How do I fill out my "faith promise" card?

It's been a great month at The Journey as we have been learning about missions during our We Won't Stay Silent series. This past week I handed out the Faith Promise cards, and I encouraged you to take the next two weeks and fill these out, and then hand them in on Celebration Sunday on November 22.

But some people might not remember everything I said, so I want to give you some simple instructions on the "how to" - and then present you with a few frequently asked questions. So here goes -

How do I fill out my faith promise card?

1. Prepare your heart by reading Matthew 6:19-34 and 2 Corinthians 9.
   
2. Take a few days to pray and ask God what He would have you give.
   
3. Once you have a specific amount, discuss that amount with your spouse (if you're married). Be sure that you are in agreement.
   
4. Fill out the card and place it in the offering plate on November 22 during our Celebration Sunday! You can even place your initial offering in the plate that day. The commitment begins in January 2010.
   
5. When you give to missions (via Faith Promise), use an offering envelope and mark on the envelope the amount towards regular "tithing" and the amount for "missions" (or any other fund you contribute to).
   
6. Be watching/listening for frequent updates throughout 2010 of where your monetary gifts are making an impact!
   
7. Ask God to provide as you give cheerfully to worldwide missions!

Our goal at The Journey is to raise an additional $2,000 per month through exponential giving - remember, if we all did something, we could really do something! So if you can give $5 or $10 per month, do it. If you can give $20 or $30 or $50, or more, let me challenge you to do it! If we can raise $2000 per month for missions, we can immediately add 4 missionaries, 2 missions agencies, 2 local agencies (including our Homeless Shelter), two church planters in Boston, and three Bible college students - if we all did something!

Now here are some FAQ:
1) Can't I just reallocate my regular tithe? No. Faith Promise is over and above the tithe - this is beyond normal giving. If we all reallocated the tithe, The Journey's own internal and local ministries would suffer. Faith promise goes beyond regular tithing and giving!
2) How long is my commitment for? We are asking you to commit for all of 2010. At any point during the month, you can put it your faith promise commitment into the offering, and we will distribute it the next month. At the end of 2010, we will revisit faith promise again.
3) What happens if I don't keep my promise? Ultimately, if people bow out of their commitments, The Journey would have to stop supporting missions. That's why we ask you to pray about your commitment beforehand and be sure to give faithfully. FAITH promise is about trusting God even when you don't see how it will work out!
4) Can I give more if I have it? ABSOLUTELY! Any extra money that we receive will go towards preparing for our church plant that is coming up! So if you want to give more, just know that "God loves a cheerful giver!" (2 Corinthians 9:7)
5) Can I give my entire year's commitment at once, or in large segments? Yes - the goal is to do it timely. Don't wait until December 2010 to give your entire year's worth. If you have it all in January, that's great. Tax time is another great time to honor the entire commitment. But no matter how you give, always give on time or ahead of schedule, never behind. Our missionaries rely on our timeliness.

If you have any other questions, feel free to post them below. Thank you, Journey, for trusting God in this!

The Journey's Faith Promise Card 2009

20 things I love RIGHT NOW about The Journey (part 2)

So - here are the next ten...I'll say it again, I LOVE The Journey! Here are more things I love...

1. The kids at The Journey! Corey, Austin, Katelynn, Timmy, Hannah, Hayleigh, Kayleigh, Brenton, Jaylyn - and like 50 more! I'm the high-fiven' pastor, and I love that The Journey continues to find more and more ways to minister to our kids!
   
2. The fact that more of you are involved in active ministry and serving somewhere in the church than we've ever had before!
3. That I meet new people every single week! We have WONDERFUL people who have real needs for God in their lives - and I get the privilege of meeting and talking with them every single week!
   
4. That practically every week, you ask God to do something new in your lives - you just can't get enough of Him!
5. That no project or challenge is too much for us to tackle...Night Before the 4th; Everybody Day...most recently, our Kidz Journey with Harvest Day - our leaders are fearless! :)
   
6. The continued friends and family that you continue to bring every week to church...and that I meet so many people who came because a friend/family member invited them!
7. Our college students - Amy, Sarah, Carlos, Chelsea, Zac (and Laura!), Jenna...and the few that I've missed. I love that they are preparing for what God has for them next - and I pray that they keep their hearts tender towards Him!
8. The overall consistency in giving & tithing of The Journey - we've had some ups & downs this year, but by and large, so many have been faithful to God in this area, which allows our ministries to move forward.
9. That we're moving forward in community. The fact is, we STILL don't do community like we need to - but we're moving closer, and we plan on making 2010 a big LEAP year in community.
   
10. The future - what God has for us coming up...and where we're going next...this church is not your typical church - God WILL have HIS WAY as we move forward!

I love what God is doing at The Journey, and I'm so grateful to lead and be a part of your lives!

20 things I love RIGHT NOW about The Journey (part 1)...

I just want to share - I LOVE THE JOURNEY! And I thought - while I'm sitting here, I thought, "I'm gonna write down!"

So, here goes...when it comes to The Journey, I love...

1. The way you people give it up in worship every week - hands high, hearts open, dancing, singing, rejoicing! As a pastor, few things thrill me more.
2. The way you all respond to what I preach every week - you guys track with me and what I'm saying every week, no matter how hard or how challenging some things are! I love that you wrestle with these things.
   
3. The deacons - the Journey has THE BEST deacons I have EVER had the chance of being around - Jim, Kathy, Lee, John, Bill - and "junior mints" Kim & Chris - the Journey is privileged to have a board filled with servants. I love them.
   
4. The many ways so many of you contribute, finding both small and large ways to serve - I never get tired of saying, "we love what you do!"
5. On a lighter note - I love the way so many of you show up every week between 10am and 10:10am consistently - you guys crack me up - it's endearing, really. :)
6. Our ministry leaders - Kim, Sharon, Matthew, Dan, Lee, Joanne, Jim, Diane, Elizabeth, Dave, Rod, Ellen, John, Kathy - the Journey's ministries continue to grow because our ministry leaders continue to grow!
   
7. The current emphasis on missions - We won't stay silent. I love that God is moving in your hearts as you interact with the many different ways we can make a difference...I can see it on your faces...and I love it.
   
8. The way you all allow God to move your hearts every week. I was FLOORED by how so many of you last week knelt at the altar and prayed for those you know who are far away from God. May God continue to break our hearts in the things that break His!
9. That we are STILL SEEING the results of our faith from a year ago when our congregation wholeheartedly stepped out to move into our current facility! We trusted God together and moved in the beginning of 2009 and it has been a stellar year!
   
10. That obedience to God NEVER gets old! I LOVE that more people are trusting God as they step forward in baptism in two weeks - and many have taken that step this year.

Stay tuned for part 2 tomorrow!

Knowing God...

Knowing God is not in itself an intellectual activity for God is not an idea, nor a thought. God may be known because He is a person. Indeed, He is only made known to us as person (we do not know His essence). We cannot know God objectively – that is He is not the object of our knowledge. He is known as we know a person. This is always a free gift, given to us in love. Thus knowledge of God is always a revelation, always a matter of grace, never a matter of achievement or attainment. - Stephen Freeman

Some super-UNimportant stuff I receive...!

Just in case you ever wonder the kind of things that come my way, here is a recent contribution to our "Contact the Pastor" option on our website...

Greetings: I read all of your web site with spiritual discernment, as the HOLY SPIRIT can only allow me to. You profess that the Bible is your only authority, but which one? By your quote from 2 Tim2:15 it was not the KJV, which states \"rightly dividing the word of truth\". In truth which version has more bite, more sting, and more power? Do you want to truly grow in HIM? You must drink from HIS purest water for true spiritual growth. Not from Satan\'s diluted and toxic brands of water, which is in fact killing a large part of the LORD\'S Bride. I am not a Ruckmanite, but only a blood bought believer, who truly cares about my Brothers and Sisters that are unknowningly following their feelings or other men\'s convictions rather then GOD\'S Wisdom and Knowledge. Proverbs 3:5-6. May the LORD challenge you to seek HIS Truth in this matter.

Sigh! I don't typically take the time, but thought, "Why not?" And so, I responded...

Thanks for the note. Two things:

1) Although you are not a Ruckmanite, you appear bound by a standard of legalism in this matter that breaks my heart. I used to be a Ruckmanite, and was freed from that yoke of bondage (Gal. 5:1) I no longer desire bondage – I desire Christ and the freedom He brings. But in answer to your question, from my perspective, the ESV seems to have the best “bite, sting, and power,” a modern, literal translation.

2) My prayer for you is that you would take to heart the words of Paul in 2 Timothy 2:14, “…charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers” and Titus 3:9, “But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.”

You are a sincere seeker, but as a pastor, it seems that these concerns over the KJV and finding those who don’t use it is, at best, very poor stewardship of your time and talents; and at worst can result in serious division and spiritual bondage. From the depth of my heart, I urge you to turn away from that and seek freedom in Christ. The TRUTH – Jesus Christ – will set you free of this. May the Lord guide you in your sincere pursuit of Him, and may you experience the joy that comes from freedom in Christ.

***
Just in case you ever wonder, this is how I deal with matters of this nature...

25 Leadership Lessons from Ezekiel

What an absolutely incredible book Ezekiel is - chock-full of leadership lessons for today's pastor, deacon, and ministry leader.

I have listed below most all of my observations from the first half of Ezekiel. The 2nd half is primarily prophecies against nations and a description of the restored temple. These aren't exhaustive, and they reflect my perspective, but I thought they were worth sharing.

1. As a spiritual leader, be prepared for God to show you (and for you to relate) visions/truths/principles that He does not show others - 1:1.
2. God never reveals truths to you for the sake of your being exalted - it's always for His glory - 1:28.
3. The most important truth to remember in relation to your calling is that GOD called you and has sent you - 2:3.
4. Believe it or not, there is something more important to God than people responding to your ministry - 2:5.
   
5. All that is required in a truly Spirit-led leader is obedience - 2:8.
6. God at times will be VERY specific about your calling and ministry - 3:5.
7. God at times will send you into seemingly impossible situations - 3:7.
8. God has uniquely prepared you, even for the toughest of ministry assignments - 3:8-9.
   
9. It is not abnormal to be overwhelmed with the task God has given you - 3:15.
   
10. God's leader has a unique responsibility that God does not assign lightly - 3:18.
11. God's leaders need to tune into and get used to God's way of doing things - 4:12.
12. It is alright to argue with God and ask Him for a change - just be willing to still let Him dictate the conditions - 4:14-15.
    
13. Spiritual leaders are assigned the unenviable job of declaring God's judgment when the situation calls for it - 7:9.
14. Don't mistake tough, firm leadership for hard-heartedness towards those you lead - 9:8.
15. True Godly leaders will at times have to declare judgment in the face of those who declare prosperity and peace - 11:2-4.
16. Spiritual leaders understand that obedience is OFTEN required BEFORE explanation is given - 12:7-8.
17. Spiritual leaders must be willing to "drop the gauntlet" and let people know that judgment is here - 12:28.
18. Spiritual leaders know that sometimes, regardless of righteous people, judgment over sin has to happen - 14:13-14.
    
19. God is in no way obligated to hear or answer leaders when we have unconfessed sin in our lives - 20:3-4.
20. A leader who is selectively obedient is ultimately rebelling! - 20:7-8.
    
21. Get used to people mislabeling your ministry for the sake of discrediting you - 20:49.
22. Spiritual leaders don't understand why people choose judgment instead of discipline - 21:10.
23. True spiritual leaders don't favor one group over another - 22:24-29.
    
24. The toughest parts of leadership involve loving God more than your family - 24:15-18.
25. More than any other detail, the greatest single part of spiritual leadership is knowing that "God is there" - 48:35.
    

One of the other lessons that is repeated maybe 72 times is the phrase "know that I am the Lord" - typically preceded by "They shall know..." God is absolutely DETERMINED for His people to KNOW that He is the Lord, NOT that my ministry is great or my church is awesome or that my preaching is fabulous or that my decisions are visionary. God wants His people to have a keen and continual sense of just exactly who He is.

I'm looking forward to breaking open Daniel next!

Unrepresented or Misrepresented?

This is from a commentary I'm reading on Ezekiel (yep, that's right) called All Things Weird and Wonderful by Stuart Briscoe. In context, Ezekiel is witnessing the degradation of God's people who are in Jerusalem, and seeing their complete disregard for God's laws. Briscoe brings the issue home to the modern church, and it is worth repeating here:

The incontrovertible fact of Jerusalem's inexcusable failure and rebellion necessitated an equally incontrovertible action of God in judgment. The people of God who sin publicly and thereby delude and confuse the public, must expect drastic and public action from the God they have so grossly misinterpreted.

This divine principle appears to be a little misunderstood in the Church today. The very institution of God on earth, the Church of Jesus Christ, apparently thinks she can carelessly misrepresent God and anticipate nothing other than the ongoing grace and benevolence of God. To think like this is to ignore the principles of God's dealings with His ancient people and also to overlook the specific teachings of our Lord Jesus and the saga of Church history.

In His letters to the Seven Churches of Asia Minor, the Risen Lord warned that He would not hesitate to "remove the candlestick" (Rev. 2:5) of their witness if they did not get around to being what they were born to be. I have poked around in the ruins of Ephesus and in that beautiful area of modern Turkey I found nothing remotely resembling the Church of Jesus Christ. In fact, search as you will around the whole area and you will find only dead remnants of former glory. Travel across North Africa, the scene of much Early Church triumph, Christian scholarship, and glorious ministry, and you will find only lampstands. In many areas of Europe the same thing is true, and some see the same things beginning to happen...in North America.

Could one say that God prefers to be unrepresented rather than misrepresented?

When will God ever be right?

Lamentations is the book, the lament of Jeremiah the prophet over what was Jerusalem and Israel and Judah but was no longer. And the very first line sets the tone for the rest of the book - it is a lament, "How lonely sits the city that was full of people!"

It is the cry over what he sees - desolation, pain, death - that's all around him. And in chapter 1, verse 8, Jeremiah points to a reason all the bad things are happening, "Jerusalem sinned grievously; therefore she became filthy." And I began thinking, "I've been there." And yes, I could talk about the sins of our nation here and the certain ruin that will come unless we repent, but I like personal responsibility - that's why I'm a preacher.

You see, we sin. That's a no-brainer. But what brings death and destruction is the continuing sin without repentance. God's people (Israel) knew better than to disobey God like they were doing, and yet they kept on. Christian, if you are continuing in sin without repentance, KNOW that God will bring discipline - if you're His child, that's what He does.

But here's what we say - "Well, at least I'm not as bad as (insert a name here)" or "At least I'm not hiding it and being a hypocrite" or "But I do a lot of other things that are really good." And in each case, we compare ourselves with others or with other things we do.

But Jeremiah actually sets a different comparison in Lamentations 1:18 when he says, "The LORD is in the right, for I have rebelled against His word." You see, my question is, when will GOD ever be right and be the standard for conduct and living in my life? It is NOT about what others do and how I compare, or how my good deeds balance out the bad, or about not being a hypocrite. What Christian living IS about is GOD being right - His Word taking precedent over any other words or thoughts that I might have or that might be given to me.

Let me ask you today, Christian - in your life, when will GOD ever be right?

10 clear signs you are at or crossing lines with old flames

Wow - I mentioned Perry Noble's blog about "15 Ways to Destroy Your Marriage" in my 1st message in my REALationships series last Sunday (click here to listen) , and I have received some great questions and feedback about way #4, "Connect with “old flames” through online social networking and then convince yourself it is ok because you aren’t actually doing anything wrong!"

So in my interactions with people over this, I came up with 10 ways to identify if you are AT or crossing the line when it comes to Facebook, MySpace, and social networking (and things of that nature) with "old flames". Here they are...

1. Regular (daily or several times weekly) contact, either by message or by Instant Messaging (IM'ing) - "I'm just checking in to see how your days going..."
   
2. Reverting to memories of your past with this person - "Remember when we used to date..." stuff.
   
3. Making comments that betray an existing attraction - "You are still beautiful (etc.)..."
   
4. Making comments about your spouse that would be detrimental to them or that express your unhappiness with them, and thus place into question your commitment to him/her.
   
5. Scheduling a get-together either a) without your spouse or b) without the clear agreement, consent, and presence of your spouse.
   
6. Failing to mention your spouse in any conversations or contact.
   
7. IM'ing for long conversations regularly - and frankly, a note - IM'ing your old flame isn't very cool for your relationship with your spouse, regardless of the frequency. Instead, go out to dinner and have long conversations with your spouse!!!
   
8. Feeling the need to exit an IM conversation when your spouse enters the room.
   
9. Feeling a romantic advance from your old flame and NOT sharing it immediately with your spouse - and even continuing to entertain those advances rather than shut it off immediately.
   
10. Continually looking for and anticipating the next conversation with your old flame.

When all else fails live by the 2222 PRINCIPLE - 2 Timothy 2:22, "Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace..."

25 Leadership Lessons from Jeremiah...

I just completed reading Jeremiah today, and what a powerful book, especially for ministry leaders. If you are working in/leading a ministry, here are 25 thoughts for you today:

• Plant deep within yourself the FACT that God chose you for your ministry long before you knew Him! 1:5
  
• You can't focus on your age - effectiveness is never a matter of age - God uses young and old alike! 1:7
  
• God can and often does give you the words to speak! 1:9
• At the same time, God expects you to see and speak from your creative vantage point! 1:11
• The times when you don't feel like leading are the times you REALLY need to get to work! 1:17
• It is your duty to be in alignment with God's heart when you minister! 3:15
• Recognize that God's word on your lips does not equal a receptive audience! 6:10
• Ministry will break your heart when people refuse the truth! 8:18-20
• Ministry stupidity is when you don't seek God's power and wisdom and instead rely solely on your own expertise! 10:21
• There are plenty of times where the world - and thus ministry - will not make sense! 12:1-2
• Even when it seems crazy, sometimes God will give you a unique way to make a point! 13:1-11
• Don't strive for popularity as God's leader - you might instead get notoriety! 15:10
• Sometimes your dream ministry can become your ministry nightmare - and it is exactly God's plan for your life! 15:16-19
  
• You simply can't examine your heart enough! 17:9
• Your worst opposition can come from those who also claim religious authority/experience! 20:1-2
• There are few feelings worse than trying to deny the responsibility God has called you to! 20:9
• As a leader, you need to continually remind yourself that the fight is really not your fight! 20:11
  
• You are leading to serve people, and you bring harsh condemnation on yourself when you think otherwise! 23:1
  
• If you're a godly leader, you will find yourself in harm's way! 26:8
• On occasion, you as a leader will have to stand against another leader! 28:15-16
• Even in the middle of tragedy and calamity, you can still point people to Hope! 30:8
• Just because you struggle with God's commands does not mean you should not obey! 32:25
• You will simply be amazed at how often people go against God's word! 37:2
• You WILL experience the hardest of personal times in leadership! 38:6
  
• On occasion, you will be given the worst assignments - be prepared to follow through regardless! 51:60-61

You ready to lead? Learn from this ancient prophet.

Success without planning...

We seldom see great results when our plan and/or work is faulty - and when (if) we do, we should thank God for His gracious blessing! But what we will often see is that we'll get better-than-expected results when we properly plan, execute well, and then move ahead with faithfulness. As someone recently said, the only time that "success" comes before "work" is in the dictionary!

6 ways to lead like Jesus

J. Oswald Sanders shares in his book Spiritual Leadership 6 attitudes and inner motives that the coming Messiah, Jesus, would display according to Isaiah 42.

Here's the passage from Isaiah 42:1-4, “Look at my servant, whom I strengthen. He is my chosen one, who pleases me. I have put my Spirit upon him. He will bring justice to the nations. ² He will not shout or raise his voice in public. ³ He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. He will bring justice to all who have been wronged. ⁴ He will not falter or lose heart until justice prevails throughout the earth. Even distant lands beyond the sea will wait for his instruction."

To lead like Jesus, I must:
1) Be dependent on God - vs. 1, "Here is my servant, whom I strengthen." As we become empty of self and dependent on God, the Holy Spirit will use us.

2) Seek God's approval - vs. 1, "He is my chosen One, who pleases me." I love what Tullian Tchividjian, the new pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church wrote just a few days ago regarding the church he leads. He wrote, "Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church is not my church, and it wasn't Dr. Kennedy's church. It's God's church and I want to honor Him and carry on the legacy of Jesus above anything or anyone else." We seek His approval first and foremost.

3) Be modest - vs. 2, "He will not shout or raise his voice in public." My goal is not to use my gifts and abilities so that people are impressed with me. Jesus Himself avoided this temptation of "showmanship" when He refused to "grab the headlines" and jump from the temple. We always point to Jesus.

4) Have empathy - vs. 3, "He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle."It is so easy to 'pass by on the other side' when we see people hurting. After all, they consume our ministry energies. But that's not what Jesus did, and while using discretion and delegating at times, we must reach out to people and not walk over them.

5) Display optimism - vs. 4, "He will not falter or lose heart until justice prevails throughout the earth." I love what Sanders writes, "Pessimism and leadership are at opposite ends of life's attitudes...God's ideal Servant is optimistic until every part of God's work is done."

6) Settle for nothing less than anointing - vs. 1, "I have put my Spirit upon him." Without this, all else is lost. It is "not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit," right? Then if I don't have the anointing the next time I minister, am I going to be okay with that? Or will I pray for His leading and operate in His wisdom and plead for His power?! Why would I settle for ministry in MY power when I can do ministry in HIS power? God, please give us the anointing.

If Jesus didn't do ministry without the Spirit, why would we think we are greater and that we can do it on our own?

Inspirational thought for the church

When Christianity turns into a noun, it becomes a turnoff. Christianity was always intended to be a verb. More specifically, an action verb. The title of the book of Acts says it all. It is not the Book of Ideas or Theories, or Words. It is the Book of Acts. If the 21st century church said less and did more, maybe we would have the same kind of impact the 1st century church had.

Some of us live as if we expect to hear God say, "Well thought, good and faithful servant." or "Well said, good and faithful servant." God is not going to say either of those things. There is only one commendation and it is the by-product of carrying out God-ordained passions: "Well DONE. good and faithful servant."

- Mark Batterson

10 instructional warnings for pastors & ministry leaders - part 2

I began this thought yesterday about warnings from God (via Jeremiah) to spiritual leaders in Jeremiah 23. Here are the next five that I see...

6) Our job is to HEAR from God!
Vs. 18, Have any of these prophets been in the Lord’s presence to hear what he is really saying? Has even one of them cared enough to listen?

The bottom line for any spiritual leader is for that leader to be in communion with God through spiritual disciplines that enables him or her to consistently be directed by the Holy Spirit in ministering to people. Whether you're preaching, teaching, directing, counseling, strategizing, or coming up with creative solutions, the anointing of the Holy Spirit in each of these only comes about as we interact with God personally and consistently. It's ministering "out of the overflow," where the people we interact with get God's Word and God's love and God's mercy and God's poignancy and God's direction via you. We must hear from God.

7) Our job is to DIRECT people away from sin -
Vs. 22, If they had stood before me and listened to me, they would have spoken my words, and they would have turned my people from their evil ways and deeds.

God addresses the inability - rather, the unwillingness of the prophets to help people redirect from sin to living life the way God intends. Verses 16-17 scathingly point out the spiritual ineptitude of leaders who know of open sin in the lives of those they lead and at the same time bless those same followers, telling them that "it will be well with you"! And God is furious!

This is one of the tough things for us spiritual leaders - we like to be liked! I don't like to tell people that sin is wrong and that God is not pleased with sinful lifestyles! And the world (and the faux spiritual leaders would make their message one of non-judgment and love. But we who lead according to the Bible know that our job is to steer people away from sin - to warn, to rebuke, to correct, to instruct - and that when the moment calls for it, to be stern and speak boldly. If I don't, I bring condemnation on myself according to Jeremiah 23.

8) Our job is CAUTIOUSLY input our own words
v. 28, Let these false prophets tell their dreams, but let my true messengers faithfully proclaim my every word. There is a difference between straw and grain!

There will be many times where we will have wonderful illustrations or ideas or stories - and they are good when used as tools for further communicating God's Word. But that's the idea - communicate God's Word. You see, my words will only EVER go so far - and so when I put them into my lessons and sermons, I should do so with extreme care so as to emphasize the Bible, not vice versa. Preachers and teachers, don't expound on your ideas and stories and use the Bible to support them. Instead, expound on God's Word and use your ideas and stories to further communicate God's message.

9) Our job is to get GOD'S message for our people
Vs. 30, Therefore,” says the Lord, “I am against these prophets who steal messages from each other and claim they are from me.

Regurgitation of the words of other prophets was something that made God sick, especially when He was so willing to speak and to work through willing vessels. And I'm quite sure the same thing goes for today.

In these days where other's sermons are online and easily accessible, it is quite easy for the preacher/teacher to continually draw from the well(?) of other's study and experiences to regularly feed his congregation. And while I don't think occasional times of doing this are wrong, I really have a difficult time reconciling in my own ministry the time and again practice of retrieving other pastor's messages for me to use. No, it's not a sin to use them on occasion, or to draw creative ideas and to study those who communicate well.

But we ought to be consistently ministering out of our own overflow, not out of someone else's! And even as busy as we get, and as time-consuming as preparation can be, it is the BEST thing for our people to hear from God through what He says to us.

10) Our job is to have an answer when people ask, "What's God been speaking to you about/showing you lately?"
Vs. 37, “This is what you should say to the prophets: ‘What is the Lord’s answer?’ or ‘What is the Lord saying?’

Imagine if we as spiritual leaders were REQUIRED to write down ONE thing every week that God was showing us or speaking to us...what would we do? And yet, the Lord instructed His people to ask the leaders this same kind of question! Let's not let a week go by (even a day!) where we are not hearing from God!

So how'd you do? Do you need to rework/repent/reevaluate some areas? Don't be afraid to - it's where the blessing is.

10 instructional warnings for pastors & ministry leaders - part 1

I'm reading right now through the book of Jeremiah, and it continues to be a book that reacclimates me to God's heart, especially as a minister. I am finding this temptation these days that the Holy Spirit is sternly warning me against - the temptation of complacency.

Complacency in ministry happens when we let the vision burn out, and we get comfortable with our current level or status. Complacency can be hard to recognize only because it doesn't mean you forfeit excellence in what you do, but rather you give up pursuing anything greater than what you already have - you're "all good" - and that's bad.

In Jeremiah 23, the Lord gives a damning rebuke to the shepherds (prophets and priests - i.e. pastors and ministry leaders). The rebuke is large, because the shepherds were too concerned about themselves and not those they were supposed to be shepherding. And I think we find in here some stern lessons for those who lead in ministry:
1) Our job is to GATHER, not to scatter.
Vs. 1 - “What sorrow awaits the leaders of my people—the shepherds of my sheep—for they have destroyed and scattered the very ones they were expected to care for,” says the Lord."

Now I know this seems like a no-brainer, and in our world of transferring churches and non-committal, this almost seems like an impossibility. But our job is to gather the sheep. This means that I will work on my ministry in such a way that draws people together - find ways to bring them together regularly because the wolves always tend to divide. This means that I will consistently be watching for those who get scattered, and fighting with those wolves who would draw people away.

One of my big ministry heartaches has been watching good people fall away because of the "wolves" that have preyed on my congregation. It's my job to hold them together, which means it's also my job to ward off those who are destructive.

2) Our job is to CARE and dispel fear.
Vs. 4, "Then I will appoint responsible shepherds who will care for them, and they will never be afraid again. Not a single one will be lost or missing. I, the Lord have spoken!"

Our clear biblical responsibility is to provide care for those we minister to - to let them know they're not alone, to establish leaders who will carry on the work of ministering to a world (and to the church) that so desperately needs shepherds who care. I am sitting here heartbroken this morning over those in my church who are heavy with fear and have asked me to care - I am praying for them and asking God for His intervention. In turn, He is asking me and The Journey to care for them and dispel fear.

3) Our job is to maintain INTEGRITY and PURITY behind the scenes.
Vs. 11, "Even the priests and prophets are ungodly, wicked men. I have seen their despicable acts right here in my own Temple,” says the Lord.

I have asked God to forgive me of those times when I have failed at times to be the man my people need me to be - when I'm not in front of them. Too often I am willing to be careless, clumsy in my spiritual walk, foolish in even the small decisions that determine purity and integrity. A great way to make decisions - a gut-check question is, "If the people that follow me knew that I was doing this, would they still follow me?"

4) Our job is to make sure that the cause for evil is weakened.
From the ESV, vs. 14, But in the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: they commit adultery and walk in lies; they strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns from his evil; all of them have become like Sodom to me, and its inhabitants like Gomorrah."

"They strengthen the hands of evildoers" - two ways we do this:
1) When we sin grossly and it is exposed, we strengthen the cause of evil by letting people cry hypocrite. But worse then hypocrisy is this...
2) When we have unknown hidden sin, and it causes us to miss out on what God wants to do, we strengthen the cause of evil. As Edmund Burke said, "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." What evil is triumphing BECAUSE of sin that you won't deal with?!

5) Our job is to get the WORD right!
Vs. 16-17, This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says to his people: “Do not listen to these prophets when they prophesy to you, filling you with futile hopes. They are making up everything they say. They do not speak for the Lord!

What a problem exists when we as ministry leaders and as pastors don't spend any amount of time in the Word and studying, truly discovering what the Word of God has to say in the moment for the moment! Our job is to know what God's Word says (beyond our favorite token passages), and to let God's Word be what's on our lips.

Part 2 comes tomorrow...

Thoughts on a legacy...

I'm getting ready to preach on leaving a legacy this weekend, and I'm just reflecting back on one man in particular who changed my life - Floyd Paschall. No one outside of my family has ever had a bigger influence on me. He was my pastor from the time I was 7 until I was 12 (when he died), and he pastored Bethel Baptist Church in Prospect, CT.

I learned so much from him, even though I only knew him for 5 years. There are 5 lessons I specifically learned:
1) Be passionate about what you do. The world is filled with people who are only passionate about the money they make doing what they do. He did what he did minus the money because he LOVED what he did. And frankly, as far as preaching goes, He LOVED preaching, and to this day I would rather listen to him than anyone else.

2) Love people. He loved everyone, cared for the really good people and, in my eyes, the really bad people - those whose faults were their undoing. I watched him deal with stubborn, sinful, politically-driven, heretical men, and he always responded with grace. He might have loved people to a fault, if that were possible.

3) Point people to what you see for them. Don't ask me how a 50+ year old man could have possibly recognized that I, an eight year old kid, was suppossed to preach. But he knew - and he was right. And I haven't stopped since he first asked. He raised the bar high, and he recognized things even in the little guys like me.

4) Making others feel comfortable around you is better than having the nicest church or nicest home. You didn't have to be impressed by the church building or by his home - but you couldn't be around Pastor without being impressed by his ability to make others feel at ease - or sometimes uneasy when needed.

5) Tell others what they need to hear - whether good or bad. He taught me to be respectful, specifically to my parents. I appreciated that. To this day, I wish he were alive so that I could just talk to him and ask his advice on things.

As I "pay it forward" and mentor guys and girls in my own church, I hope to pass along that Godly legacy of investing in others...and changing history...

How do I get more volunteers into my ministry?

I’m really working on my own personal leadership behind the scenes, continuing to grow and develop myself as I go through a senior pastor coaching network. I just heard something I want to share with you, because a regular question I get asked is, “As a leader, how can I get more people involved in my ministry?”

This question is typically followed by a request to make a pulpit announcement, send out an email, and for the pastor to promote the ministry. While this has had some effect at various times, let me help you take some better steps.

Here are 4 important steps (non-exhaustive) for recruiting more volunteers in your ministry. You should…

1) Be able to explain the WHY.

a. Why do you want people involved – do you just need help, or do you have a purpose, an important role that they can play?

b. Why is that role important in light of God’s kingdom? People want to know why what you’re asking is so important, and you should be ready to tell them why they can make a difference.

2) Know the REAL reason why people should serve. I’ll give you a hint – it is NOT so that your ministry can grow! We don’t ask people to serve so our plans can succeed. We want them to serve because it’s a major part of their Christian growth. When you target people, target people who need to take steps in their Christian walks!

3) Identify who you want helping you. While I don’t necessarily mean actual names, who are you praying that God will send your way? What things do you want to do that you can’t do yet because you don’t have the right people? But along with this, are there specific people that God is directing you towards at church that you should approach?

4) ASK people personally! Blanket approaches (pulpit announcements) might get you some, but the best people in your ministry are the ones you ASK! All of the volunteers you need are at The Journey just waiting to be asked! Approach them, ask them, and tell them there are greater things to live for. Invite them to come check you out. Get past your fear of rejection and ask! Here’s what Nelson Searcy says, “When your belief that what you’re doing is so significant outweighs your fear of rejection, then it becomes easy to ask people to invest!”

Just some simple steps that you can take to increase the volunteer involvement in your ministry.

Great leadership quote

“Have a bias toward action - let’s see something happen now. You can break the big plan into small steps and take the first steps right away.” Indira Ghandi

Growing in praise...

I had the chance to talk with someone whom I admire very much this past week, a wonderful Christian woman who was very influential in my upbringing, and we began discussing what breaking out of legalism means, and how just in the area of praise, someone could become more expressive.

Below is my correspondence - and I felt it would be beneficial to share these thoughts - I'm going to give you my thoughts as I spoke them to her. Here goes:

If you would indulge me one more time, and forgive me for being "preachy" - here are a few words of advice (in progression) for your Thursday morning regarding "dancing":
1) You are His daughter - 1 John 3:1. Tap into that (tap your toe to that!), and let your heart soar. The beginning of adoration is knowing the depths we've been released from, and the extent to which He's saved us! Rejoicing in ALL that He has done for us is the first step (of many) - a dancing heart soon leads to dancing feet...the right kind.

2) Be patient (and even forgiving) of yourself. Just as we allow our own kids to gradually grow, so God allows us. A problem with legalism is that it forgets that Jesus came in BOTH grace and truth (not just truth). God's grace leads to joy, and joy CAN lead to outward expression...so if you ever test the waters, turn on some praise music and just try GROWING in your expression. Be clumsy, be foolish. just be praising! All growth starts somewhere - and God is gracious in that growth.

3) As you do, know that your expression toward God mirrors His response to His people! Notice Zephaniah 3:17 says, "For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With His love, He will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” We could even say (as one version does) that God dances over us...so dancing is a completely appropriate response, considering God started it! :)

4) Free yourself from others' critiques! Legalism is so deadening because it gets us focused on "others" and what they think. That is one of the biggest things I've been freed of, especially as a pastor. I KNOW some people won't like me regardless, so why live fashioning my life to please them instead of God?! I know there's a balance, but you understand my point. And so, if you should "dance," take encouragement from the woman who anointed Jesus' feet in Matthew 26:6-13. Others criticized her excessiveness, but Jesus looked straight to the heart and saw worship - and He loved it. You see, I'd rather bless Jesus with everything I have (even in a clumsy way because TRUST me, I am NOT a good dancer!) - then miss the chance in a new way to express my eternal appreciation...like the others did in Matthew 26.

*****
You see, I'm convinced we need to break through the praise and worship barriers that hinder us from expressing ourselves before the Lord. Taking small but sure steps to get ourselves free in this area will help us continue put ourselves in the "sights" of the Father, who is looking for those who worship in Spirit and in truth (John 4:23).

So can I encourage you? At the next gathering of The Journey (or the church you attend), break out a little more - express yourself just a little bit more - and grow in your praise a little bit more...a blessing is waiting as you do...

Listening to the Oldies...

One of the best practices that a Christian can do - especially a Christian leader - is to interact with great men and women of the faith. Interacting with their stories and testimonies is priceless for the Christian who desires to grow. I know, many of us would wonder internally what they could possibly have to say to us in our 21st century "Google" and "Wikipedia" culture. "I mean, come on, P. Rob! We are in the Information Age!" I know. It is our pride that would tell us that the best words come from the most current authors, as if people and God have changed after thousands of years...and as if ministry and science and technology and literature have made us so "advanced" that our current knowledge will NEVER change (imagine what our science textbooks will look like 50 (10!) years from now and how much people then will decry our ignorance now!)

Anyway, I am trying to become more immersed in what some great men and women of old had to say, and one of our new church members sent me an excerpt from a letter by George Whitfield, an 18th century preacher who was one of the main voices of the Great Awakening here in New England. Of particular interest is an excerpt from his journal after he spoke right here in Rochester, NH...and it is a GREAT thing to be a part of what he saw. Take a moment and listen with your heart (and let this get your heart PUMPING) to what Whitfield wrote:

“Preached yesterday twice with much divine power to large Congregations for the Rev’d Mr. Cushing at (Dover) and today once for the Rev’d Mr. Main of Rochester outermost settlement in the province of New Hampshire, where they fetch masts for the King of Briton. They lie most exposed to the Indians, and are obliged here and adjacent provinces to build garrisons for their defense.

But I thought, the situation was very delightful, and could not help but looking over the present uninhabited Woods, between this and Canada, with a believing prospect that these howling wildernesses would, ere long, in God’s time, be turned into fruitful fields, and that Jesus would take them as being given Him by the Father into his own possession.

I thought I felt something of what the Patriarch Abraham felt when he saw the Redeemer’s day afar off, and rejoiced. We wait for your visitation O Lord.” (Journals, 556-557)

So, I am "listening (and dancing!) to the oldies" this morning, and I am adding my agreement and faith to this vision that Rochester and these surrounding areas will become "fruitful fields" and the Father's "own possession." Lord, may You bring these things about through The Journey and Your churches here in Rochester...

Smells, sounds, touches...in the morning!

Smells - I LOVE the smell of rainy mornings - the smell of the air as it's filtered through the downpour and blowing through my windows. Not just a little bit of drizzle or rain, but the smell of the wind from a downpour - it's refreshing and it makes my lungs just open up and want more...God, thank You for the smell of rain in the morning!

Sounds - Nothing is as sooooothing as hard rain coming down and making that sound off of the ground - the pitter-patter that you could just crawl back into bed and go back to sleep listening to...I wish that I could just turn that sound on and off whenever I go to sleep at night (real and non-manufactured). God, thank You for the sound of rain in the morning!

Touches - nothing like the touch of loved ones in the morning...when they first see you, and then they hug you, or kiss you, or just sit near you - I LIVE for those touches - the ones you can't buy, and whose value is only truly realized when you can't have them. The hug of my son, the kiss of my wife, my daughter sitting right next to me....God, thank YOU for the touches of my family in the morning!

Monday morning insights...and what's in my brain...

So, it's been a few weeks since I last wrote only because the last few Mondays and Tuesdays I have been out of my office for various reasons. It's not been for lack of material, just lack of focused time. But here's the deal - if you're a member/regular attender of The Journey, I'd like you to read this post in full so that you know what's rolling around in your pastor's brain.

We had our largest attendance on a regular Sunday ever yesterday - 325...unbelievable! It is the middle of summer here in New Hampshire, and we're continuing to grow. God is good. But let's talk about what growth means to our church body.

• With church growth, we as a church body must focus on what's most important. Numerical growth is not all we're after as it represents only a portion of what we really desire as a church. What's most important is that every single person at The Journey follows Jesus more and more every day. We desire to get every person on the path of discipleship, not just "convert" ship.
• With church growth, we as a church body must remember the bigger mission. Our goal is not to try and build a large church in New England (not that we won't because we apparently are) - but our ultimate goal is to church New England. In other words, we love to grow, but our numerical growth is not the bottom line. We want to grow also by planting churches in places where there are lots of people but little (or no) gospel witness.
  
• With growth, we as a church body must be committed to problem-solving. Growth brings opportunity, and opportunity is a result of creativity, strategy, responsibility and effective problem-solving. For instance, yesterday we were maxed out in almost every area of ministry. So now we need to discuss "what next?" - do we:
  

- Go to 2 services in the fall?
- Increase ministry space?
- Ask for more volunteers to help?
These are some of the good problems (but still problems) that we must address.

• With growth, we as a church body MUST still be committed to reaching out to those who come every Sunday morning. I admit - I was frustrated yesterday at the lack of response to several needs that I saw as I sat in the cafe during the preach that no one was responding to (people needing places to sit with no one to help; people with babies not being directed to our nursery) - and more. Leaders, we can't afford to become unaware or uncaring when guests that God brings to us come through our doors - we don't get many opportunities, and so we must take every opportunity to make people feel welcome, informed, and cared for.
  
• With growth, we as a church body need to be patient with ministries. Here's the deal - ministries in our church are having to adjust to a larger space, more people, and more challenges. We must be patient with the process of growing - it is a good thing as long as ministries grow with the attendance. When ministries don't grow, people stop working, and people stop coming.
• Maybe the most important thing - with growth, we as a church body need to let God be the One who brings the increase without bailing. Here's the deal - our church is "too big" for some who have been with us for awhile. It's ok - I know you're out there. And you feel like bailing out - leaving and finding another place (or not attending a church at all). You know - you could. But then, you'd be telling God that He was making a mistake by sending more people to your church. Don't bail because of growth - more churches have been stunted by Christians who leave when the church changes than I care to know about. I think of all those who have left us in the past 6 years, and the fact is while I wanted some of them to leave, many of them should still be with us. If the majority had stayed, The Journey would be 600-700 people easy. But when the small church kept getting larger, they left, because God shouldn't have sent growth.
  

Let me be candid - I love The Journey, and I love so many of the folk who USED to be part of The Journey. And it frustrates me when people leave (most of the time without explanation), and here we are TRYING to build a church that builds churches, and people leave at the first sign of something they don't like. Can I encourage you on something - DON'T BE LIKE THAT! If we can stick together for awhile, the Night Before the 4th will seem like small pennies compared to what the Lord REALLY WILL DO through us!!! But you have to stay, and help work through growth issues.

OK - I've said enough - you see my brainwaves. The Journey is growing, God is blessing, and greater things have yet to come. Won't you stay and determine to be part of this growing group of people who are traveling toward God, together in community, to serve (and transform!) our culture for Jesus?!

I might be a Pharisee...

I love the comedy of Jeff Foxworthy and his "You might be a redneck if..." It is ALWAYS good for belly laughs for me. But as I'm reading through the Gospel of Luke, there is a particular hard-hitting section from Jesus Himself that I think could be entitled, "You might be a Pharisee if..." and it is anything but funny. Any leader knows that the price tag and requirements for being a leader are higher than just being a follower, and in this section in Luke 11:37-52, Jesus reminds some religious leaders of some of these requirements.

In this section, Jesus blasts the religious leaders of the day - the Pharisees and the lawyers (experts in religious law). Now I have no aspirations to be a "religious leader," yet, there is no doubt, as the influence of The Journey grows, I am becoming one in my community. And so when I was "green" and not well-known I could look at this passage and say "Go get 'em, Jesus!", But I now have to let this passage speak to me and ask, "Is this me, God?" You see, now more than even I MUST keep these things before me otherwise I might be a Pharisee...

So here are 5 simple tests to measure if we as leaders (pastors, teachers, deacons, elders, ministry leaders, etc) are on the path towards Phariseeism. Based on the the statements Jesus made in Luke 11, I MIGHT BE A PHARISEE IF...

• I MIGHT BE A PHARISEE IF...my outside charm and charisma look great, but my heart is a sinful mess. Vs. 39-40, "You Pharisees are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and wickedness! ⁴⁰ Fools! Didn’t God make the inside as well as the outside?" We clean up really nice on Sundays, don't we? I still allow myself at times to be much too relaxed in my standards during the week, and this can produce great wickedness that perhaps no one outside of me and God will ever see. My charisma and personality in front of people MUST be firmly rooted in godly character behind the scenes. If I think I can get by with poor character, I am a fool. Repentance, confession, mentoring and accountability are necessary tools in the private arsenal of any effective leader. If I don't do these things, I might be a Pharisee.
  
• I MIGHT BE A PHARISEE IF...I stop listening to the Spirit for continued growth. Vs. 42, “What sorrow awaits you Pharisees! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore justice and the love of God. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things." You see, we're great about instructing people to do those things we already do, i.e. "Read a chapter a day" - these are called "hobby horses." We're good at telling people to do those things we already do. And we should keep doing those things, but what about the other things that we aren't doing that the Holy Spirit has been speaking to us about? If I neglect the Spirit's direction in my life, what sorrow awaits me! I might be a Pharisee.
  
• I MIGHT BE A PHARISEE IF...I absolutely make sure I am recognized at every turn. Vs. 43-44, “What sorrow awaits you Pharisees! For you love to sit in the seats of honor in the synagogues and receive respectful greetings as you walk in the marketplaces. ⁴⁴ Yes, what sorrow awaits you! For you are like hidden graves in a field. People walk over them without knowing the corruption they are stepping on.” Must everyone always know who I am and what my "title" is (Reverend, Pastor, Deacon, Youth Leader, Nursery Director, etc.)? What Jesus reveals is that this kind of attitude demonstrates an inner "deadness," and inner "corruption" that betrays itself. Whose glory are we living for anyway? And if it's just our own glory and magnification, could it be possible that the light we think we have inside of us isn't really light at all? If I'm in leadership for me and my honor (and that's my consistent thought), it is very possible (probable!) that I don't have the life of Christ on the inside. And the sorrow that awaits me on the Day of Judgment when the Father says, "I never knew you..." If I am in it for the recognition, I might be a Pharisee.
  
• I MIGHT BE A PHARISEE IF...I love to preach/teach but hate to shepherd. Vs. 46, “Yes,” said Jesus, “what sorrow also awaits you experts in religious law! For you crush people with unbearable religious demands, and you never lift a finger to ease the burden." Just because we know the truth does not mean that our only obligation is to preach and teach it! If you're a pastor or ministry leader, the responsibility carries on to leading and guiding people - shepherding. My job is not to make Sunday a "bash with the Bible" session...I have BEEN in churches like that before (I was raised in a few!). But the question is, "Am I ready to do the dirty, messy, time-consuming, heart-wrenching work of a shepherd that goes along with my teaching and preaching?" Jesus' heart absolutely BROKE because the religious leaders of His day DID NOT SHEPHERD - Matthew 9:36! Don't just be a preacher, be a REACHER! If I don't shepherd but only preach and teach, I might be a Pharisee.
  
• I MIGHT BE A PHARISEE IF...I won't preach/teach on certain topics because of my own sin and shortcomings? ⁵² “What sorrow awaits you experts in religious law! For you remove the key to knowledge from the people. You don’t enter the Kingdom yourselves, and you prevent others from entering. One of the daunting tasks of ministry is preaching God's word every week. Quite honestly, I will never in my lifetime (or in 100 lifetimes) be able to teach everything that needs to be taught from the Bible - it is SO deep. But the question is - are there shortcomings and sin in my life that prevent me from preaching and teaching parts of God's word? If you say internally, "I can't preach on (insert topic here) because then I'd have to deal with it and I don't want to be a hypocrite" - my friend, you might not be a hypocrite in that respect but you are a Pharisee and sorrow awaits you according to Jesus! You see, the Spirit HAS to have liberty and permission with me so that He can bring liberty and freedom to others through my ministry! If there is ANY part of the Word of God that I can't teach because of my personal sin, then I need to correct that because it will hinder me and hinder others from entering more fully to that place where God reigns and rules in every heart - the kingdom. If I don't do this, I might be a Pharisee.
  

So how'd you do? Are you a Pharisee or on your way to becoming one? If so, take Jesus' words today and repent. Become the pastor, teacher, deacon, elder, ministry leader (etc.) that God desires for you to be. Otherwise, you might be a Pharisee...

Sunday reflections..."where there's plenty to eat!"

I love The Journey on Sundays...I LOVE what God is doing here, right smack dab in the middle of the summer here in Rochester, NH! The Journey is THE place to be if you need a church home...but I am getting ahead of myself.

Sunday, July 19th, began with the thought based upon Luke 9:12 where the disciples tell Jesus to tell everyone to just "GO home! 'There is nothing to eat here in this remote place.'" I read that on Sunday morning and thought, "Isn't that just like some of us churches sometimes?! We tell God..."

• It's the summer and we are missing a lot of our people!
• It's vacation time and our praise team is at half-strength!
• It's nice outside and people would rather be on the lake then gathered together!
• In essence, "God, send them somewhere else because we have nothing to eat in this remote place!"
  

And Jesus said, "You feed them" (vs. 13). And they replied, "But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish..." Do you ever wonder if God gets tired of us seeing everything we DON'T have?! And we churches do it ALL the time! "But we only..."

• Have one guitar player!
• Have some our teachers present!
• Can do so much when it's this time of year!

You see, we tend to look at what WE don't have versus what we DO have - and that is the ever-living, ultra-empowering Holy Spirit of God and the indestructible, unchanging, ever-living Word of God...and we, just like the disciples, think, "We can't feed them. Jesus, send them somewhere where they can get fed!" And while I think God might actually answer this prayer(!), our churches and pastors would SOOO honor God if we would ANSWER OUR CALL TO FEED RATHER THAN SURRENDER TO THE PASSIONLESS SURRENDER TO SEND PEOPLE ELSEWHERE!

And so even before I got to church, I was just struck with this thought of "no resignation today." We're not going to make excuses (so and so was missing) or be apologetic (we can do better) or surrender any ground to the enemy because of a defeatist attitude. No way - we were going to take what we had and put it in the hands of the Master and let Him multiply...

Now just clarifying - at The Journey, every Sunday is a great Sunday. I don't typically go into any week thinking, "Uh oh." But the temptation was there because we had some key people gone and the word early on Sunday was from the Spirit that said, "Give God everything you have." And so I did...and I challenged our praise team to do the same...and we had a fantastic day! Listen to this:

• We continued to have more visitors and return guests as a result of the Night Before the 4th...there were so many of them today.
• We had 8-12 people that indicated they want to be baptized on August 9th!
• We had about 20 people who connected with me to take a spiritual gifts inventory test so that they can better find their place in the body.
• The praise band was great, and the worship of the congregation was incredible! (The Journey really make leading worship a wonderful experience!)
  
• The preaching on the Holy Spirit was received very well, and there seems to be this eagerness for people to go deeper in His guidance.
• After the service, our deacons met for awhile and discussed how we can make The Journey a better place to grow in faith and celebrate our great God.

All that to say, I love my church (I know, I don't own it, but rather it is the church I'm a part of - my church). I love what Jesus has done, and what the way the Spirit moves every week. I love that whether I'm there or not, people come and are blessed and want to takes steps in their spiritual journey. I love that our leadership is not afraid to take risks, take steps, even fail, as long as God gets all the glory. I love our roots, I love our Godly heritage, I love our passion for seeing everyone, young and old, step into what God has next for them.

Sunday was fantastic. Next week we learn about the enemy of God, satan. We learn about his beginning, his tactics, and his end. Don't miss it as we continue with Supernatural. All that to say...come to The Journey, WHERE'S THERE'S PLENTY TO EAT EVERY WEEK BECAUSE JESUS IS SERVING THE FOOD!

Monday (ok, it's Tuesday) morning insights...

I would have posted this yesterday, but I was drawn to the bass calling my name (I caught 22 yesterday)! So this is a special Tuesday edition of Monday Morning Insights...

• At The Journey, we had the most significant weekend we have ever had. Seeds were planted Friday that will bear fruit for MUCH time to come - see today's Fosters article. We drew our community in and it had several points of impact (see the following).
  
• On Friday, The Journey was placed into our city's consciousness in a major way as a community contributor and organizer...tons (literally) of food was donated; thousands (literally) of people were invited to Jesus and to church; scores (literally) of volunteers were bold for Jesus and served their community; many churches (literally) were ignited with the possibility of what could be done for Christ if faith is exercised; and the Kingdom of God (quite literally) came closer as we ministered for Christ.
  
• I have never been more proud of The Journey as I was on Friday. Many people put in 12-16 hours worth of work and effort to make that day happen. May the Lord bring the harvest as our community responds to the gospel.
• Saturday was spent cleaning up what wasn't cleaned up on Friday (which was not much), delivering food, and catching our breath as we prepped for Sunday morning.
• Sunday morning - the stage was set, chairs were in place, people were stoked to see how many of the 10,000 people would come to visit The Journey...and not a whole lot did. Quite honestly, we had 250 in attendance (although I don't know the exact amount yet). Was I disappointed? Maybe a little. Was I discouraged? NO WAY. We planted seeds, and you don't harvest seeds - you harvest when God brings the increase. Consider: it was a holiday weekend; it was the first nice weather we've had in a month; and it is summer. We won't see some of that harvest for awhile. But God knows our efforts and our hearts.
• Here's how I look at things - when we do everything that we can, it is in God's hands - and God knows what The Journey did over the weekend. Sunday was good - but there are MANY more Sundays to come.
• Mitch McVicker led our worship - and it was really good. I enjoyed his style, and I enjoyed getting to know him behind the scenes. Our praise band was awesome (as usual), and followed Mitch well.
• We started our Supernatural series (which was the shortest full-length sermon I've preached) and we spoke on Angels. This coming Sunday we will speak on Demons - you don't want to miss that.
• I still think when it comes to it, we have yet to hit our stride at The Journey. There are some breakthroughs that need to happen, and I hope to hit on those soon.

But let me give you one last thought - I was talking to one of the men in our church on Friday almost immediately before the fireworks as we walked through the field in the center of thousands of people...and I told him, "Jon, it's not my desire to pastor a large church. It comes with a lot of headaches and frustrations, and is very taxing. But I DO want to win A LOT of people to Jesus, and if that means pastoring a large church with all that goes along with it, so be it."

My heart beats for Jesus and the people He loves - for them to hear about Jesus, to respond to Jesus' message, to embrace Jesus' forgiveness and salvation, to follow Jesus in obedience, to grow as Jesus' disciples, and to spread Jesus' message to others. If that means the Lord has me ministering to a church of 200 or 2,000 or 20,000, then so be it. But everything we did this weekend was so that in the long run, people can meet Jesus Christ.

May the Lord bring fruit as we continue to find more creative ways to share Jesus with others!

Dangerous people...

Just read Mark Batterson's blog (see sidebar to the left), and he had this to say:
"I would like to think that when I pronounce the Benediction at the end of our services, I am sending dangerous people back into their natural habitats to wreak havoc on the enemy."

THAT is a great way to put it. May the enemy consider us dangerous as we take the good news to our community and neighborhoods. May the enemy be threatened by us. And may we, as GOD'S PEOPLE, know that we fight - not FOR victory - but FROM victory!

Good word as we head today into NB4!

Your mistake...

Mark 12:24, "Jesus replied, “Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God."

Reading this morning, this struck me hard. Jesus was being questioned by the Sadducees on a hypothetical situation in which they wanted to trick him into answering wrong. And before He answers their inquiry, He struck at the root of the issue - you don't know the Bible, and you don't know God's power...and I am captured by that strong rebuke.

As a nearly lifelong follower of Jesus, I sometimes forget how much I don't know, and how much more I need to know - and why at times in my life I have gotten caught up in foolish theories or time-wasting, unproductive arguments...all because I didn't know the Scriptures like I should know. Any believer who doesn't spend regular time studying the Word of God - and it BEGINS with personal reading and study while extending to outside study (Bible teaching groups, books, radio ministries) - but any believer who doesn't spend time studying the whole WORD of God is due for spiritual problems because "you don't know the Scriptures."

It is too easy to get a knock on the door from a cult-member; it is too simple to be lured in by "spiritual" but not biblical people like Oprah; it is too effortless to read a book without discernment and be dragged down a wrong path...all because we didn't study and read on our own. As a pastor, let me assure you - it is too easy! So our true spiritual vitality and life-sustenance is found in daily interaction with the Scriptures - let's not be people who "don't know the Scriptures."

But the other thing that Jesus told the Sadducees (they are Sad-you-see!) is that they didn't "know the power of God." They were not just ignorant of God's Word, but ignorant of God's movement! You see, to really know God's Word is to really act on God's promises which results in us really seeing God's power! And so their lack of knowledge brought about a lack of action which brought about a lack of response from God! WOW!

How terrible will it be when we stand before God (and we all must appear before the judgment seat of Christ - 2 Cor. 5:10) that we had not only His Word, but we had opportunity to witness His power as we acted on that Word - and we NEVER saw it because we never ACTED?

The Sadducees were SO caught up in trying to figure out the dumbest of theological quandaries (comparable to "How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?"), that they never witnessed the true power of God, which is the Word, Jesus Christ. Unbelievable!

All that to say - Journey Church - we KNOW the Word. We both STAND on it, and we ACT on it. And now, as we enter into the NB4 event, we will WITNESS God's power...the Sadducees made a major, eternity-altering mistake, but we will not be guilty of the same mistake. I am excited to see the power of God working through The Journey!

NB4 and the big stretch

In three days, The Journey will attempt to do the biggest thing it has ever down in reaching out to our community - host Rochester's Night Before the 4th fireworks event on Friday night. We are literally expecting 5,000-10,000 people, and quite frankly, it is an AWESOME chance to show people the love of Jesus in a practical way!

It puts the exclamation point on what has been our biggest year of ministry - we relocated in January on faith to a much larger facility, and now I believe God has rewarded us with a chance to REALLY step out and fill that new facility by giving us an event where we can invite those who are far away from God and unchurched to come experience life with Jesus Christ (and it is ALL about Jesus Christ!).

Will you pray that God will do something great, something HUGE, something unprecedented in this city through this event? Will you pray that people who come to this event will realize just how great our God is, and that the people who come will walk into a spiritual atmosphere of power, blessing, conviction, and Holy Spirit movement? And will you pray that the fruit that is ready to be harvested will be done so by more than just The Journey, but by our sister churches in this area? Will you pray for our boldness as we interact with the people of Rochester unhindered because it is OUR event? We can talk about/pray in the name of/invite people to new life in Jesus Christ...and that excites me. Pray for our boldness.

3 days out - and so much still yet to be done...pray for the leaders and workers of The Journey as we move forward and advance the kingdom of God together. NB4 is going to ROCK for Jesus!

Monday morning insights...

A lot of guys do this, so I think I will as it gives me a chance to reflect on our Sunday services. The following are my thoughts on Sunday morning, and my heart as we move forward:
- I was glad to celebrate Pass Thru Fire, the "rite of passage" boy's mentoring program. Brent Williams, a growing believer and leader, is a gift to our church.

- We honored 12 high school graduates - wow. And they have been such a joy to watch through the years. It will be so hard to say "goodbye" to many of them as they leave and prepare for greater things in the future.

- NB4 is coming on Friday, and our people are PUMPED! If you thought the excitement level was up yesterday, just WAIT until next Sunday morning! Chairs FILLED to OVERFLOWING as people respond to the invitations ~ I can't wait!

- Speaking of next week, Mitch McVicker will be leading our worship as a continuation of the NB4 activities!

- The Journey is the best church to pastor and be a part of in this area. God's Spirit moves EVERY single week - people continue to respond to the good news, and they continue to step forward in obedience to the vision God has given us.

- Faith steps can appear as "pie in the sky" (my kids didn't know what that meant until I explained it to them at lunch!). But as I touched on from Mark 8, faith is never "pie in the sky;" rather, it is "bread in His hands"!

- I am praying for our leaders as we step into some new realms of growth and challenge in the coming months. These realms will stretch and grow us, but if we will be prepared, God is going to blow the doors off of this whole church experiment!

- We are starting "Supernatural" next week - a five week look at angels, demons, God, Satan, and spiritual warfare. Don't miss a single week, and while you're at it, invite your friends!

- I am excited about what is coming up - NB4, Mitch McVicker, Supernatural, VBS, Intervarsity visit...and that's just for a month.

- Stay tuned for PLAY DAY...coming soon...

- Summer is in gear (although the liquid sunshine needs to go away!), and before you know it, fall will be back. In the late summer and fall, we have several different great events going on that I am SO excited about!

The Journey is the Lord's church, full of people who love Jesus and who just want to make an impact in their communities. I'm looking forward to what God has in store as we aggressively pursue Him.

~Blessings!