In The Dash- Unconditional
There are two people who are related to me by blood who have loved me and accepted me unconditionally, my mom and my sister. They have invested so much and sacrificed so much for me in my life and so many times it has gone unnoticed or unacknowledged, but it was never unappreciated.
My mom and sister have been a strength for me in the worst time in my life. They have been an encouragement and a voice of wisdom. I am a difficult person to live with, as my wife would support. There are times when I have been selfish and not been the brother or son that I should have been or could have been.
Regardless they love me. So important to let those who have loved you unconditionally know how important they are. There is a chance they may not know.
Action Step:
◊ Thank your family for loving you unconditionally.
In The Dash- Friends
I have friends I don’t deserve who have had way more influence in my life than I have had in theirs. Friends who have made me a better husband and father because of their influence in my life. They have shown grace, mercy, forgiveness and love, even in the midst of my pride, arrogance and selfishness.
It’s so important to stop and say thank you. In the hectic rush of life so many times we take advantage or take for granted those who lift up our arms to be successful or those who stand beside us in our brokenness.
One-on-one time with key friends is not for everyone; it’s for those who know you the best and who love you unconditionally. It’s not time for those who stand on the outside and are friends from a far or friends only in the good times.
Action Step:
◊ Spend time with key friends.
In The Dash- Serious Surrender
A new year, a death of someone close, a life changing circumstance, all of these are times in my life when I have gotten completely serious about my faith. Serious in reading God’s Word for myself and not just to write a message or a blog post. Serious in prayer to hear from God and not just to give Him my list of requests or serious in sharing my faith not only when it is convenient.
There is a point where you realize that your faith is not about you, but about surrendering your will to an incredible loving God. There is a point when you realize that you are here for more than surviving but are here to live out your faith with audacious power and commitment because how can you not get completely serious about a faith that has given you life?
ACTION STEP:
◊ Stop pretending. Get real. Eternity is at stake.
In The Dash- Digital Memories
I remember when I got my first NES as a kid. Video games in my hand to entrain myself for hours as I played Duck Hunt and Contra (Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Select, Start)
Technology had arrived, how could it possibly get any better than that? Fast forward…I now have the ability to stream my iphone to my T.V. I have a digital picture frame that plays videos and pictures. I can Skype my sister from my iphone to England.
Technology has changed the way we interact with each other and how we can remember that interaction.
How great would it be that years after were gone our families could go back and watch videos, pictures and memories that we put together that were special to us? We can create a tangible expression of our love to them.
ACTION STEP:
◊ Create a video and picture compilation of memories.
People Of The Second Chance
Who hasn’t messed up and needed a second chance? If you just answered no, not me, you should probably start reading another blog. My life is filled with mistakes, poor choices and heart aches not only for me but for the ones I love. Chances are I will let you down and disappoint you as well. It’s always easy to talk about grace and second chances. It’s hard to accept grace and a second chances from others. It’s even harder to offer grace and second chances to others.
Grace may be one of the hardest things to teach on and live out. I have appreciated People Of The Second Chance because they are an organization that keeps it real and honest and shares it how it is.
People of the Second Chance gives voice to a scandalous movement of radical grace in life and leadership. We challenge the common misconceptions about failure and success and stand with those who have hit rock bottom in their personal and professional lives. We are a community that is committed to stretch ourselves in the areas of relational forgiveness, personal transparency, and advocate for mercy over judgment. We are not ashamed of our scars, wounds, or failures and leverage them as a source of strength and character development. People of the Second Chance have experienced a second chance so we actively support social justice organizations and advocate for the vulnerable, forgotten, and left behind. We are People of the Second Chance.
I love their core values. They are simple and practical. Give a second chance, receive a second chance and be a second chance.
Two of the most influential books I have ever read are Deadly Viper: Character Assassins and Gracenomics: Unleash The Power Of Second Chance Living written by Mike Foster and Jud Wilhite who started People of the Second Chance and it has shaped my life and my view of failure. Life is difficult. It’s even more difficult to feel like you are walking through it alone. The key to success in life is to have someone to walk through it with you. Someone who accepts you in your success and someone who accepts you in your failures. Someone who no matter what is there for you and walks with you and stands with you when it gets tough. I have that. I appreciate those in my life who show me grace. Are you a grace giver or receiver? My goal in life is to be both.
Do You Really Think That The Hope Of The World Is The Church?
I got asked recently by a co-worker who said, “Do you really think that the hope of the world is the church?” My first response was silence as I thought about what they were really asking and then I said, “It should be”. I have heard from various pastors over the years that the local church is the hope of the world and I love the way that sentence flows off of my tongue. However by saying that sentence I feel like I pawn off the responsibility to a building to do all the work to reach people. I leave all the effort to programs and procedures and systems. Problem is, what happens if the people in local churches all over the world either don’t know they are the hope of the world or worse have no desire to offer that hope?
Jesus was a passionate individual here on earth who connected with those who were ultimately far from him. Jesus took the time to hang out with sinners and the very men who walked with him were not the sort that any of us would have chosen to plant a church with or start a movement with. He sought out the woman who had been married 5 times and was living with a guy who wasn’t her husband and he offered grace to the woman caught in adultery and he touched the lepers and spoke gently with tax collectors. He healed those who were sick and broken and according to the world were disgusting and were better off dead. He welcomed all those with questions and insults like they were his friends.
The question that person asked me was followed up with this…did God really create an institution where one day a week people could come to a building and fake the fact that they are really hurting and broken inside and begging for hope that doesn’t seem to be there? Does God really care about my hurt and my pain and my life? Truth is we all go through stretches in our lives where we do exactly that and pretend that we have it all figured out and that our life is perfect. Smiles can only cover up so much. Truth is we are not doing God or anybody else any favors by getting up early on Sunday and putting on our happy face to only go through motions and emotions.
Many a Sunday’s have gone by in my 10 years of ministry where it was easier to answer the cliche’ question of “How are you?” with “I’m fine”, rather than reveal my heart that was wicked and broken and desperately searching for God. Now what I have gathered with those that I have talked to about this inside and outside the church world is that the world does not need to see perfect people NOT needing a savior, pretending to be something that they are not. The world needs to see broken and messed up and fragmented people who have been honest and fallen broken before the cross and are changed and been made new. I believe that is the church being the hope of the world. What can the church offer that nobody else in the world can offer…hope. Hold on to and grasp the hope that is in you today. You are the church and through you and your story you can change the world. Why? Because I really do believe that the local church is the hope of the world.
I Love…
The last couple days I have heard one word thrown out for everything. It’s a powerful word love and although it has so many meetings I think that it can be cheapened if not used in the right context. Here are a few ways that I have heard it used in and I may have used it myself.
- I love this weather.
- I love this song.
- I love pizza.
- I love March Madness.
- I love Starbucks.
- I love the Sweet Lord Baby Jesus.
- I love you.
- I love those shoes.
- I love to ________________…
I think you get my point that we use that word love without realizing the power of that word. I was taught in college that to love in it’s proper context is to provide, promote & protect. Something to think about when we are throwing out our words to not say it unless we really mean it.
What’s your thoughts on the word love and how it is used?
100 Day Prayer Challenge
Eric on Sunday challenged the church to 100 days of prayer. I thought why not challenge everybody who reads this blog to jump on board and pray as well. You pray for my church and I’ll pray for your church if you list your church below. The only way we will see God move throughout is if people humble themselves and pray for His will and not ours. Below is what our church [Fellowship Church] is praying for and I believe it to be universal.
- Be unified and motivated to serve
- Grow as a community who love and accept each other and new people wherever they’re at
- Develop a heart for our local community, our schools, our neighbors, in demonstrating our love for them and meeting their needs, expecting nothing in return
- Become people who invest in our community and invite them into our church family
So how about it? Can you commit the next 100 days to lift your church and mine up in prayer to God?
Discover God’s Heart from Fellowship Today on Vimeo.
Love Without Limits
A friend of mine Robert Hall who was in youth group with me and who was in my dorm in college was on Oprah one day for how he found love. Here are couple things I learned from this.
- Sometimes our prejudices keep us from experiencing incredible things.
- That not everything makes sense.
- Love has no language barriers or race barriers.
- Being in the center of God’s will is just that, God’s will.
- Having a friend on TV is really cool.
- Those who are defending our freedom are real and have families, lives and the same emotions that we have.
