Jim Ladd

Kick Off Your Shoes

2012-01-25T10:06:00.000-08:00

As Moses tends his sheep out in the wilderness, he sees a burning bush and turns aside to see what's going on. God then informs him that he is standing on Holy Ground and should remove his shoes.

A spot in the wilderness becomes Holy Ground.

A spot in your wilderness - your routine journey - becomes Holy Ground, too. Wherever God is is Holy and He is everywhere you are!

Kick off your shoes - mentally, emotionally, and spiritually - you are on Holy Ground.

God is with you.

He wants to speak with you - tell you His dreams and plans - commission you for His purposes.

By the way, I don't recommend Moses' response as your own - "Who am I, that you should choose me?"

What God hears when we ask that is, "Who are You, that You should choose me?"

He knows what He is doing and His call is sufficient for your sufficiency.

One more "by the way" - things got quickly and intensely worse before they got better.

Even when we recognize our path as Holy Ground, and we dedicate our steps to Him, things can often get far worse for us, and for those we love, before God turns them around.

I wonder if that's to insure all glory is His, or to toughen us up for the ride. Who knows, but I think it's a certainty that obedience to God leads us into tremendous challenges.

And great victories!

Kick off your shoes - you are standing on Holy Ground because He is with you and He has a detailed plan for your good and His glory.

How Radical Is God's Grace?

2012-01-24T08:07:00.000-08:00

This debate has gone on for centuries, and will definitely continue. But today, I'd like to offer one major thought - on "aha!" moment for me.

But first, the debated question: How far does God's grace and forgiveness extend? How dependent is the application of His grace on our response to it?

Consider that for a moment...

Now consider this - as Christ was breathing his final breaths, He prayed, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do."

Question (my "aha!" moment) - Is it even possible that God would not answer the prayer of His own Son? Would God not answer His own prayer?

"They know not what they do"

And neither do we!

If God's Grace is water, the Church should be an ocean!

Let us love and forgive on God's behalf because those around us just don't know what they do.

Courage

2012-01-23T08:55:00.000-08:00

"Fear creates a form of spiritual amnesia. It dulls our memory and makes us forget what Jesus has done and how good God is." - Max Lucado

I'm recognizing in myself, at least in this current season, that my primary growth zone is in the arena of courage.

I used to think that courage meant being fearless, but that's just not true. Only naive or stupid people are fearless. I don't think God is asking for fearless.

I think God is asking for trust and confidence in Him. This produces courage - an acknowledgement of the risks, dangers, and enemies around us, along with an intentional decision to move forward courageously because of Him who is for us.

Here's the thing - God will not lose. He will not fail. He is absolutely reliable, True, and dependable. I am absolutely fearless about that.

Maybe the rub is that I'm not God - I don't even know for sure what He's thinking, planning, or doing much of the time. He can take every situation and use it in limitless ways to accomplish His mission and purpose.

So, courage is trusting the heart and mission of God so much that the outcomes on a daily basis just don't rank high enough to fret over. As long as I'm in alignment with God's purpose for me, the outcomes will all work together for my good.

In this I trust.

In God I trust.

I shall be courageous for His name's sake.

Snow Day Reflections

2012-01-18T13:31:00.001-08:00

We've got about 18 inches of snow in our yard, so I'm back from dropping my mom at SEATAC for her flight back to Texas and hunkered down for the day. It's a great time for some reflections of recent events and thinking:

* My daughter was a stunning bride and I'm so happy for her, Brian and Jaiden. They make a wonderful family and I am thankful to God for His favor.

* Had a great visit with my mom and, as usual, it sent me into a season of analysis and self-therapy about my family of origin, my dad (whose birthday is today and who died almost 33 years ago), and my identity as a man and follower of Jesus. It was meaningful to see my kids get reacquainted with their grandmother and her with them.

* Started reading a book about Hudson Taylor (missionary to China long ago) and I'm captivated by his guiding principle for life: Jesus Christ is sufficient - for everything. This resulted in a life without worry, anxiety, and loss - at least Taylor confesses. I'm wondering much about how far I am from that level of trust in Jesus and the possibility of a sustained level of complete trust like that...

* I began a new friendship and coaching relationship with a Pastor I admire - Rod Loy in North Little Rock, AR - and I've got much to reflect on from our first phone call and subsequent email. Thinking about time management, priorities, student ministry and team development at the staff level.

* Ministry is hard work - harder than probably ever before - and I'm occasionally suspect of my preparedness for it. But that leads me straight back into the Sufficiency of Christ conversation with Hudson Taylor.

* I'm beginning, finally, to get some traction on my goals for 2012. That is, I'm working out almost half an hour per day (thanks Tina for the help!), reading more (goal is a book a week), and working that coaching relationship.

I love my LORD, I'm truly enjoying my family, I love my church, and I'm blessed far beyond what I could ever deserve. I am humbled, grateful, and determined to honor God with a life well-lived.

I Want To Be A "But" Man

2012-01-10T09:05:00.000-08:00

The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the LORD said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.”
But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. (Genesis 6:5-8)

But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

That's possibly the biggest "but" in human history!

What if Noah had not found favor with God? The Bible would be only 5 pages long and you wouldn't be around to read this post. All of human history would be altered if Noah had not found favor.

What part of your history might be different if you find favor, or fail to, with God?

Who's history might be different based upon your level of favor with God?

Here is what I'm recognizing as I calculate my passion to find greater favor with God:

* Finding favor with God is not "accidental". It takes commitment and focus.

* Finding favor with God can not be a low priority - it requires first place

* Finding favor with God means His voice must be the loudest in my ears and drown out all other voices.

* Favor with God leads to awesome assignments for God - expensive, risky, painful, and rewarding assignments - I must evaluate my willingness to accept this.

What would you add to this list?

The Human Struggle In A Single Confession

2012-01-05T13:39:00.000-08:00

And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and so I hid.” (Adam to God - Genesis 3:10, after eating the fruit)

Hear is the core of the human struggle:

* I was afraid - the core human emotion. Fear dictates and distorts more human behavior than any other emotion. Fear sells products, creates medical crisis, ruins relationships, handicaps human potential, and inflicts an innumerable array of other effects.

* Because I was naked - the core human motivation. We build walls, wear masks, tell tales, and use a creative volume of methods to hide our nakedness and protect ourselves from the vulnerability of exposure. Our unwillingness to be exposed makes authentic intimacy and trust virtually impossible.

* So I hid - the core human strategy. We hide in success, glamor, wealth, sexual exploits, athletic prowess, academic accomplishment, and especially religion. Hiding is the reflex human strategy that sabotages the joy and power of community.

Consider taking your fears head on. Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the willingness to move forward in spite of our fears. What would you do right now if you were to make the courageous decision? Do it!

Consider full exposure to yourself, to God and to at least one trustworthy friend (spouse if you have one). Full exposure in the private place empowers us to live vulnerable, courageous and strong in the public place. Nothing to hide. No shame that haunts. Just freedom!

Consider refusing to hide. Identify your favorite hiding places and strategies, then refuse to default to them any longer. When you least feel up to it, come out of hiding and risk the exposure.

Followers of Jesus who are free from fear, have no shame in their nakedness, and live in the light of unhidden freedom can change the world!

One Thing

2012-01-04T08:45:00.000-08:00

"Everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love." (1 John 4:7-8)

This is the single identifier of your standing with God.

This is the common birth mark of all followers of Jesus.

The people of God love God and people, whom He so dearly loves.

Whoever does not love does not know God. Plain and simple.

Why is it that Christians choose other traits and expectations for one another? Things like smoking, for example.

In most churches, a man can be unkind, unloving, judgmental and arrogant without community pressure from his church family. But let him light a cigarette in the parking lot and suddenly people wonder if he's a believer at all.

Something is dreadfully wrong with that! Where did that come from and how do we eliminate it?

Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.

The Anatomy of Shame

2012-01-02T10:21:00.000-08:00

"The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame." (Genesis 2:25)

And that is the way God intended it.

No, not the always naked part, though it's interesting that God created the first nudist colony.

Nakedness and shame are inextricably linked.

The inability to be naked - vulnerable - exposed - transparent without shame is the problem. There are tons of reasons for this problem, including the fact that few people can be trusted with that kind of exposure to your flawed self. But, more importantly, we are not willing to be fully naked even to ourselves and God; to admit to ourselves who we really are, to name our flaws and failures, to embrace our ugliness so we can move forward - these are the things that hold us back.

The ability to be naked - vulnerable - exposed - transparent without shame, now that is what God had in mind for us. "Be fruitful and multiply - fill the earth and subdue it. Have a ball. Love, live, walk with me and enjoy it all - without shame."

Idea: Get totally naked before your own eyes and take it in. Confront your own shame. Confess your ugliness to God and yourself. Receive His unconditional forgiveness and acceptance. Then walk completely naked and without shame before God and yourself as a perpetual lifestyle. Refuse to allow shame any place in your life.

Then, walk confidently in your newness of life. Allow no one to place shame on you and offer to others the gift of shame-free love.

Wow - that sounds amazing.

Spiritual Health Self-Assessment Tool

2011-12-31T22:13:00.000-08:00

Every year, on the first Sunday of the year, I provide this Spiritual Health Self-Assessment tool to our church. I have been using this personally for about 10 years and started sharing it with others about 5 years ago.

Couple of key things to remember:

* Don't let this initiate a guilt trip! This is about seeing where you are growing and where you need to allow God to shine some light of revelation in your life. Don't focus on failure - focus on improvement.

* Don't worry about the "scores". Just look for the minimum factor - that area that scores lowest of all. The scores don't matter - what matters is seeing where you can or should focus first.

* Don't try to address every area at once. Gain ground in one area at a time and focus on a new area only after new habits are firmly engrained in the one you chose first.

Here you go:

My 2012 ANNUAL EXAM

2 Peter 1:3-11

1. My BODY
“Run in such a way as to get the prize. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” 1 Cor. 9:24-27
1-10 SCALE, 10=EXCELLENCE
_________ I eat in a way that fuels my body well
_________ I get a healthy amount of sleep.
_________ I am managing my weight
_________ I exercise consistently
_________ My sexual appetites are healthy & submitted

Total: _________ X 2 = _____________

2. My Spiritual FORMATION
“Train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” 1Tim. 4:8
1-10 SCALE, 10=EXCELLENCE
________ I am hearing from and growing in God
________ I’m self-aware and redemptive with myself
________ I have a few vital, redemptive relationships
________ I develop and use my spiritual gifts
________ I love and serve all people

Total: ___________X2 = _______________

3. My MIND
“For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he” Prov. 23:7
1-10 SCALE, 10=EXCELLENCE
________ I guard my thoughts
________ I am redeeming my memories
________ I am growing intellectually
________ I am dreaming God-sized dreams
________ I am seeking to know & pursue God’s will

Total: ___________X2 = _______________

4. My MONEY
“Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” 1 Tim. 6:10
1-10 SCALE, 10=EXCELLENCE
________ I Tithe (give the first 10% of my income to God) faithfully
________ I don’t worry about money
________ I live on less than I make
________ I care for the poor, widows, and orphans
________ I am generous as a lifestyle

Total: ________ X2 = __________

5. My FAMILY
“If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” 1 Timothy 5:8
1-10 SCALE, 10=EXCELLENCE
________ My family knows their value to me
________ I am serving my family spiritually
________ I give appropriate time & energy to them
________ I fight for my family (with prayer, encouragement, and forgiveness)
________ I choose words that are constructive

Total: ___________ X2= ____________

6. My WORK (or SCHOOL)
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” Colossians 3:23-24
1-10 SCALE, 10=EXCELLENCE
________ I work hard for God (as unto Him)
________ I am a positive reflection of Jesus
________ I exercise integrity on the job
________ My coworkers know I care for them
________ I perform with excellence

Total: ________ X2 = __________

Overall Score: (total of all 6 categories, divided by 6)

Christmas Reflections

2011-12-25T09:10:00.000-08:00

It is the most amazing story ever told! No one could make this stuff up - that the God of the universe responded to the rebellion and sin of His creation by taking on flesh and becoming ONE OF US - no longer to look over us, but to become one of us and be WITH us!

Not only that, but to do so in absolute humility, mercy, love and grace. No dominance. No asserting His power as LORD. No wrath, discipline, rebuke, or judgment.

God becomes a baby and we change His diapers.

He grows to demonstrate what allegiance to the Father looks like.

He lives without sin and in servitude to the poor, outcast, broken, and rejected.

He allows Himself to be betrayed all over again (as if the garden wasn't enough).

He takes on the weight of the wrath of God for the sins of the world.

He who knew no sin became sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God.

Love wins.

Kindness leads us to repentance.

Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Oh that I might learn these powerful and stunning Truths of the Christmas story.

The story of God.

The story of us.

Merry Christmas.

I Love Christmas Eve!!

2011-12-24T11:25:00.001-08:00

Today, billions of people will gather in worship to honor the birth of Jesus Christ - God become flesh to carry our sins on the cross. Wow!

If you have no church home, and you're anywhere near Olympia, WA, join us at Evergreen for Christmas Eve worship at 3pm, 4:30pm or 11:30pm. You're gonna love it! I know I will.

Tomorrow morning, we invite our ECC family to celebrate Christmas morning with their families. I will be posting a Christmas Morning blog for families to share together as an act of Sunday morning worship, if you choose to use it.

I love my Jesus and I love our church! Merry Christmas!!!

Is Your Life With God An Adventure?

2011-12-22T08:59:00.000-08:00

It should be!

"The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where its going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." -Jesus (John 3:8)

It seems that being born again carries with it an invitation to adventure - a life where you may not be able to tell where it comes from or where it's going!

I'm believing God for a fresh wind to blow in my life in 2012 - and in the life of our church.

That we will be attending to the move of the Spirit among us

That we will be letting His Word speak authoritatively in our lives

That we will raise our sails and let the movement of the Spirit direct our paths

That we will embrace and live the adventure!

Note: The adventure includes steep climbs, sharp curves, and gut-wrenching free-falls. It's not all fun, but it's worth it all.

Blow free in our lives, oh Holy Spirit!

5 Kinds of Church Folk

2011-12-21T10:27:00.000-08:00

I had a fascinating conversation with our Church Board members last night at dinner about the range of Christians we encounter in the church world. As I reflected on this later, I discerned 5 kinds of church folk:

* Many wonderful church folks have been trained for decades that good Christians major on behaviors, appearance, vocabulary, avoidance of things "secular", strict dating policies, external holiness, etc. These are wonderful people who are authentically trying to be all they can be for God and live their lives, individually and corporately, in a way that honors God.

* Some not-so-wonderful church folks have their identity wrapped up in their behaviors, appearances, vocabulary, avoidance of all things "secular", strict dating policies, external holiness, etc and are toxic because of their arrogance, theological view that salvation is somehow earned or lost because of these behavioral decisions, and judgmental attitude toward "different" people. These people, rare as they are, respond to any threat of their "holy identity" with frustration, hostility, and judgmental impatience.

* Some wonderful church folks believe that holiness is an inside job and that good Christians major on authenticity, transparency, humility, love for all humans, compassion, and "get-your-hands-dirty" faith in God. These people are trying to experience God's redemptive work deep in their souls before demonstrating it in their external behaviors.

* Some not-so-wonderful church folks believe that holiness is an inside job and that good Christians major on authenticity, transparency, humility, love for all humans, compassion, and "get-your-hands-dirty" faith in God, and they view all "get-it-right-to-reflect-God's-glory" folks as enemies of the Church, ignorant fools, and toxic threats to true godliness and community. These "authentic-no-rules-just-raw-honesty" kind of people, rare as they are, are as judgmental and arrogant as the pharisees because they stimulate division and animosity rather than love. They are harmful to the cause of Christ and alienate more people than they edify.

* The fifth kind of church folks are those who are fat, dumb, and happy. They aren't thinking deeply about any of this and are along for the ride. They are harmless to the church and impotent in contributing to its power to serve the mission of Jesus.

What do you think?

Which group is you?

What am I missing?

It's Better To Give Than Recieve - Or Is It?

2011-12-20T11:58:00.000-08:00

It is better to give than to receive.

If you are a strong person, chances are you believe this wholeheartedly. Which means you also probably believe you should always be competent, never make mistakes and always be strong. Or that you should only receive when you have something to give in return.

The problem with this attitude is that when you are in a situation where you don’t have a choice, and must receive, you are likely to feel humiliated, incompetent, weak, or needy.

It’s disconcerting because it challenges your self-image.

It’s easier to give than to receive, but not necessarily better.

9 reasons receiving is good

It reminds you that you’re not in charge
It keeps you humble
You allow others the opportunity to feel the pleasure of giving
You get to experience gratitude
You develop a realistic self-image
You create a space for others to shine
You begin to understand the stuff of true strength
You become a more well-rounded person
Your relationships become richer

It's not always good to give. Giving when people can help themselves takes away their power and opportunity to grow, and keeps them dependent.

What’s important is knowing when to give and when to receive.

There’s a time to give and a time to receive. When it’s your time to receive, just say “thank you.” And allow yourself to feel the pleasure of gratitude that naturally arises when you understand that at times, it’s better to receive than to give.

What's Holding You Back

2011-12-17T21:36:00.001-08:00

What is holding you back
- from giving God all you've got?
- from dreaming God-sized dreams?
- from believing God is in the thick of your story and working on your behalf?
- from being who you know God made you to be?

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." (Hebrews 12:1)

Almost all of us can identify what is holding us back from giving God all we've got, but we just can't seem to commit to this strategy:
- THROW OFF EVERYTHING THAT HINDERS

That thing between you and God - throw it as far away from you as possible!

The thing is, I've got to be more hungry for God than I am for that thing that's holding me back or entangling me.

Easier said than done. My flesh is powerful, selfish, and plays scared.

What God offers is sometimes too hypothetical for my flesh to trust.

What do I do?

Hebrews 12:2 (the next verse) - Fix my eyes on Jesus

He is the author of my faith - He birthed it in me. It comes from Him and finds itself fully in Him.

He is the perfecter of my faith - He, who began this good work in me, will continue it on to perfection.

He endured much worse suffering than me - for the joy set before Him - the joy of setting you free from sin and connecting you to the Father.

I can endure, too, as I fix my eyes on Him and know His joy.

Personal Velocity, cont.

2011-12-16T08:29:00.000-08:00

When it comes to personal velocity (speed and direction), there are 2 Key Promises of Jesus that live we must engage in perfect balance (tension) to experience and enjoy maximum God velocity in our lives.

1. The promise of a FULL LIFE.
"I have come that you may have life, and have it to the full." John 10:10

A full life is not a bigger TO-DO List.

It's a full life, not a full schedule.

2. The promise of REST
"Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls." Matthew 11:28-30

Life at the speed of God is about a full life AND rest for our souls.

It's less like NASCAR and more like MOUNTAIN CLIMBING - learning the rhythm of REACH and RENEW...pushing to the next level and then renewing your oxygen and physical resources before reaching another new height.

It's the secret of the easy yoke - bearing the Jesus burden.
"For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of Him who sent me." John 6:38

Personal Velocity

2011-12-15T08:43:00.000-08:00

My life is moving fast, but is it going anywhere?

Velocity = Speed + Direction

Speed without direction is CHAOS

Direction without speed is FANTASY

Speed AND Direction is FULFILLMENT

I want God Velocity!

Get Ready For 2012

2011-12-14T09:10:00.001-08:00

I love the coming of a New Year because it's a built-in call to recalibrate our lives and become intentional about moving forward over the next 12 months. Here are some ways to maximize this natural opportunity in your life:

1. Review and Celebrate 2011. Make a list of all the great things that happened in the past year, including your own accomplishments and the wonderful things that fell your way. Review the list and celebrate each one fully.

2. Consider How To Maximize. Take the top 3-5 events of last year and consider how you might have more effectively and intentionally leveraged those wonderful things to an even higher level of impact. What could you have done to squeeze every ounce of impact from those events? This exercise will help you prepare yourself to maximize this years great things.

3. Make a Short List of Regrets from 2011. What were the 1-3 things you wish you'd gotten accomplished, done differently, or pursued more intentionally last year?

4. Pray about the first 3 steps and spend time thanking God for His faithfulness, kindness, patience and forgiveness. Wrap the year up as fully reconciled with God.

5. Ask God - and truly listen for promptings - about what He would love to see happen in 2012. Make a list of 4-7 things you think God would LOVE to see happen in your life, family, marriage, ministry, etc. Make this a short list of top priorities and dreams. Dedicate that list to God.

6. Consider what you might do in advance to increase the chances of those things occurring next year. Ideas include getting a mentor/coach, planning chunks of your calendar far in advance, recruiting a prayer partner for specific goals, reading 2-5 books on a certain subject, starting a small group with similar dreams, etc.

7. Celebrate God's leadership in your life and dedicate the year to Him. Fast, pray, journal, worship, and spend time alone with God to give the year fully to Him.

What would you add to this list?

Colin Powell on Leadership, Part 4

2011-12-12T08:18:00.000-08:00

Here is a Leadership Primer from General Colin Powell, Chairman (Ret), Joint Chiefs of Staff. There are 18 Lessons, which I will spread over 4 posts. This is #4 of 4.

Lesson 14: "Great leaders are almost always great simplifiers, who can cut through the argument, debate and doubt, to offer a solution everybody can understand."

Leaders understand keeping it simple. They articulate vivid, over-arching goals and values, which they use to drive daily behaviors and choices among competing alternatives. Their visions and priorities are lean and compelling, not cluttered and buzzword-laden. Their decisions are crisp and clear, not tentative and ambiguous. They convey an unwavering firmness and consistency in their actions, aligned with the picture of the future they paint. The result: clarity of purpose, credibility of leadership, and integrity in organization.

Lesson 15: "Part 1: Use the formula P=40 to 70, in which P stands for the probability of success and the numbers indicate the percentage of information acquired. Part 2: Once the information is in the 40 to 70 range, go with your gut."

Don't take action if you have only enough information to give you less than a 40% chance of being right, but don't wait until you have enough facts to be 100% sure, because by then it is almost always too late. Today, excessive delays in the name of information-gathering breeds "analysis paralysis". Procrastination in the name of reducing risk actually increases risk.

Lesson 16: "The commander in the field is always right and the rear echelon is wrong, unless proved otherwise."

Too often, the reverse defines corporate culture. This is one of the main reasons why leaders like Ken Iverson of Nucor Steel, Percy Barnevik of Asea Brown Boveri, and Richard Branson of Virgin have kept their corporate staffs to a bare-bones minimum - how about fewer than 100 central corporate staffers for global $30 billion-plus ABB? Or around 25 and 3 for multi-billion Nucor and Virgin, respectively? Shift the power and the financial accountability to the folks who are bringing in the beans, not the ones who are counting or analyzing them.

Lesson 17: "Have fun in your command. Don't always run at a breakneck pace. Take leave when you've earned it: Spend time with your family. Corollary: surround yourself with people who take their work seriously, but not themselves, those who work hard and play hard."

Herb Kelleher of Southwest Air and Anita Roddick of The Body Shop would agree: seek people who have some balance in their lives, who are fun to hang out with, who like to laugh (at themselves, too) and who have some non-job priorities which they approach with the same passion that they do their work. Spare me the grim workaholic or the pompous pretentious "professional"; I'll help them find jobs with my competitor.

Lesson 18: "Command is lonely"

Harry Truman was right. Whether you're the CEO or the temporary head of a project team, the buck stops here. You can encourage participative management and bottom-up employee involvement, but ultimately the essence of leadership is the willingness to make the tough, unambiguous choices that will have an impact on the fate of the organization. I've seen too many non-leaders flinch from this responsibility. Even as you create an informal, open, collaborative corporate culture, prepare to be lonely.

"Leadership is the art of accomplishing more than the science of management says is possible."

Colin Powell on Leadership, Part 3

2011-12-10T15:18:00.000-08:00

Here is a Leadership Primer from General Colin Powell, Chairman (Ret), Joint Chiefs of Staff. There are 18 Lessons, which I will spread over 4 posts. This is #3 of 4.

Lesson 10: "Never let your ego get so close to your position that when your position goes, your ego goes with it."

Too often, change is stifled by people who cling to familiary turfs and job descriptions. One reason that even large organizations wither is that managers won't challenge old, comfortable ways of doing things. But real leaders understand that, nowadays, every one of our jobs is becoming obsolete. The proper response is to obsolete our activities before someone else does.

Lesson 11: "Fit no stereotypes. Don't chase the latest management fads. The situation dictates which approach best accomplishes the team's mission."

Flitting from fad to fad creates team confusion, reduces the leader's credibility, and drains organizational coffers. Blindly following a particular fad generates rigidity in thought and action. Leaders honor their core values, but they are flexible in how they execute them. They understand management techniques are not magic mantras but simply tools to be reached for at the right times.

Lesson 12: "Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier"

The ripple effect of a leader's enthusiasm and optimism is awesome. So is the impact of cynicism and pessimism. Leaders who whine and blame engender those same behaviors among their colleagues. Spare me the grim litany of the "realist", give me the unrealistic aspirations of the optimist any day.

Lesson 13: "Powell's Rules for Picking People: Look for intelligence and judgment, and most critically, a capacity to anticipate, to see around corners. Also look for loyalty, integrity, a high energy drive, a balanced ego, and the drive to get things done."

How often do our recruitment and hiring processes tap into these attributes? You can train a bright, willing novice in the fundamentals of your business fairly readily, but it's a lot harder to train someone to have integrity, judgment, energy, balance, and the drive to get things done. Good leaders stack the deck in their favor right in the recruitment phase.

What are you learning so far?

Colin Powell on Leadership, Part 2

2011-12-09T13:19:00.000-08:00

Here is a Leadership Primer from General Colin Powell, Chairman (Ret), Joint Chiefs of Staff. There are 18 Lessons, which I will spread over 4 posts. This is #2 of 4.

Lesson 6: "You don't know what you can get away with until you try"

You know the expression, "it's easier to get forgiveness than permission." Well, it's true. Good leaders don't wait for official blessing to try things out. They're prudent, not reckless. But they also realize a fact of life in most organizations: if you ask enough people for permission, you'll inevitably come up against someone who believes his job is to say, "no". So the moral is, don't ask. If I haven't been explicitly told I can't do it, I can.

Lesson 7: "Keep looking below surface appearances. Don't shrink back from doing so (just) because you might not like what you find."

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it" is the slogan of the complacent, the arrogant or the scared. It's an excuse for inaction and a call to non-arms. It's a mind-set that assumes (or hopes) that today's realities will continue until tomorrow in a tidy, linear, and predictable fashion. Pure fantasy.

Lesson 8: "Organization doesn't really accomplish anything. Plans don't accomplish anything either. Theories of management don't much matter. Endeavors succeed or fail because of the people involved. Only by attracting the best people will you accomplish great deeds."

In a brain-based economy, your best assets are people. We've heard this expression so often that it's become trite. But how many leaders really "walk the talk" with this stuff? Too often, people are assumed to be empty chess pieces to be moved around by grand viziers, which may explain why so many top managers immerse their calendar time in deal making, restructuring and the latest management fad. How many immerse themselves in the goal of creating an environment where the best, the brightest, the most creative are attracted, retained and, most importantly, unleashed?

Lesson 9: "Organization charts and fancy titles count for next to nothing."

Organization charts are frozen, anachronistic photos in a work place that ought to be as dynamic as the external environment around you. If people really followed organization charts, companies would collapse. In well-run organizations, titles are also pretty meaningless. At best, they advertise some authority, an official status conferring the ability to give orders and induce obedience. But titles mean little in terms of real power, which is the capacity to influence and inspire.

Have you ever noticed that people will personally commit to certain individuals who on paper (or the org chart) possess little authority, but instead possess pizzazz, drive, expertise, and genuine caring for teammates and products? On the flip side, non-leaders in management may be formally anointed with all the perks and frills associated with high positions, but they have little influence on others, apart from their ability to extract minimal compliance to minimal standards.

More tomorrow...

Colin Powell on Leadership, Part 1

2011-12-08T10:42:00.000-08:00

Here is a Leadership Primer from General Colin Powell, Chairman (Ret), Joint Chiefs of Staff. There are 18 Lessons, which I will spread over 4 posts.

Lesson 1: "Being responsible sometimes means pissing people off"

Sometimes people will get angry at your actions and decisions - It's inevitable if your honorable. Trying to get everyone to like you is a sign of mediocrity. Giving into this tendency will ensure that the only people you will anger the most or the most creative and productive people on the team.

Lesson 2: "The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help them or concluded that you don't care. Either case is a failure of leadership."

Stop building, and start removing, barriers to upward communication. Create a culture that asking for help is not a sign of weakness. Be available and accessible. Show concerns for the efforts and challenges faced by team members. Create an environment where problem analysis replaces blame.

Lesson 3: "Don't be buffaloed by experts and elites. Experts often possess more data than judgment. Elites can become so inbred that they produce hemophiliacs who bleed to death as soon as they are nicked by the real world."

Small companies and start-ups don't have the time for analytically detached experts. They don't have the money to subsidize the lofty elites, either. But as companies get bigger, they often forget who "brought them to the dance". Policies that emanate from ivory towers often have an adverse impact on the people out in the field who are fighting the wars or bringing in the revenues. Real leaders are vigilant and combative in the face of these trends.

Lesson 4: "Don't be afraid to challenge the pros, even in their own backyard."

Learn from the pros, observe them, seek them out as mentors and partners. But remember that even the pros may have leveled out in terms of their learning and skills. Sometimes even the pros can become complacent and lazy. Leadership does not emerge from blind obedience to anyone. (my addition: anyone, except Jesus)

Lesson 5: "Never neglect details. When everyone's mind is dulled or distracted, the leader must be doubly vigilant."

Strategy equals execution. All the great ideas and visions in the world are worthless if they can't be implemented rapidly and efficiently. Good leaders delegate and empower others liberally, but they pay attention to details, every day. Good leaders, even as they pay attention to details, continually encourage people to challenge the process. They implicitly understand that the job of a leader is not to be the chief organizer, but the chief dis-organizer.

10 Vital Systems Review for a Church

2011-12-07T09:49:00.000-08:00

Here are the questions our Church must answer well to insure that we stay on mission with clarity, simplicity and passion:

1. How are we helping people far from God find their way back?

2. How are we helping people encounter the Living God?

3. How are we helping people establish intergenerational relationships?

4. How are we helping people discover and establish spiritual disciplines?

5. How are we helping people show Jesus to the world through service and witness?

6. What are we doing to partner with and equip families?

7. How are we producing spiritually interdependent young adults?

8. How are we reproducing leaders?

9. How are we helping people discover, develop, and deploy their spiritual gifts?

10. How are we reproducing churches?

What questions would you add to this list?

Partnership is Required

2011-12-06T09:35:00.000-08:00

Back on the subjects of compassion, generosity, and toxic charity:

"For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat." (2 Thessalonians 3:10)

For developmental compassion to work - for generosity and charity to truly help a person of poverty in the long run, it must include a partnership. Both parties sharing in mutual respect and dignity, giving and receiving in ways that make everyone better and that demean no one.

For example, I have discovered that there are three kinds of homeless people in Olympia. There are the ones who have suffered a catastrophic blow that has put them into emergency homelessness. They had a catalytic event from which they could not economically recover and are now living homeless while they figure out a way back into mainstream society.

The second group are the ones who choose to be homeless. They love the freedom, the lack of responsibility and the simplicity of life that comes with only concerning themselves with where they will eat next. I'm over simplifying, for sure, but these people choose homelessness and, if offered a constructive way out, would decline.

The final group are the mentally ill - the ones who simply do not have the mental, emotional and social resources to make it on their own. They have been abandoned, or abandoned themselves, to the streets because other ways of life are not viable.

Each kind of person needs, deserves, and requires a different type of partnership. That means relationships are vital to sustainable support and success in these efforts and even in determining what "success" looks like.

As I continue to seek wisdom on how to respond personally, and lead a church in responding corporately, these are the issues we need to resolve. We need to answer this complex question: "How do we help, give, and serve in ways that demonstrate dignity, increase the likelihood of sustainability, and stimulate personal responsibility?"

Huge issues - what are your thoughts?

The Ultimate Clarity Guide

2011-12-05T13:37:00.000-08:00

"So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God." (Romans 14:12)

One day, you, as I, will stand completely alone before God and give a final accounting of our lives. On that day you will not be able to point your finger anywhere for support, blame, or assistance.

You and God.

Alone.

This is one thing that helps me sustain clarity in my decision making and lifestyle. Here are some ways it might be helpful:

* No excuses allowed. It doesn't matter what your circumstances are, who is mistreating you, how unfair your opportunities are, etc. The only thing that matters is your response and decision - the things you can control.

* No blaming allowed. The things God will hold you accountable for have nothing to do with anyone else. You can not, with integrity, say that God's evaluation of you is someones fault.

* Be courageous. The stakes are high and the only one accountable for them is you. Don't be weak and don't seek to please others - seek to please God and plant your flag firmly in that tierra firma.

* Let the wishes, honor, glory, and will of God be your guide. These are why you can still fog a mirror. You exist to bring honor and glory to God while you execute His will on the earth. Focus on these and let them guide your decisions.

What would you add to this list?

A Quick Gut Check

2011-12-01T09:08:00.000-08:00

"We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Thessalonians 1:3

Here is a very quick gut check on how you're doing in some basics of faith:

1. Is your faith producing work? Work is a very natural product of faith. Those who truly believe actually produce in direct proportion to their faith. No work, by definition, means no faith is present. Little work indicates little faith. etc. What is your faith producing?

2. Is your love prompting labor? When we love someone, we are prompted to labor on their behalf. We intuitively see ways to serve, support, lighten loads, and construct good into the lives of the ones we love. Are you loving God and people such that you find yourself consistently prompted to invest and labor for them?

3. Is your hope in Jesus inspiring endurance? When authentic hope in Jesus is present in our hearts, we have a corresponding ability to endure all things. The loss of hope also results in the loss of our ability to endure. Perhaps the worst of all human conditions is the loss of all hope. Are you finding endurance fueled by your hope in Christ?

As we head into Christmas, we who are followers of Jesus have cause to celebrate with more joy, gratitude, and hope than those who have no faith.

Consider Your Structural Integrity

2011-11-29T08:03:00.000-08:00

Chuck Stecker introduced this discussion at our Men's Retreat last month, and I continue to reflect on it. Maybe they'll help you, too.

Consider the difference between character and integrity, and then evaluate your current state of integrity.

Character is about the outward performance. It is about performing well, consistently, and as expected. Your characteristics are the patterns of your performance - what you consistently and predictably do in a variety of circumstances. That's your character.

Your integrity, though, is about your structure - the internal and structural realities that enable you to perform with consistent character.

An airplane has flight characteristics that are consistent and that we depend upon. When an airplane fails to perform to it's character, there is an integrity problem. These problems can come from 5 sources - and so do our integrity problems:

1. Poor raw materials - The materials used to craft the airplane - or your life - are inferior or incapable of sustaining consistent flight. Many people place the blame for their integrity failures right here. "I was born depraved. I am incapable of living with consistent character". The Truth is that we were, in fact, born broken. Sin flowed in our veins before we even knew what sin was! But the blood of our Savior cleanses us from every wrong and makes us a new creation. We need to raise the bar on the holiness we are capable of in Christ and stop excusing ourselves with what amounts to, "Jesus' blood is just not strong enough to set me free from my sin".

2. Poor construction - The materials were solid, but the craftsmanship that assembled the materials into an airplane were faulty. "I was born with handicaps or defects", or "My family of origin was such a dysfunctional mess that I'm relearning the basics of life and still a mess", etc. There is, truly, much re-forming work to be done in all of our hearts.

3. Fair wear and tear - Ongoing maintenance, repair and restoration are required to keep great equipment operating greatly. Poor maintenance, over time, undermines the integrity of the aircraft to perform consistently. The same is true of you and I.

4. Extreme wear and tear - Sometimes aircraft encounter extreme conditions and suffer the effects of wear and tear that is accelerated by those experiences. So do you and I.

5. Contamination in the system - if an interior support structure is compromised by a small explosive or sabotage, the system actually turns on itself and blows it's integrity from the inside out. Internal and structural systems require consistent inspection and protection from contamination that compromises integrity.

So where are you? What line of attack is threatening your integrity?

One last thought - When you are tired, you need rest. When you are weary, you need restoration. There's a big difference. Which do you need?

Where Miracles Happen

2011-11-23T08:52:00.000-08:00

In Matthew 7, Jesus heals a couple of severely demon-possessed dudes and cast their "legion" of demons into a herd of pigs, who immediately run off a cliff and drown in the lake. The pig-herders (shepherds?) run to town and spread the story. The entire town comes out and begs Jesus to leave their region.

Stick with me because this is going somewhere interesting.

I have a conviction that God's best miraculous kind of work occurs at either end of the bell curve, illustrated above. Here's why:

* The middle (sweet spot?) of the curve is the "Solve our Problems - Save our Pigs" kind of crowd. Why did Jesus do the whole "bay of pigs" thing anyway? Wasn't it to see if people matter more than pigs to this town? The middle of the curve are people who are educated, socially skilled, economically strong, and winning at the game of life. They do, in fact, value their "pigs" more than people - especially the kind of people who are already disenfranchised and voted "most likely to draw a legion of demons".

In Matthew 8, Jesus explains to the Pharisees why he eats with "tax collectors and sinners" by saying it is the sick who need a doctor, not the healthy. The swell of the bell curve are the "healthy" who believe they are in no need of a doctor.

* The extremes are where the miracles can really happen because these are the disenfranchised (by their lack of education, social skills, economic strength, and "game of life" skills) at one end and the exceptionally gifted "genius" types at the other end. (Genius types rarely thrive emotionally and socially in the sweet spot of American culture)

God does His best miraculous work (my working theory at least) on the outer edges, because in the "healthy" zone, we prefer our pigs more than miracles. If God is going to offer miracles that disrupt our sense of "health", then we aren't interested. We prefer our way of life, comfort, and logical predictability over the miraculous. And we love our stuff and comfort more than those pesky demon-possessed folks on the outer edges of culture.

I'm curious - do you agree and how does this make you feel?

Where are you on the bell curve?

Generosity and Compassion with Dignity

2011-11-22T08:45:00.001-08:00

I'm spending a significant amount of reading, thinking, praying and evaluating lately on this matter of generosity and compassion with dignity. There are some books I would recommend if you're on this journey as well:

Toxic Charity: How Churches and charities hurt those they help and how to reverse it
by Robert D. Lupton

The Hole in Our Gospel: What does God expect of us? The answer that changed my life and might just change the world by Richard Stearns

Transformation: How glocal Churches transform lives and the world by Bob Roberts

Sub-merge (Living deep in a shallow world: Service, justice and contemplation among the world's poor) by John b. Hayes

Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger: A Biblical Study by Ronald J. Sider

I plan to write a few posts on the concepts I'm wrestling with. I'd love it if you join me in this journey!

"Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you."Matthew 6:1-4

I confess that I have a growing pet peeve. I'm curious if it ever bothers you. It's when I see, as I do in high volume ever day, tweets about the great service projects people are doing in their church, small group, or family. I've seen enough of these to last me a lifetime.

I think they bother me because of the passage above. I don't think this is what Jesus had in mind - "Go serve all people in my name, give to the needy, care for the orphan and the widow...and tweet about it frequently so men can see your good works."

It seems to me that God more envisioned a people that would express generosity as a lifestyle - every single day of our lives - and the word will spread by the lips of those being served. Jesus never set aside a "serve Sunday" or "Serve Week". He simply loved, served, touched, and cared every day, every year, every moment, in every opportunity. The crowds grew huge without one tweet, one facebook post or one newsletter.

I dream of church families that serve extravagantly, generously, and without any fanfare...all the time.

What am I missing? What are your thoughts?

Tebowing

2011-11-18T14:33:00.001-08:00

Last night Tim Tebow orchestrated a 95-yard, game-winning drive in the final five minutes of the Bronco-Jets game. He was a mere mortal before that, but was, once again, the last minute hero (some say, "savior") for the Broncos who are 4-1 in his five starts.

In his post-game interview, Tebow began almost every answer with something like, "Well, first I have to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and my teammates who really make these things happen..."

"What was the key to that final drive, Tim?"
"My Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ was with me and my teammates made it happen"

"What were you thinking during that final drive, Tim?"
"My Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and my teammates could really make this happen"

"What color are the Broncos' Jerseys, Tim"
"My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and my teammates really love blue and orange."

OK, I made the last one up, but no question, this is part of what makes people so divided on Tebow. And, in fairness to them, how would we believers feel if he was a Muslim and gave praise and credit to Allah in every statement of his interviews?

Last night, as my son and I watched the interview, I was struck by 2 things:

1. My son asked, "I wonder how the Christian players on the Jets feel about these answers? Does Jesus like Tebow more than He likes them? Is Jesus a Bronco fan?"
We must be careful of this kind of thing when we thank God for things like victories, surviving storms that killed other people, etc.

2. Tebow is laser-beam focused. You gotta respect that. The man is absolutely consistent in his devotion to Jesus, his commitment to God's mission for his life, and his desire to live this life out loud. I'm moved and inspired by that.

These are just a few of my own thoughts...by the way, I am a Tebow fan and hope he can have a great career, in spite of his non-typical style of play.

Men, You Have Gotta Read This!

2011-11-16T18:39:00.000-08:00

This is from a Blog called, Unearthed Pictures - POWERFUL!
By Tony

I ASK MEN ABOUT THEIR SEXUAL BEHAVIOR ALL THE TIME.

Most guys are surprisingly honest when anonymity is a factor. We’ve spoken about porn, oral sex, prostitution, lust, marriage, thoughts, immorality, intimacy, desires, homosexuality, masturbation, sexual abuse, incest, greed and idolatry. I’ve eaten meals with pastors, executives, bankers, doctors, religious people, church planters, frat guys, students, entrepreneurs, traffickers and average guys that work 40 hours a week and stay relatively pure. Family guys. Single guys. Mentally disabled guys. Prisoners. Abusers. Protectors.

THE MAJORITY OF US ARE SEXUALLY BROKEN. LET’S JUST GET THAT OUT ON THE TABLE.

Most of us had absent fathers. 1 in 5 of us were sexually abused. Every one of us has learned the art of concealing sin. 80-90% of men in the church are currently using pornography. Some of us don’t need a girlfriend because we’re in full-fledged relationship with our hand or laptop. And some of us know the feeling of cold emptiness after leaving a strip club or a brothel. Some of you men know what its like to go to sleep next to an empty shell of a woman that used to be your wife because your infatuation with photoshopped women has extinguished the intimacy. You’re no longer lovers…you’re roommates with children. Some of you are fathers that see your sexual sin manifested in your children, but you’re too fearful to expose it in your own life…regardless of the damage its doing to your marriage and family. “What if coming out with this stuff makes things worse?” is the only question you’ve thought of.

I know where you’re at. I know what you’re thinking. And I know the lies you’re deceived by. I’ve been where some of you are at.

A good friend of mine has battled sexual addiction all of his life. He’s a graduate of Bible college and is part of a healthy church. He’s got a lovingly invasive community and has had numnerous Godly mentors pushing him towards Jesus for the last 7 years…but he still uses pornography every chance he gets – disabling the X3 watch on his phone and computer. If he’s alone for longer than 30 minutes with an internet connection, he begins searching for filth. He still habitually masturbates. He lies about his sin. He conceals his secrets. He manipulates Christian women into sinning with him…then he lies about that. He exemplifies the epitome of selfishness and a lack of self control.

But he also calls Jesus his Lord…

Are you that guy?

It’s a complete anomaly to me…that men can be sexually enslaved while following Jesus….yet that’s what the overwhelming majority of them tend to be living.

Can the two coexist? Are they diametrically opposed? Isn’t one the antithesis of the other?

I’m not going to quote your favorite authors…or offer free accountability software. I don’t have a PDF to read or an invitation to a men’s conference. You’ve already tried those things. You’ve read “Every Man’s Battle” and made countless commitments…which you’ve broken. You’ve tried accountability. You’ve gone through a “freedom session.” You’ve confessed your sin. You’ve been rebuked. You’ve disconnected the internet. You’ve been kicked out of the house. You’ve destroyed the computer. You’ve memorized the Word of God. You’ve pleaded with Jesus to remove the thorn in your flesh. You’ve shouted, screamed and wept. You’ve tried everything…and you’re still shackled.

I WANT TO BURN A DIFFERENT KIND OF IMAGE INTO YOUR MIND:

Just imagine for a moment that this is reality:

You’re on a battlefield. It’s dark. Chaotic. Cold wind is whipping your face. The stench of death fills the air. Corpses of demons lie all around you…and the field is soaked in blood.

You can hear the sounds of armor and weapons colliding…sparks are flying. Screams pierce your ears.

You see chiseled, powerful beings radiating in white…and they’re destroying shadows…gripping the throats of principalities and slitting them with iridescent blades.

But you’re without armor. You wonder how you got to this place…and why you came unprepared.

Men that you recognize are rushing the opposite direction – spears aligned…ready to throw. Swords sharpened, shields fixed, helmets lowered…they’re ready for battle. They’re calling for you to join them. They’re rushing for the the front lines – and they’re unafraid. They know they’ve been given victory.

But not you…you’ve got your pants down around your ankles. You’re roaming in circles looking for the seductress that’s calling you by name.

You can’t wait to fornicate on the battlefield.

And all the while, the Kingdom is coming. The lost are being found. The sick are being healed. Demonic assignments are being cancelled. The veil is being lifted off of Islam…and the persecuted church is exponentially growing in the face of opposition. Jesus is authoritatively mediating a covenant – and the Spirit is interceding for the children of God…breathing life into dry bones.

You? You want an orgasm.

LET ME REMIND YOU WHO YOU ARE:

You are God’s child | John 1:12

You are a friend of Jesus | John 15:15

You have been justified | Romans 5:1

You’ve been united with the Lord and are one with him in Spirit | 1 Corinthians 6:17

You’ve been bought with a price…you belong to God | 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

You’re a member of Christ’s body | 1 Corinthians 12:27

You’ve been chosen by God and adopted as his child | Ephesians 1:3-8

You’ve been redeemed and forgiven of all your sins | Colossians 1:13-14

You are complete in Christ | Colossians 2:9-10

You have direct access to the throne of grace through Jesus | Hebrews 4:14-16

You are free from condemnation | Romans 8:1-2

You cannot be separated from the love of God | Romans 8:28

You are free from any condemning charges against you | Romans 8:31-34

You’ve been established, anointed and sealed | 2 Corinthians 1:21-22

You were washed…you were sanctified. You were justified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God | 1 Cor 6:11

You are hidden with Christ in God | Colossians 3:1-4

God started this work in you, and he will bring it to completion | Phil 1:6

You are a citizen of heaven | Philippians 3:20

You haven’t been given a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind | 2 Timothy 1:7

You are born of God, and the evil one cannot touch you | 1 John 5:18

You are a branch of Jesus Christ, the true vine, and a channel of His life | John 15:5

You have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit | John 15:16

You are God’s temple | 1 Corinthians 3:16

You are a minister of reconciliation | 2 Corinthians 5:17-21

You are seated with Jesus Christ in the heavenly realm | Ephesians 2:6

You are God’s workmanship | Ephesians 2:10

You can approach God with freedom and confidence – not because of your obedience…but because of Jesus’ obedience | Ephesians 3:12

When you are faithless, he will remain faithful…because he cannot disown himself | 2 Timothy 2:13

Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son?

YOU’VE BEEN EATING WITH PIGS LONG ENOUGH. COME HOME, SON.

Customer Service From a Different Airline

2011-11-16T18:05:00.000-08:00

So after my horrible experience with Delta, I was absolutely in shock and awe from the service I received from Alaska Airlines today.

I made a major blunder and mistakenly booked tickets for three of us to return from Houston to Seattle for November 30, instead of today. I did not discover this until all three of us were standing at the ticket counter three hours before the flight I thought I put us on. (turns out, we were 14 days early!)

Obviously, I puckered up and expected to pay out the nose to get on this flight, if there was even room for us. Two customer service agents got their heads together and got us on the flight at no extra charge! They had to work very hard to accomplish this heroic task and did so with joy and laughter.

I was so impressed and grateful that I bought them their favorite Starbucks drinks and delivered them to the counter with a smile.

If only we could all learn the power of great attitudes and outstanding customer service!

The Driver's Seat and the Road Map

2011-11-15T07:41:00.000-08:00

In assessing your own health and focus as a leader - and all followers of Jesus are leaders - there are two options worthy of your consideration and reflection. One is a healthy leader and the other should never be in a place of leadership until the following issues are resolved.

Two Options:

1. You have an internal locus of control and an external focus. That means that your decision making, values, emotional health, soul compass, etc all come from within. You are allowing your own mind, heart, and soul to direct and evaluate your history, current reality and future focus - because you and Jesus are in the driver's seat. Meanwhile, you have an external focus because you recognize that the mission of Jesus, and life itself, are bigger than you and you were made for impact and service to that mission. With one tiny exception, the world is made up entirely of others. You embrace and serve that reality.

2. You have an external locus of control and an internal focus. That means you allow the opinions and expectations of others to control your decision making, emotional health, and navigational compass. This places you in the victim chair and you feel controlled by your surroundings, circumstances, and others' expectations of you. This is compounded by an internal focus which puts you and your pain, needs, wishes, etc at the center of the universe. You are responsible for nothing but demand everything. This might not even be arrogance - it might be self-loathing, but it's still self-absorbed.

If you're a 2 - please vacate all leadership roles and seek health immediately and intentionally.

Why Americans Hate The Airline Industry

2011-11-14T20:41:00.000-08:00

So I will be in Houston with 2 friends/co-laborers this week and I need to change our flights home from Thursday morning to Wednesday night, due to a death in the family.

Our Thursday flight home is on Delta Airlines, with a layover in Salt Lake City. The gracious people of Delta said they would be generous and waive the "change fee" for each ticket, due to the funeral, if I would kindly provide the funeral information, which I did. Get this...the change in fare costs were going to be $500 per person!

While they put us on hold, we checked online for one-way tickets from Houston to Seattle on Wednesday night and found non-stops as low as $197! Not only that, Delta offers one for $247. But, out of the kindness of their heart, they were going to sell give me a bereavement deal of $500 each.

Wow.

Next time the airline industry whines about how tough the market conditions are, you can imagine the sympathy I'll muster up on their behalf!

Organization: Friend or Foe?

2011-11-11T12:19:00.004-08:00

This morning I did a 2-minute video for a leadership training event on how organization helps accomplish Church health. Here are my thoughts about Organization and health:

To organize is to bring interdependent parts into a whole for a united purpose.

The thing about being organized is that it is equally easy, maybe even easier, to have systems and organization that promote poor health as it is to organize in ways that promote health.

Organization is about systems - ways of doing things - guard rails and boundaries for doing things - systemic responses to various circumstances - etc. Systems either help an organization be healthy or they actually promote poor health.

Key words:
Safeguard - Synchronize - Stimulate

Systems and organization activate all three of these "S" words - for good or for bad.

Systems either safeguard the vision and values of a group or they sabotage those safeguards.

Systems have the power to synchronize the efforts of many parts into one common vision or mission. They also have the power to keep that from happening.

Systems can stimulate more responsibility among team members because they have corresponding authority within the guardrails of the system. Systems can also encourage people to withhold themselves and become demotivated.

Systems are powerful if they safeguard the core, synchronize the efforts and energies of teammates and stimulate the consistent outcomes that drive healthy growth.

Which of your current systems promote health and growth? Which ones hinder?

Some Things I'm Excited About

2011-11-10T19:39:00.002-08:00

Due in no part to my own talents, intelligence, or worthiness, I frequently enjoy some wonderful opportunities to watch and participate in some cool stuff. Here is a rundown of the most recent things I'm grateful for and excited about:

1. We just finished a series of classes to help newcomers to ECC to join the church, identify their gifts, callings, and temperament, and find their way into community and service in our church. I got to meet an impressive group of people and watch them get excited about who God made them to be and what God made them to do.

2. Our staff continues to delight my heart and challenge my mind as we serve ECC together. A great group of passionate thinkers who work very hard to see the mission of Jesus gain traction in our city, region and world.

3. I spoke to a Pastoral Ministry class at Northwest University today and totally enjoyed meeting students and talking with them about the spiritual health, growth and development of ministry leaders. Really fun!

4. My Father-in-law got another great report from the Dr. today and is just doing amazing. They will be going to the Philippines for Christmas to see their other daughter and I'm so thrilled at his progress, attitude, and strength. He is one of my heroes!

5. Our Men's Retreat is this weekend and I can't wait to see what God is going to do among our men. This is gonna be a weekend the guys will never forget and the birthplace of some great works of God.

6. My 21-year old daughter, Tina, is moving here to live with us in just 8 days! So cool to have her here as she pursues her education.

7. My 23-year old son and his wife (Tim and Brittany) are moving here between Christmas and New Years. There are some super cool plans on the horizon that I'll be sharing later, but having the whole family together is a total dream.

8. My 25-year old daughter, Julie, is getting married in January to a great guy. It will be a tiny, private wedding here in our home and I'm so thrilled at Brian's love for my daughter and grand-daughter.

God is good - way better to me than I deserve!

On Evangelism and Compassion

2011-11-09T14:01:00.002-08:00

Spending some time at World Vision headquarters today, hearing updates about their efforts for Spiritual Development in countries all over the world. Highlighted today, and frequently in my own relationships this year, is the debate/discussion over intentional evangelism and compassion ministry.

The kind of thinking that frustrates me:

* Unless there is an overt, vocal sharing of the gospel during compassionate acts of ministry, they are invalid and non-biblical.

* If we only give aid, help, assistance, clean water, etc, we are nothing more than the United Way or other non-evangelical groups.

The kind of thinking I love:

* Giving clean water and health to people is God's will. (period)

* Caring for hurting people is God's will. (period)

* The way we live is the only effective introduction to an intentional witness of Jesus.

* Traditional American expressions of "witness" or "evangelism" are completely ineffective among many nations, tribes, and peoples. It's foolish not to recognize this.

Here's my bottom line:

Acts of compassion are essential expressions of People of God's Kingdom because they are essential acts of God.

Intentional and effective witness of the love of Jesus to an unbelieving person, people, or nation is a natural expression of Kingdom people. How can we not tell of what we have seen and heard?

The debate is mostly meaningless and ineffective. The actual issue is, "Are you a follower of Jesus?" If the answer is "yes" then compassion and witness are normative for you.

Be Content But Never Satisfied

2011-11-08T20:21:00.003-08:00

This is from the blog of Seth Godin - one of the most innovative-creative thinkers of our day:

"You can't argue with success."

Of course you can.

Conventional wisdom says you shouldn't bother. But arguing with failure is dumb. Failure doesn't need to be argued with, it's already failed.

It takes guts to argue with success, guts and insight. And it's the best way to make things better.

Arguing with failure is dumb! I love that!

Arguing with success is a declaration that we won't settle for today's success tomorrow. There is more - always more - that God has for us - that we can do for God and one another.

Be content in life but never be satisfied - there is always more for you!

You WILL Fail - Remember This:

2011-11-05T13:03:00.002-07:00

"And Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away, for it is written, 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.' But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee." Peter said to him, "Even though they all fall away, I will not." (Mark 14:27-29

* You will all fall away. This is a universal Truth. If it weren't true, Jesus would not have to die for our sins. We are completely incapable of living without sin. That's what makes the news of Jesus the unbelievably good news that it is.

* Jesus will go before you. What a gift that Jesus informs them of His premeditated forgiveness!! Hear Him say to you - "I know you will fall - and I'm going ahead of you - return to me with full trust and confidence after your fall."

* Peter, like us, says "Everyone else may fail you, but not me! My love and commitment to you is stronger than that!" Yeah, wouldn't that be awesome? Because we feel that way, we often battle to receive our forgiveness from the One who predicted our fall and premeditated our forgiveness.

Come to Him - no matter how, when, or how often you fall. The only mistake you can truly make is to quit coming back to Him.

His grace is sufficient and His strength is made perfect in your weakness.

My Daily Prayer

2011-11-03T08:14:00.002-07:00

"Lord, I believe. Help me overcome my unbelief." (Mark 9:24)

This is the prayer of a father, begging Jesus to heal his son who has suffered from demon possession and torment since he was a child. Wow!

* Lord, I believe. I really do! I believe God is with me. I believe my sins are completely forgiven. I believe God loves my family and friends even more than I do. I believe God is and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. I believe.

* Please, help me overcome my unbelief. I believe God is at the ready to do far more than I can think or imagine. I believe God's plans for me and for His Church far exceed my current level of faith. I believe God wants me to believe for more - in every arena - more than ever before.

Lord, I believe. Help me overcome my unbelief.

An Amazing First Year

2011-11-02T09:44:00.003-07:00

My good friend, Jody Landers, is the co-founder of a now 1-year old non-profit called, "The Adventure Project". She and Becky Straw began this adventure a year ago on the dream of providing dignified solutions to global poverty that create jobs and sustainable futures by inviting Americans to add venture capital to business models that can change the world. WOW! What an amazing first year.

Check out their results page here to see what God has helped them accomplish in just one year.

The best is yet to come and, trust me, this is a band wagon you want to join!

Way to go, ladies. We are proud of you!

Toxic Charity

2011-11-01T14:25:00.003-07:00

It seems that America is alive again with the idea of charitable compassion. More Americans than ever are going on missions trips, volunteering in their communities, and donating at every opportunity or disaster.

This is great news, right?

There is a very real possibility that our compassion is helping us but killing those we are giving to. It's probably true that what we need to offer is intelligent, developmental compassion - compassion with dignity and honor - rather than much of the sympathetic generosity we currently experience.

By the way, I'm guilty as charged.

In the book, Toxic Charity, author Robert Lupton suggests we commit to an Oath for Compassionate Service (not unlike they Hippocratic Oath of the medical profession). Here it is:

* Never do for the poor what they have (or could have) the capacity to do for themselves.

* Limit one-way giving to emergency situations.

* Strive to empower the poor through employment, lending, and investing, using grants sparingly to reinforce achievements.

* Subordinate self-interests to the needs of those being served.

* Listen closely to those you seek to help, especially to what is not being said - unspoken feelings may contain essential clues to effective service.

* Above all, do no harm.

I just returned from Haiti and I've been working on the compassion strategies of our church family - so this book has become a timely resource to help us get this right.

What are your thoughts so far?

Why Should I Pursue Community?

2011-10-17T10:20:00.004-07:00

Community is rare. Community is demanding. Community is risky. So why should I pursue it?

1. Community enables me to receive things from God that I can get no other way.

"that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ." (Ephesians 4:13)

2. Community gives me guardrails. When I walk in a community that has the invitation and obligation to speak to my life, great council and discernment become more likely in my life. My community can see things in and around me that I don't see that clearly.

3. Community builds my faith. "...we will in all things grow up into Him who is the Head, that is, Christ." (Ephesians 4:15)

4. Missional community is the most unstoppable force on earth. When we agree that the purpose of our community is to help one another be better followers of Jesus, and we are all driven by His vision and purposes, amazing amounts of great work gets done. We become better people and the world gets loved the way Jesus dreams.

What about you? Why should YOU pursue community?

Essential Yet Humanly Impossible

2011-10-11T15:11:00.003-07:00

Loneliness is the great plague in America. People are lonelier than ever, completely lost on how to develop genuine community, searching for virtual answers to this need and too committed to self-protection to even receive what our hearts yearn for.

Genuine community is both a God-given craving and a human impossibility.

I want to explore this dilemma and the possible answers for us with a few posts this week. Question #1 - Why is genuine community so rare?

* Busy lives?
* Lack of margin?
* Lack of desire?
* Inability to resolve conflict well?
* Lack of models to learn from?

I would suggest that the primary enemy of community is selfishness.

"What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you?" (James 4:1)

The biggest roadblock between me and genuine community is my love for me. It pushes me to behave selfishly, avoid conflict, grow impatient with the flaws or needs of others, and dump all relationships that become too difficult for my comfort.

Until my desire and commitment for community outweigh my selfishness, I am trapped in a lonely life. I am doomed to give up on the potential of powerful community too soon.

Why do you think genuine community is so difficult, if not impossible?

Warnings About Spiritual Yeast Infections

2011-10-04T11:00:00.002-07:00

In the meantime, when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops. Luke 12:1-3

Hypocrisy is the spiritual yeast infection we must all fight. It is the most lethal, I believe, of all of our struggles and has created horrendous obstacles between unbelievers and the Church.

What is hypocrisy?

Being one thing on the outside and a completely different thing internally or in the dark. I know this because of the warnings in the second two verses.

I also know this because I participate in the universal human temptation to keep the worst of my self hidden from all and project a healthy and attractive self to others.

Here's what we need to know:

* Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed. That means we are fooling ourselves to think we can keep our secrets secret. God loves us too much to allow that to happen. Not only that, but when we stop hiding our naked depravity, we give others the amazing gift of going second. We all want to give and receive unconditional love and acceptance but none of us wants to go first.

* Whatever you have said in the dark will be revealed in the light. Words are powerful, beautiful, and deadly. The important reality for non-hypocrites must become that our words are exactly the same regardless of the context we are in, or the people we are around. That one guiding principal eliminates hypocrisy and gossip in a single move.

* What you have whispered in private rooms will be shouted from housetops. Therefore, whisper wisely!

Perhaps the greatest thing we can do for Jesus is eliminate hypocrisy from our hearts and lives. No simple task - yeast finds its way into the tiniest of openings within our hearts.

Another Reason I LOVE The Church

2011-10-03T20:02:00.002-07:00

Yesterday, our Church participated in a "One Day's Wage" offering to support food, medical and education programs in developing countries through Convoy of Hope. The idea is that, not all of us can give one day in a developing country serving these children, but all of us can work one day on our job on their behalf and donate those wages to the kids.

Evergreen responded huge! We, together, gave just a hair under $63,000.00 in this tremendous expression of generosity to the world. I am so proud of the growing passions of this great church to love people in Jesus' name.

This is the power of the local church - together we can do things we just can't do alone. When we recognize the power of our community, and then leverage that power to serve disenfranchised people, God is glorified and we have a blast.

When the church is working right, it's the most beautiful and powerful thing on earth!

Stuck is a State of Mind and it's Curable

2011-09-27T20:25:00.000-07:00

Which of the four are getting in the way?

1. You don't know what to do
2. You don't know how to do it
3. You don't have the authority or the resources to do it
4. You're afraid

Once you figure out what's getting in the way, it's far easier to find the answer (or decide to work on a different problem)

Stuck is a state of mind, and it's curable. - Seth Godin

Why We Don't Resolve Conflict Well

2011-09-12T19:27:00.002-07:00

If you are not very good at handling conflict and, in particular, confronting someone when you have an issue to resolve, I can tell you precisely why that is. There is only one reason why we fail to confront others when we have an issue that needs to be addressed. Ready to hear the truth?

You don't love them as much as you love yourself.

I know all the debates going on in your mind right now - I had them, too, when my amazing wife gently gave me this truth years ago.

See, the reason you don't have that difficult and risky conversation - the only reason you don't have it - is because you don't want to take the personal risk involved. You can't handle the pressure, the nervousness, the awkward conversation, etc. You just aren't willing to endure the difficulty required for the hope of a stronger relationship.

If you loved the other person enough, you'd take the risk precisely because they mean so much to you. They are worth the risk. The discomfort is outweighed by the hope of a stronger and healthier relationship.

Here are some tips for the day you are ready to proceed:

1. Take responsibility for your own feelings and perceptions. Begin the conversation by stating that you have some frustrations, confusion, disappointments, whatever, that you are hoping they can help you resolve.

2. Affirm the value of the person you're confronting. Inform them that this conversation is awkward or difficult for you, but that the value you feel for the other person makes it important enough to do it anyway. "I value this relationship too much to allow my issues to go unaddressed.

3. Get right to the point. Don't drag on and beat around any bushes. Begin with the introduction that this might become a difficult conversation but you value the relationship enough to have it - then state plainly and succinctly your issue.

4. Invite them to give you the "last 5%". Odds are that they are no more comfortable with confrontation than you are. Most of the time, people will give you 95% of their thoughts, but withhold that most difficult 5% out of fear. Assure them that you want their full opinions and thoughts on this and any issues that need your attention.

5. Finish by expressing your gratitude for their help in resolving your issues and affirm their value.

Wanna Go?

2011-09-09T15:39:00.003-07:00

On occasion I've heard someone ask another person, "Where you going?" and the answer comes, "Crazy. Wanna go?"

Here's my new answer whenever someone asks me, "Where are you going?" - "To change the world! Wanna go?"

I am more excited than I've ever been, and I'm fully persuaded that God is going to give Evergreen Christian Community the invitation to be used by Him to change this region of the South Puget Sound in profound and powerful ways. These are exciting days and here are just a few of the things I'm excited about:

1. High octane worship and submission to the Scriptures in our weekend gatherings. There is very high moral and palpable anticipation every gathering and the Lord is meeting with us every time.

2. Frequent stories of individuals who are hearing from God, experiencing the Holy Spirit's activities in their lives, and gaining energizing hope about their futures and service to the world.

3. Growth in our small groups. Currently we have dozens of people seeking connections into small group life and many who desire to lead or host new groups. Whenever people give themselves to doing life together and provoking one another to be better followers of Jesus, great things happen!

4. There is a renewed zeal to serve people of need, with no ulterior motive, among our Church family. Partnerships are being formed all over the region and many plans are taking shape for us to be an externally focused church for the good of the city. We are working with a low-income elementary school, forming new partnerships with other organizations, and people are engaging in daily acts of kindness with people in need, becoming foster parents, seeking orphans to adopt and finding all kinds of ways to serve in their daily traffic patterns.

5. Many leaders have rallied their energies to create a discipleship pathway and leadership development pipeline with excellence, clarity and intentionality unlike any I've ever seen. Our church family is responding enthusiastically and we launch next Wednesday night.

6. Our leadership team is dreaming of ways to cultivate greater financial margin so generosity can continue to grow while at the same time dreaming huge dreams of ministry and service expansion.

We are going to change the world! Wanna go?

The Way They See It

2011-09-06T22:03:00.003-07:00

So I'm listening to sports radio about the Seahawks and their chances for success this season. The guys agree that the defense is pretty solid and then one of them says something like, "Jesus needs to tell (a certain defensive player) to wrap up and tackle rather than just slam into people." The other guy says, "Yeah, if you know Jesus, tell Him to tell (this player) to tackle better!"

See, this resonates with me. I guess this player is a Christian and that's totally cool. Some would say these guys are jerks for bringing his faith into a humorous way to talk about his tackling woes. But I totally get this and it confirms what we all know, and believers need to embrace - the messenger IS the message.

When we proclaim our faith to the world and then perform poorly people attach our performances to our faith proclamation.

Is this fair? Well, if we portray ourselves as superior - if we behave like "haves" in a world of "have nots" it is totally fair. If, on the other hand, we live as broken, flawed and depraved people who are redeemed by the grace we can never deserve and live a life of profound gratitude...

I think much of the time we earn this kind of attitude.

Footnote - I know nothing of this particular player and am entering my first season as a Seahawks fan. I'm confident he is a wonderful guy and I only use this story as an illustration I observed first-hand, not as a statement of his faith or life.

Great Day With The Family

2011-09-04T22:37:00.003-07:00

It's been a great weekend as our kids from Denver have come to visit. We had the greatest Seattle day we've ever had, as the weather cooperated beautifully and fun was had by all.

Today we did a ferry from Bremerton to Seattle, ate lunch at Steamers on the waterfront, did the Experience Music Project, toured the Space Needle, grabbed Yogurtland and finished off with some organic pizza in the University district. (The pizza was the only letdown of the day)

Yesterday we lounged at home all day but we spent Friday in Portland in the morning and Cannon Beach all afternoon. It was a stunning day!

Two fly home tomorrow night and my daughter on Wednesday early. Great week.

Thanks to Jake Gamble for a great day of preaching at ECC in my absence.

Debt Ceilings and Fairy Tales

2011-08-30T07:56:00.002-07:00

I'm not an economist, politician, or prophet. I'm a normal guy with common sense and a deep love for Jesus. These are my thoughts only - seek advice from a trained financial advisor before making major financial decisions.

I love a tweet I saw after the Feds raised the debt ceiling: "I raised my own debt ceiling...will that solve my financial crisis?"

It defies common sense and logic that any person, family, company, or nation can spend more money than it produces/receives as a way of life and have any chance of long-term sustainability. The reality is that our nation, like most of it's citizens, is using debt to stave off the inevitable pain it must endure to become healthy and strong.

Like it's citizens, the only hope for America is to fix it's eyes on balanced budgets and become a nation that lends but does not borrow. (that's a promise God made to His people, by the way)

I have an unwavering sense of urgency that we the people must position ourselves for financial margin and minimal debt. Darker days are coming. Low cost of living is the smartest thing a family or individual can do today, to weather the financial storms that continue to threaten our skies.

If you are in the Olympia, WA area, Evergreen Christian Community can help. We are offering Financial Peace University on Wednesday nights beginning September 14. Other churches offer it as well. There are other great programs and training materials. The point is to eliminate your debt ceiling and create margin so we can weather storms and have resources to share with those who will most certainly need us in those storms.

How To Pray For Others

2011-08-16T11:11:00.003-07:00

NOTE: I believe in the power of prayer. I believe that prayer is the most under-utilized weapon on earth. I believe we can move heaven and hell as we partner with the Holy Spirit in prayer to the Father.

All my Christian life I've watched people abuse others with the way they pray over them. People who feel that their prayers should be loud; that they should lay hands on the recipient of their supplications; that they should hoot and holler; that they should cast out devils; or that they should do all of this in very public settings.

Here is what I sincerely pray some of these prayer warriors will consider:

* People who have been victimized would like you to do anything BUT lay hands on them

* People who don't feel free to advocate for themselves or assert themselves are often intimidated by the "warrior" and do not feel free to object to these prayer methods

* God doesn't need you to touch someone, yell your prayers over someone, or even indicate in any way to that person that you are praying for them. He can move - and may even prefer to do so - as you and I are invisible to everyone.

* Boisterous, "charismatic" prayer is often more about our own convictions, immaturity, or dysfunctions than they are about a move of God

* My God is HUGE - I will continue to pray over people - many who will never ever know that I'm doing so.

I will trust God to do what only He can do. I will inform some that I'm praying for them, but I will not force myself or my prayer life onto another human being.

A Time of Two Rivers

2011-08-15T12:28:00.003-07:00

I want you to consider a metaphor that is engaging my soul. The idea is not my own. It comes from a man I really, really like, but have never met. His name is Brady Boyd and he's pastor of New Life Church in Colorado Springs. Anyway, here goes:

Our world consists of two rivers; the river of the world and the river of God's Kingdom. The rivers are parallel to one another and both are gaining speed, with rapids and currents growing daily, but are flowing in opposite directions.

The world's river is turbulent with economic crisis, middle East conflicts that know no resolution, world poverty, issues of injustice, and a growing anxiety overall. This river will accelerate and result in the washing away of everything in it.

The river of God's Kingdom is also gaining speed and force, as people are being transformed into the character and likeness of Jesus, choosing to live for what matters and letting go as the world river flows away from them.

The result of both rivers flowing ever more forcefully will be the growth in clarity, power and choice between the world and the Kingdom of God. His Church will become pure, courageous and totally His while the world will go from bad to worse with people clinging to their catastrophic choices for things that don't matter and can't give life.

This excites me and I thank God that I live in this time. We will witness, perhaps, the greatest demonstration of God and not-God the world has ever seen. I'm thrilled to be a part of the Kingdom of God and I accept the call of this season to be courageous, focused, free from entanglements and fully in the river of God's move.

Why I'm Getting Excited About General Council

2011-07-28T13:06:00.002-07:00

General Council is our bi-annual gathering of ministers in the Assemblies of God network of Churches, USA. Sue and I are preparing for the trip Monday, with the insane temperatures of Phoenix in August, and we have excitement about this gathering. Here's why:

* Training - Monday and Tuesday are days of training and the theme appears to be centered around the mandate for our churches to get outside and love the world in Jesus' name. I'm super excited about hearing this perspective championed for our churches and learning all I can as ECC continues to push outward.

* Future-Shaping - Significant conversations and directional changes are initiated at this gathering. It is being touted as a pivotal year and I'm hoping that's true.

* George Wood - He is our Executive Leader and I believe God has raised him up for this hour. I love to hear his heart and I believe he has things to say to us.

* Church Planting - There will be a great gathering - and many conversations - about the mission to plant life-giving churches all over the world. I love this discussion and long to see us focus more energy on the inner-cities and poorer neighborhoods of our cities.

I will be posting tweets and on facebook throughout the week...stay tuned.

Idolatry 101

2011-07-22T11:53:00.002-07:00

As I read the Old Testament there are a few commands regarding the heart of idolatry that help me review my own life and discern the idolatry issues of my heart. Here are the four commands that help reveal my own issues:

1. Do not fear them (idols or other gods)
What we fear is a huge window to the soul of what matters to us, what we believe to be powerful or primary, and of what we dream of. We are to fear God alone...and nothing else.

Idol test question one: What do I fear?

2. Do not bow down to them (submit to their words/wishes)
Often we submit to the expectations and wishes of others - or the culture - or the perceived ways of what we covet, etc. We are to bow and submit to only One and to His Word.

Idol test question two: To what do I cower, bow or submit?

3. Do not serve them
We serve the one we feel allegiance to or the one from whom we hope to gain a reward/favor. Options include our jobs/careers, the economy, people, etc.

Idol test question three: Who and what do I serve?

4. Do not sacrifice to them
We sacrifice continually and we do so for the hope of gain, reward or safety. We sacrifice our time, families, integrity, money, and energy...for what?

Idol test question four: To what do I sacrifice?

My Personal Life Mission Statement

2011-07-14T09:53:00.002-07:00

In September of 2007, I wrote a one-page document after months of fine-tuning and evaluation, trying to clarify my life values and what I wanted to give my life to. Today, like many days, I pulled the laminated document for review. Thought I'd post it here:

PURPOSE:
• I will live to glorify my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. (Colossians 2:20)
• I will seek to personally experience the grace and truth of Jesus, in order to demonstrate an authentic walk with Christ to believers ensnared in religion and unbelievers trapped in darkness.
• I will daily seek to live in the present and to practice the Presence of Christ.
• I will not miss out and I cannot fail if I daily surrender my life to Christ.

VALUES:
Being and Doing: It is easier to do, but it is more important to be
Family: My wife and kids are my ultimate ministry and purpose
People: There is nothing more important to God than people
Community: Doing life and ministry together, allowing God to shape us through community
Leadership: Everything rises and falls on leadership; pneumatic, courageous, servant leadership
Healthy Local Churches: The local Church is the hope of mankind and the expression of Jesus to the city
Accountability: I will stand alone before Jesus one day. I shall live my life with that in mind.
Servanthood: The community of the towel…washing feet and touching brokenness is the business of God

MISSION:
As I journey with Christ, I dedicate myself to creating:
• A safe place within myself through personal awareness, care and growth
• A safe place within our home through intimacy with my family
• A safe place within a community of friends and brothers through honesty and accountability
• A safe place in the local Church through pneumatic, courageous, servant leadership
• A safe place for leaders through coaching, training and encouragement

I will give my life to helping local Churches and leaders
• Help people far from God to find their way back
• Inspire and equip believers toward Spiritual Maturity
• Develop future leaders
• Express the heart of Jesus to their city
• Plant and renew life-giving Churches

A Powerful Question

2011-07-13T09:16:00.002-07:00

This morning one of my good friends from Denver texted me a question. He actually texted it to many men as he does a daily text to a group of us for encouragement and exhortation. Here's the question:

WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE IT MEANS TO LEAVE EVERYTHING AND FOLLOW JESUS?

I would love to hear your thoughts on this.

My Independence Day Aha!

2011-07-04T12:08:00.002-07:00

The Statue of Liberty, called the Mother of Mercy, stands alone in the bay, facing Southeast, to welcome outsiders into our land. Not just outsiders, but a certain kind of outsider:

"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door."

Lady Liberty is a symbol of the fact that this land is home to people who were once trapped in non-freedom and yearned to breathe free. Having discovered freedom, they now desired to offer it to all - especially those who were trapped in poverty, exhaustion and desperation.

This portion of the poem on the Statue of Liberty ought to be found on the door of every Jesus-honoring Church in America as well. In fact, if I were the President or a Congressman during this debate about raising the debt ceiling, I would insist loudly that the Church of Jesus Christ get off her &$# and start doing her job...that the government can no longer afford to do the job Jesus assigned to His Bride.

Instead, and it pains me to confess it, most churches non-verbally say, "Give me your energized, your wealthy, your strongly independent leaders yearning to serve me." We plant and relocate our churches in the wealthiest growth zones of America and the overwhelming majority of us target the upper-class white folk of our cities.

God help us! God help me! God change me!

A Leader's Toolkit

2011-06-30T13:09:00.004-07:00

While on vacation, I'm finding myself enjoying some great reflection time to glean all I can from the past quarter's flurry of activity in my life. It turns out that I'm learning many leadership lessons. For example, I'm coming to realize that there are some essential equipment necessary to lead well - here's my current list:

* Self-awareness. The inability to know yourself, your motives, your strengths and weaknesses and even your propensities is a true leadership handicap. Conversely, when you really know yourself, you can sort through a flurry of data while effectively segregating and integrating your own "soul stuff" in strength-enhancing ways.

* Courage - Almost always the difficult thing is not knowing what to do, but actually having the courage to do it - especially to do it in a timely way.

* Clarity - Clarity is exponentially powerful while the absence of clarity is exponentially handicapping - especially to those who follow your leadership. You need personal clarity so you can articulate what you are and are not about - especially in an elevator speech version readily at your disposal - and so you can articulate what you expect and do not expect from those on your team. Clarity is liberating for everyone.

* Sensitivity and responsiveness to the nuances of the Spirit - God is moving and continually refining, empowering, shaping, and revealing the heart of God in His people. Sensitivity to recognize what is God and what is not - and then to lean into those promptings with courage is an incredible leadership edge. This is the art and power of godly leadership.

* Healthy conflict resolution skills. Conflict is not a problem and is not an obstacle to be avoided. Poor conflict management is an obstacle...conflict is actually a pathway to intimacy when handled well. Love, care, listen, be clear and direct, and always honor one another. Truth hurts and heals when delivered constructively through a person who loves.

For Men Only

2011-06-07T08:51:00.003-07:00

Usually, when we think of Proverbs 31, we think of a word for women, and rightfully so. However, the first 9 verses are particularly powerful for men and especially men who are, or aspire to be, leaders.

Here's a summary of this powerful Word for men:

* Do not give your strength to women. Currently my heart is grieving as more great men of God decided to think with the wrong head (forgive my blunt vulgarity) and sin against God, their families, and those who trust their leadership. I am not in any way immune to the temptation to give my strength to women - which is a powerful way to describe the result of lust - surrendering your strength and becoming weak - the weakest you can possibly be. The irony is that sexuality is one expression (an exaggerated expression in our culture) of manhood - and yet it is the way to become absolutely weak and destroyed.

* Do not give your strength to rebels. Rebellion is as witchcraft to God. It is a gross sin because it is a refusal to trust Him who judges rightly. It is taking matters into your own hands because, dog gonnit, you are RIGHT and therefore you are justified to rebel against the leadership placed over you. WRONG!

* Wine and strong drink are not for Kings and Rulers. These are for the powerless, who need drink to forget their poverty or woe. Leaders should avoid strong drink, that they might lead faithfully with a clear mind. I must admit that I'm tired of emerging leaders who not only enjoy their liberty to drink (which I have no issue with), but actually use that liberty to express their ego-centric independence and arrogance. If drinking is no big deal (which they say it isn't), why do you have to be so loud and arrogant about it? Why do you have to drink so much? Use wisdom and caution and grace in the arena of alcohol.

* Fight for those who cannot fight for themselves. Open your mouth for the mute, speak up for the destitute, and defend the rights of the poor and needy. WOW - most of us spend more energy focusing on those who can enhance our power, position or leadership when we should be focusing our energy on those who cannot fight for themselves. That becomes the leadership God honors and that honors God.

Proverbs 31...not just for chicks!!

A Call for Courage

2011-06-02T09:46:00.003-07:00

I'm reading a book with our staff called, "A Failure Of Nerve" by Edwin Friedman and it's provoking me at the core.

The primary impact currently is the call to live and lead with courage and to refuse the fear of people. We must know the right call, make the right call and champion the right call - all in the face of the fears of others.

People operate largely on the basis of emotion. Fear drives so much of our relationships, work contexts, and perspectives on life. To lead well, we must model the courage to choose well in spite of fears and other emotions. Paradigm shifts only happen in a team environment (government, family, church, job) when the leader is able to self-differentiate and stand courageously (and usually alone) for the best answer, perspective or goal. He/she must ask new questions that help people get there, against the tide of their fears and emotions.

Here is the question of the day: What decision would you make right now if you were to be truly courageous.

Answer that question and then make that decision.

Primitive Dependance

2011-05-24T16:02:00.003-07:00

I just heard Dr. Jim Bradford use this phrase in passing and it's captivated my imagination. He said that we need, in this hour of history, a primitive dependance upon God coupled with creative service for God.

For some reason, I love the idea of primitive dependance upon God. Having our dependance upon Him as the most basic of all foundations so as to be THE THING we are building upon. Our identity, our strategies for life, our purposes in life and every part of our daily journey will find their most true reality as we walk in primitive dependance upon God.

This opens the pathway for what God brings to the equations of our lives. There is also what we bring, and that's where the creativity comes in. We must break free from the past and the trendy fads and the religious expectations of movements and bring fresh creativity to living for God. That is, we need to create. And we need to create in the context of primitive dependance upon God.

Feels like I'm rambling, but there is something to this...

Grateful for a Gracious God Who Has a Master Plan

2011-05-22T16:51:00.003-07:00

Today is a great day! Grace Community Church in Centennial, Colorado has elected a new Pastor with a virtually unanimous vote!

Sue and I reluctantly left GCC this January when God clearly called us to Evergreen Christian Community in Olympia, WA after 9 years at Grace. We have been praying that God would miraculously call their next Pastor as clearly as He called us.

God has answered our prayer in the form of Terry Broadwater. Terry is an amazing leader from Hagerstown, MD and the right man for the job. His story of God's leading is a powerful demonstration of the sovereignty of God in this entire journey for all of us. I know Terry will continue to follow the Lord as he leads this great church into the future.

I'm so proud of the Lord and His people! I'm honored to be a part of it all and I'm excited to see the future of both of these wonderful Churches.

The Lord is amazing!!!

"Gentlemen, This is a Football"

2011-05-16T09:45:00.004-07:00

Those were the words of Green Bay Packer coach Vince Lombardi after his team had suffered a miserable defeat, due primarily to their lack of skills in the fundamentals of football. Coach Lombardi announced that the team would be returning to the fundamentals as their strategy for success and he started by introducing the football.

As I have been thrust into an entirely new world of leadership, I'm learning the hard way that I, too, must return to the fundamentals to find "success". I swim in a flood of reports, meetings, strategic planning sessions, staffing issues, financial planning and infrastructure decisions. The size and scope of these responsibilities has my body trying to keep up with my feet and has challenged my ability to excel in the fundamentals of following Jesus and leading His way.

That's my confession. Here's my plan.

It's back to the fundamentals for me! Here are the things I know so far:

* Early to bed and early to rise. This West Coast, news at 11, stuff is crazy! I've got to get to bed at a time that allows adequate rest and early starts for the next day.

* Limited carbs, sugar and fat. These are the dietary things that make me sluggish and tired.

* Daily feasting on the Word of God and prayer just for myself. Not message or teaching prep, but me and Jesus working on our relationship together.

* Daily exercise. At least some physical exercise every single day. Also, scheduled intense exercise weekly.

* Formation of a new Small Group. Sue and I had an amazing circle of friends for the last several years and they were our life-blood of personal support and encouragement. We miss them terribly and need to begin another circle.

* Daily reading. This is a habit that feeds my soul, mind and leadership like none other. It is essential and I've already begun a new book list.

These are the helpful fundamentals for me. What would you add?

Monday Morning Gratitude

2011-05-02T10:33:00.002-07:00

There are so many things I'm grateful for today. I thought I'd fight off the "Monday morning, oh no it's raining again" blues with some gratitude:

* Our house is sold and will close on May 10th. In this market, I'm very excited to be in this position, even though we are selling for less than we hoped.

* Sue's dad, John, is doing well on his new chemo treatments and has a tremendous attitude about his future. (he has spots on his liver that are inoperable and incurable from his pancreatic cancer)

* We are working on moving Sue's parents to Olympia, which is very exciting for us all.

* Over 2,200 people joined us for Easter and many made new commitments to Jesus. It was an awesome day. Yesterday we had a few more major faith decisions and another wonderful day at ECC.

* Wednesday is the 27th Anniversary of the smartest decision I ever made - marrying Sue. We will celebrate with an entire day off together, which is very, very long overdue.

* We are doing lengthy interviews with a Children's Pastor this Thursday and believe the Lord may be blessing us with a decision soon.

* Jesus is my very best friend and the One who keeps me sane. Life is found in Him and I'm profoundly grateful for his love, mercy and Presence in my life.

It's Not Good To Be King

2011-04-12T15:23:00.002-07:00

Maybe the most important and defining things about your leadership are:

* how do you treat and view people?

* how do you view and define yourself, as the leader?

* whose agenda is King?

In 1 Samuel 8-9, Israel is crying out for a king, like all the other nations have, and God is going to give them Saul. When Samuel sees Saul, God says, "This is the one I have chosen to be Prince over Israel"

Prince or King?

A Prince is the son of the King and only has the authority the King gives him. His mission is to execute the vision, values and agenda of the King, not his own.

Pay attention, cuz this is really good and critically important:

In our areas of leadership (marriage, parent, work, church, etc) we who are followers of Jesus are never the King - we are the Prince. Our focus should never be OUR authority, OUR agenda, or OUR executive privilege, but always the King's.

I am not the King - I am the Prince. I, indeed, have authority and responsibility and that has been entrusted to me by the King and must be executed His way.

When Saul stopped viewing himself as the Prince and began viewing himself as the King, the real trouble began.

We have one King - one Master - one LORD. We are Princes who have been commissioned in our leadership to execute the wishes, ways and love of the King. We are underlings.

This may be one of the great secrets to powerful leadership.

Accurate Assessment

2011-03-18T12:33:00.002-07:00

If we are going to maintain an upward trend in personal development, we must have the desire, mechanisms, and courage to accurately assess and appropriately respond to the truth about our leadership.

To be consistently reliable, Assessment must include:

* a sincere and committed desire to know the truth. Sometimes people ask me for feedback and what they are really asking for is affirmation. When you seek only affirmation, people will begin withholding constructive feedback or resort to more unpleasant ways of communicating their feedback. Feedback is the breakfast of champions and everyone needs it. Not one of us is perfect so growth should be on everyone's agenda - the quest for honest perspectives about your own development will always pay off.

* reliable mechanisms for finding the truth. Surveys, 360 assessment efforts, faithful friends who love us but aren't impressed with us, our spouse, and ruthless self-evaluation are all necessary to give us a holistic view.

* accurate assimilation of the truth. Not all feedback is accurate, so we must eat the meat and spit out the bones. If certain feedback is isolated, it is either the only honest source of feedback we have or someone with a tweaked perspective. Gather all the feedback and cull out the pertinent data that will help you see the truth.

* courageous application of the truth. Nobody wants to stymie their personal development and yet great courage is required to stare into the eyes of our weaknesses and growth zones so we can fully experience our need of growth. This application of truth cannot be lazy, but must be intense and intentional.

Gazing at our naval in constant self-assessment is futile and discouraging. Most of us, however, under-evaluate rather than over-evaluate. As in everything, sensitivity to the promptings of the Spirit is essential in the journey.

Consistent Revelation

2011-03-08T18:36:00.002-08:00

The most important ingredient in life, I believe, is consistent revelation from God. That is, that I am consistently discerning what God, by His Spirit, is trying to say to me, do in me, and accomplish around me.

When His voice is consistently being heard, I can keep my compass calibrated as I navigate all matters of life, relationships, soul development, Kingdom contribution, etc. A faulty compass virtually guarantees that I'll end up in the wrong spot, see the wrong terrain along the way and mislead anyone who follows.

So how do I receive consistent revelation from God? Great question!

* Consistently engage with the Scriptures. Read them, study them, meditate upon them, memorize them, and apply them - consistently. There is no greater single source of God's voice and guidance than the Bible. And there is no greater saboteur of your life than neglecting it.

* Be continually being filled with the Spirit. (Ephesians 5:17-19) Seek Him, listen intently for His voice, obey His promptings and utterly depend upon His leadership moment by moment. A heightened awareness of His Presence is the primary step to hearing His voice.

* Walk in Biblical Community. Have at least a small number of people with whom you can live, love, celebrate, confess, and process. Community is the second most neglected resource from God for powerful living - second only to the Bible.

* Exercise the classic spiritual disciplines. Mix it up and enjoy times of solitude, fasting, Scripture memorization, meditation, prayer, silence, and generosity/service. These are classic for a reason - they've served the Body of Christ well for centuries.

How To Solve Any Problem

2011-03-02T14:04:00.003-08:00

I'm back in the blogosphere after a temporary pause while I get my legs under me in the new city and job. This week, I want to walk through a process for decision making that can guide you through the journey of any difficulty, problem, or season of change.

Here are the components and I'll unpack one each day: (note - the adjective is as important as the component)

1. Consistent Revelation - leaning into God's Presence, revelation, comfort and guidance as a way of life. This insures that we are on the leading edge of the issue, rather than being slobber-knocked before we realize something needs to be addressed.

2. Accurate Assessment - utilizing an array of helps, sources and input to accurately assess the current reality.

3. Smart Decisions - courage to allow the reality and feedback to guide your decisions, rather than emotion, political opinion, etc.

4. Appropriate Risk - embracing the risk involved in moving forward. All change has associated risks and this is the reality that handicaps most people or organizations

5. Decisive Action - once the decision is made and the risk assessed, move quickly and decisively rather than easing into the new reality and torturing everyone with slow change

6. Ruthless Evaluation - courageously evaluating the new results and allowing the Truth to guide you

7. Renewed Commitment - to continue in the face of conflict, if the new process is working, or start the process over if it isn't.

Leadership is very difficult and I'm finding that the courage to walk alongside Truth and Results is the biggest challenge.

The Years of Your Sojourn

2011-01-25T08:23:00.003-08:00

So I'm reading Genesis this morning and Jacob is asked by Pharoah, "How old are you?" to which he replied, "The years of the days of my sojourning is 130."

What an amazing, amazing phrase!

What are your years made of? DAYS. Every day is a building block, a significant puzzle piece, of your entire life. At the end, your life will be a summation of days. Every day is an opportunity to live your life - to live out what your life means - to participate in the redemptive work of God on the earth and in your traffic pattern.

Every day matters! Live the day!

He also used this phrase, "the years of the days of my sojourning"

"sojourn" means "a temporary stay; a stay for a time in a place"

My life is a temporary stay - a visit. I'm not from here and my home is not here, but rather I am on a visit here. My "home" is with God and I will live there far longer than I will live here.

Not only that, each day is a temporary visit. Today I get to visit this world, visit the people who mean so very much to me, and exchange parts of who we are with amazing people I may not get to visit tomorrow. My visit is temporary.

When you're on vacation, you recognize that you have a set number of days to experience all you will experience in that place. So, you leverage every opportunity to see and do what you want to squeeze in to that time.

Your life, and mine, are visits and we need to leverage every opportunity to love, live, experience, contribute and enjoy during this temporary visit.

So, live fully engaged today. It is one more day in the years of your sojourning.

Let Your Light Shine

2011-01-20T10:40:00.003-08:00

This morning I had breakfast with a new group of friends - Pastors of churches in Thurston County and the Olympia region, of all denominations. Wow, what a wonderful group of folks!!! It was warm and inspiring.

We talked together about this idea of "letting your light so shine before men that they will see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." We began to brainstorm ways to do just that - together - for our community. It was exciting and God is clearly weaving our hearts together to serve our cities.

The guiding principles we landed on are:

* Serving with no ulterior motive - just because Christ has been so gracious to us.

* Serving with no names - seeking no glory for our churches, but only to express generosity and kindness to all people

* Serving the highest levels of leadership within our city and State government in ways they desire

* Serving the lowest levels of the economic scale in ways that practically lift up those in need

* Mobilizing Christians all over the region to give themselves outside the Church, in service to the city

* Celebrating the goodness of God and the enthusiasm of life with Him in all we do. Refusing to be negative as a dominant voice, but always expressing God's desire to be and do good for us all.

I love it!

We Must Rule Over Our Sin

2011-01-04T07:19:00.003-08:00

"Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” Genesis 4:6-7

A few powerful principles concerning victory over our sin:

1. Sin is born when we are disappointed with God. Any time we feel God is holding out on us, neglecting us, being unfair with us, or misguiding us, sin is born in our heart. The behavior is certain to come unless we reconcile the goodness of God with our situation.

This is what captivated Eve in the garden - "God is holding out on you!" says the serpent. "You will become like Him if you eat the fruit." She buys the idea that God hasn't got her complete best interest at heart and rejects His boundaries.

Here, Cain feels as though God has not properly respected and responded to Cain's offering and worship. Never mind that God requires a certain kind of sacrifice - "God should see how sincere my heart is and reward my offering." Sin is born.

2. Nothing keeps us ahead in the sin battle like doing what is right. "If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?" I'm stunned at how many times people violate the basic, fundamental principles of life (honesty, morality, hard work, spending less than you make, etc) and then shake their fist at God because He is "punishing" them with the outcomes of their life. Do what is right and it will reward you every single time.

3. If you do what is wrong, sin is crouching at your door. Sin is always present and looking for the open door to dominance in your life. Always crouching - always in the shadow - always patiently awaiting it's opportunity in your heart. The opportunity begins, as I said earlier, when you refuse God's goodness and guidance.

4. Sin desires to own you. It doesn't desire to sidetrack you, annoy you, pour a little guilt on your fire for God, or even handicap you. It desires to OWN you. It has no reward in hand, no long-term gratification, and no constructive foundation to build upon. It offers only dominance, destruction and death. If we could only see the darkness of sin's nature and intentions, we would run like mad from every sin!!

5. You must master sin. The temptation for sin will never leave. God will never deliver you from the context, culture or creativity of sin - He will rather empower you with Himself so that you may master sin - so you may dominate it, destroy it, and live in the freedom and power of God's goodness. You can't play with sin - the only effective strategy is absolute mastery.

So many of us want sin to stop bugging or tempting us. We want freedom from the presence and lure of sin, but that's not God's plan until Heaven. His plan now is for you and I to become mature and live in the victory of Jesus by mastering sin and following Him.

The Ladd Saga

2010-12-29T09:26:00.003-08:00

For those of you who aren't current with the Ladd goings on, I want to give you an update. This will explain why my posts have been so scarce lately and also set the stage for the next series of posts I will be writing.

On December 16, Sue and I were elected to serve as Lead Pastors at Evergreen Christian Community in Olympia, WA. This has been the most difficult decision we have ever made! Grace has been an amazing family for us and God has been so faithful to us all over the past nine years. Wonderful!

At the same time, the Lord has made it completely clear to us that this is what He is asking us to do and that He wants to do things in us and the Evergreen family that are already laid out in His heart, both for the church and for Thurston County. We are also fully confident that God has already crafted the future of Grace and chosen it's next leader. We eagerly await great stories from days yet to come!

The mix of emotions we are experiencing are quite intense, especially as we wrap up our ministry at GCC this Sunday. Wow - what a flood of emotions, memories, and gratitude!!

I will be posting during the transition about the journey we are on, in case you find it interesting or helpful. We are leaving behind one married son, a daughter-in-law, and 20-year old daughter - all of whom we deeply love. I'm certain the reality of this detail alone has not fully penetrated our frontal cortex or, more importantly, our heart.

Trusting God one step at a time!

Everyone Needs One!!

2010-12-15T14:37:00.002-08:00

Today I had my first coaching session with my good friend, Chuck Stecker. Chuck is the Founder and President of "A Chosen Generation", which is a ministry equipping Churches and leaders for intergenerational ministry.

Anyway, it was a very fun hour and it triggered for me, all over again, the power of having coaches and mentors in our lives. In fact, I say everyone needs one.

Imagine someone saying to you, "I believe in you. I see the gifts God has invested in you and I want to devote consistent time and energy to help you be all God has created you to be. I want to be available for you and offer a safe place for you to process your life, leadership and relationships as you walk out God's plan for your life." No way you can tell me this wouldn't energize and encourage you!

The thing is, mentors and coaches can be hard to find. They rarely will just find you and initiate this process, so you need to consider finding them. How? The same way you find a wife or husband - you date.

Find a person you highly regard - one who isn't perfect, but who is serious about living their life with authenticity, intentionality and integrity. Invite them out for coffee and see how you like them. If it feels good, have another, and another until you feel ready to make a coaching/mentoring request of them. If it doesn't feel right, move on.

Key - Don't impose on them and don't ask them to initiate anything. You do the legwork, make the appointments and show up on time. Respect their time and lives.

You need one - now go and get it.

Always, Always, Always Remember This!

2010-12-14T08:48:00.002-08:00

Life moves at lightening speed. Changes occur rapidly, circumstances shift, people act and react, and obstacles arise out of nowhere. This is life. And it makes the most important thing about you one of the most difficult things to remember:

You belong to Jesus and He is guiding your every step.

You are a spiritual being having a physical experience in this life and the most important thing to remember is to seek and follow God.

When things are going wrong, jobs are being lost, people are letting you down, circumstances become scary, etc, the natural things to do are panic, take control, worry, stress, crawl in the fetal position, or freak out. The hardest things to do are pray, trust, rest in Jesus, and follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

But it is essential that you do precisely those things.

Hit pause on the frantic pace of life. Put your stress and anxiety in Park for a few moments. Worship Jesus and give thanks to God for His immovable Presence.

I am realizing that we just don't rely upon, seek, and attend to the Presence of God and His activity among us nearly enough. We are control freaks who don't have the resources to control life well - let go and let God lead you.

I'm Back!!

2010-12-10T07:51:00.002-08:00

Sorry for the long gap between posts. If you know me well, you know that I've had a ton going on and major decisions to make. And after all that was the coordination of those decisions and supporting people I love as we move forward...anyway, I'm back and I'll share more details about that journey in the future.

Here is a Word from the Lord for you today:

As you trust fully in the LORD your God and humble yourself before Him and the people around you, He will:
* Position you right were He needs you in a critical time (often without your awareness of this process)
* Protect you from the schemes of your enemies
* Give you favor in the eyes of people with authority/power/resources
* Save your people
* Turn the destructive plans of your enemy onto their own heads
* Elevate you to places of authority/power/resources so you can more effectively serve His purposes.

Note: All of this is a summary of the story of Esther and her uncle Mordecai in the book of the Bible that bears her name. This is a pattern - a model - repeated often in the Scriptures of the kind of people God uses and blesses. The trail is rough and the opportunities for fear are legion, but trusting fully in the Lord your God and walking humbly before God and man will always win the day.

Go and do likewise!

Looking For A Vehicle?

2010-11-24T19:55:00.003-08:00

Currently, Sue and I have a used car lot going. We have decided to put all three of our vehicles up for sale and see which two sell first. We are about to purchase a 2007 Honda Pilot and we need to liquidate two of our automobiles. Here is what we have:

A 1997 Saab 900 Turbo. It's pictured above and has leather seats, five speed, sun roof, 192,000 miles, and runs great. It's as good a car as you can find in it's price range and is a blast to drive. $2,400.00.

A 2003 Dodge Dakota SLT Quad-cab truck. It's blue, with a bed liner and grey interior. Magnum V8, cd player, air conditioning, automatic transmission, towing package and tinted windows. 130,000 miles and running great. $6,800.00. I will post a picture tomorrow.

A 2006 Dodge Durango SLT. Grey with grey leather interior. DVD player, fully loaded, luggage rack, seats 8, 6-disc cd player, and towing package. We love this vehicle, but the Pilot will replace it. $8,900.00. I will post a picture tomorrow.

We Make A Difference

2010-11-22T15:27:00.003-08:00

We are doing a series on Generosity and it's got me thinking constantly about Christians, generosity, social contribution, community of faith, needs among us, etc. I know that Christians get a bad rap in the culture about being condemning, selfish, non-compassionate, judgmental, etc. and much of that is earned. I blame no one but us (Christians) for this reputation.

At the same time, I know that we (Christians) are trying hard to be who God has created and called us to be. And then it hit me: one day Jesus will come for His people and He will remove every Christian from the face of the earth. There won't be one of us left here.

I believe our absence will be tangible. I believe we will be missed and that our generosity, goodness, and compassion will be a vacuum.

I want to do all I can to make our presence felt in the world for the good that it is, before that great and terrible day of the Lord.

An Interesting Question

2010-11-18T13:02:00.003-08:00

DISCLAIMER: I am not expressing opinions in this post - only asking questions.

This morning I listened to a portion of an interview with Tiger Woods on the Mike and Mike show (ESPN Radio). The questions they were asking would be easy for you to guess, but when it came to the subject of getting his golf-game back into winning form, Tiger said, "I'm focused on being a healthy man. The healthier man I am, the better golfer I'll be."

Questions:

* Is that really true? Isn't it possible that it was Tiger's obsession with winning, above his concerns of his own character, that actually made him a better golfer?

* Is it possible to have it all? Can Tiger, for example, be an amazing father, live a balanced life, and still be the greatest golfer in the world? (For the first time in his career, Tiger didn't win a single tournament this season)

* Is it possible that, to be a healthy and balanced person, you have to choose NOT to be the best at some things?

When my kids were smaller, I told my church board that a day would come when I would be a better Pastor, but now I needed to be a better Father. When they were older, and even more when I'm an empty nester, I could give more.

If you have to choose between a healthy, whole, balanced life and being the very best at something, what would you choose?

Is it time to make some choices now?

Performance-Based Faith

2010-11-17T07:35:00.003-08:00

I am persuaded that one of the most damaging and debilitating handicaps Christians battle is performance-based faith. That is, a clear line of thinking that attaches our personal performance (holiness, obedience, purity, righteousness) as the basis of God's interaction with us on a daily basis. That the cause-effect relationship with how God deals with us is our own performance.

This is a deeply ingrained and venomously destructive belief. It is, in fact, the Old Covenant way. It bears no resemblance to the New Covenant in Jesus and, in fact, is anti-Christ at the core.

In the Old Testament, God said, "If you will..., then I will...." That was how we related to, connected with and received blessing from God. This makes perfect sense to us because every relationship we have on earth operates this way. When we cease to perform well, for a sustained enough span of time, the relationship is destroyed.

But the gospel of Jesus - the New Covenant - is not, "If you will..., I will...", it is "I did, so you can".

Jesus didn't say to the woman caught in adultery, clean up, repent and I will love you. He said, "Neither do I condemn you - go and sin no more".

Jesus never says, "Earn my love or I'll remove it." He says, "Live freely in my love and be empowered to live a new life because of my love and Presence in you."

If you live in a performance based way of faith, you are an idol worshiper. Need proof?

If you think, "I will live for Jesus, refuse my sinful nature, devote myself to Him and He will bless me" then your only logical conclusion to being blessed is, "I am performing well. I'm good". Not God is good, but I am good. Idol.

You would also think, "I'm not being blessed because I'm not performing well. I'm not honoring God, praying, or overcoming my habitual sin, so God is not blessing me." Once again you put yourself as the determining factor, not God. Idol worship.

Any belief system that puts you as the deciding factor of God's goodness and grace is idol worship and not the gospel of Jesus.

Jesus paid it all - all to Him I owe. God is good to me for only one reason - Jesus suffered for my sin and freely extends His grace to me. Period.

Now I can perform for God as a grateful response of worship for His kindness and ridiculous grace given to me.

This is complicated, I know, but missing this truth is keeping Christians all jacked up for ages.

Praise God from whom ALL blessings flow!!

Characteristics of Weak Leadership

2010-11-16T19:03:00.003-08:00

I read an excellent blog today from Michael Hyatt about weak leadership and the Lincoln administration and it got me to thinking about this question: "What are the characteristics of weak leadership that I would identify?" Here they are:

* Playing not to lose. Weak leaders are more concerned with not losing than they are with winning. Strong leaders keep their focus always up-field - looking at the nuances and opportunities of the future - and how to leverage them for mission success.

* Refusing to make hard decisions. This is parallel to the first one, but weak leaders avoid the difficult decision and wait far too long for those decisions to make themselves or for the issues to resolve. This is extremely frustrating to your team's highest producers who need to know their leader is courageous enough to keep the mission front and center and make every decision necessary to keep logjams from happening.

* Playing the blame game. Weak leaders have lots of excuses for mission failure and tons of reasons why success cannot be achieved in their environment. Strong leaders don't complain about the current reality - they find ways to leverage the opportunities that are hiding within the current reality. Ever situation - every single one - has opportunity in it, waiting to be found by the strong, optimistic and visionary leader.

* Arrogant defensiveness. Weak leaders insist on getting the credit for success and assigning the blame for failure. They must be honored for their place of leadership and have their positions respected. Strong leaders, on the other hand, are servant leaders who couldn't care less who gets the credit - in fact love it when worker bees get the credit - because when the team wins, everybody wins. Strong leaders also seek and listen to critical feedback without becoming defensive so teammates feel valued and blind spots are corrected.

* The Vision of the Week club. Weak leaders are always trying to catch the next wave of vision that is having success somewhere else. Rather than leading from their deep convictions, doing the extremely hard work of discovering their own context, culture, values and mission, and providing a long obedience in the same direction, they seek to transplant the convictions, strategy and values of a strong leader into their own context and hope it works.

Which traits would you add to this list?

The Adventure

2010-11-11T07:54:00.004-08:00

So I'm reading through the Book of Acts these days and my mind is flooded with impressions, images, desires and provocations. The overwhelming theme of all of that is, "I want that kind of adventure!!!!"

These guys are seeing miracles of an amazing assortment, communities of faith emerge that are radical in their mutual accountability and generosity, new ventures being launched like the t-shirt cannon guy at a ball game, and people far from God being drawn to Him in miraculous and impossible-to-predict kinds of ways. What a blast!

I know, there are also enemies, imprisonments, and doctrinal conflicts, but wouldn't it be worth some of that to be a part of this amazing adventure? I mean, even if you end up in prison surrounded by guards, an angel will show up and escort you right past the armed guards to freedom. Wow!!

So the questions are, What keeps us from this adventure? and What engages us in the adventure? Here are some of my early thoughts:

* Devotion to the materialistic machine, the pleasures of this life, and the lusts of my flesh will absolutely derail the adventure. You cannot live powerfully for God and powerfully for yourself at the same time.

* Pneumatic Courage is essential. Wind driven, Spirit empowered courage will guide you into scenarios you could never have orchestrated and place you in the arena of the miraculous - because you will be on the leading edge of God's activity in the world and miracles are needed there.

* Jesus' mission must be my mission. His mission is always people. People who are far from Him, trapped in slavery, buried in poverty, disenfranchised, or smothered in abundant-possession-depression. People. All people. Sinful people. Happy people. Sad people. Friendly people. Jerk people. When we lock-step with God's deep passion for people, doors will fly open to create opportunities for God to use us for people.

* To summarize the soul-issues of this journey, I'd say we must remember, "IT'S NOT ABOUT ME"

I want the adventure!

What I'm Learning

2010-11-09T17:39:00.002-08:00

This is one of those seasons where I'm learning major and important life/leadership lessons like drinking from a fire hose. Here is just a sample of them:

* People all around you, who love you and Jesus a whole lot, will have contrasting and conflicting opinions about what you should do. Listen, pray, and do exactly what you believe Jesus wants you to do. Chasing the approval of others is a deadly trap.

* When we are following Jesus closely, He WILL keep us on an adventure - much of it scary - to keep us leaning into His strength, guidance and leadership for our lives.

* Life is too short to dream small. I'm learning all over again that with Jesus in us and His mission before us, it truly is "Go Big or Go Home" time. Big dreams honor God and keep us on our knees. Plus, He gets all the glory because we just aren't that good.

* Nothing is more crucial to mental/emotional/spiritual/relational health than daily time in God's Word. This is an absolutely essential habit - keeping those ears open as you read.

* "Love Sinners - Hate My Own Sin" should be the mantra of every Christian. Truly, it is only when we are deeply in touch with our own depravity that we are capable of properly loving people trapped in sin.

There is so much more....maybe I'll share more later.

Encouragers Change the World

2010-11-08T09:54:00.002-08:00

Most of the time people feel like, unless they can sing, speak to crowds, or move mountains, they have little or no impact for God. Man, is that ever wrong!!

Consider the Apostle Paul - pretty significant dude, right? But there are at least two guys God used to get Paul going and successful - two guys that don't get a lot of press, but without whom Paul never gets going.

You can read it for yourself in Acts 9. After Paul (called, Saul at this point) has his Damascus road conversion and is blinded, God speaks to a guy named Ananias. God asks Ananias to go and pray for Paul so he can receive back his sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. Now get this, Ananias is just a dude who loves Jesus, spending some time in prayer one day when he gets this assignment. He freaks a little because Paul has been killing people who love Jesus, but God clears that up and sends him on his way.

When Ananias gets to Saul, he calls him, "Brother Saul" and confirms the work of Jesus in his life. What an encourager!! Calls a murderer of Christians, "brother" immediately - fully trusting God and fully welcoming Saul to the family. Wow!!

Then, Saul makes his way to Jerusalem to share his amazing story with the leadership tribe (the disciples) and get their blessing. They won't even talk to him until another low-profile hero named Barnabas convinces them to give him a shot.

Two guys - Ananias and Barnabas - who are low-profile, unassuming and totally not famous - are used by God to change the world because they were willing to encourage and support the high-profile dude God wanted to use.

Be an encourager - you might be changing the world!!

Legalism and Sin Management

2010-11-04T12:51:00.002-07:00

In one of my coaching appointments today, I had an amazing conversation with a good friend about legalism, performance-based spirituality, sin management and freedom. It was awesome and so encouraging to share with one another the recent activity of God's Spirit in each of our lives that is resulting in more freedom and more effective sanctification than we'd ever known.

I had multiple Aha! moments throughout our talk, but here are the most prominent ones:

* Performance-based Christianity is an absolute trap. It robs you of the power of the mind-boggling, reckless, and unconditional love of Jesus while at the same time sabotaging your attempts at living in purity.

* Fear of judgment or rejection is a lousy motivator for purity and an absolute joy-killer. It is no wonder that people who embrace this kind of Christianity are so unhappy, critical, judgmental and depressed.

* The counter intuitive reality is that the absolute freedom, security, and the peace that comes from knowing that none of your behaviors make God love you any differently, actually inspire better sin-management, sanctification and purity. It is freedom and unconditional love that empower my sanctification, not judgment, pressure and control.

* Jesus expressed strong and aggressive confrontation of the Pharisees. This wasn't because they were stuck in legalism - Jesus always allowed individuals to work out their salvation and identity at their own pace - it was because they were TEACHERS who were moving people further away from the heart of the Father, rather than closer to Him. This is what Jesus could not stomach.

* God always patiently allows us to grow, change, and improve at our own pace, while He consistently loves us. We must do the same to have any influence in a broken world.

* The Good News is just too good for many to believe! It is His kindness that leads us to repentance. What an amazing God!! What awesome power is created by love and freedom!! What wisdom in the heart of our God!!

I am so grateful for the unstoppable love of Jesus!

The Awesome Power of Humility

2010-11-01T09:34:00.002-07:00

Ever read Daniel chapter 4? WOW! What an amazing story of the destructive nature of human pride and the incredible power of humility before God.

Really, you should stop and read it right now. It's amazing.

What blows me away is that God warns King Nebuchadnezzar clearly about his pride and the consequences thereof, and he falls into the pit of pride anyway.

Here are the questions I'm asking myself as a pride-check today:

* Do I think God really needs me to do His work around me?

* Am I more concerned with how I am performing than how God is moving?

* Am I more excited about being used by God than by God moving around me?

* Do I believe I deserve some special treatment or rewards for my good behavior/performance?

* Am I overly concerned about what people think of me?

* Is it obvious to others that I give all credit and glory to God for anything worthwhile happening in and through me?

Pride can absolutely destroy the most wonderful thing you have...not the work or impact you're having, but the intimacy with God that you have.

The price you'll pay to be restored to humility can be extremely high.

God help us to live justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God.

Where To Focus When Life Is Unpredictable

2010-10-27T06:47:00.004-07:00

We all have times when life is unclear, turbulent or plain scary. Times when we aren't sure which way to go, what to decide, or where to find stability. It is essential in those times that our faith lean into the Lord rather than away from Him.

In 2 Chronicles 16, the King of Israel is in exactly that kind of season and he consults other Kings for wisdom, guidance and protection RATHER THAN looking to God.

We do that too, don't we?

Not sure what to do, what to choose, or which way is up, and we ask advice from all our friends and lean into every human resource we can find before we seek God or lean into the Spirit's help? I know I do.

One of my favorite verses in the entire Bible is nestled in this exact context. It says, "For the eyes of the Lord roam to and fro throughout the whole earth, seeking to show Himself powerful on behalf of those whose hearts are fully His." (2 Chron. 16:9) This amazing and liberating promise is made in rebuke of the king who sought military partnerships before he sought the Lord.

On this we can stake our entire lives: when our hearts are fully His, and we seek no counsel or guidance more than we seek His, He is also seeking us; to show Himself powerful on our behalf.

On this I do depend. And He has never left me standing alone.

What You Know Makes All The Difference

2010-10-25T21:01:00.002-07:00

One of the most amazing scenes in history occurs at the last supper of Jesus. Just hours before the 12 knuckleheads abandon Him and Jesus suffers alone, He disrobes and washes their feet - even the feet of His betrayer. How can anyone do this? How can Jesus see clearly enough to keep His head and heart so pure in such a hurtful situation?

Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God

,
The only thing more intensely powerful than the heartache Jesus is encountering is what Jesus knows. He KNOWS all He has, where He came from and where He is going. He knows everything!

When we are challenged, attacked, or called to be the suffering servant, it will only be what we truly know that will equip us for obedient victory.

For The Few I Haven't Already Shown

2010-10-21T08:36:00.004-07:00

This is the Bull Elk I shot on Sunday night and my good friend Jim who made it all possible.

Our hunting season lasted a whole 2 1/2 hours!! It was an awesome experience and an incredible, life-time event. I'm a very, very blessed man. God is better to me than I deserve, and I'm grateful.

By the way, for those of you who are thinking, "poor, defenseless, helpless elk!" let me remind you that some poor, dumb cow in a feedlot gets to live a little longer because the Ladd house will be dining on Elk for a year or so.

Cook out at the Ladd Casa!!

Fun With My Son

2010-10-20T13:48:00.003-07:00

This is my new ride! It was my son's car, which he had tricked out and made insanely fast. But then he found a red two-door with a blown engine that he liked better. So, we dropped the blown engine, swapped all the performance parts from this one into the red one, purchased a used motor that we dropped into the red one and then reassembled this one for me, back to stock modifications.

Here's the back-story: A few months ago, Tim was frustrated that he and I weren't spending much time together and didn't have any hobbies that we shared. We went on an intentional mission to reconnect and share some hobbies together so we'd have a set rhythm of time together.

First, we started playing nine holes of golf together every Sunday afternoon. It's been awesome and truly has revitalized our friendship. Then I bought an old pickup for us to restore together. (He had very little interest in trucks, but at least it was an "us" thing). The truck got hit and paid off in insurance money, which now I've invested into the Saab swaps.

Bottom line: We've spent hours together doing something I love (golf) and something he loves (fast cars). What an amazing gift he is to my life!!!

If you're a parent, find ways to enjoy what your kids enjoy and do it consistently. It will keep some fun in the relationship and speak volumes of your love to them.

I've got 4 other kids that I'm figuring this out with. What a privilege!

What You MUST Do In Today's World

2010-10-19T10:25:00.002-07:00

I'm overwhelmed lately with the recognition that life today is stressful. The velocity and volume of information coming at us, the torrential transitions in our economic, vocational and social lives, the tornado-like pace of our busy lives, and the gnawing sense most of us have that things are just not as they should be, all combine to pile on stress in the human heart.

And the more we spend on entertainment, relaxation, and vacations, only heightens our awareness that our daily lives are not as they should be.

Enter King Solomon.

When Solomon became King, the first thing he did was assemble all the leaders - at every level - of Israel and take them to the place of worship together so they could watch him worship God. By doing so, he communicated to the people that the most important thing we can do in this life is worship God and hear His voice. All powerful leadership must flow from this reality. The only genuine authority is spiritual authority, and that is entrusted to those who genuinely bow to God's authority in their own lives.

When Solomon does this, God asks him a powerful question - "What can I do for you?" Solomon's answer was, "Give me wisdom and knowledge to lead, this your people, for your glory."

What I need today more than ever - what my family needs me to demonstrate now more than ever - what this world needs followers of Jesus to model now more than ever - is a deep hunger for the guidance, Presence, and glory of God.

When we declare our deep dependence upon God and authentically stake all of our lives, leadership and future upon His goodness, grace and generosity, we become properly positioned for God to do wonderful things through and for us.

We need you now, LORD, more than ever before. Please fill us, guide us, and empower us in this critical age, that we might glorify Jesus with our lives.

From Where Does Your Confidence Come?

2010-10-13T10:30:00.003-07:00

I'm learning what an ugly, counterproductive and deceptive thing it is to have our confidence misplaced. When we find confidence from our own performance, our natural abilities, our relational prowess or any other strength of self, we begin a walk down a trail that can end in stunning loss, chaos and destruction. This is particularly grotesque among Followers of Jesus and Pastors.

For we have discovered the Truth - we worship by the Spirit of God and find all resource in Christ Jesus - we put no confidence in the flesh, even when we have reason to. But whatever we possess, we count as loss because of the surpassing worth and value of knowing Jesus. For His sake we count everything in ourselves as rubbish that we may gain even more of Jesus.

And this becomes a living demonstration of amazing wisdom, for Jesus does not disappoint because we become like Him and share in the power of His resurrection. Yes, this is even true in business dealings, relationships, money management, etc.

Not that we have already obtained this, but we forget what lies behind us and press energetically toward what lies ahead so that we can pursue the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Our ability to authentically practice this confidence and approach to life absolutely translates into our fruitfulness, peace and joy.

How great is our God!!

This is Lamination Worthy

2010-10-11T08:11:00.003-07:00

Whenever I find, or write, something I find exceptional - that will help me to keep readily available in my frontal lobe, I usually laminate it. Exceptional materials I find are heralded as "lamination worthy" and this is certainly one of them.

As I was reading in Ephesians 3 this morning, I took the prayer materials of Paul and put them in the first person and prayed to the Father this way. It is amazing.

Pray this prayer today, and maybe every day:

"Father, I bow my knees before you, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, and I ask you, according to the riches of your glory, that you may grant me to be strengthened with power through Your Spirit in my inner being, so that Christ may dwell in my heart through faith - that I may be rooted and grounded in love and may have strength to comprehend what is the breadth and length and height and depth of the love of Christ.

Help me, Father, to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that I may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to you, who are able to do far more abundantly than all that I ask or think, according to the power at work within me, to You be glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen."

An Attitude Adjustment

2010-10-08T08:39:00.002-07:00

Sometimes, especially when I have multiple projects going at once, intense emotional demands and a large volume of things out of my control, I get sucked into a small world of intense stress. During these times, I'm functioning well on the outside and I actually know that God is with me and all will be ok, but internally I'm churning, burning and puckering, all of which manifest themselves in various symptomatic ways.

I've been in one of those seasons lately, and I'm learning a lot about myself and the Lord's work in me. Here is what I'm learning about attitude management:

* God is HUGE! Nothing takes Him by surprise and nothing intimidates Him. He will accomplish His work in me and He will place me exactly where and how He wants me. I'm learning to trust in and lean into the Sovereignty of God.

* I live for an audience of One. There is only One, before whom I will stand and give an accounting of my life at the end. I am saved by His grace, filled with His Spirit, gifted for His purposes and called to His mission. Few things matter at all compared to that. Usually my stress is attached to things that don't hold a candle to these things.

* I'm 60 seconds away from life-altering issues worthy of stress. Many of God's people all over the world struggle to get their next meal, suffer persecution and starvation, discover they have cancer or lose a child to a drunk driver. My issues are difficult, but they don't compare to the battles so many others face. I wouldn't trade mine for theirs so I think I'll be grateful!

* Live the moment you have. I'm learning that I have no guarantees for anything beyond now...this moment...this opportunity to truly live. Too many of us miss the chance to live now because we are waiting for the next moment - a moment that might not ever come. Live right now. And live right now for Him.

The Essential Value of Generosity

2010-10-07T14:34:00.004-07:00

I had a great talk with a friend this morning, about a wide range of subjects. Many of them captured my imagination and have been helpful to me throughout the day.

By the way, community with one another is powerful!! I think my friend was as encouraged by our visit as I was, but I do know that doing life alone is painful, stupid and rebellious to how God wired us. Who walks with you? With whom do you walk?

Anyway, during our conversation the subject of tithing came up (his idea to discuss this, not mine). Tithing is the spiritual discipline (and obedience) of faithfully giving 10% of your personal income (increase) to God. He mentioned that this subject had come up in a previous group conversation and that exactly 50% of the group in that conversation practiced tithing.

My friend made a comment about the universality of the battle of Lordship between possessions and God in the human heart. We agreed that it is impossible to hoard your money as yours rather than God's, and to refuse to surrender your finances to God's principles and commands and experience full spiritual health.

It reminded me that the issue is not just financial. It's a "who get's first place?" issue. God established from the beginning, by claiming one tree in the garden as exclusively His, that He is only interested in first place in our hearts. The principle of the first born, the first fruits and the first day of the week all substantiate this desire in God's heart.

When we violate surrender of our possessions to God we sabotage so many other parts of His work in our lives. Our soul knows. Our heart knows. Our attitudes betray us and a wall is erected that hinders full access to God's grace in our lives - not because He withholds it from us, but because our own hardened and stubborn heart cannot move toward it.

If you are not a tither - and over 80% of American Christians are not - I urge you to reconsider. Take a challenge - submit you money to God for 90 days and watch what He does. You'll be blown away!!

In fact, there is not a smarter financial decision you can make in these economic times than to put God squarely in first place over your finances.

Do We Recognize Our Opportunity? Will We Respond Well?

2010-10-05T15:47:00.002-07:00

This is a fascinating article which addresses, what I believe to be, the greatest challenge facing church leaders today. We must figure this out to be effective for this and future generations.

A lot of news has emanated from the vampire novel community in the last few years, most of it not too helpful. But last week when Anne Rice declared that she “quit being a Christian,” she became a part of an important ongoing conversation about common perceptions of Christians and our faith.

Rice is an accomplished vampire novelist who authored such bestsellers as Interview with the Vampire and The Queen of the Damned, but eight years ago she converted to Christianity and nailed her vampire novels into a coffin. “In 2002 I made up my mind that I would not write anything that wasn’t for Christ,” Rice once told Beliefnet.

Hers is the kind of radical spiritual conversion stories you don’t often hear coming from the American intellectual elite, which makes her recent Facebook confession that she’s had enough of Christianity all the more interesting. She proclaimed, “As I said below, I quit being a Christian. I'm out. In the name of Christ, I refuse to be anti-gay. I refuse to be anti-feminist. I refuse to be anti-artificial birth control. I refuse to be anti-Democrat. I refuse to be anti-secular humanism. I refuse to be anti-science. I refuse to be anti-life. In the name of Christ, I quit Christianity and being Christian. Amen.”

Rice admitted in another post that she remains “committed to Christ as always but not to being 'Christian' or to being part of Christianity." Over 3,000 people on Facebook said they “like” her post and more than 4,000 have commented.

Is Rice alone in her sentiments? Or is she expressing an increasingly common sentiment—even among the faithful—that Christianity as we now see it expressed is often far from what Christ would have it be? The research commissioned by Q and released in the book, UnChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity . . . and Why it Matters, indicates that the latter is true. An entire generation has had enough of a judgmental, hypocritical, intellectual expression of the Christian faith.

It’s a bleak picture, but some believe we may be on the cusp of a great revival of our historic faith. Not the kind that will return Christians to some sort of cultural or political prominence, but rather an awakening to the roots of our faith. A new generation of Christians is re-imagining the faith, and their boldness and creativity should encourage us all. As we’ve observed, their stories may be the silver lining in Christianity’s recent black cloud and will be told in Q Founder Gabe Lyons’ forthcoming book, The Next Christians: The Good News About the End of Christian America (How a New Generation is Restoring the Faith).

As Gabe recently told the news conglomerate GalleyCat in response to Rice’s comments, "The good news about many younger generation Christians (who'd agree with Anne by the way), is that they aren't defined by political activism and moral grandstanding. The next Christians live with a humble posture and are embracing the issues their faith's originator would support. They care not only about abortion and gay marriage; they also want to work on restoring every corner of the earth through promoting justice, fighting poverty, caring for the lonely, opposing nuclear weapons, curbing environmental destruction and so on. If Anne Rice was exposed more to this kind of restoration-minded Christian, she might even re-evaluate her position."

Pace and Margin

2010-10-04T17:58:00.002-07:00

I'm thinking a lot about these two principles lately. To be more honest, I feel like God is commanding me to consider these two spiritual decisions. They are spiritual decisions, you know.

Pace is all about how we do, not what we do.

It's about a peaceful and calm internal pace, resting in the size and sovereignty of God. He's got the whole world in His hand and He is more than able to accomplish all these critically important things I'm working on, with or without me. I'm grateful He chooses to use me and I'm wise to remember that He doesn't need me.

Pace is also about rest. The Sabbath is a principle God gave us to help us rest in the middle of every huge project, life trial or harvesting season, because God can multiply our six days of work into seven days of fruitfulness.

Slow down the pace.

Margin is about having something left over. Time, money, energy, etc. When we use everything we've got, we are not wise. And man, is it ever easy to convince ourselves to do, spend, and squeeze in just a little bit more. A margin less life is a lousy life, no matter how much I'm getting done.

Pace and Margin...two powerful and essential spiritual disciplines for the 21st Century!

What Changes Lie Ahead For You?

2010-09-22T16:37:00.002-07:00

I've been thinking about changes I need to consider for the sake of my leadership. Changes that help fuel creativity, passion, drive, and energy in my own leadership life. My realization has become that routines are great and create a foundation for growth and productivity. And, routines need to change occasionally or they become predictable, boring and stale.

Here are some changes I'm about to make in my life/schedule:

* Reading Time. Nothing fuels continual growth and creativity like reading. I had a mentor tell me 25 years ago, "Read, read, read, read. Either read or get out of the ministry." My reading time is easily stolen by the busyness I allow and the exhaustion that my busyness creates.

* Journaling Time. Thoughts disentangle themselves as they pass through our lips or through our fingertips. Writing is a powerful discipline - it's the discipline part that I neglect.

* Blocked times of prayer. I pray all the time. I talk to God probably 50 times per day. I also need long blocks of time so I can hear from God. This time is easily stolen by...that's right, busyness.

* Leader Hang Time. The best part of conferences is hanging with other leaders who encourage you. I'm thinking that I need a few "conferences" where I just hang with a few other leaders for a day or two with no scheduled agenda so we can process our lives together and hear from God.

* Time in Nature. Trees, streams, hikes, lakes and bike rides are powerfully refreshing experiences for me. I need more time outside.

I have a couple more that I'm hesitant to share, but the important thing is to take action on mixing things up and finding fresh and renewed energy.

What about you? What changes do you need to make to insure you keep growing?

How To Help A Friend

2010-09-20T12:14:00.003-07:00

Last week, Sue and I sat with a couple of friends and talked about life over lunch. It was one of those wonderfully encouraging times where Sue and I walked away feeling loved, encouraged and truly helped in how we can live our lives most effectively.

I have reflected on that lunch a few times and how helpful and encouraging it was. Here are pointers for you and I to offer this kind of love and support to one another based on what these friends did for us:

* Listen. Listen long, listen actively and listen good. Don't even think of offering feedback, advice or encouragement until you thoroughly understand what's going on and the perspectives being held. To speak without listening isn't help, it's an insult.

* Ask Questions. Lots and lots of questions. Ask questions about details of events or information. Ask questions about how they feel. Ask questions about feedback they've already gotten. Ask questions about what they think God might be up to. Ask tons of questions, so that you can fully grasp their context from every angle.

* Restate what you've heard, in your own words. This is the most effective way to insure that you understand what is being said, felt and experienced accurately.

* Affirm the strengths, blessings and gifts of the one you're listening to. It is very encouraging when your listening-friend re-affirms the giftedness, strengths and activity of God that they see in your life. It's also a very important lens through which to view the future. "Here is how God has used you in the past and present...how could He be using you in your current context?"

* Never, never, never tell them what to do. You and I should not possess or exert that kind of power in someone's life. Rather, offer your perspective on the choices before them, give guidance on pace, range of options as you see them, or other places to gather useful information, but do not tell them what to do.

* Pray with them. Walk them to Jesus who is the One who can guide and empower them the best and to whom they will answer for how they lived their life.

Great friends are a tremendous gift from God!!!