Tribe

This is a pretty interesting article on some trades that the Indians made over the last 10 years that have panned out.

I will be the first to say that being decent for a year an then unloading all your talent before they leave via free agency is not something I enjoy in the least, but it may be the only way a small market team can be competitive.

Indians are winning with smoke and mirrors right now. Their offense is really not very good, especially when Hafner and Sizemore are out of the lineup.

If Choo and Santana don't really get it going, I can't expect the young pitching staff to continue to carry the team to a pennant.

But they are fun to watch. Just need to get away from the A.L. East who is thumping us right now.

Indians win the A.L. Central...Buy or Sell?

The James Challenge Chapter Five

"Do not grumble against one another so that you won't be judged."

Every Church has one. Generally, everyone connected to the church knows who the Chair of it is. It's the Back to Egypt Committee. They gripe and grumble and moan that things aren't good. They say it was better when they were back in Egypt. They say it was better when Moses wasn't their leader. They say it was better when...

James reminds us at the close of this book to recall some of the key themes. He recalls chapter three and says you're either giving life with your words or your taking it away. He reminds us that endurance is central to sanctification.

I was for whatever reason, feeling discouraged, negative and a little beaten up last week. Then I woke up one morning midweek and just felt the Holy Spirit nudging at me about the word 'Hope'. If I'm not careful, I can join that Back to Egypt Committee and God just convicted me that the resurrection is bigger than that. It's bigger than the frustrating meeting. Bigger than the wilderness experience that sometimes a ministry or a leader goes through. It's bigger than our preferences. It's bigger than our conflicts, our agendas, our discontent, our negativity, our bitterness.

So if I don't get my way, if people don't get on board with my idea, if I disagree with a direction of those God has put in authority over me,etc...two options...pull up a chair on the oft-largest committee in the church and grumble (which guarantees you will be judged)...or come at it with hope...come at it with resurrection lenses. Because in resurrection, the worst thing is never the last thing.

Congrats if you made it through the five chapters of James! It's been a good week of Bible Study for me personally and I hope for you too!

The James Challenge Chapter Four

Anyone who knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, commits sin.

If you're like me, you tend to understand sin as the things that we do in defiance of God's authority and righteous way. I hate enemies. I covet the grass that is greener in another's life. I murder. I lust. I lie. I deceive. I ________.

But ultimately that is barely the beginning of following Christ. In one sense, yes, God wants to turn our affections away from the sinful ways, acts of disobedience, the defiance of our hearts. But He is at the same time desiring that we be turning toward Him.

It's not enough to avoid the things that God tells us to avoid. He wants us to follow His promptings. Its not just "Don't do this" but also "Do this". And when we experience those promptings and delay or disregard obedience to them, we are in the same boat as those who do the sinful things.

So when we read about being ministers of reconciliation and don't actually go work out the issues we have with the person, we're sinning. When we feel God nudging us to give the money we've been saving up for our kid's college fund away to the cause of Christ, we're sinning. When we're gifted to serve in youth ministry and don't offer to use our giftedness to serve, we're sinning.

Missing the mark is more than just doing the bad things God says to avoid. It is every time we are out of step with the grace and presence of the Holy Spirit.

So...how's the walk?

Radical

I am excited (and a little nervous) to lead this study with the EDGE Young Adults this summer.



Starts June 5...11 a.m.

The James Challenge Chapter Three

James 3 is the classic text about speaking life rather death, breathing heaven rather than hell by what we say and how we say it. When something is 'set on fire by hell', we should probably slow down and tread gently.

Your words matter. If they aren't life-giving, they are hellish.

So when you rip apart your boss or your pastor. When you jab at your spouse. When you tear down your kid. When sarcasm belittles those who converse with. When your words are the level of quality, intelligence and couth of The Hangover 2 (a.k.a. a bunch of perverted filth and trash that could have been written by me when I was a childish 7th grader), when you gossip about the latest drama in your school or workplace...(Have I covered us all yet?!)...It is hell, not heaven we are bringing.

And God is not ok with that.

It is interesting that the remedy to the taming of the tongue comes at the end of chapter three...it begins with wisdom. And I remember a guy preaching on the topic of fear one time...and the verse "The Fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom" was used.

So Fearing God leads to wisdom. Wisdom leads to gentleness. Gentleness and purity and mercy and peace and impartiality and non-hypocritical living...they all are rooted in wisdom. And wisdom is rooted in fearing God.

So...if I am wreckless or hellish in my speaking, it is predominantly a God-fearing problem. So...how are you fearing God these days?

My Prayer For Graduating Seniors

Lord God, I thank you for this senior class,
for bringing them to this important milestone.
And as they prepare to embark on a new part of their journey,
I pray that You would go before them, walk beside them and follow
Behind them. I pray that no one could use words like complacent,
Wreckless, entitled or indifferent to describe these young adults.
Instead, I pray that they would be known as servants, as men and women
Of integrity, people of the second chance. I pray that they would be known
As Christ followers. So Lord as they celebrate this important day, I pray for their futures.
Where there is pride and arrogance, may you crush them.
Where there is sin and rebellion, may you restore them.
Where there is indifference or indulgence, may you stir them.
Where there is pain or suffering, may you comfort them.
Where ever they go, may they know you are with them.
Whatever they do, may they live for your renown.
In the strong name of Jesus who is mighty to save,
Amen.

The James Challenge Chapter Two

Couple socks to the stomach today.

I have been going with Shaina to our Centering Classes which are where we get our check ups with the midwife, and spend a couple hours with other people who are due right around the same time we are.

There are people in there that I naturally am inclined to. I find them more interesting, sometimes I find them less annoying than others in the class. So I gravitate toward conversation with them, toward engaging life with them. And when the others speak up, I find myself tuning them out or getting agitated.

The same can be said in the context of the gospel. There are some that I will readily connect with, share my faith with and engage the gospel with...maybe we get along well, have similar interests, etc. But there are some who have quirks or personalities that I just dislike and so I disengage.

So I pick up James 2 today and the first verse says "My brothers, do you with your acts of favoritism really believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ?"

Do I really believe? Because if I believe that Jesus is indeed the remedy for sin, hell and brokeness, then my disengagement is hypocrisy. The gospel is meant for every one to encounter and if I am responsible for withholding that opportunity, it is reprehensible.

Which goes to the second jab from James 2. If I really believe...and that belief does nothing to impact the way I live, then I am dead. Not dying...dead. Hypocritical faith is not faith at all. If our orthodoxy (right belief and worship) does not impact our orthopraxy (right living) then it is irrelevant...irrelevant to my life...and others will deem it irrelevant to their lives and to the world as well.

Stop painting an impotent god for the world to see. Either participate actively in the sanctification of your life and the working out of your salvation, or stop claiming association with a God who doesn't work with dead things.

Ouch.

The James Challenge Chapter One

This week, our church was invited to dive into the book of James, a chapter a day, Monday through Friday to ask God to restore relevance and hunger for His Word. You're invited to join us. I will be blogging this week on some ways that God is connecting each chapter with my heart. Feel free to add your own insights!

James 1

ENDURANCE.

"Whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing." James 1:2-4

Trials that lead to endurance lead to maturity. Ultimately that is a primary aim of the follower of Jesus...to grow more and more in Christ-likeness throughout their lifetime.

So here's how we fail. We experience adversity, difficulty and trial and it derails our faith. I know I experienced this when my dad died. I was ticked off at God for not hearing my prayers to make his dead heart beat again and it took me to a place of distance from God and bitterness to Him...and I would still be there if He didn't draw me back to Him. Alot of people don't responding to God's drawing during adversity...They check out...despise God and live out their days in some hollow form of what they could have or should have been...bitter...alienated...indifferent.

When our faith is derailed in times of adversity our growth is stunted.

Without my dad's passing, God would never have taken me to deeper waters, where He revealed to me that His desire was to make my own dead heart beat again, in the rhythms of his grace. Trials that are endured will take you to deeper waters with Christ...I know this is true...but I'm not ready to count it as Joy to encounter the trials!

Die

Conviction from Mark Batterson's blog:

“Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O Lord. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known.” Habakkuk 3:2

We love this verse! And all of us long for renewal until we find out what it means. It means “bring back to life” which necessitates death. Simply put: spiritual renewal = death + resurrection. We all want renewal. But are you willing to die for it? If you want renewal you have to die to self. That means you have to die to pride, die to lust, die to selfishness, die to laziness, die to things that are permissible and strive for things that are beneficial. There is no other way. You want to come alive? Then die to self. You want the fullness of life Jesus promised? You will have to die a million little deaths to yourself.

Preachin' It

I love preaching. I love sitting in Scripture and letting God smack ya with Truth and then relying on Him to articulate the message that will pay that smack forward to the hearers.

Pretty excited about the opportunity to share a message on graduation sunday this sunday. It is geared toward the grads transitioning to a new phase of their lives...to a church who is transitioning to a new phase of her life, with new leadership coming in multiple areas of the church...and to individuals who are wasting their lives because of the fear that controls them...I am pumped.

I believe God will move.

Workin on the Message all day today.

This Week in the Uterus.

Fetal Development This Week
Week 32 of Pregnancy: Fetal Position
This week your baby weighs almost four pounds and could be up to 19 inches long. And though that's a head-to-toe length, your baby is actually back to a curled-up position in preparation for birth (you try standing up in those cramped quarters!).
This week your baby weighs almost four pounds and could be up to 19 inches long. And though that's a head-to-toe length, your baby is actually back to a curled-up position (you try standing up in those cramped quarters!). At 32 weeks pregnant, you're likely feeling tapping and squirming instead of your baby's signature rocking and rolling. That's because, while comfy, your baby is a bit tight for exercise space right now. Your baby has also probably settled into the head-down, bottoms-up position in your pelvis in prepartion for birth. That's because the fetus's head fits better at the bottom of your inverted, pear-shaped uterus. It also makes it easier during childbirth if your baby comes out head first. Fewer than five percent of babies prefer the bottom-down (or breech) position by full-term. Don't worry if your baby hasn't assumed the head-down position yet. There's still a good chance he or she will flip head-side-down before birth — even in the tight confines of your uterus.


While your baby is still getting nourishment through the umbilical cord, it won't be long before you'll be bringing on the breast milk or formula (and soon after, the mashed carrots and peas). In anticipation of that momentous transition to mouth feeding, your baby's digestive system is all set and ready to go.

And because your baby is accumulating more fat, his or her skin is finally turning opaque (like yours), which means those see-through days are over. Though weeks away from D-day, your baby's looking more and more like a newborn.

And speaking of that big day, hope you're resting up for it — because your bambino certainly is. In preparation for that big first date with you, your baby is sleeping like a baby — with sleep cycles of 20 to 40 minutes long (which would also account for the decrease in movement you're likely feeling these days).

Monday Meanderings on Church and Leadership XI

Shaina and I went away for the weekend to New York. It was good to break routine. All in all the New York portion of the weekend was lousy. My buddies came to play rounds of golf on Saturday and Sunday. Unfortunately, Saturday was a perpetual drizzle, mixed with moments of downpour. We played, but my hands were so wet that at one point I swung a six iron on a par three tee, and lost the club on the downswing (the ball didn't move!) Sunday was even worse, terrential downpour. But, a bad weekend away is better than a weekend stuck in the grind.

Perhaps the best leadership lesson I know of came from a guy in seminary quoting Rick Warren. This is a mantra I desire to live by.

Divert Daily...I should be having my cup filled by Jesus in intentional ways every day...not out of obligation but out of desire and neccessity.

Withdraw Weekly...A sabbath day keeps the assylum away. You can't accomplish in 7 days on your own, what God can accomplish in you in 5 or 6 days. So disconnect. Have a day that is off limits that your email piles up...that your text messages go unanswered.

Quit Quarterly...Your Church or organization should not fall apart when you leave it for a weekend. If it does, you're failing as a leader. Your marriage needs a weekend away. Your soul needs a weekend away. Even if it rains!

Abandon Annually...Vacation. No phone calls. No emails. Just complete, unapologetic disconnection. Sometimes this can be hiding out in your home. Sometimes...you have to get out of dodge. Your mind needs to shut off. Whenever I have vacation, I pick up some book to read that is fictional flub. It won't help my leadership. It won't solve systems problems. Its just something I can mindlessly fall into in order to stop thinking/dreaming/processing.

Looking at the big picture of 2011. Which of these four steps is toughest for you? For me, I am feeling the pressures of ministry and see my time being gobbled up on a daily basis. So diverting daily has been irregular lately.

With that said, I'm going to get a shave and a shower, grab a Bible and head to the coffee shop for a bit before our leadership seminar this afternoon.

Life Lesson

Heard this at Catalyst last October, but just thought about it last night.

Find someone that is 2 or 3 steps ahead of where you are at currently and connect with them to find out how they are thinking (not what they are doing).

I heard this in the context of church/organizational growth. But I'm convinced it is true for your personal life too. You are not a spiritual guru. So find someone that is a couple steps ahead of you in spiritual disciplines like prayer, Bible Reading or leadership and find out what makes them tick.

The key of the above statement though is to pick their brain not mimic their schedule. If role model dude 1 prays for an hour every morning, chances are, I'm not going to be able to simply flip a switch and go from 10 minutes of prayer a day to an hour just because dude does it. But if I learn dude's heart for God, what he thinks and why he values communion with God, then suddenly I have a direction to begin to participate in.

Personal and Organizational fear and autonomy will drive you to the grave. Others have been where you are at. Embrace it and let them teach you how to grow.

City Love

Pretty excited for the vision surrounding the event formerly known as Church ReVerb, that will this year be called "City Love".

The premise of the vision is that all the churches in the community would unite on a Sunday afternoon and do significant, vital ministry to the community to show that the church is alive and well.

The vision was laid out last year to about 5 churches in the community, and we were sort've the guinea pig trial run church in this experience. This year 10 churches came to hear the vision and so far three are on board to go for this. I love that collaboration is happening and while we targeted 30 churches in the community to cast the vision to, jumping from one congregation to three is an exciting first step.

There is always temptation to get discouraged, self-righteous or frustrated by 'turf wars' or disunity of Christ's Church, but I haven't really felt that at all. The bottom line is that we know that God is taking us here...so our responsibility remains solely to being faithful to that call. And as God moves, it seems obvious that His bride will want to move as well.

C-Bus

Was in Columbus for an afternoon hangin' out with a couple of young adults from church. It happened to be beautiful out, so the campus was abuzz with activity. Sat in the Oval just enjoying the sun and the fellowship.

56,000 students a year. Potential world changers with a large internation flavor, some of whom wil return to their country to some form of leadership.

The necessity of the presence of the authentic gospel in that context is absolutely huge. There are good things happening there in terms of campus ministry and some local churches that are effectively reaching the campus...but the need is still obvious and the potential is exhillarating.

What does it look like to be salt and light in the largest campus in the country?

Delight the Audience

"When you focus on delighting an audience you care about, you strip the masses of their power."

This line of Seth Godin's post on popularity today crushed me.

It is so easy to concern ourselves with the opinion of the many. It is so tempting to adjust our sails to avoid the choppy water of negativity or the stinging rain of criticism. And the many delight in being appeased.

Godin is talking about popularity, business, culture...but what struck me is that my audience can, should and must be ONLY ONE. And when I focus on delighting the One...the opinions, criticisms, jabs, negativity and persecution don't just matter less, they become irrelevant.

Church leaders who compromise the ONE for the many are a dime a dozen. And their churches, though the privileged insiders feel like they are getting what they want,will die of attrition and die of a lack of God's Breath in their midst.

Preacher, speak truth even when that family threatens to leave. Speak hope, when the masses claim despair. Lead into uncharted waters, even when the masses are fearful and without maps. You are responsible not primarily for the flock, but for being the best undershepherd you can be...listening, obeying, following the ONLY ONE who matters.

It's a bit of a hokey sounding song, but the heart of it is right on.

Attitude Reflects Leadership?

I think this was a line from the movie "Remember the Titans".

Popped in my head this week in some thinking on leadership.

The idea behind this is that the people you lead will be positive or negative in their attitudes and actions based on how, where and why you lead. So if you lead them in the wilderness for an extended period when they desperately wanted to be led to the Promised Land, the negativity may be fierce.

But the inversion of this might be just as true and just as helpful.

Leadership Reflects Attitude.

If the people are a stubborn, stiff-necked, resistant people, who resist change, squelch faith and grumble about their church more than they pray for their church, then Leadership will be exhausted trying to constantly battle this.

Joshua 1 is a good model of leadership.

The Leader (Joshua) is called and anointed by God to take over for Moses as leader of Israel. He then casts the vision God has given him to the people, standing on the shoulders of those who led before him, and then the people affirm him and follow him.

Appointed Leaders cast Anointed Visions and are followed by A Committed people.

Attitude check...you spend more time focused on 'back in Egypt' or more time looking to the future with potential and promise?

Monday Meanderings on Church and Leadership X

One of the most important paradigm shifts that you can make in any organization, but specifically and particularly a church is something I heard from Craig Groeschel.

It is the shift from saying "our people won't _______" to "we haven't led them to ______"

Our people won't worship? No, we haven't led them to worship! Our people won't give generously? No, we haven't led them to give generously! Our people won't serve? No, we haven't led them to serve.

Many churches, businesses and organizations find themselves in tight financial straights right now. Whether you need more generosity for your not-for-profit to function or you have to cut expenses in your business by reducing wages/salaries, good leaders model it before they implement it.

If you're a multi-staffed church, are you joining together around the table saying that it's time to count the cost? If your organization is evidence that 20% of the people do 80% of the work, then how can you model sharing the responsibility? How can you model sacrificial living?

I guarantee that if you will make this paradigm shift and start addressing the Leadership problems instead of the people problems, you will see breakthroughs.

What is the one thing you've been saying about the people of your company or your church that needs to be said about your leadership and/or the leaders around you?

Couple Thoughts

Osama bin Laden has apparently been shot in killed in Afghanistan.

I hopped on ESPN and this was the headline news story.

Pictures of the Phillies game where the death was announced, tell of throngs of people celebrating the news.

This is troubling to me. First, as a Christian, such a reaction like this is unacceptable. We just had Confirmation Sunday in our church and the message was Crazy Love...love that Jesus instructs is for not merely friends, but for enemies too. To see this ethic not only defied, but also celebrated is alarming.

Second, from a political standpoint, my hunch is this is not as significant a victory. The two men largely associated with leading the terror regime, Hussein in Iraq and bin Laden in Afghanistan are now dead and I guarantee that this does nothing to deter others from stepping into leadership. There are deeper issues in the relational strife between the U.S. and many Muslim countries. And, until we stop claiming that they are merely 'extremists', 'terrorists', or 'anti-democratic', we probably won't get very far in resolving this...which means more terror regimes, more fervent in their resolve will like be on the horizon.

Just some Monday morning thoughts. Can a Christian rejoice in the killing of anyone, evil or good?

Prayer for the day

May our excessive comfort leave us uncomfortable.
May our conscience haunt us with the poor.
May injustice leave us sleepless.
May we be what you are for.

May we forgive when hate is easy
May we redeem what others deem lost.
May we consider it a blessing
When following you actually costs.

May our lives be void of ordinary.
May our treasures be in love.
May our hope be built on nothingless
Than the God who's more than enough.

Amen.