take impossible risk-steps of faith, sacrifice anything, dream anything, and actually follow his plan.

Do you need a glimpse into God's vastness? Here's something I shared in a sermon recently from Isaiah 40, and couldn't tell you where I borrowed it from:

Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand: He can hold the oceans of the earth in the smallest part of his palm. That’s a few drops of water 841 miles in diameter.

or with the span of his hand marked off the heavens? He measures the universe with His hand, meaning from tip of His pinky-finger to the tip of his thumb. Imagine this- just what you can see with your naked-eye off the horizon is 28 billion light years wide. Light travels 186,000 miles per second. Light takes 8.5 minutes to go 96 million miles from the Sun to Earth. And travels about 6 trillion miles per year. That means that God’s hand is at least 28 billion x 6 trillion miles wide.

Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance?

Can you compare God to anything? Can you compare him to an image of anything?

Who created all these stars? … The Lord is the God who lives forever, who created all the world.

He does not become tired or need to rest.

So, let me ask YOU: HOW BIG IS YOUR GOD?

I'll be kicking off a new sermon series this week called, "Magnum Opus Dei" meaning "the great work of God". Excited and can't wait to preach it and lead our church in discovering that they are and their life is the masterpiece of God. God has placed Destiny into our very DNA. As we live according to God's plan, our life is becoming a significant part of His Magnum Opus.

I hope each of us have open hearts and mind to follow God's design for our life.

Here's the design we had created to go along with the series.

Being Proactive

As a kid I used to hope for the best and then not plan at all, counting on the fact that what I hoped would happen actually would happen. You know, so some kid was mean to me, I hope he would just go away. Or I needed to write a paper, get some chores done, and study for a test- I just hoped school would get canceled. You see what I mean.

What I'm learning is to be proactive, plan ahead, pray for and hope for the best, and prepare for the worst. We are responsible to do all that is humanly possible, then leave the impossible up to God. Many people suffer from doing only part of what's possible and then expect God to come through- not only on what's impossible, but also what's possible.

Here are some areas to consider becoming more proactive in (and I'm listing them because I feel like I'm being proactive in these areas as an example, and the one's I'm not doing, I didn't list:)

• Taxes (for those who are panicking, waiting in long lines, my apologizes), but Laura and I try to file our taxes as soon as all the necessary paperwork arrives. Ok, seems impossible, you can do it.
• Savings and retirement: the Bible teaches that a righteous man leaves and inheritance to his children's children. We should plan ahead, save, and invest for retirement. Don't hope that money will be there to live on, plan for it and save.
• Life insurance and wills: Laura and I just got this one taken care of, and it was scary. We sat down and had a will, living will, and all that done. I hated answering some of the questions, but it's necessary. I hope that if you read this, and you haven't set up a will, living will, etc that you'll do it very soon. I actually have this thought that if I've prepared and got everything in order, I'll never need it.
• Conflict resolution: NO! the tension won't just go away, we've got to talk about it, look people in the eye and deal with issues. Go out of your way to make things right with others, and take personal responsibility for the tension. Give the other person the benefit of the doubt. Make the phone call. Go visit them. It will pay off!

again, be proactive. Things won't just take care of themselves!

FRIEND DAY- MAY 4
Here's the plan:

We're asking everyone at Lifehouse to invite 4 friends, families, co-workers, neighbors, who-ever, who don't currently go to church TO Lifehouse on Sunday, May 4. AND invite them to lunch, either at their home or out to eat. That's it!!

It's so brilliantly simple, and biblical! Here's the thing, we're challenging Lifehousers not to make a big deal about the meal. Don't stay up Saturday cleaning the whole house or cooking for hours. Just invite people over and hang out. You can even ask people to bring something. Matter of fact, I'd HIGHLY recommend asking those you invite to bring something, they're significantly more likely to come over.

All right, so start connecting and inviting friends. I'm busy inviting my neighbors and friends.