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I like words. More accurately, I love learning how words were shaped and what their application is in today’s culture. Some pastors like explaining away Greek, Aramaic and Hebrew words from the Bible. I’m a man of simple tastes, so just give me the English language…

The word “flee” carries a negative connotation with it. Mainly because it conjures up an image of people running for their lives! Yet in the Bible it is mentioned numerous times in the context of avoiding temptations, idolatry, immorality, sin, lusts, etc. While the action of “fleeing” itself in real life seems cowardly, it’s a matter of preservation and personal growth in the text.

We find a good example of this in 1 Corinthians 6:18, where the Apostle Paul says to…

“Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.”

Why is this so important? Because sexual immorality (in all of its many forms) is probably the most common temptation we face! I use the word “we” because statistically women are initiating adulterous situations as much as their male counterparts these days. Much of this can be attributed to the internet and more accurately social networks like Facebook. Certainly it isn’t all on the shoulders of the “world wide web”, but given how many active users there are now, it has quickly become the most common way people are connecting to each other (replacing bars, clubs and unfortunately the church).

So how do we deal with it? When I’ve counseled couples in the past, the issue of either online pornography or affairs started by social networking has been brought up. One thing I advised them to do is to either remove yourself from what’s tempting you (a situation, workplace, social group), or more commonly, remove what is tempting you from within your reach! If this means ending a friendship that has crossed the line, or removing your Facebook profile (if not the internet altogether, if proven to be a problem), then so be it!

The most dramatic way this was displayed was in the Kirk Cameron movie “Fireproof”. He portrayed a frustrated, angry man whose marriage was falling apart. Part of the reason for that was he gave into his temptations through an addiction to online pornography. To save his marriage, he took part of the “Love Dare” and during this challenge he takes out (mafia style) what was tempting him… his computer!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For most of us, this seems like an extreme measure to take… until we realize that this is a matter of life and death!

James 1:12-15…

¹² Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

¹³ When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; ¹⁴ but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. ¹⁵ Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

Here the connection is made from desire, to sin, to death!

To back this up, Romans 6:23 says this:

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

There’s much debate to what “death” means here in these passages. Without going too deep into a theological discussion, let me give you the real life implications of a fulfilled temptation:

When temptation that becomes a sin through our decision to engage in it has many results:

- If married, it will affect our marriage. (This is not just for sexual immorality, but all forms.) Our relationship loses trust, which is hard to build back up, no matter how strong of believers in Christ we are. It also can cause untold pain and anguish to the spouse for years to come.

- If we have children, they will see a bad example set for them. Character, fidelity, faith… all good things to have, will be less important to the next generation because of one person’s selfish decision.

- If it is merely a personal failure that no one else knows about, then realize that sin (no matter the “size”) will infect other areas of our life like cancer. Our job performance, our attitude, our bodily health… all affected because of the enormous weight of sin! Not only that, but sin often breeds other sins, much like how one lie has to be covered up with more lies!

Sin came into the world like a terminal disease and it still behaves that way today. “Death” is an applicable term to use because it means the end of the “life” we enjoy when we’re living righteously as God intended! This is without even mentioning the eternal consequences of our actions!

“Temptation” and “sin” are relevant topics because eventually the discussion will emphasize the great need for God in our life!

While there are many passages that refer to God being our source of strength, I think Psalm 18 does a great job of it:

¹ I love you, LORD, my strength.

² The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

³ I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise,
and I have been saved from my enemies.
⁴ The cords of death entangled me;
the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
⁵ The cords of the grave coiled around me;
the snares of death confronted me.

⁶ In my distress I called to the LORD;
I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;
my cry came before him, into his ears.

When we find ourselves weakened by temptation, that’s when we need to FLEE (remove ourselves from the situation) and run to the refuge we have in God! We have to remember that our main source of joy and strength must come from God and nothing else! If that isn’t the case, then we find ourselves worshiping false idols! (things that do not deserve our time and affection!)

What does this look like in practical terms?

- Prayer and devotion. Not just for blessing your supper, but the very line of communication you keep with the Almighty! The more time you spend with God, the more the Holy Spirit fills your “gaps” (where things other than Him are residing). Again, Jesus has to be in our hearts, otherwise all measures we take against temptation are futile! (useless!)

- Surround yourself with good Christian influences. This is not just the pastor, but other believers that have gone through trials (experiences with temptation, sin and recovery) themselves! One way to do this is to get more involved in your church (volunteering, small groups, etc.) and seek out reliable, positive and active followers of Jesus!

- Identify the areas of weakness in your life so you can put into place measures to make yourself blameless (safeguarding in the eyes of others) and lessen the chance of failure. This might mean: no more car rides with just one person of another sex, limiting your television or internet usage, avoiding social gatherings where alcohol will be served, providing full disclosure of financial information to a spouse (debt can be a sin!), or maybe cutting back on the buffet restaurants (yes, “gluttony” is a sin!).

If you’re thinking such steps are “unreasonable”, then ask yourself this… is my relationship with God worth it? My marriage? My children’s future? My emotional health? The answer, if you haven’t figured it out already, is YES! These are much more important than what you think makes you happy! (which is almost always an outright lie from the enemy!)

Point being, the closer we are to HIM, the less likely we’ll be drawn away by THEM! (the world and all of its snares)

Don’t let temptation ruin your life!

I can remember a time not so long ago that if you had a problem with a product, service, etc., you could simply call the business or organization and get a prompt response. The call center reps tended to be pleasant, helpful and eager to keep your experience as good as possible.

Well, it’s almost 2011 and that stuff is ancient history.

Nowadays you have to be a licensed private investigator to track down any customer service number to get a hold of anybody. If by chance you do, it’s not going to be a plain-speaking American citizen with a head full of relevant knowledge ready to tackle the issue. It might be a “jingoistic” notion, but believe it or not I actually prefer being able to understand what the other person is saying. A pretty unreasonable concept, I know…

Then there’s the website “contact form” when you fill out a blank comment field with your information in hopes of a response. The reply you’ll often get is nearly always automated and never personal.

You see, the problem at hand is not only frustration on my part, but the separation between myself and the organization. The company might as well be telling me… (in a Bill Lumbergh kind-of-voice)

“Yeahhh…. good luck with that. In the meantime, we’ll be drafting another payment out of your account later this week. Thanks a bunch!”

In other words… bug off, you fool! We don’t need you!

So what does this have to do with ministry? Everything!

As church leaders, we have to be aware of the experience people sometimes have this kind of impression from us:  we don’t have time for them, we don’t care, take-it-or-leave-it. Some of this resentment is warranted and other times it is not. But you know what? Folks aren’t exactly beating down our doors these days. Whatever issue the person has with us, it does matter and should be addressed with a smile and in a timely fashion!

One thing I pride myself on is my connection to our church family. They know my cell number, my email address, my Twitter handle, blog URL, etc. I’m accessible and I don’t mind it! Even if TLC ever reached a level of “megachurch” status, I would still have measures in place to handle personal inquiries because what people feel and think about your organization matters!

There are a fair share of crazies in this Christian church world and not every problem can be solved with “good service”. We can’t give them a “refund” nor can they make a “return”. In truth, the customer isn’t “always right” but the way we treat them is of great importance (and even eternal consequence)!

In my dealing with people from all sorts, the one thing that remains a constant thought is: WWJD (what would Jesus do?) Yes, the cliched phrase that swept through 1990′s youth groups everywhere. But in reality I have to shift my way of thinking because the “carnal” or “worldly” side of me wants to shove them aside and let someone else handle their problem (which is really easy to do!). But if I have the Holy Spirit reside in my heart, I’m going to take the time to hear them and deal with it as lovingly (as hard as that may be) as possible.

In a world where customer service has now taken a backseat, there’s opportunity for the church to set the example!

The Apostle Paul simply calls what we refer to as customer service, “love” in Romans 12:9-21

⁹ Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. ¹⁰ Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. ¹¹ Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. ¹² Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. ¹³ Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. ¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. ¹⁶ Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

¹⁷ Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. ¹⁸ If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. ¹⁹ Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. ²⁰ On the contrary:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

The overriding sense here is that no matter what way someone approaches you, treat them with love! Bless them any way you can! Don’t pass them off on someone else, instead personally invest in their life! (it makes more of a difference than you may realize!)

Loving beyond reason is the complete opposite the way “the world” operates today and that’s why we should recognize the need to provide good “customer service”! There is a wide open opportunity for us to help change someone’s life just by treating them with “lovingkindness”!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We’re starting our new message series “flee” this Sunday at TLC and I’m excited about it! (you should be too!)

In 2 Timothy 2:22, Paul tells us to:

“Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”

That word “flee” is important to note because it stresses urgency and action! The spiritual condition is damaged by things we too often consider to be “harmless”. Unfortunately, instead of running away from them, we get cozy and make ourselves at home! What are some of these things exactly?

Find out this Sunday at TLC! See you at the Center Theater at 11:00am!

In the church world you often have trendy words that come-and-go. I’m not immune to them. Such terms as “emerging”, “vision-casting”, “post-modern”, “seeker”, “missional” and “relevant” are some of the more well-known ones that almost have no application or impact outside of Christian circles. That last word though, “relevant” gets tossed around a lot…

For the traditionalists (those who seemingly refuse to change anything) the word might as well be: “satanic” or “worldly”. Instead of looking at it practically, they dismiss it and defend their way as the only way.

For the hipsters (those who feel the need to change everything) the word might as well be: “Biblical” or “effective”. Instead of using it just to change their approach, they take it too far by also applying it to the Gospel making God’s Word seem like just another “motivational tool”. (although some traditional churches have been known to stray away every now and then too!)

Let’s look at what “relevant” actually means though…

From Merriam-Webster:

a : having significant and demonstrable bearing on the matter at hand

b : affording evidence tending to prove or disprove the matter at issue or under discussion

The first definition really applies here…

- We want to be a light to darkness.

- We want to speak truth to power.

- We want to matter in a culture where “Jesus Christ” is little more than a cuss word.

In other words, we want to have a spot at the dinner tables of this world! We want to impact people’s lives in a real, demonstrable way!

Now, I’m “relevant” because I believe the Word of God is relevant. It speaks…

- To all people, in all languages and cultures.

- To every situation and circumstance in our lives.

- To every problem and issue we have to face.

Our church is relevant in style so that we can be “different” in how we present the Gospel in order to go after “different” kinds of people. I’m of the belief that there are “many ways to skin a cat” and this applies to ministry just as well.

The Apostle Paul did “relevant” ministry well!

1 Corinthians 9:19-23…

“Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.”

Paul adjusted how he shared the Gospel depending on who he was speaking to! Instead of merely changing outfits (say from a three-piece suit to a graphic t-shirt and jeans), he actually had to adapt his diet and customs! Had Paul not done that, then his ministry would have been a lot less effective!

How does this translate to us? Well, not everyone will respond to the same old ways of “doing church”! Yet, methods are somehow sacred to a lot of leaders! The only thing we should be holding onto is the truth found in The Holy Bible! Everything else is up for grabs! From hymnals to electric guitars… if it ain’t working, feel free to change it! We need to remember that methods/styles/traditions are MAN-MADE!

What relevant is not (or at least should not be) is “watering down” God’s Word. That is the big misconception with the relevant style and with some places, rightfully so!

However, most churches that practice this style of teaching and preaching go about it the right way by taking God’s Word and use it conversationally and authentic in approach. They’ll use creative illustrations (videos, skits, music) and life experiences to show God’s truth. As a result, it’s these type of churches that are growing the most (and have the largest target on their backs) because people are engaged and respond to it!

But even the most dynamic presentation should keep the flavor of God’s Word… where the natural part of us (the carnal, human, but sinful stuff) is offended (you read correctly!). God’s Word and sin are like oil and water… they don’t mix! That “uncomfortable” feeling is often where the supernatural has kicked the natural right in the groin! Our first instinct (since we’re human) is to be confused and sometimes a little angry! It’s only when the Holy Spirit comes upon us where that confusion and anger turns into acceptance and understanding.

This month we’re doing a series on money. Talk about where the rubber meets the road… this kind of stuff can step on people’s toes, for sure! But it still needs to be taught! Truth will pierce the heart like a sharp arrow! A watered-down message will merely hit the head like one of those suction cup toy arrows (that barely stick to anything anyways!).

Remember that we’re in the business of heart transformation, not behavior modification! We need to do more convicting and less convincing! (This is especially true for a sermon about tithing!)

For instance, there was a church I knew of that introduced a giving campaign centered around a “graduated tithing scale”. Can’t do 10%? Well, why not 5%? Maybe get a little crazy and go for 7%! (and this was no “modern church” either!)

You see, when we start trying to reason with people and bring the Word down with them, then the foundation of truth is all but lost! Instead of trying to convince members to tithe what amount they felt they could (really, as little as they could!), the church should be presenting God’s Word in such a way that whatever it says for us to do, we do it! The Bible isn’t a list of “suggestions”, but instead a detailed, life-changing account of God’s love for us and why we should be living for Him! (and not ourselves!)

Guess what folks? We have the answer (Jesus) to the world’s problem (sin) and we should make no apologies for it! Be BOLD and courageous… not a wimp!

So if you want to be truly relevant, speak God’s truth and do it with excellence! Change your approach if necessary and customize it to the culture that you’re surrounded by! (If missionaries around the world can do this, why can’t American churches?)

Amen?

I was watching the Biography Channel a while back and caught the documentary on the infamous bank robbers Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow (“Bonnie and Clyde”). We’re in the middle of our “LIVING is GIVING” series this month at TLC and what better example to use for “thieves” than these two. Why? Because of the explanation given by history revisionists that carelessly characterized them as flamboyant, but desperate criminals.

You see, they committed their robberies (and many senseless murders) during the height of the Great Depression. Jobs were scarce, banks were seen as villains to the common man and outlaws like John Dillinger and the aforementioned power couple were celebrated as heroes. They were even glamorized in bio-pic movies! Pretty twisted, I know…

These experts, mostly pseudo-intellectuals with far-too-much-time-on-their-hands sympathized with them and explained away their crimes. The thing that kept coming up was how “desperate” they were and that’s what motivated them to take such drastic measures. Clyde Barrow was a convicted felon who had a hard time keeping a job because of his past. He gave up on trying to “live right” and decided to go on a string of bank robberies to make something of himself. Surely, he had no other choice!

In essence, desperation justified the crime and all the trappings that came with it should just be forgiven and forgotten!

You know it sounds crazy, yet this same mentality exists with everyday churchgoers today. How’s that?

It says in Malachi 3:8-9…

“Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me.

“But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’

“In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me.

What is God saying here? That if you aren’t faithful with your giving, then not only are you a thief, but you are CURSED!

Pretty heavy stuff, right? When we don’t tithe (10% from the “gross”) and give offerings out of our heart, then we are called out by God like someone making a 911 call after their house was broken-into! If not committing a crime against God isn’t enough, then being CURSED should weigh a little more!

The statistics are disgusting… the percentages vary depending on the study, but less than 10% (being generous here) of born-again, church-going Christians actually tithe! It’s become increasingly worse over the past few decades, yet we wonder why the economy isn’t getting any better and households are broken (and broke)!

It’s because we are not putting God first! Simple, yet we ignore the fact that we put a lot more faith into the few dollars saved by not tithing, than Almighty God Himself!

To break it down for you… if someone earns $3000 a month before taxes, then the tithe should be $300. For many of us, that’s a good chunk of change! That could take care of our electric bill during the summer/winter months. That’s a car payment! It could be anything you want it to be.

But if you’re not tithing that amount, you’re making the profound statement that $300 is going to take care of you better than the Creator of the whole entire universe! You are also saying you love that money more than Him! In other words, you trust this small amount of money more than you do God!

Keep the faith in the Lord that He will take care of your needs in times of struggle, but by all means meet Him halfway by not wasting the money He’s given you! (It’s all His money to begin with anyways!)

For those that say that you “can’t afford to tithe right now” because of: 1. Your job (or lack thereof) 2. Bills or 3. In debt… you’re really no better than Bonnie and Clyde or any other criminal in the history of the world! Instead of robbing banks in the small towns of Texas, you’re robbing God! (which I’m venturing to guess is probably a worse offense!) The same desperation that drove them to kill and steal is the same desperation behind you clinging to that money!

And you know, it should be sufficient for us to tithe based on the first two verses above alone… but wait, there’s more!

Malachi 3:10 tells us:

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.

So what is God saying here? Basically, “Hey… don’t believe Me? Then give it a try. If you actually do it, then I’m going to BLESS you like you’ve never seen before!“

That’s a BIG promise from God! Personally, I’d rather be BLESSED than CURSED… but that’s just me.

Imagine if faithful Christ-followers everywhere tithed and gave as they should, churches would never have to wash cars at Autozone, sell any chicken bog tickets, stand outside of Wal-Mart with dry poundcake and brownies, or put up with any other fundraiser you can think of! We could get so much done! We’d be building God’s Kingdom, and not our kingdom!

So by all means, get yourself BLESSED by giving joyfully from the heart… (2 Corinthians 9:7)

- Joyfully because you have a blessing waiting for you! It may not look like in the form of a lottery ticket or material goods, but it will be what you need! (God knows exactly what that looks like!)

- Joyfully because you know you’re displaying complete love and trust in Him by being faithful with your checkbook!

- Joyfully because… well, HE IS YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER WHO LOVES YOU AND PROVIDES FOR YOU! (and really, that should be enough!)

Still not convinced? Good luck with that whole “CURSED” thing…

Let me know how that works out for ya! 

This weekend kicks off our new message series at TLC, “LIVING is GIVING”.

Part 1 is called, “Greed vs. God”. Why? Because they are truly on opposite ends of the spectrum!

Jesus said in Matthew 6:24…

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

Notice the words “love, hate, devoted, despise”. All are attitudes of the heart! If we let money (and much of the trappings that come with it) control our lives, then what’s left for God? (not much)

This is often a taboo, if not outright abused subject in churches around the world! So when starting a message series that will address our giving (tithes and offerings), debt, budgeting, etc., you first have to frame the discussion on the proper role of money!

This Sunday’s service will do just that. We’ll get to see why this is much more about what’s inside our hearts, rather than our wallets!

Hope to see you there! It’s going to be great!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ever heard of the phrase, “Think outside the box”? It’s a cliche that’s been used ad nauseum throughout the corporate world and in leadership training for decades now. Where did it come from?

One explanation is that it was due to a popular puzzle found in Sam Lloyd’s “Cyclopedia of Puzzles” in 1914. The “nine dot puzzle” was solved by going “outside the box”, as seen below.

 

But it wasn’t until Walt Disney came along where the puzzle was used to inspire the creative thought process with his staff during the development of Disneyland in California and especially the case later on for Walt Disney World in Florida.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The thinking behind it is that you go beyond the “normal” line of thinking (or problem solving) and include what may seem to be unorthodox, if not “crazy” ideas. The potential results are great! Walt Disney World and it’s “magic” (quality experience) is one such example.

I like to think that Jesus is the ultimate “outside the box” thinker. The religious order of the day (that were used to only one way of doing things) hated Him even when His “crazy” actions resulted in miracles! (i.e. good stuff!)

John 9 tells us about His healing of a blind man:

¹As He went along, He saw a man blind from birth. ²His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

³“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. ⁴As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. ⁵While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

⁶Having said this, He spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. ⁷“Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

⁸His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” ⁹Some claimed that he was.
Others said, “No, he only looks like him.”
But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”

¹⁰“How then were your eyes opened?” they demanded.

¹¹He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”

¹²“Where is this man?” they asked him.
“I don’t know,” he said.

¹³They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. ¹⁴Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath. ¹⁵Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.”

¹⁶Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.”
But others asked, “How can a sinner do such miraculous signs?” So they were divided.

¹⁷Finally they turned again to the blind man, “What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.”
The man replied, “He is a prophet.”

You might have noticed the whole Jesus-spitting-on-the-ground-mixing-it-with-dirt-and-then-putting-on-the-man’s-eyes thing… yeah, that’s “outside the box”! As we see, it resulted in the man having sight again and it got people talking!

It was so “outrageous” that the Pharisees wouldn’t even trust the (formerly) blind man’s word! They brought his parents in and had them testify as well. (Which is kind of weird, right? Having your parents “vouch” for you?) But even that wasn’t enough to satisfy them! The Pharisees talked to him one more time just to make sure… and not only did they still didn’t believe it happened, they got angry at him and basically cussed the guy out!

You see, most of the “different” ideas at first may seem “crazy” and your critics will say as much. However, after they see how successful it is, the more sensible ones will be saying, “Why didn’t I think of that?”. They didn’t think of that because they trap themselves into thinking that God, church ministry and life itself can only work a certain way! This is the same “inside the box” mentality that the Pharisees had!

It was also the same ordinary way of thinking that Walt Disney’s critics had, when he bought acre-after-acre of undesirable, worthless swampland in order to build what would later become the Walt Disney World Resort! They all thought he would fall flat on his face for:

- Putting company-owned hotels on the same property as the theme parks

- Building and operating a “monorail” to carry guests around the resort

- Making good hospitality a common practice in all areas

- Paying attention to “the smaller details”

- Ensuring that families got the most out of their vacation experience

It was his “dream” to fulfill by any means necessary! It’s what drove him to think differently and succeed!

And you know, people will often to say themselves they’re not “creative enough” to think “outside the box”. The thing is, it’s not for a lack of creativity that we find ourselves “inside the box” but rather a lack of passion!

You see, when you’re really in love with an idea, you’ll figure out a way to make it happen! It’s much like when you found the girl (or guy) of your dreams! Think back to what that was like when you were dating them. Did you pull off any “Say Anything” like stunts?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For those that aren’t ’80′s movie savants, the question would be if you did anything “crazy” to impress the one you loved? I know I did when I was “courting” my wife!

- I swallowed my pride and wrote cheesy poems about her. My wife cherishes them still to this day for some odd reason…

- I sent her flowers often and on random workdays. Almost to the point of invoking co-workers’ resentment!

- I drove hours at a time just to see her. We lived on complete other sides of South Carolina, so it was usually a 4 hour trip there-and-back to see her. One time in particular, I drove from Georgetown, SC to Gatlinburg, TN to spend the night with her and her family, and I went back the next day (because of church!). That’s six & a half hours each way!

- I spent every spare dime I had on her! What little money I had saved up and was earning at the time went to going out with her. I would literally eat hot dogs and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches during the week, then on Friday and/or Saturday night it would be “high-on-the-hog” at our favorite restaurants!

- I made my proposal to her a “big deal” by taking her up to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC. My public declaration of love for her took place in picturesque rose garden near the boat pond.

While some of these things are more “typical” (for a fool in love) than “outside the box”, it still shows that I wouldn’t have done that kind of stuff for someone I didn’t have such strong feelings about!

The point is in all of this is that if you’re really passionate about something or someone, you’ll go beyond the norm to meet those goals and dreams! If we’re not truly compassionate towards our neighbors and care about their eternal destination, then “average” and “the usual” will suffice just fine. Remember that minimum effort and thinking will get minimum results!

The Christian church could learn a lesson or two from Jesus! (imagine that!) Instead of doing the “same ol’ thing”, what can we be doing different to reach our community for Him? It’s unfortunate that while there are many adequate, Biblical, and relatively successful programs and events churches offer year-in-year-out, there could be so much more!

We have to realize that “the lost” aren’t exactly beating down our doors to get in and check us out! The public at-large now doesn’t exactly look to the church as a welcoming place to find life’s answers and loving support!

Let’s get people talking about what we’re doing! Instead of focusing internally on providing “alternatives” and “family friendly” experiences, how about we think externally and go after those who aren’t in church?

In our case, we decided to make an effort to do something “different” than the usual. We have over 600 special cards that will act as a coupon for a free “treat” at the Midnight Rooster Coffee Shop in downtown Hartsville. No, we’re not getting a secret discount there or anything, but instead paying full price on every card that is redeemed! This is all in order to get our name out to those not expecting it!

It’s a simple idea, really. But at the same time it could be seen by some as “endorsing Halloween”. That’s not the case at all! We wanted to go where “the lost” will be at this weekend… our doorsteps! The purpose is to offer something different to those who aren’t in church and might not find themselves at a “trunk or treat” or “harvest festival”. Sometimes “outside the box” doesn’t always have to be hard! In this case, it’s actually pretty easy… just handing out cards to trick-or-treaters in our neighborhoods!

And you know what? We may not see any measurable “fruit” from it. Then again, we might get a lot of families outside of our normal social circles, who possibly weren’t even looking for a church, to come check TLC out one Sunday!

If you’d like to help, feel free to contact the church office at: info@thelivingchurch.tv

Be sure to let us know how many cards you’ll need this weekend!

Again, your passion (or lack thereof) will direct your thinking! Be open to new approaches in reaching goals, answers and people!

Proverbs 18:15 sums this up well:

“The intelligent man is always open to new ideas. In fact, he looks for them.”

Amen!

Yesterday was just “one of those days” where anything that could go wrong did. That in itself is the simple definition of what they call, “Murphy’s Law”. While it may not have been that disastrous, it sure seemed like it!

It almost seems “taboo” for pastors to publicly admit when a worship service didn’t go so well. Well, forget that because I think much can be learned from an experience like what happened yesterday!

After the “high” of last Sunday’s service (and previous Sundays), where everything went right, this time it just felt… I don’t know, “bad“. We’re in the middle of our “Love is all you need” series at TLC and yesterday was supposed to be another great service. Not sure if that was the case…

- Our worship team was depleted already due to some of our musicians/singers being out of town and the ones remaining messed up at least three times. “Messed up” as in: so-bad-they-started-the-songs-over-kind-of-bad. They all claimed to “have the songs down” but that likely wasn’t the case.

- Volunteers were late. One worship leader didn’t get there until an hour prior to service and the sound guy didn’t get there until 20 minutes before we started!

- While we had some new visitors there, many of our “usual crowd” were absent for whatever reason. Smallest number we’ve seen in months, probably. (again, after having steadily growing attendance)

- The battery in my mic pack went dead on stage. Had to go “old school tent revival” and preach a little louder! Otherwise, I think I did “fine” with the message, which at least made the service seemingly end well.

Now you have to realize something… pastors tend to over-analyze situations, especially their own “performance” or how the service went in general. It’s important because we are somewhat seen as caretakers of people’s spiritual lives! The thought that we might have negatively impacted someone’s relationship with God is downright burdensome! This guilt in knowing we “messed up” weighs like a ton-of-bricks for the rest of the day!

The thing is, those of us in ministry will often overlook the actual “results” that occurred, like someone being truly touched by the message or the music that day. Why is that? One reason is because the enemy tries to make us feel worthless in our work in order to hinder us from doing any further “damage” to his work! We simply cannot listen to that garbage! (This just doesn’t apply to church leaders, but to all believers!)

And you know what? Despite any hiccups, difficulties, or distractions… the Holy Spirit can still move! This has been a lesson I learned back in college when I studied Homiletics (the practice of delivering sermons). Our class watched a tape of Billy Graham from one of his crusade events, where he preached a pretty “vanilla” sermon (no fancy language, no dramatic inflection in his speech, no “compelling” illustrations) yet the response was overwhelming! Hundreds walked to the altar to receive Christ!

I can attest to this personally, where there were times that I thought I didn’t do my best (i.e. forgot a sermon point, mentioned the wrong scripture, or messed up an illustration) but there would be people at the altar or folks would tell me afterward that they “needed to hear that!”. On the contrary, I’ve had days where I felt that I hit all the points and delivered it with confidence and passion, but the response fell flat and I got no “compliments”! Funny how that works! We have to remember that all a sermon is supposed to be is God using us as His mouthpiece!

Thankfully, I get more of a sense of peace from Him in delivering His Word than making sure I get any sort of validation (or “ego-stroking”) from others! (God is much more reliable in that department, that’s for sure!)

On another note, pastors have a tendency to hype up a Sunday morning worship service on Facebook, Twitter, or in person (for good reason!). After the service, you’ll hear much of the same wording describing that service as “awesome”, “great”, “mind-blowing”, etc. (also for good reason!). So it may seem like us pastors are more like carnival barkers that try to get everyone’s attention! I’m guilty of this behavior, but by no means do I plan on stopping! Every week I believe wholeheartedly that God will move in our services and it’s important that people are there to experience it!

Needless to say, there was no “sugar-coating” to yesterday’s service. I spoke with our worship team and some of the volunteers after the service and everyone knew it could’ve (and should’ve) been a lot better. However, I told them that just as we “create our own luck”, we can also “create our own failure” when we’re not prepared! God can work through us despite any lack of preparation, but if it becomes a habit on our part, God will check us on it! When we fall on our face, that’s when we pick ourselves up and make sure it doesn’t happen again! We should always carry a sense of excellence with everything we do for Him!

While the content of this post may not speak to many of you reading, one thing you can take from it is this: Encourage your leaders when they fall!

The Apostle Paul writes in I Thessalonians 5:12-13 for us to:

“honor the officers of your church who work hard among you and warn you against all that is wrong. Think highly of them and give them your wholehearted love because they are straining to help you.”

One great example of this came yesterday when one of our worship leaders, a young man who has really grown into this role, finished playing and sat back down in the audience. A young couple that has been visiting our church slipped him a note thanking him for the work he does every Sunday leading our congregation into a time of worship! This totally made his day! He’s as bad as I am when it comes to self-critiquing, so having that word of encouragement certainly helps!

At least now you may have some insight on what goes on in the crazy heads of church leaders on a Sunday afternoon! Use this to realize that we’re just like you… normal, everyday human beings that will occasionally make a mistake (or two)! Pray for us that we continue leading you with confidence, humility and a hunger for His presence!

We’re in the middle of our “Love is all you need” series at TLC this month! I think last Sunday’s message has been my favorite to deliver (even though I guess I shouldn’t have “favorites”).

John 3:16 is likely the most famous passage in the Bible. It’s just about ingrained in our consciousness as the pledge of allegiance, “Jingle Bells” and the Golden Rule. It’s that well-known for a reason, in that it is a simple summary of what our faith in Christ brings us… salvation!

At the same time, we tend to focus too much on the latter half of that passage:

“that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

The whole “eternal life” is often the focus and rightfully so. Yet, the first half is no slouch either:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son”

Look at that for just a second… “For God so loved the world”. Not “hated”, “kind of liked”, “was fond of”, but instead “loved”! God loves His creation, mankind, so much that He would send His Son to die for us!

He loves us to such a degree that He doesn’t want to see us go to hell! That’s why He gave us Jesus Christ so that we would have a “way out” and get to experience senses of everlasting peace, joy, and strength through Him!

The best part about this is when realizing that we SO don’t deserve this kind of treatment! God didn’t have to do this, but He loves us like a great parent would for their child! (even better than that!)

That word “deserve” comes up a lot because most of the time we think we have to “earn” something that we receive! Thank God that He doesn’t share that opinion…

Romans 5 says:

“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.”

Two keywords in this passage:  powerless (like children!) and ungodly (rebellious sinners!). This accurately describes our state of being and the great need for God in our lives! That word “ungodly” of course means “unlike God”… and if God is the essence of love, purity, righteousness, etc. then what are we?

Notice there is doesn’t say “Christ died for the upstanding tax-paying citizens” or “Chris died for the Boy Scouts and Girls Scouts“. In other words, we are inherently bad! Just goes to show that although we’re unworthy, God gave us this great gift of love in Jesus Christ anyways!

This reminded me of when I was in my junior year of high school and my parents got me a new Pontiac Firebird! Man, that thing was sweet! It had chrome wheels, a loud “Monsoon” stereo, t-tops and a fast (but not-too-fast) V6 engine!

What did I do to deserve such a nice car as a 17 year old kid?

Was I a “straight A” honor roll student? Not quite.

Did I have a big scholarship waiting for me in college? I wish!

Could I have been described as a “perfect son”? Certainly not…

So why did I get this beautiful car? Because my parents had the means and loved me that much to give it to me! I was completely undeserving yet my parents blessed me anyways! What does that sound like? (Hmm…)

I had the nicest car on campus and there was some jealousy in the midst for sure. The envy from other students (and maybe even a few teachers!) existed because not only was it a nice car and I didn’t earn it, but also because they didn’t have one like it!

So how does this relate back to John 3:16? Two ways:

- God loves us so deeply that He offers this AWESOME free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ for ANYONE even though we can’t earn it nor do we deserve it! He SPOILS us! (in a good way, of course)

- This gift should be appreciated and used! It should make others jealous and want it for themselves!

I drove that car everywhere and enjoyed every minute of it! We should treat our relationship with Christ the same way! Make others want what we have! Let them know where they can get it too!

Lastly, don’t neglect this gift! I would eventually let the car go every now and then. (terrible, I know!) Brake dust on the wheels, dead bugs on the front end, dirty clothes in the backseat, a dent here or there… as a result, it became less desirable! Not just to me personally, but to others!

Needless to say, I didn’t always appreciate this great gift I was given. Make sure you don’t make the same mistake with your faith! Thank God for what He’s given you today! Clean off all of the “dirt” (sins, bad habits, negativity) and “shine” with joy so that others will want what you have!

On a side note: I sure do miss that car!

When the first light brightened the dark
Before the breaking of the human heart
There was You and there was me
Innocence was all I knew
‘Cause all I had to know was You
We were running underneath the trees

I wanna see you face to face
Where being in your arms is the permanent state
I want it like it was back then
I wanna be in Eden

I remember how You’d call my name
And I would meet You at the garden gate
How the glory of Your love would shine
And I remember when the stars were young
You breathed life into my lungs
Oh I never felt so alive

I wanna see you face to face
Where being in your arms is the permanent state
I want it like it was back then I wanna be in Eden

To be naked and unashamed
In a sweet down pour of innocent rain
I want it like it was back then
I wanna be in Eden

(Lyrics from Phil Wickham’s “Eden”)

The garden of Eden… many people don’t notice that it wasn’t just a “paradise”. Eden was where God had a one-on-one relationship with His favorite creation: man! Sin hadn’t gotten in the way yet and there was no distance, shame, or fear. As we all know, Adam and Eve giving into temptation and going against God’s command changed all of that. As a result, they realized they were naked and hid from God! Things were never the same since.

So what does the story of the “fall of man” have to do with us today? When planning my message for our First Year Celebration Service, I wanted God to give me a thought I could use to really convey what our church has done. The word “restoration” came to mind. It fit well because that’s what we’ve seen in the past year at TLC… many people getting restored to where God wants them to be, whether that meant being delivered from drugs, alcohol, depression, martial issues, etc.

We featured two “life stories” (another way of saying “testimonies”) of two of our church members who have been changed by God in a dramatic, meaningful way! It was probably the coolest part of our service!

The actual word restoration, as defined by Merriam-Webster, means “to bring back to a former condition or position”.

The “former condition” in this case, where sin didn’t separate us from Him. Where we had innocence and trust, rather than being blighted and fearful! Through the rest of the Old Testament, we see where God gave man ways to get our collective act together (“the law”, “the flood”, temple ordinances, sacrifices, you name it). However, it wasn’t until He came to this world in form of Jesus Christ and died for us where that distance between could be bridged!

The moment we accept Christ into our heart, something happens: we’re suddenly taken back to a place where our creator, who despite creating the universe and everything in it, chose to have a relationship with us! (Not the animals, stars, oceans, air, or anything else!) We were the only thing that He created to be like Him! By Jesus taking up our sins on the cross, He made it possible for us dirty-rotten sinners to get close with God (again)! The relationship with man and his creator was restored on Calvary!

When selling people on the idea of a relationship with Jesus Christ, we often make the mistake of putting our salvation only in the terms of “heaven and hell”. The thing is, that only deals with the eternal life we have waiting for us. This earthly life is worth talking about as well, when we “get right” with God and make Him first before all other things! That’s how we experience true senses of love, peace, joy, and truth that can’t be found anywhere else! (Only an intimate faith in Christ produces that!)

In midst of our weary day-to-day schedule, we often yearn for “paradise” (as Eden was described). Paradise, as it turns out, is actually intimacy with God, and not the luscious landscaped setting we picture in our heads. That’s also how heaven will be… not a place where our earthly comforts are magnified, but where we’re in a state of awe and praise towards the Almighty!

Remember this: God’s love is so great that He made it easy for us to find Him! This “way back” is called Jesus! It is through Christ where we find restoration to what God originally created us to be (like Him: “clean”, without sin, holy, righteous, merciful, and… loving)!