Lifehouse Update

Dear Lifehouse Family of Friends,

I would rather speak to you in person, but I feel strongly that I need to communicate what’s in my heart and to offer you insight into our current situation at Lifehouse during this week. Please take a few minutes and read this entire email so that you can be fully informed and can pray appropriately. I know it’s the length of an novel, but I’m putting my heart and passion into this email.

First, let me tell you what’s going on since many of you may not aware:

• Hagerstown Cinemas (where we meet) is going up for auction on 3/17 (next Tues),
  
• We haven’t been concerned about this auction, since the Cinema company has a 10 year lease on the building and we are under their lease,
  
• We understood that whoever bought the property would be legally obligated to honor that lease agreement,
  
• However, this past Sunday morning, we learned that the lease agreement between the owner and Diamond Cinemas has become voided,
  
• While we could challenge this with Diamond, it would not keep us in the building and would only tie us up in court.

What are our options?

• Hope that whoever purchases the building would honor our lease and continue to lease us the building,
  
• Bid at the auction (starting bid of $995,000) to purchase the building, buy it and begin using it as a church and for other business purposes,
  
• Move into another building,
  
• We do not have money in savings for a deposit and we are not currently in a position to borrow a substantial amount of money (the bank would require that our income/ donations be well beyond our expenses, and they are not),
  
• We have invested significantly into the theater with the understanding that we would be here for several years.
  

As the lead pastor of Lifehouse, it is my responsibility to lead the church wisely with direction from God and counsel from our pastors and advisors. I have been in prayer and fasting about this matter from Sunday evening. A church must NOT make business decisions about these matters, but must clearly follow the direction of God to fulfill His Cause for our church.

We don’t exist to own buildings and land, to make money or to pay salaries. The Church exists to share God’s love and the message of Salvation through Jesus with everyone in the world. That is our Cause! Lifehouse exists to reach this 4-state region with the relevant and powerful message of Jesus, and to show people God’s love through compassion and being an authentic community or “family of friends”.

God has led me clearly to plant and pastor Lifehouse, and I can honestly say that He has guided us supernaturally in each step we have taken.

It’s my responsibility to lead during this uncertain time and give direction to the leaders of our church. So, it’s strange to write you and tell you that I’m still waiting to know how to lead. Allow me to explain:

When God called me to start Lifehouse in Hagerstown, MD, He spoke clearly to me through Joshua 1,
I will give you every place where you set your foot… 5 No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
6 “Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

I have held onto this passage and followed it closely, and now feel that Joshua 3 speaks to where we are at as a church. God spoke this to Joshua:
“When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests, who are Levites, carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. 4 Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. But keep a distance of about a thousand yards between you and the ark; do not go near it.”
5 Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you.”

What does this mean for us?

• The Ark represents the presence of God. And God said, make sure My presence goes before you, and keep your distance. The people had to stay back far enough so that God could lead and they wouldn’t get ahead of Him, because “they had never been this way before.”
  
• We’ve never been this way before, and I’ve never led in this direction before,
  
• Secondly, God wants to do amazing things among us, but He wants us to know that it was Him and not our planning or brilliant thinking that made the amazing things happen,
  
• We must “consecrate” ourselves- that means “to be set apart for God’s use” OR “to be made holy". God wants us to pray, confess our sins, and keep our attitudes focused on Him,
  
• I don’t lead the church, God does, and it’s my job to hear from Him, follow the Bible, and only lead in the direction that is right and biblical,
• We’re not doing anything until I know God has clearly spoken and directed us,
• We are praying, fasting, and diligently seeking God,
  
• I (and our pastoral team) am bold enough to follow God by faith in whatever direction He leads, and I know that He will do miraculous things through Lifehouse (He does it every week)!
  

What do I know God is saying?

• We will THRIVE in ’09. I know that God spoke that this year we would THRIVE, flourish, and possess the land. Isaiah 58:12 really caught my attention: “Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.” 
  
• To THRIVE means we will reach many more people with the message of salvation, and many will make Lifehouse their home church,
  
• It means we will have a great impact in our city through partnering with other churches and doing compassion ministries (helping people),
  
• It means that we will thrive in resources- that God will bless us with abundance- to show that there is a distinction between those who obey God and those who don’t,
  
• Therefore, we must fast and pray, and I must call our church to PRAY,
  
• We won’t move until God speaks and gives us clear direction (read about what happened to Saul in 1 Samuel 13 when he got ahead of God),
  
• God wants all the glory, credit, and fame for the great things He wants to do in and through Lifehouse,
  
• We must pray and fast so that we are all aware that ONLY GOD did the amazing things that He will do at Lifehouse,
  
• We must not become consumed with or distracted by buildings. Jesus-followers make up the building of the Church, not bricks and mortar. Physical buildings are only a tool for God to use so the Church can have a greater impact on a region and reach more people with His love and message, but the building must never BE the Church, only a place WHERE the Church meets.
  
• I have a great plan and vision for how we could use the theaters (or a building) to do some amazing things: renovate so that the building would be more appeal, fit an even larger number of guests and new Jesus-followers; start businesses in the building to cover the cost of the facility so that the church isn’t burdened with it, i.e. a family-friendly theater, a day-care center, etc; use the profits from those businesses to do more outreach and service ministries to our community and PLANT new churches.

What are we going to do?

• PRAY- I’m asking ALL Lifehouse to pray. Set aside special time to ask God for guidance and to speak to us as leaders. Pray for God’s blessing over Lifehouse and that we would have a powerful impact in our community/ region. Pray that NO ONE would become confused or fearful during this time, but that we all would have boldness, courage, and confidence- knowing that GOD IS FOR US!
  
• FOCUS- keep our eyes on the goal of impacting our city and region with God’s love; keep inviting people to Lifehouse- especially since this week is FRIEND DAY; keep sharing and showing Jesus; keep on being a “family of friends” and never let our goal be about a building.
  
• BE GENEROUS- I’m confident that if I asked you to give immediately toward the purchase of this building, that you would give sacrificially and generously. I want to call you to begin giving generously toward the Church- not a building, but the Church and our Cause. We will be good stewards to save and prepare for where God leads us. Exodus 35-36 is about God calling people to give to build His tabernacle (church), and this part stands out,
  

Moses said to the whole Israelite community, “This is what the LORD has commanded: 5 From what you have, take an offering for the LORD. Everyone who is willing is to bring to the LORD an offering… All the Israelite men and women who were willing brought to the LORD freewill offerings for all the work the LORD through Moses had commanded them to do… And the people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning. 4 So all the skilled craftsmen who were doing all the work on the sanctuary left their work 5 and said to Moses, “The people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the LORD commanded to be done.”
6 Then Moses gave an order and they sent this word throughout the camp: “No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary.” And so the people were restrained from bringing more, 7 because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work.

• Give whatever God lays on your heart, and be obedient to give what God speaks to you to give. Laura and I will be praying immediately about this as well. I know you want to know what you are giving sacrificially to- to God and where He will lead us. I believe this week is a time to call our church to give generously to God.
  

You all know that we, as Lifehouse, are not about money or getting you to give MORE, but I feel strongly to invite you to give whatever God puts on your heart to give.

Thank you for taking the time to read this “novel”, and please begin to PRAY, stay FOCUSED, and GIVE generously! I will write as soon as we know more or sense the clear leading of God. I am committed to fasting and praying until I am certain I have heard from God and can lead with His direction.

Fired up,
-Patrick Grach

Politics in the Church

I've heard many people complian that "there is too much politics in the church" (honestly, not from Lifehouse but throughout my years of ministry experience).

First, let me define what I think they mean by "politics":

• leveraging position or power to get an agenda accomplished,
• holding a hidden agenda but using "spiritual" terms to get it through,
• leaders making decisions based on money or clout rather than hearing clearly from God.

As a leader, I think there are times when people in a church blame politics when things just don't happen "their way". On the other hand, I agree that there is too much politics happening in churches rather than God-anointed leaders leading. 

So, I'd like to point out how God deals with politics in His Church from 2 examples from Numbers 16-17:

• Dathan, Korah, and Abiram didn't like Moses and Aaron's "controlling" leadership. They felt that God wasn't with them and that someone else should lead. So, God command Moses to invite them all to come the next day to worship God. But when they gathered, Moses announced that if God is with Him, then these men would be swallowed up by the earth. Moments later, the earth opened and consumed the men.
  
• People saw this happen and grumbled against Moses and Aaron, saying that they had killed God's people and questioned their leadership again (not very bright). Moses challenged the people to have the leaders of their tribes bring their wooden staffs and lay them in the presence of God the next morning. Aaron laid his staff alongside the other leaders, and Moses said, "The staff belonging to the man I choose will sprout..." By the next day, Aaron's staff had started growing and sprouted leaves.

God doesn't tolerate "politics" and personal agendas among His chosen people. He leads and He wants His people to follow. 

I want to be a leader that obediently follows God's awesome plan and lives for His Cause. Let our church be surrendered to following God's design and guard against politics and hidden agendas. God will make His perfect plan very clear and we are responsible to obey.

Not a sermon, just a thought! 

For Display Only

How much of our spiritual life is "for display only"?

I found this Bible on a table at a church ministry center and thought it was odd:

If you can't read the bright green label on this Bible, it says, "For Display Only, DO NOT TAKE"

Wow! Couple thoughts:

1. Is that what our spiritual life is full of? It's just on display but doesn't impact the rest of my life. Are we putting it out for people to see, especially people who will respect our spiritual habits, but we don't let it impact our everyday, private life.

2. If you've got a Bible or Bibles with labels that say, "DO NOT TAKE!" Can I suggest that you forgot why you exist? Matter of fact, let's start putting labels on every Bible we own that say, "PLEASE TAKE, KEEP, and READ!" I want to give as many Bibles away as possible.

GET OUT!

The cold weather is almost over; spring is coming! So is Friend Day at Lifehouse Church East. Since people have been holed up in their houses all winter, they're starting to do strange things. Our goal on March 15th is to challenge everyone to GET OUT!

Friends don't let friends stay in their houses TOO long. And now it's been TOO long. Their stuck behind their webcams, reading magazines, playing video games. They need to GET OUT! Watch this, it'll inspire you!



So, here's the plan. Challenge your friends to GET OUT, and then TAKE them OUT to Lifehouse. Afterward invite them for TAKE OUT or to OUTback (take me along too).

We're also getting cheap at Lifehouse, and don't want to spend money on an expensive Friend Day. So, this is it! No invite cards (well, except the cheap ones we printed off in house), just a funny video and a challenge to get everyone out!

Dr. Phillis (a new and unfiltered sermon series)

Okay, a little crazy and definitely a risk...

But why not?

Let's "attack the relationship killers" and what better time the Valentine's Day weekend to begin! Watch this ridiculous trailer to our new series, "Dr. Phillis attacks relationship killers".



What are the "killers" in your relationships? What topics would you like to see us address?

NEED YOUR HELP

At Lifehouse, we're constantly looking for and trying to come up with new ways to spread the word about Lifehouse and God. Thought it'd be cool to launch a website (that links directly to www.thelifehouse.org) but has a more exciting/appealing name.

We need your help to come up with this site. The site needs to be fun/ appealing/ make people want to check it out, and fit Lifehouse. So, here's how you can help:

• do you have any suggestions?
• what's the best 1 or 2 words to describe Lifehouse? (coffeechurch.com or relaxedchurch.com or coolestchurchwiththelamestpastor.com)
• any other marketing/ viral web ideas welcome.

Thanks.

Divine "Coincidence"

On occasion I'm caught off guard by God, or better yet God-moments. Subtle encounters where you can see the fingerprint of God looking back on what just happened.

Well, I had one last week.

I've been carrying $5 in my pocket waiting to fulfill my day 16 challenge to give the money to someone that I didn't know who was in need. It wasn't for lack of effort. I've been carrying it with me looking for the "right" person. It feels like so little, but I knew I needed to be led by God in the moment when to give.

Well, I was early to a meeting at 6:30 one morning, and waiting in my car, I prayed, "God, I really want to give this money away, but I don't know to whom, and I'm wondering why you haven't led me to anyone yet. Please lead me, so they I can be a blessing to someone in Your Name." Then I reached over and grabbed my devotional to read the challenge of that day.

Just then, a guy with a gas can in-hand walked right up to the window of my car and ask for help with some gas money. He was coming to town for a job interview and his van stalled right across the street from where I was parked.

I helped him happily. He was genuinely grateful and even came into the restaurant to find and thank me. It's cool when you can see the "fingerprints" of God in your life.

A Scary Prayer

Recently I have felt an increased awareness of a tension that I think many find challenging. It's this- the world vs. eternity; living for the now vs. living for eternity; wanting more vs. giving more.

So, today in our staff prayer, I prayed a very uncomfortable, scary prayer, and I even thought of retracting it as it was coming out of my mouth. But I mean it and I really believe God will answer it.

Here's what I was thinking before I prayed, "God, this is so hard for me, and the flesh side of me doesn't even want you to answer my prayer. But here goes..."

"God, help me to surrender fully to you and live only for eternity,
so that this world has no grip on my life.
I don't want to be consumed with what this world has to offer or what I can gain.
Help me so live for eternity that I will make any sacrifice, surrender every care, and submit to your perfect will. And give me such a firm grasp on eternity, that it doesn't even feel like sacrifice. Help me live only for eternity!"

Will you pray the scary prayer, "Help me live only for eternity"?

How would the answer to that prayer change your life?

How to discover and live your destiny

I found a profound principle while reading Exodus that reveals how you can discover your purpose and live your destiny (and it's quicker than reading Purpose Driven Life).

I have given skill to all the craftsmen to make everything I have commanded you: the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the Testimony with the atonement cover on it, and all the other furnishings of the tent... Exodus 31:6-7

Do you see it? What an amazing principle! Allow me to explain:

• First, we discover what we are uniquely gifted by God to do and be- these are skills, talents, and abilities. In this case they were skilled craftsmen.
• Secondly, we must recognize how these skills/ talents fit into God's perfect design for building His "temple", i.e. the Church. See, in this passage, God already laid out a design for the tabernacle, and the craftsmen need to follow precisely what God had planned.
  
• Third, be and do it!

Some spend too much time trying to discern the "will" of God for their life, and they haven't bothered to look at their own hands and ask, "what can I uniquely contribute? what do I have to offer?"

Others are so busy using their gifts and talents, and they have any found success in the process. But they haven't bothered to ask God, "What's your design for my life and talents?"

Finally, some people know their gifts and even how God wants to use them, they're just limited by fear, laziness, worry, busyness, or something- so they never actually "just do it!"

How has God both uniquely gifted you and how does that fit into God's perfect design for the church?

What makes you distinct?

Conformity is certainly not a virtue in our generation. It's even worse if it's implying that the Church and Jesus-followers are no different the rest of the world.

So, what's our mark of distinction? What distinguishes a Jesus-follower from non-followers? If there's no distinction, then there's no reason to follow Jesus, there's no value in the Church.

But throughout sacred history, God has desired to make a distinction between those who follow Him and those who don't. This stood out to me as I was reading Exodus. First, regarding the plagues against Egypt. There was a distinct safety over the Hebrews and God's prosperity and blessing. God said,

"I will make a clear distinction between my people and your people." 8:23 OR "Then you will know that the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel." 11:7

Moses recognized that God's presence with Israel is what made them distinct,

"Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. ^How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?” 33:15-16

The Prophet Malachi wrote that the distinction of God-followers would be God's redemption, safety, even financial protection from ruin,

"I will spare them, just as in compassion a man spares his son who serves him. ^And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not." 3:17-18

We are called to bear marks of distinction. We should not look and act so much like the world and the rest of our culture that no one can tell the difference.

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Romans 12:2

God wants to show off through our lives. Our obedience is the precondition to God's manifestation in our lives. He wants to brag through us, but we must first be fully submitted to His design. Then, people who are watching will quickly recognize that what distinguishes us is God's blessing.

What makes you distinct? How is God bragging through your life? What's standing in the way of God's blessing on your life?

Growing Rich in Love

Today's challenge in our THRIVE devotional is to use our words to build people up rather than tear them down. So, let me take it one step further. When we are mean, unkind, or hit-below-the-belt, we withdraw from our relational bank account. Like this:



Well, I thought it was funny.

When we sow kindness, gentleness, and love into a relationship, it's like putting a deposit into the bank. We must make more deposits than withdrawals if our relationships are to be healthy and functional.

Are you adding to or detracting from the relational bank accounts of your friends and family?

Are you STILL thriving?

Here's our video invitation and challenge to THRIVE?



We're on day 8, and I want to encourage all Lifehousers that you'll thrive to the extent that you put effort and energy into growing deep roots and bearing much fruit.

May God bless you and shine His favor on you as you OBEY Him!

I know what I want to be when I grow up!

Just saw this awesome video of what I want to be when I grow up. I should probably get some training first, and start with some preliminary test runs. Definitely think this should be part of our next family vacation as well! I think Laura would love it too.

A few of the things I'm thankful for!

The daily challenge for day 3 in THRIVE 09 was to write out 50 things that I am personally thankful for. Here are a few from my list.

When we take the time to notice God's wonders and the work of His hands, this brings God pleasure and makes Him smile.

1. God's forgiveness- can't believe He keeps forgiving me and giving me a fresh start (1 John 1:9).
   
2. His salvation- the cross is absurd to me, but it's also my hope and redemption (Romans 5:8)
   
3. Laura- 2nd best decision I ever made. Pretty sure I'm lower on her list, but I got the better end of the deal (Proverbs 31:10-12)
   
4. 3 healthy daughters- my girls are the joy of my life and my biggest fans (Psalm 127:3)
   
5. gluon- it's the stuff that holds quarks together (those are sub-atomic particles with the same charge, that should repel each other, but instead stick). I think God is the gluon (Colossians 1:16-17)
6. Steel-belted radial- that's the part of the tire that didn't pop while we drove about 150 miles toward NY on a tire missing most of its tread without blowing out.
7. Hugs- grateful for the love God fills my daughters with toward me. A hug can keep me going.
8. Eskimo kisses- my daughters are so innocent and pure, and Eskimo kisses are funny.
9. Laughter- I'm grateful that God has a sense of humor (Psalm 126:2).
10. Sunsets- amazed by God's majesty (Psalm 19:1).
    
11. A Paycheck- got one yesterday, and thankful that in difficult times I still have a career and people are still generous
12. Guttenburg- amazed how many books are available, especially the accessibility of the Bible (Isaiah 40:7-8).
13. Gravity- pretty happy that we haven't gotten thrown off the earth's surface, since we are moving at about 1,040 mph.
    
14. God's faithfulness-
15. New mornings, fresh starts-
16. REM-cycles- it's amazing that our bodies need to sleep, but can heal themselves while we do it (Psalm 127:2)
17. Dinner tonight- awed by the lavish provision of God everyday (Psalm 37:25).
18. My DELL- so say it creates work, but I remember life before the PC. So grateful for its invention.
19. Electricity- during the winter I have heat, and during the summer A/C. Thanks to the workers who keep the lights on.
20. My car- it's still running a year after "the Give Project". God has been faithful!

Keys to Great "Success" in Ministry

What are the simple biblical keys to effectiveness/ success in the ministry?

I can look with certainty at a leader and say, "You will live and fulfill God's great plans for your life, so long as you..." And that's where this blog comes in.

Jesus explained the keys to "thrive" or "succeed" in ministry by telling the story of three servants entrusted with the wealth of their master. Upon returning to his servants, the master replied to the two that had doubled his wealth,

"Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!" (Matthew 25:23, NIV).

Did you catch it? It's right there, the secret to success in ministry and life.

BE GOOD. Our character and right living before God are necessary to produce effectiveness and long-term fruit. Without it, all that we've invested in and built won't last. Without it, rather than bringing glory to God, our efforts will attempt to bring us glory and are destined to fail. But be good, and God will honor our integrity, pure hearts, and right motives with fruitfulness and greater responsibility.

BE FAITHFUL. Be good for a long time. Most will do the right thing if it gets them quick results and makes them feel "successful". But Jesus has called us to be faithful, even when the fruit is limited or even unseen. To be faithful, keep doing what you know is right regardless of what is happening around you. Faithfulness is never dependent on what others are doing but on your commitment to fulfill your responsibilities.

That's it! Be good and faithful. Two keys to become "successful" in God's eyes (the only audience that matters).

How is God calling you to be GOOD? To be FAITHFUL?

Are you thriving?

Small, but not insignificant steps. That's how great achievements are accomplished, great growth happens, and great battles won. Please NEVER devalue or underestimate the worth of small, but right steps in a God-direction.

Are we willing to do the "little things" necessary and sow the seeds necessary to grow deep and sustaining life-growth? Discipleship is a process. It's everyday, "little" acts of obedience, surrender, prayer, Bible-reading, faith-sharing, Scripture-memorizing, sin-abandoning, life-purging behaviors.

Want to challenge EVERYONE at Lifehouse to join us in our THRIVE CAMPAIGN! If you haven't gotten a devotional, let us know or pick one up on Sunday.


What "little" thing is God asking you to do today?

How can I THRIVE in '09?

"Thirty-One Days of Compassion" has begun!

At Lifehouse, instead of the 21 Days of Fasting-and-Prayer that we've done for several years, I really felt challenged back in October to lead into 2009 differently. Let's do an Isaiah 58 fast.

Don't know what that is? We're leading the charge to not just fast food, but to fast our selfishness and personal agendas, by laying aside our needs and serving God and others. Hence, 31 Days of Compassion. I wrote a devotional (that looks great thanks to Corey and Melody), and each day we provide a brief devotion and a personal challenge.

Since we started yesterday at Lifehouse, here was what we've covered so far:
Theme: TO THRIVE SPIRITUALLY
BIG ASK: Commit to READING THE BIBLE for 15 min each day.
Today's challenge: Spend 15 min in prayer.

I'll be giving more regular updates and testimonies that we receive.

If you're a pastor or church leader, and you're interested in doing a "THRIVE CAMPAIGN" just let us know, we'd love to share our materials, sermons, devotionals, and "how-to" manual with you.

It's okay to say, "Sorry, I'm Busy"

Imagine your meeting with the President and your cell rings. Do you answer?

Depends on who's calling, right? Here's my thought, if the President is making time for you, there's probably no one who has your cell number that should trump that meeting.

Need a more biblical example? In 586 BC, the city of Jerusalem was destroyed- walls broken down, buildings destroyed, and the Jews were exiled. Finally in 444 BC, Nehemiah led a group back to Jerusalem to help those who had already returned to rebuild the city walls and restore the strength, sovereignty, and safety of the people.

While Nehemiah was leading the people to rebuild the walls, they faced constant and strong opposition from opposing nations.

Here's a key moment in Nehemiah's leadership found in Nehemiah 6:2-4:

Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: “Come, Nehemiah, let’s meet together in Kephirim on the plain of Ono.” But they were planning to harm me. So I sent messengers to them with this answer: “I am doing a great work, and I can’t come down. I don’t want the work to stop while I leave to meet you.” Sanballat and Geshem sent the same message to me four times, and each time I sent back the same answer. (New Century Version)

What's the point? There are times in life, when what you are doing is more important than what other people think you should be doing or are asking you to do. It's okay to say, "Sorry, I'm busy!"

Nehemiah recognized that he was carrying out a "magnum opus" (Latin for "the great work") and nothing was more important than that- no meeting, accusation, busywork, other project, attitude or frustration- nothing took precedent with the great work he was about.

If you are in a "great work" then be careful not to get sucked into petty arguments, avoid unnecessary clutter in life, cut out superfluous time-wasters, and keep focused!

I'm Embarrassed

My oldest daughter, Rebecca, embarrassed (and inspired) me yesterday.

No, it's not what you're thinking. She didn't say something in public that made me blush.

We got her a "Princess" Bible for Christmas, and she started reading it this week. Day one, she read first 3 chapters of Genesis. So day two, I challenged her that we'd read through the Bible together this year. Her response,

"The whole year...?" As if to say, "Why would it take me that long?"

So, I sat down on her bed to catch up to where she was in Genesis and asked what chapter she was up to, and her response both embarrassed and inspired me.

"Chapter 7. I snuck upstairs today to read more."

Where did I lose that passion and intensity for reading the Bible with hunger? I want to be like her.

So, each night, we're sitting on her bed together reading the Bible, and our goal is to finish it well before the year is out. We're on pace in week one to finish by September 17th. We will see!

What goals are you setting for this year?

Are you willing to join Lifehouse in our THRIVE CAMPAIGN (more info coming soon)?

Heaven Rules

I was listening to a podcast from Andy Stanley, and thought it was worth mentioning. He was teaching about leadership, and challenged the audience with these thoughts:

• leadership is stewardship- it is given by God and must be accounted for how it was used
  
• leadership is temporary- those in authority and leadership will one day no longer be

He told the story of King Nebuchadnezzar's dream (Daniel 4) and Daniel's interpretation. The point of the dream was to reveal to the king that God was in charge, and that God was showing the king that He was the true King.

His dream was a foretelling of the kings future humiliation so that he would "come to know that Heaven rules."

I love that. May we all never forget that heaven rules. In another translation, it says "...never forget that God rules."

The best leaders in authority are those who are under authority. They understand that their leadership was given to them by God and that God rules.

May we never forget our place and how put us in that place. If He can put us in leadership, He can also remove us.

How do you keep your leadership in perspective?

Good Times

We're enjoying the holiday season immensely!

Got a HUGE surprise for Christmas when my brothers came from all over the globe to be together for Christmas. Let's just say that 10 adults, 9 kids (between 7-10 months) is all kinds of fun sleeping under the same roof for a week! This may be the best gift I've ever gotten for Christmas.

I found it hard the entire time to tell personal stories or even talk because, I wanted to listen and take in everything my brothers, sisters-in-law, and niece, nephews, and however else was there, was saying. How do you absorb years worth of life in such a short amount of time. Plus, knowing that we won't see some of them for another 5 years makes it even more difficult- it's like a camel trying to drink enough water to last 5 years.

Here are a few pictures:

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?