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- Photo by Angela Keim
I was praying for my children this morning and I thought about their love for each other. Out of that love Angela made this baby blanket for Amber. The baby is due in June. From one sister to another, this is a gift of love from a heart of love.
Angela's attentive manner got me thinking....
"Hmmmmmmmm. When was the last time I gave someone a thoughtful gift to express my love....just because I love them?"
How about you?
Hebrews 10:24 - We should keep on encouraging each other to be thoughtful and to do helpful things.
I was with our Elkhart team for our service in the RVMH Hall of Fame this morning and it was electric! Attendance topped 500!
* First Photo: Jason MIller led us in the first live weekend worship our Elkhart congregation has offered.
* Second Photo: Jonathon Bartkowiak - under the brilliant leadership of Adam Callendar - was one of dozens who did the "behind the scenes" work to make the service glorious.
* Third Photo: Three kids (obviously worn out from their marvelous experience in our All Stars ministry) sat on the floor after church. It's nice to have such a clean floor for them to sit on.
* Fourth Photo: SpringHill Day Camp Leaders helped us register kidsfor our July 6-10 camp (for Kindergarten - 4th Grade children) on the Granger campus. The camp will fill up quickly so register now.
Want to help reach out to more people?
Meet next Saturday morning at 9:30 with your walking shoes. We're going to deliver "promo" cards in the area neighborhoods. No bicycles, white shirts or thin black ties required. Bring the kids and help us; we'll let everyone know they can join in the Easter services April 12th at 9:30 and 11:30.
Jeff and Leslee Bell are leading the Elkhart congregation with great courage and faith. I'm proud of them...and I'm proud of you too!
2 Chronicles 35:10 - Preparations were complete for the service of worship; the priests took up their positions and the Levites were at their posts as instructed by the king.
Dan Vukmirovich is one of the great worship leaders at GCC. I really like Dan and I value his opinion. He has a teacher's instincts (and is a superb coach/mentor/director for many of our artists). When faced with the questions you texted on our "Ask Anything" weekend, I knew we'd all benefit from the wisdom of staff leaders like Dan.
I asked Dan to wrestle with one of your questions. Here is his response...
Question: What do you tell people when they say that this church is just entertainment and not really church? Do you see the media here coming off as secular?
Granger Community Church has always placed a high value on the arts. From the very beginning, we’ve had the arts play a critical role in our services. Everything from Pastor Mark strumming chords on his twelve-string guitar to a brilliantly crafted drama/song special, we’ve always thought that the arts communicate what words alone cannot.
Often, when people ask this sort of question, they’re really saying, “Why don’t you guys just preach the Bible?” To this, I would ask, “What examples do we have from the Bible about communicating?” and, “How did teachers in Scripture communicate their messages?” As Paul spoke to the Greeks in Athens, he was familiar with the poets of their day and even quoted them in making his point. Jesus himself used examples from agriculture to help the people who lived in farming communities understand what he was trying to say.
We live in a culture that is saturated with artistic expression. With the internet and wireless, anyone can have a host of media content at their disposal in seconds. Rather than ignore this, we’ve chosen to leverage it for the cause of Christ. In order to reach this media-savvy world, it is our belief that we should speak, sing, act, and project the Gospel in every way possible. As Paul stated, “I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.” 1 Corinthians 9:22
Our Executive Pastor, Tim Stevens wrote a very helpful book on this topic. It’s called “Pop Goes the Church” and it’s available at the GCC bookstore.
Think about regulation before you ask for it. Consider carefully the laws you enact.
You may get more than you bargain for….
Suppose you legislate against high risk/high reward endeavors.
What then?
The brilliant researcher is asked to, “Join our firm. Cancer is destroying thousands of lives and we’re investing everything to find the cure. We need your genius leveraged against this great need. Of course, if we fail – after you’ve invested a decade of your life in our cause – you’ll receive minimal compensation for your effort.”
The courageous physician is asked to, “Come quickly! This patient coded and you are the one we’re counting on to save her life. We need your skill. None of us can do what you can do. Please help us save her! Of course, you should bear in mind that if she dies, you’ll have your salary capped, we’ll publically blame you for the loss and the ensuing lawsuits will take everything you own.”
The remarkable business leader is asked to, “Fix this mess. The company has negotiated some bad deals. Toxic assets are killing us. Not many people could fix this problem; truth is, not many people even understand this problem. Few would even attempt what we’re asking you do to. Of course, you’d do well to remember that if you fail to rescue this industry, fail to deliver seventy-hour-work-weeks for the handsome compensation of $1 per year or fail to make everyone happy, you’ll have your name drug through the mud, your address publicized, your children exposed to angry protestors and your assets taxed into oblivion.”
Do we really want to reduce the reward for risk?
Do we really want to incentivize safety-first, low-level, risk-averse living?
Do we really want to give high-capacity people little reason to produce more and lots of reasons to produce less?
Better pay attention friends. That’s what’s on the table… and it’s about to be served.
Proverbs 28:2 - When a nation sins, it will have one ruler after another. But a nation will be strong and endure when it has intelligent, sensible leaders.
Mom is in late stage Alzheimer’s, but she knew me today.
She lives in Franklin, so Sheila and I stopped by to visit her on our way home from Southeast Christian Church’s Passion Play. You can’t predict when Alzheimer victims will have one of their “good” days, so I was thrilled that we found Mom lucid and happy.
Have you ever thought about what you’d say to your mother, if you had the power to choose your last words to her? What would you say?
I know the day will come when my mother will hear my words, but she won’t recognize they are from me. She won’t know my words are for her and she won’t grasp their full meaning. That day is coming and I don’t know when it’ll arrive.
So today I sat on Mom’s bed, held her hand, and told her some truths about her life’s impact. No one should die without knowing their children love them, their witness for Jesus advanced His Kingdom, or the way they lived encouraged and inspired others.
I told Mom about my sister and brother; I told her stories about the great things they are doing. I told her their marriages are strong and their kids are awesome. I told her she did a good job raising her kids. I told her I was proud of her.
I told Mom I was glad she took us to church and taught us about Jesus. I told her the nurses said she was “really nice” and “always so positive.” I told her how much she mattered. Remembering what she had told me a thousand times, I parroted her words back to her, “You’re doing a good job. Keep doing what’s right.”
What do you think really matters at the end of your days on earth? What will you value? What will have significance?
For Mom, what matters is clear; it’s her kids and her faith. I was reminded of her values when we were leaving and her parting words were, “I’ve got good kids.”
“’Cause of you and Jesus,” I said.
“Right,” she said.
Mom rolled over to take a nap as we slipped out of her room.
She’s tired. She’s really tired.
Sleep well Mom.
You are loved.
Proverbs 17:6 - Children's children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children.
It's all about robust, holistic, multi-dimensional relationships with image-bearers of God. Check out "Just Lust" here, and discover what Rob was talking about this weekend.
Genesis 1:26-28 - Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."
I have more information....and "Yes," this bass is different from the one my son was holding in yesterday's post.
Aaron caught more than 30 different bass in a central Florida farm pond yesterday. Most of them were real HAWGS! ("Yes." it is a private pond. "No." I have no GPS coordinates to give you. "I doubt it." The secret location will probably never be revealed. "Because." That is how ponds sustain such impressive fish populations...good fishermen can keep a secret.)
Aaron said all were caught on 3" to 4" minnows. And if you have a camera phone, get this: he told me these photos were taken with his iphone! Unbelievable, absolutely unbelievable.
Why do I live in Michiana?
Oh, I remember. It's because when you go on vacation, anywhere else you go is better....and that makes vacations great!
(There is also this "Calling from God" that keeps me here. I should probably mention that too.)
John 21:11 - So Simon Peter went out and dragged the net ashore. By his count there were 153 large fish...
I don't know what lake he was fishing.
I don't know what lure he was using.
I don't know who he was fishing with.
I don't know how long he tried to catch this fish.
I don't know much.
All I know is Aaron caught this Largemouth Bass today.
Oh my.
Success!
Proverbs 8:17-19 - I love those who love me; whoever looks for me can find me. I have riches and honor to give, prosperity and success. What you get from me is better than the finest gold, better than the purest silver.
Nothing truly beautiful, truly wonderful and truly worthwhile was ever accomplished with half-hearted devotion and casual commitments.
Start today.
Lean into it.
Decide once and for all.
Build a beautiful life.
Deuteronomy 30:9-10 - The Lord will be happy to do good things for you, just as he did for your ancestors. But you must decide once and for all to worship him with all your heart and soul and to obey everything in The Book of God's Law.
The artists are ready.
Jesus is waiting.
We are too.
Come. Experience what only happens when the church gathers for worship.
Matthew 18:20 - And when two or three of you are together because of Me, you can be sure that I'll be there."
Jeff Bell was teaching our Journey Bible Class on Joshua when I took this picture. He is the pastor running point on our Elkhart services and he told me, "This weekend is the last weekend we're holding services in the cinema." So if you want to be part of the last big blow out service at the Encore Cinemas (2701 Cassopolis Street, Elkhart) you better be there Sunday at 9:30 AM.
Where are we going?
We're moving our Elkhart service to the RV Hall of Fame (County Road 17 at the Toll Road). It's big, bright, clean and perfectly located for our growing church. Jeff is pumped. His team is pumped. His leaders are pumped. I'm pumped too! You'll understand our excitement when you see this.
We're going to have services in the Hall of Fame on March 29th and April 5th. Those two weekends will help us get ready for Easter weekend, because the site goes public on Easter Sunday. That's when we have our first "open to the pubic" service in the RV Hall of Fame. Grab a friend and bring them along. We'll build a new service in our new meeting place....together!
2 Kings 6:1-2 - One day the prophets said to Elisha, "The place where we meet with you is too small. Why don't we build a new meeting place near the Jordan River? Each of us could get some wood, then we could build it." "That's a good idea," Elisha replied, "get started."
One of my nephews Is Josh Hunter. This picture is of him (in the middle with his daughter in the white hair bow) with one of his brothers (Isaac with his daughters) and his Dad (Joel)
Josh is one of the best strategic thinkiers I know. He currently works with Summit Church in Orlando. After reading his recent post, I thought, "I've got to share this with all the people 'in ministry' who read my blog."
Josh is brilliant. I admire him and I'm passing along what he wrote...
When your faith is your work, you are guaranteed to lose one or both.” I heard that quote in a sermon from Steve Brown several years ago and it stuck with me. I have wrestled through it and don’t know what to do with it, really.
When I tell people that I work at a church, they usually look at me like, “Oh, isn’t that sweet that he found a nice little job to support his little cute family. It must be wonderful to not have to work hard and be around nice people all day. I bet you pray together without ceasing, right? I wonder if Josh wasn’t bright enough to get a real job?”
Quite frankly, it frustrates the dickens out of me. I am not sure if it is because I am insulted that they would think my capabilities are small, or if I am perturbed by the possibly true notion that a lot of people who have been in ministry ended up there because they weren’t “talented” enough to do anything else the marketplace would pay them for.
I grew up in a ministry family. I have never in my life met people who work harder than my father and my Uncle Mark (and my brother Isaac is following suit). Both men are pastors who grew churches from a few people to thousands of people (well, God grew the church, but using their leadership … blah, blah, blah). I watched people walk up to these guys and ask, “So, what do you do all week? Must be nice to just have to put in weekends …” What? These guys get up at 4 a.m. every morning and work until 10 p.m. (fitting in needed family time) and some joker is unaware that they don’t just “hang out” Monday through Saturday?
Of course they were always gracious in their response, but it made me want to tackle people. Yes, it is possible I had an overreaction.
I am glad I got to see that hard work. They gave and still give their best work to God every day. Ministry work can be taxing and if you haven’t been in it, it is hard to know why. I am not convinced you have to lose your faith or your job, but I understand what Steve meant that day. He knows the pressures and the perceptions. The hopes of working with people who won’t fail you that inevitably do. That’s why he’s right unless your focus is only on what God wants from you. Then it doesn’t matter who or what else is in the picture. Just ask my dad and uncle. Oh, wait—they are busy.
How do you react when someone questions what you do with your time outside of church? Or when someone comments on how “easy” your job must be?
Colossians 3:23-24 (New International Version)
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
We began the year with a “Text Your Question / Ask Anything”weekend. I’ve asked some of our leaders at GCC to respond to a few of those questions. Bob Laurent (we lovingly call him “Dr. Bob”) has chosen to wrestle with the perennial issue of “suffering.” I love Bob. He is one of our GCC pastors. I trust him. I admire his devotion to Jesus and the Bible. I took this picture of Bob teaching one of our Journey Bible Classes last night.
The question is “What is the unpardonable sin? (and, is there a chance I’ve committed it?)”
This is Bob's good faith effort to help us all. Read on….
Following are thoughts and insights from my own Bible study on this crucial topic.
“He who is not with me is against me,” said Jesus, “and he who does not gather with me scatters. And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.” (Matthew 12:30-32)
Widespread confusion surrounds this question, and that’s why I’ve chosen to answer it. So many people worry way too much that they MAY HAVE committed or DID commit, the unpardonable sin. Yet most of them have no idea how to RECOGNIZE that sin that “shall not be forgiven.” I’ve actually known Christians who believed for decades that they are beyond God’s forgiveness; Christians who attempted suicide because they believed themselves forever condemned; tortured souls who spent time in psychiatric wards because someone wrongly taught them that they had committed the unforgivable sin. Now hear this: the unpardonable sin is not criticizing a television evangelist, or losing your virginity in high school, or being unfaithful to your mate in the past, or giving your consent to an abortion, or considering suicide. Although these last four have serious consequences, they all have one thing in common: they can be forgiven and WILL be forgiven if you take them to Jesus.
Everything wrong you’ve ever done, are doing, or will do, can be forgiven IF YOU are sorry and REPENT. And that’s why Jesus said that you could be forgiven for blaspheming the Son of Man (Jesus) but not for blaspheming the Holy Spirit. Why? Because it’s the Holy Spirit who CONVICTS YOU OF SIN (“when He comes He will convict the world of sin because MEN DO NOT BELIEVE IN ME.” John 16:8-9) and DRAWS YOU TO JESUS (who is “the only name under heaven given among men by whom we must be saved.” Acts 4:12). So if you blaspheme the Spirit (and I’m about to explain what that is—don’t give up), you turn away from the one Person in your reality who can bring you to salvation in Christ.
By the way, whenever people come to me who are certain that they have committed the unpardonable sin, I’m just as certain that they haven’t! The very act of BEING CONCERNED is its own proof that you have not gone far enough to be guilty of this sin. Still, I’m not always able to convince them of this truth (so effective are Satan’s lies!), and tragically, some of them give up seeking and obeying God because they have lost hope for His salvation. This doesn’t have to be you.
So recognize this sin when it comes calling. Blasphemy of the Spirit (the unpardonable sin) is REJECTING JESUS CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR when you know that He died for you on the cross. Let’s take it deeper: blaspheming the Holy Spirit means you are rejecting God’s truth about Jesus when you are fully aware it’s the truth and you want nothing of it. This should help you understand the following two difficult passages in Hebrews:
“It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God. . . IF THEY FALL AWAY, to be brought back TO REPENTANCE, because to their loss they are crucifying the son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.” (Hebrews 6:4-6)
“If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sin is left.” (Hebrews 10:26)
For an outside resource, I recommend Tony Evan’s book, “Totally Saved.”
I had a great time with Penn's FCA this morning, and before the actual meeting I spoke briefly with Maddie Helman. Since I'm so old I can't remember whether the current slang term for "awesome" is "boss" or "groovy" or "keen-o," I was listening carefully to everything Maddie said.
Maddie told me she had a test today.
"Really? What class?"
"Chemistry," she answered.
"Oh, you'll do great," I assured her. (Hey, she's really smart and she studies. I've got confidence.)
"Our teacher says, 'You test your best if you dress your best.'"
"What?"
"Yeah. That's what she says. 'You test your best if you dress your best.' Not only that, we get extra credit if we dress our best."
I thought that was a great idea, so I said, "So did you dress your best today?" (I had my own suspicions, but figured I'd ask to make sure.)
Maddie looked at me like like a nice old lady looks at a pitiful puppy. Saying what should have been obvious she responded, "I brought a change of clothes." How great is that? You test your best if you dress your best, so she was going to dress her best just for the test! Brilliant.
I didn't learn any current slang words today, so if I reference another as a "ding-bat" when the more precise terminology is "hip cat," it's OK. Maybe I'll be able to go back and update my slang at a later date.
Ecclesiastes 4:13 - A poor youngster with some wisdom is better off than an old but foolish king who doesn't know which end is up.
I'm heading to Penn to speak to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. I don't think we'll have a band, lights or staging....but I can't wait.
1 Timothy 4:8 - Training the body helps a little, but godly living helps in every way. Godly living has the promise of life now and in the world to come.
Once upon a time there was a bad boy. (Oh, we all know it’s politically incorrect to say a boy is bad, but in this case it’s OK, because he was bad.)
Assuming he could do whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted, any way he wanted, with whomever he wanted, he indulged himself. Not only that, he did it all with someone else’s money. Why? Because he wanted to do whatever he wanted, and he wanted someone else to finance it.
His associates thought he had it all figured out. He intended to live the life they only dreamed of – fully funded days of licentious pleasure and indulgence.
“Why produce when you can consume?”
“Why sow seed when you can harvest where you’ve not planted?”
“Why work if you can do nothing?”
“Why stand if you can sit and why sit if you can lie down?”
“Why discipline yourself if you can indulge yourself?”
So the bad boy went to a well he hadn’t dug to draw water.
And who did he tap to finance his fun? How did he get someone else to pay for what he wanted? He tapped someone who cared. He took their gift and ran off to ruin his life in wild, out-of-control, lawless living. He broke every moral code. (Oh, we all know it’s politically incorrect to say there is a moral code, because that implies the existence of some transcendent and objective Truth requiring alignment of us, and if we live out-of-alignment we’ll experience undesirable consequences which might lend credence to the veracity of untenable notions like, “You’ll harvest the crop you plant,” which follows the logic of cause-and-effect, which suggests Intelligent Design, which necessitates an Intelligent Designer, which mitigates against evolutionary theory, and since we humbly offer obeisance to current cultural misunderstandings of Darwin’s works, we simply don’t want to believe there is a magnificent objective moral code. But there is, and the bad boy broke it.)
After the bad boy squandered the provision he been given, and proved he had no self-control, no willingness to do what’s right, no personal discipline and no regard for anyone but himself, he came to himself. He realized the self-absorbed hedonistic life-style he’d chosen had burned through all the money and wealth he’d been given. He’d had it all and he’d wasted it all.
At last he understood. Once the money is gone, the fun is done.
So he did what he he thought was required for a great life. He went to the one who cared and said, “Hey, can’t you see I’m out of money? What’s wrong with you? Give me more money so I can get back to the wild and careless life I’ve come to enjoy! I’ve never had to pay. I’ve never had to do what’s right. I’ve never had to manage my resources, be a good steward or recognize my provision is from your hand. I didn’t honor you. I didn’t obey you. I didn’t care what you wanted. I’ve got more partying to do, so shut up and pay up.”
Wow. Good thing we don’t believe anyone should be responsible for their own actions.
Good thing we’re socially savvy, otherwise we might be offended that this bad boy didn’t say, “I’m sorry. I won’t do that again. I’ve learned my lesson.” (Oh, we all know it’s politically incorrect to say, “I was wrong. Forgive me. I don’t deserve grace and understand if you don’t give me anything I haven’t earned, but please extend mercy on me and don’t give me what I do deserve! From now on I’ll live as I should.” Sophisticated people just don’t apologize like that in our culture. We understand why the bad boy demanded more money. He wanted to continue doing what he wanted to do, and get someone else to pay for it. Hey, we not only understand his demands, we admire him because he got away with doing stuff we only dream about: “Hmmm. Wonder if I could do anything I want…and get someone else to pay for it?”)
The bad boy had no intention of changing his bad boy ways.
He went back to the well and said, “I’ve given you no reason to think I’m going to do anything different. I’ve not changed my ways and I’m not going to. I squandered every penny I could lay my hands on and I don’t regret it one bit. I’m going to keep doing the things I enjoy and I expect you to pick up the tab. So give me money. Do it now.”
And what happened? Of course, you know.
The unrepentant bad boy was given 170 billion dollars.
And you know what? The donor was shocked when the bad boy went right back to doing what unrepentant bad boys do.
The donor was stunned to see the bad boy return to his bad ways. “I’m shocked. I thought if I gave him 170 billion dollars, he would change his ways and be fiscally responsible. My goodness. Who could have guessed he’d go back to his old ways! Huh. Who knew?”
So who is stupid?
A.) The hedonistic bad boy, because he is unrepentant and keeps taking everything he can get his donor to give him?
B.) The donor because he funnels 170 billion dollars into the black hole of the bad boy’s self-absorbed, self-serving desire for a continuing free ride?
C.) All of us, because we keep supporting the donor’s ambition to pay for every unrepentant bad boy’s bailout, with money he takes from the productive people contributing valuable goods and services to our society?
Please pick one: A, B, or C and say why that’s your choice.
Just FYI:
There is a very different story told by Jesus. It’s about a bad boy who repents, changes his ways and is given mercy, grace and abundant provision. You can read Jesus’ story below. Note the bad boy’s change preceded his awareness of the grace, mercy and provision given him. (Oh, we all know it’s not politically correct to mention “conversion” because the implications of that religiously-nuanced word imply we are amenable to the sovereignty of Almighty God and He requires that we order our lives according to the Law of His Word. So it’s best to use the word “change” and stay safe, eh?)
Luke 15:11-24 - Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.’
So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.’”
Trace Rorie inspires me.
In our weekend service he said, "The more I desire God, the more I desire my wife. The more I love God the more I love my wife." What Trace said is true. When we seek God's Kingdom and His righteousness, first and foremost, God energizes our desire for what is good and right.
I'm glad I've given my life to Christ. The more I desire life in Him, the more I love what He loves and want what He wants. My love for Christ helps me stay on mission. He keeps my life on track.
He'll do the same for you.
Matthew 6:33 - But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
You'll have to hear these guys sing to believe it. Zow. You won't want to miss the services this weekend!
Titus 2:6-7 - Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness
Mark you calendars now!
Hillsong Church Londonwill be at GCC on Tuesday, April 21st @ 7:00PM. Tickets are only $10 in advance, or $12 at the door. You'll be able to get tickets soon, but you can mark your calendar and invite a friend NOW.
I knew you'd want me to tell you, because you can't make wise decisions if you don't know the facts.
Proverbs 4:1-10 - Listen, friends, to some fatherly advice; sit up and take notice so you'll know how to live. I'm giving you good counsel; don't let it go in one ear and out the other. When I was a boy at my father's knee, the pride and joy of my mother, He would sit me down and drill me: "Take this to heart. Do what I tell you—live! Sell everything and buy Wisdom! Forage for Understanding! Don't forget one word! Don't deviate an inch! Never walk away from Wisdom—she guards your life; love her—she keeps her eye on you. Above all and before all, do this: Get Wisdom! Write this at the top of your list: Get Understanding! Throw your arms around her—believe me, you won't regret it; never let her go—she'll make your life glorious. She'll garland your life with grace, she'll festoon your days with beauty." Dear friend, take my advice; it will add years to your life.
I’ve spent the last two days with Tim Stevens participating in The Cornerstone Knowledge Network’s “Engage” Roundtable. Cogun and the Aspen Group hosted the event in Naperville. After all the dialogue I thought I’d offer just a few take-away-concepts for your benefit. This is how I remember a few note-worthy statements.
“Anything replaceable is of limited value. Time can’t be replaced.” – Barry Banther, Facilitator
“Ask, ‘How many 2:00 AM friends do you have? How many people have refrigerator rights in your life? How many can come in and open your refrigerator at any time?’” – Will Mancini, wrote Church Unique
“Treat ‘em like they’re Christians until they realize they’re not.” – Dave Ferguson, wrote The Big Idea
- photo courtesy of Frank Viola -
“Most of the New Testament is letters written by a church planter to churches that he planted who were in crisis.” – Frank Viola, wrote Reimagining Church and Pagan Church
“We need to re-purpose our band-width.” – Kurt Andre, TAG Consulting
“We’ve got to consider Ezekiel 47. The water is pouring out from under the Temple porch. What is measured is life. Where the river flows there is life!” – Troy Jackson, wrote The Making of a National Leader
“Churches focus well on compassion. On the other end of the continuum we focus well on justice. But is there a middle category? What about job creation? In 2nd Thessalonians Paul urged us not to let anyone eat who refused to work. Someone needs to create opportunities for people to work.” – Marshall Shelley, Editor in Chief, Leadership Group, Christianity Today, Intl.
“What should we say to gifted young people? 'You have remarkable social capitol, a brain that puts you in the top 5% of every person on the planet. What is your responsibility with that? How do you leverage that?'” – Ed Bahler, CEO, Aspen Group
“Our Commander’s intent is found in the power of the Gospel, and yet, there is a lot of discussion about tactics.” – Matt Evans, Pastor, Rock Bridge Community Church
“Last night a teacher who works with 3rd grade boys told me this story. ‘We were outside and one little boy would not stop climbing the fence. After repeatedly getting him down, I asked all the children a question, “How do you see God?” That boy blurted out, “Over the fence!” All the boys ran to the fence, climbed up, and looked over. I did too, and saw a beautiful sunset! Moments later another staff person came along and pulled everyone down saying, “Everyone must get down off the fence!”’ Since she told me that story I’ve wondered if we are helping people see God, or pulling them off the fence.” – Skye Jethani, Managing Editor, Leadership Journal, Christianity Today, Intl.
"Bear in mind, much of the world is illiterate." - Dave Travis, Leadership Network, wrote Beyond Megachurch Myths
Proverbs 15:22 - Plans fail when there is no counsel, but they succeed when counselors are many.
Tim and I were scheduled to participate in meetings all day in Chicago. So on the way we grabbed lunch with Doug Turner and talked about the challenging economy in which we're doing ministry. I was fascinated to hear Doug talking about the tendency many demonstrate to present a solid rationale for ministry while ignoring the need to inspire, envision and motivate.
Doug said, "Logic is no match for passion in this environment."
It made sense to me. I've watched people who knew what they should do as they stood idle, doing nothing. I've also seen people fired-up with passion and enthusiasm for a cause as they rushed forward to make a difference, even if they lacked a well-considered plan.
Which do you believe to be more important: logic or passion?
2 Corinthians 11:2 - The thing that has me so upset is that I care about you so much—this is the passion of God burning inside me!
A glance out the window revealed we were overrun by turkeys. A flock had moved into our backyard to take advantage of the bird seed rowdy song birds had dropped under their feeders. The little raccoon (apparently unflappable) was quite content to share the feast. See the "beard" on the male bird on the left side of the picture?
Genesis 1:29-30 - Then God said, "I've given you every sort of seed-bearing plant on Earth And every kind of fruit-bearing tree, given them to you for food. To all animals and all birds, everything that moves and breathes, I give whatever grows out of the ground for food." And there it was.
Hundreds of volunteers showed up at Elkhart's Concord Mall this morning to help unload 15 Feed the Children Semi-trucks. Thousands of our neighbors - out of work and out of jobs - lined up to receive the food. CNN was there. NBC was there. Al Jazeera English was there. WNDU captured footage for their nightly news. So did many others.
Why?
Because helping hurting people matters. Feeding hungry people is important. If people had been required to purchase the food we gave away this morning, it would have cost $2.1 million dollars. It was a fantastic gift to the hungry in our community.
I had the privilege of introducing Joel and Victoria Osteen at the news conference. I like Joel. He believes God cares, God is with us and God wants hungry people to have food. I believe that too.
In case you missed today's opportunity to serve the poor and needy in our community, you'll want to be at GCC this Saturday for our "2nd Saturday" ministry. Show up by 8:30 and volunteer until Noon. We're helping our community...together! Pick a location and join the effort:
- Go to the Granger Campus at 630 East University Drive.
- Go to the Elkhart site at the Encore Cinemas on 2701 Cassopolis Street.
- Go to the Plymouth site at the Plymouth Hospital Meeting Room.
There is work to do and I'm honored to serve Jesus beside you.
Psalm 72:12-14 - He will rescue the needy person who cries for help and the oppressed person who has no one's help. He will have pity on the poor and needy and will save the lives of the needy. He will rescue them from oppression and violence. Their blood will be precious in his sight.
Arise Sleeper! Awake! This morning we set our clocks to spring forward, so we lost an hour of sleep last night.
The good news is that your friends at GCC have prepared to serve you well this weekend and making the effort to participate in one of our three Sunday morning services will again prove worthwhile.
Get up and make the drive. You'll be glad you did.
We are sharing Good News today!
Psalm 103:11-12 - How great is God's love for all who worship him? Greater than the distance between heaven and earth! How far has the Lord taken our sins from us? Farther than the distance from east to west!
Yup.
We did Love Lockdownby Kanye West.
Like I said, "The arts are soaring this weekend."
Psalm 104:31-34 - Our Lord, we pray that your glory will last forever and that you will be pleased with what you have done. You look at the earth, and it trembles. You touch the mountains, and smoke goes up. As long as I live, I will sing and praise you, the Lord God. I hope my thoughts will please you, because you are the one who makes me glad.
The arts are soaring this weekend!
Psalm 57:9-10 - I will praise you, Lord, for everyone to hear, and I will sing hymns to you in every nation. Your love reaches higher than the heavens; your loyalty extends beyond the clouds.
Every trail has challenges. Ours has its share.
Walking together we can help each other, encourage each other and enjoy our passage. We were made for this journey. We were made to travel together.
God has marked the trail; there is a Way to go. Bring some friends this weekend and we'll take a few steps forward.
Live strong. Stay faithful. We're on the trail...together.
Psalm 91:1-16
We live within the shadow of the Almighty, sheltered by the God who is above all gods.
This I declare, that he alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I am trusting him. For he rescues you from every trap and protects you from the fatal plague. He will shield you with his wings! They will shelter you. His faithful promises are your armor. Now you don’t need to be afraid of the dark any more, nor fear the dangers of the day; nor dread the plagues of darkness, nor disasters in the morning.
Though a thousand fall at my side, though ten thousand are dying around me, the evil will not touch me. I will see how the wicked are punished, but I will not share it. For Jehovah is my refuge! I choose the God above all gods to shelter me. How then can evil overtake me or any plague come near? For he orders his angels to protect you wherever you go. They will steady you with their hands to keep you from stumbling against the rocks on the trail. You can safely meet a lion or step on poisonous snakes, yes, even trample them beneath your feet!
For the Lord says, "Because he loves me, I will rescue him; I will make him great because he trusts in my name. When he calls on me, I will answer; I will be with him in trouble and rescue him and honor him. I will satisfy him with a full life and give him my salvation."
Back in January we had a special weekend of services during which everyone was invited to text a question. It was a time to "Ask Anything" and you did! Hundreds of questions were received. I answered a few and decided to let some leaders on my staff answer a few more.
This week Jeff Bell is jumping in to address the question, "Why pray if God already knows the outcome?" Jeff is our lead pastor at the Elkhart site and he's awesome! Jeff is a man of prayer and I encourage you to check out his response to your question.
Why pray if God already knows the outcome?
This is a great question. And I love the initial recognition of the “all-knowing” nature of God!
At times I’ve wrestled with this question myself. I even remember wondering if God just wanted us to pray to Him to “fulfill His ego”. Man was I off. My understanding of the purpose of prayer was the problem.
James 5:16 tells us to “pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective”. So without a doubt I believe that prayer can truly impact and change circumstances. The bigger issue though is that prayer is less about informing God and more about transforming me. Prayer is less about what I share with God and more about what happens in me as I share with Him. It’s more than just me asking for something; it’s me acknowledging that God is the source of the answer, the source of the hope. It’s more than just a conversation; it’s about a deepening trust, being authentic about my deepest needs and deepest desires to a God I can trust and rest in. It’s more than a scheduled routine; it’s about me seeking time in the presence of our sovereign, creator God. “You created me, You created everything, I can trust You with this.” This pleases God. This honors Him.
When we offer praise, ask for help, intercede for others, confess sins, or express our love and devotion to Him, we aren’t telling God anything He doesn’t already know. But doing so pleases Him, impacts us and impacts our view of God. And sometimes it even changes things.
Looking for a great, accessible book on prayer? I’d recommend Bill Hybels’ Too Busy Not to Pray.
I've always been concerned when people express disappointment and sadness about being "common." They say they're "nothing special," and sometimes sigh in personal resignation to a sad malaise, as if ordinary life is blasé at best. They feel normal and they don't like that feeling one little bit. Who wants to be common?
There's no denying such thoughts occasionally intrude on all of us, draining us by pulling the plug on our sense of significance and exhausting our passion for life. After all, if I'm convinced I'm nothing special, why would I think I could do something special? If common means ordinary and universal, how can my life be something wonderful and rare?
Who wants to be common, unless of course, "common" is really "uncommon"...and the notion that anything in God's marvelous creation is ordinary and universal is simply not correct?
What if the opposite is true? What if nothing is "common" and no one is ordinary?
You can't look at a "common" Desert Sparrow and think, "Ho-Hum. How familiar." Though it's not cloaked in brilliant plumage, and it's not the biggest bird in the sky, it's remarkable. You can't ponder the miracle of its life and think, "How trivial." You can't study its feathers, hear its song, watch it fly or consider its niche in the ecosystem and say, "How unimportant and meaningless. If you've seen one, you've seen 'em all."
No. That's just not so.
Spend only a few moments during this Lenten Season considering the miracle of one little bird, and it's place in God's creation. You inevitably arrive at a logical, reasoned and humble appreciation for the unique and wonderful miracle of "uncommon" significance in the delicate and miraculous intricacies of each "common" life.
What is common is uncommon, and what is uncommon is common to us all.
Your life matters. So does mine.
We have this one thing in common, the uncommon importance of a unique and wonderful God-breathed-life. You were made for significance. Your life has purpose.
Your life-story will give God glory...and nothing could be more special than that!
1 Peter 4:10-11 - God has given each of you some special abilities; be sure to use them to help each other, passing on to others God’s many kinds of blessings. Are you called to preach? Then preach as though God himself were speaking through you. Are you called to help others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies so that God will be glorified through Jesus Christ—to him be glory and power forever and ever. Amen.
OK, so this is for a few of you...the ones who enjoy taking pictures.
This is how I shot this California Condor...from about 40 yards, more or less.
Before I did anything else I focused on getting enough shots to guarantee I had a couple that were satisfactory. Why? Because my experience suggests the shot you really want is the one you better try to get. Don't mess around if you might lose the picture you really want while fooling with something of lesser importance.
First, get the shot.
Then...experiment with the possibilities...
I turned off the ultra-sonic image stabilization. I resolved to secure the lens (and camera body) for a very, very long shot. Any motion, or vibration, would blur the image. I braced the camera so it was rock-solid. I locked the mirror up to avoid the "mirror-slap" that threatens the telephoto images of every DSLR. I turned on my delay so the shutter would trigger without my touch. I focused, blocked the wind, depressed the shutter release, removed my hand and waited for the delayed shot. No vibration. No motion. No blur.
Then...fix it...improve what you have...
I cropped the snot out of this picture. It was huge before the crop. (One advantage of a camera that captures more pixels is the crop option. For most practical purposes a crop loses no significant resolution.) Cropped shots like this one are usually not "deal-breakers" and those perusing your photos don't care much about your process; they want to enjoy your product. Add a little sharpening to the image and...there you go: Condor head!
Then...recall how you did it...so you can repeat it...
If I hadn't been lying down at the edge of the cliff, with lots of time to brace the camera on my wadded coat, I don't think I could have gotten this shot.
If I hadn't been somewhat familiar with my camera settings and functions, I don't think I could have gotten this shot.
If Sheila had not been the greatest, most patient, wonderful, gracious, kind, thoughtful and loving wife on the planet...I don't think I could have gotten this shot.
And if I hadn't taken some time to study the camera's instruction manual, I don't think I could have gotten this shot.
These steps toward a good picture can also lead to a good life.
Taking time to prepare thoroughly, familiarizing myself with the resources God has placed in my hand, partnering with supportive teammates and studying the Bible (as carefully as I study my camera's manual) can make everything my life produces more focused and clear.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 - The whole Bible was given to us by inspiration from God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives; it straightens us out and helps us do what is right. It is God’s way of making us well prepared at every point, fully equipped to do good to everyone.
Apparently these critters can get anywhere: under rocks, up trees, even into the palaces of kings. This one startled me out of my target-lock tunnel vision as I was attempting to photograph a Quail.
Sneaky, eh?
Proverbs 30:24-28 - There are four small creatures, wisest of the wise they are—
ants—frail as they are, get plenty of food in for the winter;
marmots—vulnerable as they are, manage to arrange for rock-solid homes;
locusts—leaderless insects, yet they strip the field like an army regiment;
lizards—easy enough to catch, but they sneak past vigilant palace guards.
In the last five days Sheila and I have driven about 1500 miles. We've been in valleys and on mountain tops. We've seen deserts, rivers, old-growth forests and hillsides covered with cactus. Temperatures have ranged from 19 degrees to 90 degrees. It's been quite a ride.
Every new elevation produced dramatic changes. The plants and animals living at 1,500 feet were nowhere to be found at 8,000 feet. God made some to thrive in the valleys, some to flourish in the mountains and some to soar in the sky above us all.
I wonder if you've thought about the impact your altitude has on your life.
Maybe God moves us through valleys so we can blossom in ways the heights would inhibit. Maybe God brings us to the mountains and prospers us after a fashion unknown in the valleys. And maybe God lifts us up from time-to-time, so we can soar above it all for a while.
Altitude matters...maybe more than we know.
Wherever we find ourselves we can live well, learn and grow. Life blooms in every niche of the ecosystem. Maybe we should spend less time worrying about how difficult life is where we are, and get on with the business of living faithfully (so our story gives God glory).
Altitude doesn't determine aptitude. You can succeed in serving God anywhere, but you'll have to get a grip on your attitude to do it...and so will I.
We're in this together.
Philippians 3:12-17 - I do not claim that I have already succeeded or have already become perfect. I keep striving to win the prize for which Christ Jesus has already won me to himself. Of course, my friends, I really do not think that I have already won it; the one thing I do, however, is to forget what is behind me and do my best to reach what is ahead. So I run straight toward the goal in order to win the prize, which is God's call through Christ Jesus to the life above. All of us who are spiritually mature should have this same attitude. But if some of you have a different attitude, God will make this clear to you. However that may be, let us go forward according to the same rules we have followed until now. Keep on imitating me, my friends. Pay attention to those who follow the right example that we have set for you.
The only way I can show you what happened is with three posts. If you're interested in the most incredible experience ever...read this and then go back and read two previous posts.
Dropping out of Utah on 89A we drove east to Marble Canyon and the Lee's Ferry Crossing at the Colorado River. I walked half way across the Navajo Bridge and took this photo of the 600 foot cliffs and the flowing Colorado far below.
That's when I saw them - a nesting pair of California Condors.
No way. Way!
No way. Way!
No way. Way!
Weighing in at 22 pounds, with a wingspan of nine-and-a-half feet, these wild condors were two black spots on the far cliff. So, I went after them figuring, "When am I ever going to get a chance to photograph California Condors again? I've never even seen them in the wild before!"
Eventually I got close enough for a photo (though I ruined my belt belly-crawling on the rocks). I couldn't believe it. It was a miracle I got that close to them - but hey, I believe in miracles.
Job 9:10 - God does incredible miracles, too many to count.
Almost every California Condor alive is tagged for tracking and identification purposes. Both of these Condors wore tags. This same bird was photographed on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon in August.
Whatever happens to these birds, someone knows about it.
Matthew 10:29b - ...Not one sparrow falls to the ground without your Father's consent.
Of course, there is no way Sheila and I went to Arizona expecting to see California Condors in the wild, let alone see them close enough to identify them, let alone get close enough to photograph them on a cliff hundreds of feet above the roaring Colorado River. Even so, that is exactly what happened.
The tags on these birds reminded me of their worth. People invest time,effort and vast sums of money to identify, tag and track these rare birds. They matter enough for people to devote their lives to keeping track of them. Condors are worth a lot.
If birds can be valued so highly by humans, how much more must humans be cherished by God?
Think about it.
Matthew 6:26 - Look at the birds in the sky! They don't plant or harvest. They don't even store grain in barns. Yet your Father in heaven takes care of them. Aren't you worth more than birds?
Where are you renewed?
Where do you connect and re-connect with God?
For me, it's the wilderness. I find myself thirsting for God in the wilderness.
How about you?
Psalm 63:1-4 - O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.
Somewhere outside the tiny Utah town of Kanob I saw these Mule deer. I thought you'd like to see them too.
Mule deer have remarkable hearing (check out those "mule-like" ears), a keen sense of smell and great eyesight (though they don't see colors the way humans do).
These deer didn't know I was watching them, but the instant the stick I threw crashed into the brush, their ears pivoted forward and their eyes searched for the source of the sound. As they tried to assess the threat-level I took this picture.
The sun was had already set behind the mountain so I was fortunate to capture this moment. It made me think: "How attentive am I to danger? Do I look to the Lord for help when I'm threatened?"
How about you? Are you looking to the Lord for help? Are your friends?
Psalm 25:15 - I look to the Lord for help at all times, and he rescues me from danger.
I've been praying we'll take steps to love the way God loves, and to give the way God gives. God always gives his best. God calls us to do the same.
Matthew 5:45-48 - This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that. In a word, what I'm saying is, Grow up. You're kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.
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