INVITE YOUR FRIENDS

I know that the vast majority of guests at LifeHouse come because you've invited them.

Here's the new design for our upcoming Friend Day and sermon series. So, start inviting your friends and let's make an awesome impact on our community!

T minus 10

I'll be finishing up my sermon series called "T-10" this week. This is one of those series that can rock our world if we'll open our hearts up. Imagine how different our life would be if we lived as though we had ten days to live.

It challenges our priorities, our goals, our scheduling. It puts things in perspective. It makes us think about things we don't think about enough. Things like, "How will others remember?" "Do I really need to be spending my time and energy doing...?" "Is what I'm doing as important as my family, my faith, and sharing my life with others?"

Not a big country music fan at all, but I threw Tim McGraw's "Live Like You Were dying" out there for those who do enjoy the style. You're welcome. But to be honest, I actually liked the song. And yes, it was edited. The theme is incredible, "I hope you get the chance to live like you were dying."

Here's the full video from youtube.com.

Let's live everyday at T-10. One day we'll actually be right!

Sunday in the Rear-view Mirror:

Character: Faithfulness
Here's the commercials you all missed for the sermon this morning.
In my next blog, I'll be asking for some feedback from the service this morning, curious to hear what your thoughts and comments are.




Read Joshua 9-10.

We're challenged to be Faithful- Keep our word no matter what!

Too Busy Not to Pray

I borrowed it from Martin Luther, but it's a great quote and a great core value for LifeHouse:

"Pray like everything depends on God and work like everything depends on you."

This is critical. It means I have to work my butt off AND completely rely on God.

If you're entrepreneurial or task-oriented or just ADHD, it's easy to get the working-hard thing down. Go non-stop until the job is done, then recheck it to make sure you crossed the "t"s and dotted the "i"s. But this praying-like-everything-depends-on-God thing is tough. That means, we live realizing that we're too busy NOT to pray. So, when I get stuck or feeling overwhelmed or discouraged, I stop and pray. And it's best to start the day off right- in prayer.

I'm writing this 'cause it's on my mind, as in, I just lived this. I can get busy, start the morning off with my workout, breakfast, then dive right in to work. Sitting a working on my sermon, I started to feel lost and couldn't gather my thoughts... Then, I felt that tug. That reminder in your gut. The one that helps you stay focused on the big stuff in life. So, I stopped and prayed. Wow! God's great. He picks us up, puts us back on our feet and keeps us headed in the right directions.

Sometimes I Don't Know What to Say

Okay, well that happens often. And many times it's very appropriate to not know what to say. Often because there aren't the right words (read the book of Job if you don't believe me). However, sometimes it's because, even though I've prepared, God intervenes. These are "God-moments."

I had two moments in the service where they were "God-moments". Let me explain. I believe that everything we do on Sundays are God moments, and we prepare in an attitude of prayer and believe that God leads us to preach, chose songs, and format the service as he directs. However, there are still times when he takes over.

First, Jon played "Be Near" and we felt that it was the right time to just pause and allow us all to be reminded that God is near. Hope you were encouraged or are now while reading this.

Second, when I was concluding my message, I had this personally WOW-moment. I write out all my messages very thoroughly, then present them as best I can without notes. Yep, I do my best to memorize my messages now! Anyway... I was struck by the connection between the story of David and Mephibosheth in 2 Samuel 9 and what God has done for us. I didn't notice it while I was preparing, but when I was wrapping up the message, I was amazed by the parallels. Here's what I mean:

• David invited Meph... into his throne room, even though he should have killed him; God invites/ welcomes us into his throne room, even though we deserve death and banishment (see Romans 5:8).
• David invited Meph to his table to a permanent seat to eat and fellowship. We are invited to God's table for eternity and will share together at the "Marriage feast of the Lamb".
  
• David's invitation to Meph was more than just a provision to eat at his table, it brought status and rights. When we accept Jesus as Savior, we are brought into right-standing with God and welcomed at his table as a righteous person.
• Meph was given the full inheritance of his grandfather (made very wealthy). When we begin a relationship with Jesus, we become co-heirs of heaven, with all the rights and privileges that brings.

WOW! Maybe it doesn't amaze you as much. But that's pretty cool stuff. I never saw it before, but glad I caught it yesterday.

Weekend in the Read-view Mirror

Busy but fun!

Hope you enjoyed Sunday morning as much as I did. If you missed it, then you'll be saying, "This always happens when I'm out-of-town or miss LifeHouse". 'Cause it was a great service.

Here's the highlights from my message:

• Big Idea: Kindness is Lifting Others Up!
• There's is a tension between looking out for ourselves and looking out for and helping others.
• Read 2 Samuel 8-9. David was kind to Mephibosheth (wow, say that 10x fast), but it clearly wasn't in his best interest.
  
• He chose to be kind (lift up) rather than look out for his own interests.
• How do we do that TODAY? Lift others by being PLEASANT and PRACTICAL.
• If we did this, we would show God's love to those around us everyday, and we would be creating the world we wish for and believe should exist.
• So, in a nutshell, kindness says, "Good morning" and makes the coffee.

Hope we live this out Monday through Saturday, otherwise it's knowledge without action, which seems empty and meaningless. So, let's live it!

Here's a quick one:

Church should be FUN!

I remember going to church and falling asleep or wishing I could. And even my parents fell asleep on occasion. And then they tried to convince us that it was really compelling. Not busting on my parents, and thank God for my heritage.

Just saying that I want LifeHouse to be a place of laughter, excitement, passion, energy, and joy! I want you and everyone else out there to know that God is no bore. Look around a creation- there are some absolutely freaky weird and really cool and hysterical things out in creation. Don't believe me. Check out all the variety of animals. Go people-watching.

Doing the Right Things No Matter What!

Let me begin by reviewing a sermon I recently delivered called “Don’t drop the ball”. The big idea: the best way to balance life is to determine and live our priorities. You may have seen it before, but I used an illustration with a clear, empty pretzel container. First, I filled it with several fist-sized rocks. Then, I asked if it was full. No! Then, I dropped a few pounds of gravel into it, and asked,

“Full yet?” No! Then came the sand. Still not full! Then and finally the water. And the point you asked?

“You can always fit more into your life!!!” some said.

“Not quite… although that would fit our driven, never slow-down American mindset. PUT the BIG ROCKS in FIRST!” That’s the point. If we don’t put the big rocks in first, life will fill up with urgent, busy, weighty things, but less important things.

God has entrusted us with “big rocks”: children, spouses, friends, our church. The balancing act of life is to put the “big rocks” in first. It’s not trying to figure out how we can juggle all the balls or fit everything into the jar, but making sure that we put the most important things in first. What are those “big rocks” that we put into our life to balance first? And how do we do that?

READ Luke 10. Luke 10 is a chapter on priorities. The chapter begins with, “After these things…” so I looked back at the end of chapter 9, which has three different stories about excuses people gave for not following Jesus, and He makes the point clear, “What’s most important in your life?” Where will you focus your energy, your time, your money, and your talents?

That’s right where Jesus picks up in Luke 10. At the beginning of the chapter, He challenges his followers to make their lives count. Then he uses an anecdote to ask whether we should look out for others or ourselves. Finally, the chapter concludes with a simple little incident that summarizes the whole point. It’s the Mary and Martha story.

And the application: we must choose, resource, and protect our priorities!

And why am I sharing this with you?

Not only do we need to live this, but we need to encourage others to apply this truth.

The tendency seems to be that people will live by and resource priorities as long as it’s convenient or immediately in front of them. But the moment life comes at them, the gravel starts getting poured in OR there’s not enough room for all the sand they just bought,

“Pull out a ROCK to make room!” What gets chucked- values and priorities. And I think I have the instinct to apologize for teaching and encouraging people to have biblical priorities and to do the right things. It’s actually hard for me to challenge people to pray instead of work, follow God’ morals rather than do what they want, or even tithe rather than panic and hoard.

What I do know, however, and it helps me teach and model the right things, is that God blesses and honors those who keep biblical priorities and do the right thing. He doesn’t bless the opposite. So, I’m actually causing people to live outside of the blessings of God if I don’t challenge them to get things in order and live by biblical truths. This means SPEAKING THE TRUTH (yea, some of you like that part) IN LOVE (oh, that’s there too?).

As a pastor, my purpose in teaching, challenging, and guiding is to see people thrive in the favor of God and fulfill their life purpose.

Not a sermon, just a thought!

The Balancing Act

Introduction

New series: “The Balancing Act”. For most of us, life is a balancing act – keeping all the plates spinning and all the balls in the air – and then having enough energy to start again tomorrow. Is perfect balance really achievable? Certainly – if you’re a circus performer. If you’re not, welcome to LifeHouse Church, where we’re learning to survive and thrive in the imbalance we all call life.

Let’s start today by hitting a topic we all desperately need to think and hear about, “How do we learn to enjoy the balancing act of life?” Let’s watch some people who’ve learned the lesson well or learned the hard way. Oh, and feel free to LAUGH!

We need to laugh, don’t we? We want to have a good time, relax, let down our hair. We love watching sitcoms, great funny movies, or listen to the best jokes.

“Humor is the great thing, the saving thing. The minute it crops up, all our irritation and resentments slip away, and a sunny spirit takes their place.” Mark Twain

“Good humor is one of the preservatives of our peace and tranquility.” Thomas Jefferson

“Humor helps us to think out of the box. The average child laughs about 400 times per day, the average adult laughs only 15 times per day. What happened to the other 385 laughs?” –USA Today

He who laughs, lasts. –Mary Pettibone Poole.

• Life doesn’t come with humor. It drains, discourages, and depresses us. That’s why we look for happiness and humor.
• There’s a greater laughter than laughing at others. There’s a greater happiness than what can be gained from a new car, first date, or a promotion.
  

Big Idea: Life can be more meaningful and enjoyable than the comedies of late night TV. We can learn to enjoy the balancing act of life. God gives joy for life.

• Where does the joy of life and enjoying the stresses and challenges of life come from? And how do we live a life of joy throughout the balancing act?
• The Bible offers some key principles for finding joy in the balancing act of life. We’re going to examine the Apostle Paul’s teaching in Philippians. Here he writes:

Be full of joy in the Lord always. I will say again, be full of joy. Philippians 4:4, NCV.

• Here’s the picture when those words were written, and the letter that offers us the profound principles on how to do live like that:

Go with me back in history a couple of thousand years. Let’s go to Rome … to a rather drab little room, surrounded by high walls.… Inside we see a man seated on the floor. He’s an older fellow, shoulders stooped and balding. Chains are on his hands and feet. A man imprisoned, confined…

It is the apostle Paul.… The preacher who was committed to following God is now in chains—stuck in a dingy house—attached to a Roman officer… He is writing a letter. No doubt it is a complaint letter to God. No doubt it is a list of grievances.… He has every reason to be bitter and complain. But he doesn’t. Instead, he writes a letter that two thousand years later is still known as the treatise on joy—Philippians.… so, why don’t we spend some time with learning from it? Lucado, Grace for the Moment.

• Let’s take a look at what Paul’s letter has to say about finding joy in the stress of life:Look to God!

1. Look to God

Brothers and sisters, I know that I have not yet reached that goal, but there is one thing I always do. Forgetting the past and straining toward what is ahead, ^14 I keep trying to reach the goal and get the prize for which God called me through Christ to the life above… ²⁰ But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. ²¹ He will take these weak mortal bodies of ours and change them into glorious bodies like his own… Philippians 3:13-14, 20-21, NCV.

• The key to enjoying life is perspective. It doesn’t seem all that funny in the moment, when it’s your thumb or your reputation or your pride. But if your watching life can actually be very entertaining. It’s always a matter of perspective. The key is to see life from 20,000 feet above sea level. How do you do that? By getting our eyes off of our self and onto God. Paul was able to enjoy the worst of situations, because his joy wasn’t rooted in the circumstances of life but in His relationship with God.
• When we look to God, we see life as God sees it: not in the moment, but as a process of living His best for us and discovering how we can be part of the greater Cause of giving His love away to others.

“Balance, peace, and joy are the fruit of a successful life. It starts with recognizing your talents and finding ways to serve others by using them.” -Thomas Kinkade

• Our joy, laughter, humor, and happiness are not rooted in us but in God and serving others. It’s “others-focused” rather than “me-focused”.

2. Be Content!

“…I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. ^12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. ^13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:11-13, NIV.

• The joy of life, especially in the moment, day-to-day stresses and challenges, fatigues and failures, is not found in our successes, material wealth, or finally attaining the American dream. Our true happiness and joy everyday is founded in being content with the life God has given us.
• The word Paul uses for “content” comes from Stoic philosophy, to describe who impassively person who accepts whatever happens in life. Circumstances that he could not change were regarded fate, and fretting was useless. This philosophy fostered a self-sufficiency in which all the resources for coping with life were located within man himself.
  
• In contrast, Paul says that his sufficiency in Jesus who provides his necessary strength and joy in life. Paul wasn’t trying to muster some fading happiness or teach “mind-over-matter-positive-thinking-self-help”. He was acknowledging that left on our own, life is depressing, but when Jesus is the source of life, we can enjoy it.
• We must get our eyes off of the things going on in life, and learn to be “content” whatever is going on around us by looking to God. Rather than complain, say “thanks”. Rather than look at what is wrong, look for what is great. Illus. of Pessimist mug. Oh, by the way, I have the answer for whether the glass is half full or empty, ask! Stop striving for more, starting enjoying what we have. Stop waiting until, and learn to enjoy the moment.
• This is not a false-reality. We are not exempt from suffering, anguish, wrestling through the things of life and trying to balance them. Our joy and happiness are found in the fact that this is not our only reality. There is a greater and more real reality in God.

3. Celebrate Often!

Be full of joy in the Lord always. I will say again, be full of joy. Philippians 4:4, NCV.

The whole letter to the Philippians is filled with a counter-intuitive response to the pains, challenges, and stresses of life- to find joy in living everyday through Jesus.

• We must learn to celebrate often. Celebrate holidays, birthdays, anniversary, events, non-events (you know, the accident that didn’t happen), milestones, and make up reasons to celebrate. Not sure if this is biblical?
• What’s the whole point of about 2/3 of the boring books of Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy? Teaching the nation of Israel who to party. That’s right, God was telling Moses how to set up feasts, festivals, and holidays.
• Where was Jesus first recorded miracle? A wedding where people were celebrating. He didn’t stand on the outside and preach, he joined in the fun and celebration. Matter of fact, the religious crowd mocked him for this type of behavior, saying “Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and “sinners” (Matthew 11:18, NIV).
• Jesus taught about the women who lost her silver and found it. Her response when she found it, “she’ll call her friends and neighbors: ‘Celebrate with me! I found my lost coin!’” (15:6). Then, the shepherd who lost his sheep and later found it, “He calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me…” (15:9). Finally, there’s a father who lost his son and then found him- “Let’s have a feast and celebrate” (15:23). What was the response of each of these who found what they were looking for? Celebration. And Jesus concludes each story by saying, "Count on it—that’s the kind of party God’s angels throw every time one lost soul turns to God.” Luke 15:10, Msg.
• If God knows how to party and celebrate, isn’t it appropriate for us to learn to celebrate often.

We don’t need to be stupid to celebrate. I’ve had parties and been to them, and those that have been to other kinds of parties will say, “It’s amazing we can have this much fun without being drunk." I’ve been to parties, and people who are used to other kinds of parties will say, “It’s amazing we can have this much fun without being drunk.” Simply because we have God we can enjoy life. We don’t need a numbing drug or to make fun of others to enjoy it. Life should be celebrated.

How do we enjoy the balancing act of life?

• Look to God
• Be Content
• Celebrate Often

WEEKEND IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR

Had a blast yesterday during Friend Day at LifeHouse!

I'll post my message next but just thought I'd throw some comments out there:

• I love that church can be fun. We can laugh and be ourselves. Hope you enjoyed the video clips.
  
• When I am at LifeHouse on Sunday mornings, I think, "I bet if the disciples of the New Testament church were leading gatherings in Hagerstown, they might look something like this." It just feels like the book of Acts.
• It's great to be our self. I love to not think about what everyone else is thinking about me. If you haven't noticed, I am me. Imperfect, messy, and sometimes I'll say or do the wrong thing. But it is so honest, fun, and refreshing to not feel like I have to impress anyone or try to be someone I'm not. And all LifeHousers can feel that way.
• Relatively convinced that being real and raw doesn't make us respect each other less, but more. Because even after seeing straight through a person, we've noticed they are who they say they are.
• Momentum is on our side: we're having our largest attendance ever, with lots of new guests, and a great sense of excitement. Let's not get settled into the NOW but keep dreaming and planning for how LifeHouse can continue to impact our community and generation.

Just some random thoughts.

I wish I had made this video. It's everything I preach and teach. Enjoy.

A Christ Follower

SERMON NOTES:JOLT- Burning Fuel

We live in a fast-pace, microwave, instant-everything world. We go from early morning to late at night with all the stuff life throws at us. Have you ever noticed life drains us? That’s why so many of us are addicted to coffee or sodas or energy drinks and bars, ginseng tea, or whatever other energy-giving additive we can find. Life drains and these things fuel us to keep us going, since we don’t slow down long enough to get fully recharged otherwise. We need real, lasting fuel to energize our souls!Do you ever find yourself going from one scheduled activity to the next, and find that your daily routine and life patterns are exhausting?

Maybe the reason so many of us are drained, running on E, is because we’re burning our fuel constantly heading in the wrong direction. We run on fuel, but we can waste a lot of fuel going the wrong way and being consumed doing the wrong things.

Here's the Big Idea: Through prayer, God gives direction to our daily lives.

“This, then, is how you should pray:‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.’ Matthew 6:9-10, NCV.

Jesus taught us to pray for God’s will or desires to be accomplished in our lives. This is a pivotal element of prayer.

Key questions:

• Do I believe God can and will answer the prayers of common people?
• Do I believe that God knows best for me and has my best interest in mind?
  
• Do I hold to this popular idea that leads to a greater demise of lostness and burn-out? “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.” Invictus, William Ernest Henley.
  

This isn’t about being lazy or wimpy, but about perspective.

• Illustration of GPS guidance. He can see what we can’t and he’s planned the route out for us. He knows the best way for us to go, the one that will be most effective. When we follow God’s plan we are fueled and fulfilled. When we don’t, we are drained and constantly running on E and lost.
• Like watching a parade from the window of a skyscraper, He can see things coming that we can never anticipate.

So, God offered us the fuel of prayer to energize our soul and provide direction for life, and Jesus taught us the “how-to’s” of gaining direction in prayer.

1. Consider Our Way!
In order to conserve fuel while driving or hiking, I must first stop and thinking the path I’ve traveled, and take a close look at where I’m at. Basically, find my bearings.The alternative is to continue wandering or heading in the wrong direction which leads to burn out and draining the already depleted reserves of fuel.

The first step of gaining God’s direction is to admit that I don’t know best road for our daily lives. It’s to take a hard look at where I am and where I’m going, and turn it over to God.

Proverbs 4:26, "Ponder the path of your feet and let all your ways be established."

• Take time to be quiet and assess your life.Regularly take time to assess my steps.
  
• Re-evaluate my direction in life and pause in my decision making. Look at your life. Take time for personal examination!
  
• Ask: “Am I open to the direction and leading of God?” and “Do I really want God’s best for my life today?”
• God is not the God of confusion or chaos. When our lives feel out-of-order, we need to pause and consider our ways.

You, Lord, give true peace to those who depend on you, because they trust you. So, trust the Lord always, because he is our Rock forever. Isaiah 26:3-4, NCV.

2. Commit Our Day!
Now it’s time to actually listen and follow what our trail guide speaks.

"Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him to help you do it and he will. Psalm 37:5, NLT.

• Commit your schedule to Him. When you commit your schedule to the Lord, He gives you strength and multiplies your time.
• If God knows what’s best on a daily basis, isn’t better to consult with and spend time following His guidance. This is simply asking God, “Lead me today. Let your will be done with my life.”
  

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6, NKJV.

• Offer your entire schedule, your daily life, not just the moments when your begging for help and can’t see your way or feel lost. Invite God to lead your steps. That’s one moment at a time.

GLAD TO BE BACK

For those that were wondering, I'm thrilled to be back in Hagerstown, and looking forward to LifeHouse this coming Sunday. Laura and I were up in NY for a family college graduation (on a Sun. morning), but I missed my "family". This was only the second weekend we've missed since launching the church in 2 yrs.

You'd think being away would be rejuvenating. And vacations are and can be. But it's funny, I am as inspired, motivated, and energized by my daily activities, and sense the passion and purposes of God everyday, as much as when I get a Sunday off. I still want to take more vacation, but primarily to spend time with my family, not because I need it to get refreshed.

KEEP IT SIMPLE- part duece

Here's the second part of my thoughts about "keeping it simple". The first had to do with personal life, this one about principles for keeping life simple.

When it comes to ministry in general, but specifically at the LifeHouse, here are some principles to keep it simple and focused.

• Just because we’re doing more ministry doesn’t mean that more lives are being won to Jesus or more hearts are being transformed. I’ve been a part of churches and put in way too many hours doing church with very little actual fruit to show for it. I want to find the ministry with the greatest return. That’s why we don’t have to do more than we’re doing. So what if we feel guilty for not doing more. Besides, how much do we actually need and can actually apply every week. If everyone of us at the LifeHouse applied the one “Big Idea” we present on Sunday mornings to our lives every week, we would literally have the most mature church in the world. Less is more. We don’t need to keep piling on more stuff, just make what we’re doing most effective.
  
• Find it in the Bible. When I speak with people challenging the way we do church at the LifeHouse or defending the way their church operates (I’m talking about other pastors and leaders), I’ll usually default to the Bible. Something like, “can you show me that in the New Testament?” or “We’re just trying to live out today what we read in the Bible?” or “If the disciples were alive today, what would the churches they pastor look like?” Our focus must be what God’s called us to do and be, and keep it centered on biblical truths.
• Remember our Cause. We have a very clear purpose for living out the life of the church and ministry (especially Matthew 28:18-20 and 22:37-40; Acts 1:8; also see Acts 2:42-47 and 4:32-35). This is the determining line between what we say “yes” and “no” to. If it lines up with our Cause (the Cause of Christ), then great, let’s go. If not, oh well. We’re sorry, we can’t do everything for everybody. I’m convinced that the reason a lot of churches get caught up in a lot of less effective endeavors and waste God’s resources and people’s energy is that they’ve forgotten why they do what they do. When the Church loses sight of where she’s going, then she wanders aimlessly in a variety of “good” but not great directions. Keep focused on the Cause. Never lose sight of the “why.” When I read the above passages, I’m reminded of how “simple” church was in the New Testament. How organic. How relational. How vibrant and contagious. It was about living life together and growing into devoted Jesus-followers, not about the program of church.
• Who cares what you think. The bulk of criticism about any church, but personally regarding the LifeHouse, comes from people who never serve, have very little Kingdom impact, and give nothing or very little financially. I think these people see there ministry as that of criticism. We only have so much energy and passion (yes, even me) and I don’t want to waste it dealing with these people. Even other pastors who will criticize or critique us, I just ask them, “So what are you doing for the Kingdom of God?” Usually, they’re criticizing to justify their own shortcomings or insecurities. Meaning, they’re not doing it, so rather than kicking their own butt, they’ll find something wrong with what we’re doing to justify why we’re not really as effective as they previously thought. The people I’ll listen to are those who do the following: give, serve, invite friends, and participate regularly.
  
• Wait until the need cries out. Don’t start new ministries or programs until there is a cry for a need to be met. If the over all effectiveness of the church community is hindered by the lack of ministry then it’s time to consider doing more ministry. When there are people who are crying out for a ministry, and we have the leaders to lead that area of ministry, then we’ll develop a plan and launch that ministry, i.e. no point in having a deaf ministry at the LifeHouse if we have not deaf people attending.

I have a confession: there is a constant pull for me towards complexity and complication in both my life and ministry. I’m convinced that the enemy wants to throw confusion, distractions and “good” stuff in the way of the best and most valuable. I want to keep saying yes, not because I can’t say no, but because it all seems so good to be doing. When I look at the LifeHouse, I regularly wonder if we’re doing enough. Maybe we should be doing more, I mean, all the other churches I know do midweek services, Sunday School, lots of other committees and meetings, so maybe we should to.

Whenever this tendency arises, here’s my thought process and the resources I’ve used to keep me centered.

First, when it comes to my personal life- relationship with God and family. Here are some good ideas or principles:

• A clear conscience is the best pillow. My mind is less preoccupied when not worried about or plagued by sin, temptation, regret, shame, or a recent argument. So, repent often and forgive just as often. Read Psalm 15 and Psalm 26. I make a big deal privately about having a pure heart and right motives. Here are another few passages to pray: Psalm 19:14; Job 31:1; Psalm 51.
• Every time I say “yes” to something, I’m saying “no” to something else. Laughter is huge. Life gets complex, difficult and laughter seems to drop off the cliff. Build into your life time to laugh and laugh at things in life as much as possible. I didn’t say laugh at people. We just don’t have time to take ourselves that seriously. Don’t wear your feelings on your sleeves, or else everything in life will steal your joy and leave you feeling wasted and frustrated.
  
• Keep prayer as the primary fuel and focus of life. It’s this simple, when I pray I’m focused, energized, purposeful, and seem to take things in stride and find satisfaction in life. When I’m not praying daily, life stinks, the slightest thing sets me off, and I’ll work 5 hrs to get 1 hrs worth of work done. Jesus died so I could enjoy relationship with the Father, and I don’t want to waste His sacrifice for me.
• Family needs each other more than stuff or activities. Okay, this one’s tough. But after much consideration and deliberation, Laura and I are discovering we don’t need more or to do more, we just need to spend time with each other and our girls. It’s amazing the simple things we can enjoy when we actually enjoy being around each other. So, before we run off to the store to buy the “latest-and-greatest” ask “why?” Will that take away from or add to the simplicity of my life? And before I sign up for or sign our girls up for something, we need to ask the same question. I’m an active person, and could go 24-7, but the best times for our girls are not when we’re “doing” but when I’m “being.

I’m sure there’s a pile of other things I should put in here, but these are the top picks for me.

LIFE IS FRAGILE

During our weekend service, I shared some thoughts about the Virginia Tech massacre. Here they are in brief:

• I don't have all the answers
• Tragedy and horror clearly reveal the reality of evil.
• Evil can only be defined in contrast. Just like darkness only makes sense when someone understands light, evil is understood by the contrast with good.
  
• There is good in this world. Primarily, God is the source of all good.
• Life is fragile, valuable, and sacred.

I just came from a funeral celebrating the life and mourning the death of a young man named Andrew. I went to the viewing last night, and offered my condolences to my friend and his family, who just lost their son, brother, and friend. I looked at pictures of him growing up, and thought, "Life is a breath..." and "That looks just like me and my kids playing..." Laura and I returned home this afternoon saying, "Let's appreciate every moment we have. Life is short. Let's hug our girls more. Laugh more. Hug each other more. Let's enjoy the time we have. We're not promised another breath."

The pastor who spoke during the funeral offered some incredibly profound points. Among them, he said this (and I'll paraphrase):
"We don't really want there to be no death. Imagine life without death. If there was no death, the lame would never walk. If there was no death, the blind would never see. If we never faced death, the terminally ill would always be ill, but never terminate. Without death, injustice would never be made right, and we would have no hope of a better life."

Wow! We do not mourn as those without hope. We realize that death is simply a doorway into eternal life. May everyone walk through that door as Andrew did, with his feet firmly planted on Rock of Jesus Christ and holding fast to the promise and faith of eternal life.

FOR YOUR EYES ONLY

I thought I'd post an email I just sent out to our leadership team at The LifeHouse. Okay, it's a little like giving you the inner workings, but I'm confident anyone reading this will understand why I'd post this email. This is honestly how I communicate with and feel about our team.

Hey Team!

“Have I told you lately that I…”

…think you ROCK! What did you expect, some sappy love song?

When I look around at what God is doing IN and THROUGH our lives, I’m frankly shocked! I’ll put it on my blog, but last night was a highlight for me. It might be a little selfish, but hearing all 16 people who were baptized sharing about what God has done and is doing in their lives is awesome, and to think that we had a part to play in their life-transformation. WOW! Literally, that’s why I get out of bed in the morning. Reminds me of these comments by the Apostle Paul (click hyperlink to go to Bible verses). Here’s two blog posts that I read this morning that may have grabbed some of the sentiment we might feel at times (although I neither condone nor use some of the words written): “A lot of the time we’re scared” (and check out “Every church was a seed”).

Something I’ve thought often, and it came up again last night, we must celebrate as often as possible. There’s enough stuff in this world to keep us down, so any chance we get, let’s celebrate the wins of our life, the church, and others that we love. Find reasons to celebrate!

Another thing, I thought yesterday and think just about every Sunday, as I watch people coming through the doors of Eastern Elementary: in the words of Mark Batterson, “the reward of successful hard work is more work.” As we are faithful with little, God entrusts more to us. Every one that comes to The LifeHouse is our responsibility, our “brothers and sisters”, and we must lead with integrity, wisdom, pure motives, and clear vision. This is our accountability! “To whom much is given, much is required” (1 Cor 4:1-2 and Luke 12:48). It keeps me in regular prayer (see Psalm 127:1-3), forces me to be constantly learning and growing (remember Maxwell’s teaching on the “Law of the Lid”), and daily humbles me to allow God to stretch me beyond my comfort zone. I realize that the moment I get comfortable, I cease to grow. When we stop growing we die. The church will not die, and we must be continually motivated to expand the Kingdom of God “to the ends of the earth” and to reach every soul in our “Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria.”

WEEKEND IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR

What an Easter Weekend! It's great to have fun at church, and have a deeply meaningful experience with God. This is what happened this weekend at The LifeHouse:

• we had coffee smelling candles all over the place, so you not only get to drink coffee but the whole place smells like coffee, too.
• the flowers all over the place were great too, thanks to Susan for making the school look beautiful for spring.
• I started a new sermon series called RELIGION BYTES. And I think I scared some people on the front end, until I defined what I meant by religion (man's attempt to earn access to heaven, God, etc). What an incredible reality, that all religions make an attempt to earn access to God through some form of works, sacrifice, self-abasement, etc. That's what makes the gospel of Jesus so different! Jesus said that nothing we do can bridge that gap or divide between God and man because of sin. We can't earn it, don't deserve, and will never be good enough. The only way to cross the chasm is through an active faith in Jesus Christ, who bridge the divide through His death and resurrection. Then, we can live free and fulfill the purposes that God created us to fulfill, because we are not preoccupied trying to work our way into heaven.
  
• Great fun on the 2000+ egg hunt. There was a crowd in the fields, and kids everywhere getting their "candy fix." You might consider The LifeHouse "pushers" for terrible things like jelly beans and chocolate candy. I'm sure all the kids went home and were absolutely wired!
• Just as a note, this was our 2 year anniversary of officially launching on Sundays as a church and if you count everyone, we broke the 200 people barrier. Wow! That's great!
  

TEARING DOWN THE WALL

Why do we do what we do on Sunday mornings at The LifeHouse? Thought this would be the best place to spell it out, then I'll just send everyone who asks here first.

Our goal at The LifeHouse on Sunday mornings: Tear Down the Walls and Preconceptions People Have toward Church so that God can Do Whatever He Wants! I believe that many times, people are not turned off to Jesus or the message of the Bible, as much as they are to the Church. They may have had negative experiences, been hurt by people in the church, or even by leadership/ pastors. So, when guests arrive at our doors, they have walls of fear, inadequacy, doubt, guilt, condemnation, rejection, et cetera.

And our goal is to remove those walls so that everyone opens their heart of to what God wants to accomplish.

• That's why we have smiling, warm greeters at the entrance- so people feel welcomed and accepted.
  
• That's why we serve a full breakfast with large portions- so people feel like we're here to serve and give rather than take and demand (we're not here looking to get something from you, but to offer you an opportunity to experience God).
  
• That's why we have a video introduction- so that our guests know exactly what to expect and they know we've been expecting them- so that they feel warmly received and know what will be happening through the service.
  
• That's why we have great children's programs- so that we can care for their kids, so that they're not preoccupied or distracted- so that they can experience God. Besides, then their kids are having a great time learning and experiencing God as well.
• That's why we have high-energy, celebration-style worship- so that we create a place where God can come and be "throned on the praise of His people." I'm confident that the musical/ singing environment where God is lifted up as an "awesome God" is also a transforming environment. Why? Because, when we get a proper perspective of God, then we can have faith and allow Him to miraculously intervene in our lives. Our music gets our blood pumping and allows God to accomplish His work in our lives.
• That's why I use lots of illustrations and video clips in my sermon messages. So that the biblical truths become alive, relevant, and practical in our lives TODAY! These aren't just truths or principles for people that lived 2000 years ago, but are very useful for each of us today. But it's my job to communicate these truths in a way that our culture and generation can understand. My goal is to communicate the Truth of the Bible in a way that everyone can understand, so that the Truth will transform our lives.
• We do a lot more things to tear down walls and allow God to accomplish whatever He wants to accomplish, but these are probably the big ones that I hear the most about- so there you go!

Enjoy! And let's continue to make our mission on Sunday morning to DISARM and DE-WALL all of our guests so that God can do what He wants to in their lives.

IF YOU ARE A GUEST READING THIS, I want you to know that we are looking forward to seeing you on Sunday, and believe firmly that God has something special for you. So, open your heart to His love and purposes for your life!

THE LIFEHOUSE RUINS PEOPLE

It's become my new mission statement! I want us to ruin people. That's right! I want our guests and anyone who becomes part of The LifeHouse to so enjoy and connect with us, that they can never go back to church as usual. I know, that sounds terrible. But for Laura and I personally, we often say that we can't go back to just "doing" church, sitting in pews, singing songs, you know, doing church. I want LIFE, passion, relevance, the Bible becoming alive and an authentic community of Jesus-followers who aren't afraid to be themselves. So, I'm ruined.

Recently, I've gotten feedback from LifeHousers that were out-of-town, and they say that they walk into another church, and start thinking, "I can't drink coffee here" or "I feel like I have to act religious" or "Where's the laughter?" or "my kids are going to get bored quick." We shouldn't compare ourselves with others, after all, we are ONE CHURCH. And The LifeHouse is just the last name of the particular family that we identify with. But as a family, we're ruined, and we like it that way. Look forward to your personal remarks.