Unknown Places

One of the hats a leader wears is the hat of "trailblazer." Leaders take people to places those people have not been; we do not need a leader to take us someplace we have been before.  Often the leader himself has not been down a path before. He may have traveled a similar path to the same destination with a different group of people, but each trip is different. Every time the leader leads he is cutting a new path.  

When you travel through uncharted territory, there are no road signs. Highways and bridges are not built in places no one has visited. Unanticipated obstacles and terrain should be expected but cannot be known. The only thing the leader can know with certainty about the journey is the people who are going, and most importantly, the leader himself. 

A leader who does not intimately know the people she is leading cannot know the tendencies, gifts, or baggage that might help or hinder the journey. A leader who does not clearly understand the same things about herself will be dangerous to her team because. 

It is a temptation for strategic leaders especially to get wrapped up in the details of the destination, many of which cannot be known. You can know more about yourself and your people than you can the specifics of your journey, so make sure you invest in them as well. 

What gifts and talents do you possess which will help your team as you blaze a path? What liabilities do you need to recognize within yourself so you can protect your team from you? How have you as a leader gone about investing in the people you lead?

Worth It

Kari and I spent Tuesday and Wednesday in Colorado Springs to watch one of the students from our youth ministry graduate from the United States Air Force Academy. If you have never experienced a military academy graduation, it is a pretty cool experience. The military band plays, the cadets march into the stadium with perfect precision, and at the end of the ceremony at the very second the emcee says "you are dismissed," the graduating class hurls their caps in the air as the Thunderbirds buzz the stadium at about 200 feet. It was an awe inspiring event. 

Both Tuesday and Wednesday, through all the pomp and circumstance, I found myself a little jealous of Ben. He's graduating near the top of his class and headed to Shepherd Air Force Base to fly jets. He will forever be known as an "Academy Graduate," which is a distinction very few people are fortunate enough (and smart enough) to have. And there was a part deep inside of me that wished I had gone to the Air Force Academy; that I was flying jets and being heralded as one of the "future leaders of our great nation." 

Then I remembered the letters. 

Somewhere I still have letters Ben sent me his first year at the USAFA. They would arrive with tear stains on them, begging anyone who would read the letter to pick him up and take him home. He was exhausted, demoralized, emotionally ragged, and would have quit in a heartbeat if someone would have driven the 700 miles to get him. 

When we see the pomp and circumstance, it's easy to wish it was us being celebrated. But when we count the cost, we tend to be glad it was someone else.  

I asked Ben yesterday if it was all worth it, and he didn't even bat an eye. He would do it again in a heartbeat in order to experience what he got to experience this week and for the rest of his life. 

The prize was in accordance with the cost. 

I won't ever graduate from a prestigious military academy (I am a proud graduate of the "Princeton of the Plains"). I won't ever fly jets for a living. The Vice President of the United States won't ever laud me as the future of this great country. 

I'm anticipating something greater. 

Some days I'm exhausted, tired, sleep-deprived, and would quit if only someone would come pick me up. I've written some tear-stained letters myself. But I'm confident the prize will be worth the cost (1 Corinthians 9:24-25; Hebrews 12:11). 

Encouragement - Part 2

Yesterday I mentioned my view that encouragement is one of the most powerful tools in the leader's toolbox. In fact, the power of encouragement can cause some leaders to pervert it and use it as a manipulation tactic. When this happens,  it causes people to become cynical and suspect of any encouragement which actually discourages them.

In order for your encouragement to be as well-received as you intend it, it should have at least three characteristics: 

First it has to be specific. Nobody likes receiving the thank you note for a gift that simply says "Thanks for the gift. I enjoyed it a lot." Similarly, encouragement from a leader needs to be specific. Tell a person exactly what it is that you noticed, and what it was about that thing that was so significant to you. 

Second, encouragement should be spontaneous. It is one thing to send a thank you note after someone does something nice for you. Those notes are the obligation of a leader, and aren't extraordinarily encouraging. Encouragement that gets mileage is encouragement out of the blue, when someone doesn't realize you noticed or doesn't feel like their actions necessarily deserve a thank you note. 

Finally, encouragement has to be sincere. As important as it is, it should not come out of duty. This is tricky, but vital. If you lead off staff meeting "encouraging" someone, but everyone knows you don't mean it, you aren't helping anyone. People know how you really feel about them, and can generally sense your sincerety (or lack thereof) regardless of what form your encouragement takes. 

Anything you would add to the list? What was the most encouraging thing a leader ever did for you? 

Encouragement

Encouragement doesn't come naturally for me. In fact, I don't know many people who are "natural" encouragers; we tend to all be so wrapped up in our own stuff we miss the "stuff" of others. But, I'm convinced that being an encourager is one of the most important traits in a leader. It's one thing to cast a vision - another thing to notice and appreciate the things others do towards that vision. 

A hand-written note goes further than almost anything else I know of when it comes to encouraging others or saying "thanks." I try to write a note or two every day just to keep me in the habit. 

With that said, a quick email goes further than a forgotten hand-written note. If someone in your organization does something worth recognizing, sit down and write them a note immediately. If you can't write them a note immediately, fire off an email. If you're away from the computer, send a text message. It is too important a task to risk forgetting. 

Happy Memorial Day

We have a lot to be thankful for.

Hero - Becoming the Man She Desires

Waterbrook Press sent me "Hero, Becoming the Man She Desires" by Fred and Jasen Stoeker a few weeks ago to review. It's a book written with a younger audience in mind, and has good solid advice for what a true hero looks like. You may not agree with the intricasies of every point (Kari and I kissed before our wedding day, and don't regret that), but it is a great book challenging young men to lead in the area of sexual purity.

The book is not dumbed down like a lot of student material. In fact, in a couple of places the book may soar over a younger high schooler's head. However, it is a book worth reading.


One of the unique things about "Hero" is that it is written by a father and son. The father's struggle with pornography was well covered in his best-selling book "Every Man's Battle," and a portion of the book is dedicated to talking about how he steered his son clear of the addiction. It also talks about the father's secret fears and doubts about encouraging his son toward purity as the son neared college without finding a bride.


This isn't the book to gift-wrap and hand to your son for Christmas. This is the book for a father to buy his son and read with him. Meet on a regular basis and have honest heart conversations about the stuff the book covers. What should he expect as a young man? How should he deal with temptation? What lies should he be on the lookout to avoid? How can he think appropriately about women and sex - not devaluing or obsessing over either? Read this book with him while he is young. Talk about it as honestly as you can. Sure it may be awkward, but his future wife will thank you.

Singles

Yesterday I read something really helpful by Wayne Cordiero (HT: Ben Arment). Cordiero encouraged pastors to strive for the consistent base hit rather than the home run. No preacher, regardless of how gifted he is, can truly knock it out of the park every time he's up to bat. In fact in baseball, the higher your home run total the higher your strikeout average.

As a "Teaching Pastor" I get to preach about once a month. A lot of times I feel a strong (self-imposed) pressure to hit a home run every time I preach. If I don't "go long" this week, I have to think about it for a whole month. The problem is: that isn't sustainable. 

Cordiero has a much better way to think about preaching. Both singles and home runs move people around the bases. Strikeouts and pop-ups do not. Try too hard, and you will leave more people on base than you want. Hit consistent singles and doubles and you will feel less pressure, strike out less, and score more runs. 

Know the Judge

I meet with one of our non-staff church leaders once a week to talk through some discipleship materials. He's an attorney in the area who is the kind of guy I would want on my side if I was a business going into the courtroom. He is sharp as a tack. I'm learning more about thinking from him as he is learning about the Bible from me. 

The other day he made a passing comment that struck me for some reason. We were talking about a group he's representing in a smaller town, and he made the comment that he wouldn't go near the courtroom in the case for fear of losing the case for the business. Now, he's a successful attorney who has tried cases in significant courts. You would think he could ride into a small town courtroom and win the case without thinking much about it. But, he said he wouldn't touch it. Here's why: 

He said, "A good attorney knows the law. A great attorney knows the judge." 

There just has to be a good spiritual application there somewhere... (Acts 10:42-43)

Descent

Kari and I spent last Wednesday through Sunday participating in the LEAD program with Dallas Seminary. It is a four-day intensive Leadership Evaluation And Development (hence the name) program to help ministry leaders and their spouses be even more effective. 

I'm sure I'll unpack more of what we learned once I have had time to process it, but I can tell you it was a really great experience for both Kari and I. If you really want to serve your pastor or a mission partner in your church, talk your elders into forking over the $3500 to allow he and his wife to participate. Or, pay for it yourself. It is worth the investment. 

One of my "coaches" this past week articulated something extremely well that I want to pass along. George Hillman worked with Kari and I in the area of developing a "Life Dream." As we talked about leadership and the necessity of adding continued depth and character to our leadership, George said "What you really want to do is descend into greatness." 

Don't you love that image? 

The most majestic trees in the forest have the deepest roots. The most magnificent icebergs are even more majestic below the surface. And the greatest leaders are those who descend to get there. 

Most leadership books focus on characteristics and traits that are observable to others. Few focus on the traits and characteristics  which no one can see. But those are the ones that separate the influential leaders from the powerful leaders. Henri Nouwen says it this way: "The way of the Christian leader is not the way of upward mobility in which our world has invested so much, but the way of downward mobility ending on the cross" (In the Name of Jesus, 81-82). 

A descent into greatness; that's what I'm after. How about you? 

Bible Idol

Quick question this morning:

If you had to do without either the Bible or the Holy Spirit, which one could you not do without?

For many people in my tradition (the Bible Church tradition), the tendency is to say "The Bible" first without thinking about that. After all, we're not the "Holy Spirit Church tradition." But that answer - even a tendency towards that answer - is idolatry. The Bible is not divine - it is divinely inspired. The Bible is not God, it is the revelation of God. It is not indwelling, it is something to be hidden in our hearts. The Holy Spirit, is Divine, is God, and resides within us.

The second question this morning is, "Why do you think evangelical Christians tend towards idolatry in this area?"

Systems Check

One of the important tasks of a leader is the creation and maintenance of various systems and processes that help make sure things get done in as efficient and productive way possible. Organizations have systems for almost everything, even if those systems are not clearly defined. 

The church is no different. We have systems for discipleship, mission, evangelism, teaching, stewardship, worship, and service. We also have internal systems for our staff: organizational charts, job descriptions, and communications processes are all systems designed to help our staff function as efficiently and clearly as possible. 

Often, systems become complex and convoluted to the point that they're cumbersome and more trouble than they're worth. Leaders have to always be at work refining and re-evaluating systems and processes to make sure they aren't counterproductive. The easiest way to evaluate a system is to look at the primary leader's own response to a system. If he or she is working around the process, it probably isn't a good system. I'll give you an example: 

We are currently in the middle of re-evaluating our process for making communications requests (videos, bulletin announcements, artwork, etc...). We had a system in place that most people were working within. But it was a complex system that involved getting a rubber stamp by two or three people and working your way through several different lines of authority before a request could be processed. There were many benefits to the system, but I began to realize that I (and a couple of other key leaders) were regularly skipping the system and going directly to our communication department for our requests because the other process took too long. 

It was a bad system. Other people were working within it because we told them to and we sign their paycheck. However, if the system doesn't work for the key leaders, why would we think it would work for anyone else? 

If the system is too cumbersome for you to work within, it is too cumbersome for the people who work under you. Simplify your system, and your efficiency will go through the roof. 

Placebo Effect

I heard a great sermon by Tim Keller this past weekend as I was driving to Lake Texoma to do some fishing with a few buddies. The message was titled "Who is this Jesus?" and was originally preached on May 1, 1994. 

One of the things Keller addressed that I think is important has to do with the way we prove the validity of Jesus. He says that our defense validity of the Christian faith must demonstrate that it is both "intellectually credible and existentially satisfying." That is, it has to be True and it has to be relevant.

Modern society has a tendency to look at the second half - the relevant piece - before we examine the rational piece. For many of us, the sole proof we offer that Jesus is real comes from our experience: "Jesus changed my life." Pastors work hard to make sure their churches are full of people who live visibly different lives because "the most powerful evidence of the proof of Christianity is men and women whose lives are changed by the Gospel." I've preached that. 

Here's the problem: The Placebo Effect. 

If I'm dying of a terrible disease and take some "medicine" that I sincerely believe will make me better, some of my symptoms will go away. I will feel better, even if the "medicine" I take is not medicine designed to treat my disease at all. I change externally, leading others (and myself) to believe I am better even though the medicine has had no lasting effect at all. 

Every religion - even the most bizarre religion you can dream up - has adherents who can say "My life has meaning, I have true joy and peace that I never experienced before. It works for me." 

The thing that sets Christianity apart is not just that it works, it is that Christianity is True. It is intellectually credible and it changes lives because it is True. We have to point to both. 

Not Here To Win

One of the truly great things about McKinney is our current group of elders. We have a group of guys who "get" ministry and who exercise extraordinary wisdom as they lead our church. This morning I had breakfast with one of those guys who has been an Elder for 26 years and is still excited about what God is doing at McKinney. He has seen a lot change over the past 30 years, good and bad, but still gets fired up about seeing people trust Christ and engage in ministry. 

He made one comment in passing that stuck out to me, and was worth recording here because I think it is one of the things that sets McKinney apart as a unique church: 

"Chris," he said, "We aren't here to win. We're here to serve in such a way that Jesus wins." 

He's right. 

It sounds simple, but it isn't. We love to be winners. We love to receive credit. We love to be the best. But we're not called to be the best.  We're called to be servants who do everything we do to point to the Best. 

We're just working hard to be the best at that.

Heart Thinking

In Biblical times, the heart was spoken of as the processing center of the body. A man would "think" in his heart (Genesis 6:5; Proverbs 23:7; Luke 5:22), connect with God in His heart (Genesis 24:45; Deuteronomy 4:29), love a woman with his heart (Genesis 34:3), remember with his heart (Deuteronomy 4:9), and feel emotion in your heart (1 Samuel 4:13; 28:5; 2 Samuel 6:16; Luke 24:32; Acts 2:26; Acts 21:13)

A few hundred years ago as mankind gained more information about how the body functions, we made a distinction in our metaphors in order to be more precise. Now, we "think" with our heads, and "feel" with our hearts as if the two functions are radically different.

However, both science and life experience show that the Bible might have been onto something.

If you want to persuade people, you cannot just speak to their "heads;" nobody makes life-decisions based on facts and information alone. Neither can you just speak to a person's "heart;" people are way too rational for that.

Thinking and feeling are never divorced. Our most rational thoughts always contain an element of feeling, and our most impetuous decisions are connected to rational thought at some point down the line. If you want people to decide something, whether in a sermon, a sales pitch, or a discussion with your teenager, you will have to appeal to their head and their heart.

On Vacation!

Please don't forget: if you are in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and can at all swing it, this Sunday will be an extraordinary Sunday at McKinney Church. You really won't want to miss it. 

Shortly after the luncheon to follow the 10:30 service, Kari and I will hop in the car with Casen and drive to Hot Springs to meet our friends Drew and Dawn and Jason and Joy for a week of doing absolutely nothing, together. 

I'm going dark, and will be back sometime after our vacation and the Pastors Retreat on May 4th and 5th. 

See you then! 

Measurement

A couple of things about measurement left over from yesterday. 

As you measure spiritual growth as a church, I think you're best off if you measure corporately as opposed to individually. Jesus' stinging rebuke to the church at Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-16) did not indicate there was nobody who was either hot or cold, but that the church as a whole had lukewarm. When we attempt to measure our effectiveness as a church we have to think in terms of the group as a whole rather than looking at specific individuals. There will always be outliers on both sides of the equation. 

Secondly, our criteria has to be biblical. We ski down the slippery slope to legalism if we manufacture a test for maturity that is not prescribed by Scripture. If we measure how many of our people have a 30 minute quiet time every day we measure the wrong thing. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). We have to flesh those out somehow, but need to leave enough room so as not to define "faithfulness," for example, too narrowly. 

Finally, we are measuring progress rather than static activities. I don't expect a person who is just growing in his faith to have completely mastered self-control, but I do expect him to have more self-control this year than he did last year. I don't expect my church to have arrived at goodness today, but I expect us  (as a whole) to be closer than we were yesterday.  

Measuring heart change is difficult because people are messy, and God does not complete a series of steps in the same order for each person when it comes to making us more like Him. It just doesn't work that way. 

How do you measure heart change?

I mentioned last week that our staff team did some brainstorming on how to measure heart change. We were realistic going in - many churches have attempted to measure their effectiveness, and to my knowledge nobody has stumbled on the magic bullet. 

In some senses, it is impossible to measure the heart because it is deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9) and only God truly knows it (Psalm 17:3; Acts 15:8). However, I'm convinced that there are ways we can measure our effectiveness. Paul knew the difference between a thriving church (Ephesians 1:15-16) and a dying church (Galatians 3:1; 1 Corinthians 4:21). So did Jesus (Revelation 3:7-13; Revelation 3:14-16). For them to evaluate various churches, there had to be some observable criteria. 

The danger is, observable criteria can almost always be replicated by religious people whose heart is not changed. 

Unbelievers have quiet times. Religious people show up to church, and small group, and Bible Study, and mission projects. An agnostic can pray, or give money. If we quantify our quantification too much, we run the risk of patting ourselves on the backs while we create religious people whose hearts are far from God. 

So I want to ask you the question we have been asking ourselves: Are there specific things we could measure in a person to see whether or not he or she is growing as a follower of Jesus Christ which could not be replicated by hypocrites.

I think I have an answer, but I'd like to hear yours first. What do you think? 

Small Things

Kari is out of town this week visiting her parents and dropping off the dog so the mutt doesn't have to stay at the vet's for several nights. We should all be as pampered as that dog...

Even so, her vacation gave me the opportunity to play golf yesterday evening with a buddy. Actually, after not having played in a month or so, I have played twice in the last four days.

Saturday, I played pretty well. Yesterday, not so much. 

While I was chasing balls all over the course, I had plenty of time to think about how golf is a great metaphor for life, ministry, and leadership in a lot of ways. The one most on my mind yesterday was the difference between greatness and desperation. 

The difference between a great golf shot and a terrible golf shot is about one centimeter, and a degree or two. If I hit the ball in the sweet spot of the club at the right angle, the ball goes where I want and I have a good day. If I miss by a centimeter or less, or leave the club face a degree or two too open, I have a day like I had yesterday. The problem is: I'm swinging the club at a pretty high rate of speed, and those details are hard to control.

Same thing in life, ministry and leadership. Life happens, ministry happens, and leadership happens at a high rate of speed; but the real difference between greatness and desperation is extraordinarily small. 

Choose a great leader. If you start looking for similarities between him/her and us, you'll find that at our core we have a lot in common. The difference is, most leaders do the small things exceptionally and consistently well.  

Faithfulness

Not long ago I read this great quote by Phillip Yancey about a documentary he watched on WWII:

"The soldiers recalled how they spent a particular day. One sat in a foxhole all day; once or twice, a German tank drove by, and he shot at it. Others played cards and frittered away the time. A few got involved in furious firefights. Mostly, the day passed like any other day for an infantryman on the front. Later they learned they had just participated in one of the largest, most decisive engagements of the war, the Battle of the Bulge. It did not feel decisive to any of them at the time, because none had the big picture of what was happening elsewhere.   

Great victories are won when ordinary people execute their assigned tasks - and a faithful person does not debate each day whether he or she is in the mood to follow the sergeant's orders or show up at a boring job. We exercise faith by responding to the task that lies before us, for we have control only over our actions in the present moment."

Gut Science

I just finished reading "Transformational Architecture" by Ron Martoia. I didn't love the book, but really loved this concept:

"Cultural historian Morris Berman has made a strong case that in eras gone by we had strong somatic knowledge; that is, our bodies registered when we sensed danger, had a "gut feeling," sensed that "something just wasn't right." These were types of knowing not associated with the mind but held in equally high regard in previous eras. He argues that our inability to pay attention to our quite literally, full-bodied knowledge transmitters has led us to being a culture that is impoverished and numb to the deep visceral wiring in our very design" (171).

Ignoring the evolutionary roots of Berman's point, I love that there is a science of the "gut."

So much of what I do as a young leader relies on "somatic knowledge." I think we move more toward rationalized thought as we get older and more mature in leadership because we are able to put a finger on the things that tipped off our gut initially, and evaluate our decisions in light of those circumstances.

Even still, the gut is an important tool. It is neat to know there is a science behind it.

Planning

Our ministry staff is heading out of town this morning to do some planning. When we do planning we stay on-site or go to someones house for a change of scenery, but we reserve our retreats for playtime. As a result, our "retreats" have been tremendously scaled back this year for perception reasons. Although our church is in a pretty good place financially thanks to some of the most generous people in Fort Worth, it just doesn't seem right to spend a bunch of money on pampering when everyone is tightening their belt. 

Although we've scaled back our retreats, we have ramped-up our planning. For months we have been working on the communication of our clear, common purpose as a church. We found that most people can get close to communicating what makes McKinney Church unique, but are working to help focus our communication in such a way that it makes it simple to communicate why we exist. 

Today, we will be drilling down into two huge topics: roll-out and metrics. How do we get the most momentum behind new verbage, and how do we measure our success? 

The last topic is the most tricky. It is extraordinarily difficult to measure spiritual growth and impact without becoming legalistic. People grow in different ways at different rates. Plus, some people do all the right things for all the wrong reasons while others do all the wrong things for all the right reasons. We recognize that God is more concerned with the heart, and want to be concerned about what God is concerned about. 

So today, we will try to answer the simple question: "How do you measure heart-change?" 

I can't wait. 

Leadership Models

If you have been a part of many churches (or corporations for that matter), you recognize pretty quickly that there are many different models for church leadership. I'm not even talking about church governance... I'm talking about church leadership. Churches have various ways of "getting things done," and most of them find at least some anecdotal support in Scripture. Here are some of the ones I think are most popular: 

The Hero Model:

There is a primary leader that everyone within the organization looks to. He is the gatekeeper for vision, direction, and change management. He is also the "face" of the organization. It works well when the Hero is a godly leader, but can be catastrophic when he falls, dies, or retires.  James seems to have been this kind of key leader in the Jerusalem Church (Acts 15:13-21). Moses was certainly this kind of leader, at least initially (Exodus 18). 

The Team Model: 

Two or more leaders share responsibility as the leader of the organization, something like Siamese twins. They lead together, and are seen as co-equals although they may serve different specific functions. Without one of them, the church/organization would lose its heartbeat. This works well as long as the team works in complete unity and humility, and as long as the leaders complement each other. However, errors in communication, challenges in perception, and confusion from subordinates can cause this leadership style to falter. Paul seems to have been involved in the Team Model a lot; with Barnabas (Acts 13-15), and Silas (Acts 16-17). 

Bottom-Up Leadership: 

The leadership is done by those involved in the organization at the bottom levels as much as the top levels. This is more than just servant leadership; it reflects a more congregational approach where everyone has a say in major decisions. This works best in small organizations where people are able to be intimately involved and are therefore able to make decisions with the big picture in mind. It fails when the vision leaks, or when the organization gets so big the "average" person is unable to know the big picture. Certainly the apostles worked this approach in the early days immediately following Christ's ascension into heaven (Acts 1:12-26).

Those are just three models, but they seem to be the most prevalent. Two questions: (1) Are you aware of others?  (2) Which do you feel is most effective in leading a church overall? They all have biblical precedent; which one is the most practical? Again, not in overall governance - that is a discussion for another day. Which model is best for managing the day-to-day operation and execution within an organization or church? 

What Happens When You Take a Friend to Church?

I hope you had a great Easter yesterday. We had a great day. The church service was meaningful. We didn't have any technical nightmares or anything that would distract from worship, and that's an overall win. We also got to spend Easter with my parents, which was neat. 

One of the most exciting things for me was that our neighbors came to church with us yesterday morning. They're a really cool couple, and we get along extraordinarily well. Kari and I have talked with them about spiritual things on multiple occasions, but it is still difficult to tell where they are when it comes to their faith. Kari and I have been praying for them for around a year, so it was neat to have them show up at church yesterday. 

If you haven't ever invited someone you care about to your church, you really ought to try it; especially if you are on staff at the church. As soon as someone you care about shows up, especially when that person is far from God, you gain a heightened sensitivity to everything that goes on. 

As a pastor (or regular attender), it is almost impossible to see things with the eyes of a guest. Inviting a neighbor lets you experience your church with brand new eyes. The positive things that you normally would take for granted (the clarity of the Gospel, the friendliness of the people, the clarity of instruction to guests) get contrasted with the negative things you have repressed without realizing it (awkward service transitions, bathroom cleanliness,  weird door greeters), and allows you to see things about your church in a new light. 

Because I'm a pastor, I don't get to experience this real frequently because the majority of my world is lived in the Christian bubble. There are things that I do to intentionally get out of that bubble, but by and large the bubble is a reality for me. However, I need to take advantage of that opportunity every chance I get, because it gives me a glimpse into what the people in the seats are feeling every week. After all, I encourage them to be bringing friends and neighbors on a regular basis, right? 

My experience yesterday morning has given me a fire in my belly to send off a couple of notes of encouragement to people who were friendly to my friends. It has also given me some renewed passion to shore up a couple of areas that need help. That's a good thing. 

Help?

I'm on my 5th iPhone, and even this iPhone isn't working properly. I'm having significant sync issues that the "Mac Genius" told me was a result of the fact that "Steve and Bill don't play well together." Great.

Even still, I love the technology. The thousands of apps available to the iPhone are wicked cool, and worth a little bit of trouble. I love the YouVersion Bible app from the guys at Lifechurch.tv, and some of the other apps that allow you to do find your car in a parking lot, recognize a song and artist on the radio, or watch the weather radar in real time. Pretty cool.

Here's the deal: I'm looking for a flashcard app that will allow me to enter text on my computer, sync it with my iPhone, and have flashcards  on my iPhone. I want to use it for Bible memory, so it would be equally cool if it interfaced with YouVersion or another Bible app to copy verses onto flashcards on my iPhone. 

There are a couple of flashcard apps, but they require you to type the text onto the flashcard from the iPhone's typing pad, and that takes way too long. 

Any computer nerds out there who could help me out? 

One of my life goals is to memorize at least one verse from every chapter of the Bible. There are 1189 chapters, so if I do a verse a week I'm looking at around 22 years total to reach the goal. I'm already a few years into it, but am tired of keeping flashcards laying around. Flashcards are made out of paper, and I'm in the middle of a paper purge. Plus, I think the convenience would help me do more than a verse per week. 

Keep your eyes open. If you find something that would work, or can write an app that would work, I would be forever grateful. 

Polish

Churches everywhere walk a fine line on Easter Sunday. We're realistic and know that a lot of the people present on Easter Sunday will not be back for a year. So the temptation is to pull out all the stops on Sunday morning. The music is popping, the sermon is extra polished, the welcome team is extra friendly, and our people are dressed in their very best. We work hard for the extra level of excellence on Easter Sunday, because down deep (be honest) we think if we are extra polished on Easter Sunday, those once-a-yearers might come back. 

Maybe that's why they don't come back. 

Easter is a great chance to put hypocrisy on display. When we're over-polished for the sake of impressing people, we reinforce the stereotypes that keep them away the rest of the year. Most once-a-yearers think Christians are falsies who act differently on Sunday than we do the rest of the year. And let's be honest: if their experience is based on Easter Sunday, can you blame them? 

Obviously, Easter Sunday is the most significant holiday in the Christian calendar. We should celebrate. Easter Sunday should be special. We just have to be careful that we don't become hypocrites in the process. 

No Regrets

We had a great discussion this morning in a group I'm a part of about regrets. 

In 1 Corinthians 15:9, Paul remembers the dark time in his life, which could have caused him to be paralyzed by guilt and regret for the life he had lived. The very next paragraph in Paul's letter to the Corinthians is with regard to the resurrection. 

Because of the resurrection, Paul realized, we are no longer identified by our sin (1 Corinthians 15:17; 15:20). We don't have to live with regret and guilt, because the cross of Jesus Christ has paid that penalty. When we trust Him as Savior, He removes our guilt. We can live with no regrets. 

The other piece to that great news is that God will not waste the years you wasted. Because of Paul's experience as a Pharisee persecuting the Church, he had the platform to talk to a group many of us would not have been able to reach (Philippians 3:1-11). 

Many of you have pain from your past. But because Jesus has risen from the dead, you can live without regret, and make yourself available to Him to be used so that your past is not wasted. God has a way of redeeming our mistakes in such a way that He receives the ultimate glory. People who have been divorced often make great marriage counselors, when they make themselves available to God. Recovering addicts who are available for God to use them make the best sponsors and friends to people struggling through addiction. People who have wasted entire periods of their life can step in and help others who are headed down a similar path in a way I may not be able to. 

Because of the resurrection God can (and will) redeem your past if you make yourself available to Him. 

While Shepherds Watch Their Flocks

For Christmas, my father-in-law gave me the book "While Shepherds Watch Their Flocks," by Timothy S. Laniak. His church staff was reading it and he thought it might be something I would enjoy.

The book is a 40 day devotional, so I was fairly sure I wouldn't enjoy it. I never have been one for the daily devotional guide, because I tend to lose interest in the book long before the book comes to an end. Just a part of my personality.

But, my father-in-law is a good guy so I started into the book, more than anything so he and I could talk about it when we get together. I started it as a daily devotional, but got so excited about it I just decided to finish it (I'm not much for delayed gratification).

I don't think I'm over-exaggerating when I say this may be the best book I read all year.

I loved it. Not as a daily devotional book, but as a straight up book. It was really, really good.

Dr. Laniak spent his sabbatical from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary living with shepherds in the middle-east, and wrote this book about his observations. Written mostly for those in Christian leadership, the book contains principles gleaned from shepherds that will help pastors, CEOs, and Sunday School teachers see leadership through a different lens.

This book is the 21st century equivalent of Phillip Keller's masterpiece on Psalm 23, though in some ways I would say it is even better. It contains just the right amounts of observation and application to be both informative and practical. The book is broken into three main sections: Provision, Protection, and Guidance - the three primary roles of a shepherd.

Please buy this book for your pastor. If you are a pastor, buy a copy for your elders and key staff. They will find it insightful, encouraging, and immensely helpful to their ministries.

Whew

If you haven't had a chance to look at some of the questions we received via text message on Sunday, look at the Living Hope blog. 

The text message experience was a great one, but I learned a couple of lessons:

1. Always have a back-up plan. The text messaging software we were using is web-based, and their server crashed about an hour before our first service. It didn't come back up until around 20 minutes before the service began, but our AV guys weren't sitting in a corner sucking their thumb. We were prepared for that kind of thing. 

2. You have to have someone screening the questions that wants to see the pastor succeed. Some of the questions we had come in were off topic, and obvious attempts to bait the "answerer" into a booby trap. I screened Ken's questions to make sure they were on-topic and answerable, without shielding him from the hard questions (question #1 was on Limited vs. Unlimited atonement). Unfortunately, I'm on the hot seat this weekend, and Ken is out of town. I'm not sure I trust anyone I can't pay back...

3. Promising to answer "all" the questions on a blog is not a good idea. We did that this week and when all is said and done I will have spent nearly 30 hours just answering questions. When you put something in writing, it needs to be abundantly clear and referenced because you can't get it back. So, I put a ton of work into answering about fifty questions, and that was way too much - especially when I have other responsibilities... like preaching on Sunday. This next week, I'll only promise to answer "a few" of the questions we don't get to in the service. If people don't get an answer in the service or on the blog, they can call me. 

All in all, this has been a really great experience for our church and a great exercise for me. I found I'm fairly good at coming up with answers to these questions, but need more work on remembering chapters and verses. "Somewhere in the Bible it says..." is not a sufficient answer! 

April 26th

If you live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, you need to be at McKinney Church in Fort Worth on April 26th. I'm not trying to steal you from your church - you don't ever have to come back to McKinney after the 26th if you are plugged-in somewhere else; but if you can swing it you need to be here on April 26th. Plan to be at one of the two morning services, and at a lunch that will be provided afterward.  

Here's the catch: you're just going to have to trust me. 

For security reasons, I can't publish who will be here, or why it is so important for you to be here. You just need to trust me, and make plans to show up. And no, this isn't an April Fools joke. 

Curious? See you the 26th.  

BHAPs

If you've read anything by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras, (Building Your Company's Vision, Built to Last), you're familiar with "BHAGs." BHAG stands for "Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal," and it's Collins and Porras's contention that every organization needs them in order to succeed. 

I'm equally convinced that every person needs at least one BHAP - Big, Hairy, Audacious Prayer. 

What specific prayer are you praying these days that is so Big, Hairy and Audacious that if God doesn't show up it cannot be done? 

If you don't have one, you're missing a great opportunity to see God at work through your life in your world. You're also making a statement about the size of your God or the extent to which you truly believe He wants to work in the world. 

If you really believed Matthew 19:26, and Philippians 4:13, and John 14:13 were true (and I could go on and on), what big hairy audacious prayer would you be praying? 

Clutter Free Christianity

Last week I read "Clutter Free Christianity" by Robert Jeffress. Jeffress is the pastor at First Baptist Church in Dallas, TX. I have only had the opportunity to meet Dr. Jeffress twice, and both times he was an extremely engaging, winsome, nice man. I know several people who attended the church he pastored prior to going to FBC Dallas, and say he is the quintessential pastor.

Clutter Free Christianity isn't a book on time management, or simplifying our lives, as the title first implied to me. Rather, it is a book designed to help Christians re-discover the things that are most important - "what God really wants from you - and what He wants to do for you."

Here are a couple of things I really liked about this book: Chapter 3 talks about "heart surgery," and contains a helpful reminder that the Christian life is not about behavior modification. We can self-help ourselves to spiritual death by making our external behavior the focus of our lives. Instead, the entire Christian life is about trusting God to carry out the work of transformation in our hearts.

Jeffress also has a helpful discussion about the reason we don't trust God. Basically, he says the decision to not trust God is a reflection of our unbelief that God has either the "character or the ability to fulfill His promises."

My big problem with Dr. Jeffress' book is that I don't feel as though Jeffress was as clear on the Gospel as he could have been. It starts on page 3, where he quotes Ephesians 2:8-9, and then writes "Those words are more than just an evangelical mantra; they are the bedrock of the Christian faith... However..." (emphasis mine).

You can't say "but" to something that is the "bedrock of the Christian faith."

The rest of the book is dedicated to helping believers understand what "God really wants from [us]," but in my opinion Dr. Jeffress makes that issue extraordinarily fuzzy. Dr. Jeffress claims the "essence of a right relationship with God [is] a heart fully devoted to Him and a heart that loves other people as much as we love ourselves" (pg. 4), and insinuates that if our lives don't reflect that we could be "surprised when [we] stand before God one day and hear His evaluation of [our lives]" (pg. 6). On the other hand he writes "To initially receive God's forgiveness by faith in God's grace and then revert to a system of good works to earn God's approval is like mixing oil and water" (pg. 38).

In my honest opinion, this book confuses the very issue it sets out to clarify.

By causing our "transformation" to be the implied grounds of our assurance of a relationship in Jesus Christ, I fear Dr. Jeffress' book will inevitably cause Christians to look in the wrong place for the Source of their security.

Let me put that a different way: When you trust that Jesus Christ paid your penalty on the cross, you have eternal life that is based solely on what He did (John 3:16, et al.). At the point you trust Christ, the Holy Spirit takes up residence and begins the work of conforming you to the image of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:16; Romans 8:9; Romans 8:29). That transformation often happens both internally and externally in the life of a believer, and at different paces for each individual.

However, when we look to our lives (or to the lives of others) as proof they are or are not believers, we look in the wrong place. No one has ever come to Christ by behaving better - so why would good behavior be the criteria we look at to decide where we, or someone else, stands with God?

Trying to figure out if someone has trusted Christ? Don't look at their lifestyle. Ask them.

Wondering if you are really "saved?" Don't look to see if you're behaving better these days. Ask yourself, "Have I trusted Jesus Christ alone as my Savior, Who paid for my sin on the cross and rose from the dead." The Pharisees behaved well, and they were whitewashed tombs.

Back to Dr. Jeffress' book: I don't remember the simple Gospel of eternal life through faith in Christ's death and resurrection alone being explicit a single time in the entire book. I have no doubt Dr. Jeffress believes it, and even preaches it, but it wasn't in this book. For a book on "Clutter-Free Christianity" to clutter the simplicity of the gospel and assurance in Christ alone is too bad.

Question?

This past week we started a new series at McKinney Church called "Living Hope." It's a series that answers several questions about Jesus, mostly from the book of 1 Peter. It's basic Christology, with a cool twist. 

We normally preach for 30 or 35 minutes, but for this series we're going to preach for 20-25 minutes and have a 10-15 minute question and answer session following the sermon. Because of our size, it isn't practical to open a mic for the Q&A, so we will be inviting people to send in their questions about the message via text message.

The idea isn't original to McKinney Church; several churches have tried this method with great success. It is a little bit of a stretch for us, mainly because it demands some extra personnel and technology (which is virtually never glitch-free). Even still, I'm pretty excited about the potential. 

I'm hoping the chance to interact with the message in real-time will cause people to move from passive to active listeners. Active listeners are more likely to be active appliers. 

We anticipate a pretty big response, and that we will be unable to answer all the questions in the main service. So, we've created a Living Hope Blog where I'll attempt to tackle most of the questions we can't get to in the service. 

Our Creative Arts Team has been working hard to make this thing possible. Seth and David do a great job, and most of it is behind the scenes. If you're a McKinneyite and see them, be sure to tell them "thanks." 

Depending on the response, my blogging over here might be a bit sporadic next week. Be sure to check the Living Hope Blog next week to see what we come up with. It should be an exciting week.

Gut Leadership

A lot of what I do as a young leader is instinctive. Sometimes an idea works, sometimes it doesn't. But I'm not always sure why I do what I do - there isn't a specific principle I'm working from, I just rely on my gut. The gut is a pretty important tool for a young leader. Sometimes you're able to feel things before you're able to explain them.

 
Of course, the gut can be dangerous, because it isn't always logical. You have to trust your gut, but never alone. The best young leaders I know surround themselves with more seasoned leaders, ask as many questions as they can (Proverbs 15:22), and take copious notes. They also pay attention to what they're doing, and make it their aim to never repeat mistakes. 

One of the responsibilities I feel as a young leader is to take good notes on the lessons I'm learning. In fact, that's the primary reason for this blog. As I go, and as the stakes get higher, I want to be able to better define my gut. The blog forces me to move leadership principles and lessons from my gut to my brain and out my fingers. It forces me to be logical, and helps me remember what I'm learning. I could keep a journal, but then I wouldn't worry about anyone else reading my thoughts, and I wouldn't be as careful. 

If you're reading my blog, you're helping me manage my gut. Thanks. 

Giving

There seems to be a lot of buzz out there right now about President Obama's tax plan, which could dramatically affect the amount of deductions a person could receive from charitable giving. Some of the people who wear tin-foil hats believe we're headed for a time in the very near future in which there is zero tax incentive for giving to churches and para-church ministries. 

Who knows? I may need to invest in one of those hats. 

Last week, I had a really good discussion with a couple of guys who asked if I was freaked out by the potential for such a plan. I'm a young pastor with a heart for the parachurch ministry as well. There is no doubt this plan would dramatically affect the budget of many ministries out there. 

But here's my honest opinion: That kind of plan would likely be awful for churches and parachurch ministries, but great for Christians. 

Make no mistake, it's a real blessing to be able to receive a tax break on charitable donations. But if that is the only reason (or even primary reason) Christians give, we might as well do away with it and start over from scratch.

We should give because (1) We're commanded to, (2) God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7), (3) It demonstrates our dependence on God (Luke 6:38),  (4) it demonstrates that we know whose stuff we have (Psalm 24:1), and (5) it reflects a desire to invest in eternal things (Matthew 25:14-30).

If we're giving primarily so we can keep more of our money, we are at best teetering on the brink of idolatry, and the very best thing President Obama could do for Christians is to save us from ourselves. 

Restatement

I've mentioned before that one of my favorite people to listen to is Andy Stanley. Strictly from a communication standpoint, I can't think of many people in America that I would rather hear. I love his style, and his ability to communicate wisdom in a transferable, memorable way.

If you're looking for some good insight on leadership, Stanley's Leadership Podcast is a great resource.     

One of the things I love about Andy is that he seems to be absolutely unable to communicate a big point just once. Ever. He always restates his main point multiple times. I think it's compulsive for him.    

Last week I was listening to the Leadership Podcast at the gym, and Andy was giving a talk about communication to a group of several leaders. One of his main points about communication was that communicators need to be sure to always ask the question, "What do they need to know?" (And he repeated the question three times). 

He encouraged teachers to hone down their lesson to be able to answer this question in one sentence; this is the one thing, the big idea, the main point. Then he gave several examples of "main things" from sermons he had preached in the past. And as he said each one of those main points, he repeated them at least twice. And they were just illustrations. They were "main points" from the past - not even from this particular talk - but he was so disciplined in restating the point that he repeated them instinctively.    

As a leader, you know the main point. It oozes out of you. You've lived with it for 52 hours during the week. You've thought about it, you've created it, you've dreamed about it, you've tweaked it, and coddled it, and illustrated it, and applied it, and you could say it backwards and upside down.  And you will take it for granted that the audience will know it too, if you don't become like Pavlov's dog; every time you say the main point, say it twice. At least.    

Every time you say the main point, say it twice. At least.    

See how that works?   When you repeat a statement back-to-back you force your audience to focus on it. You attach little flashing red lights to the statement that let them know they need to remember it; that every thing in your message is tied to that point, and if they miss it, they'll miss the point. It gives them a chance to write it down, commit it to memory, or question whether or not it's really true. Once they've done that, you have them.    

Every time you say the main point, say it twice. At least. 

Madness!

If I were President Obama, my first item of business would be to declare today and tomorrow national holidays. What recession? What bailout? Iran has nuclear weapons? Who cares? March Madness starts today. 

These are, hands down, my favorite two days of the year. Beginning in 2 hours, 3 minutes, and 42 seconds, we will have nonstop college basketball for the better part of 4 days. 

I finalized my bracket this morning. We're doing a staff bracket contest together, so I can't tell you my final four until the games begin and the ability to change picks has passed - there are several cheaters on our staff who would love to peek over my shoulder to try to gain an advantage. 

Last year, I was narrowly edged out by the Canadian, whose method of picking is to go with the team who has the most cuddly mascot. 

It took me months to recover from being beat by a guy who waxes his eyebrows. 

But I'm back, better than ever, and ready to win it all. 

The way I see it, I've got about 2 hours worth of work left in me today. After that, I'll have to take a mental health day. If only "March Madness" was a legitimate excuse...

When I'm President, it will be. 

Corruption

Watching the news these days reminds me of something I heard Dr. John Hannah say during my time at Dallas Seminary: 

"Guys, corruption is stupid. Don't be a fool. You can get away with it for a while, but not forever. You can safely walk across the interstate wearing a blindfold too... once or twice."

Apply

One of the things I'm constantly thinking through is how to make my sermons stay on the forefront of peoples' minds throughout the week. This past week I preached about "All-in Availability" from Acts 28 where we saw Paul's example of availability to what God was doing through Paul's circumstances, and through Paul's communication. 

Obviously, one of my goals for that sermon is that people in the congregation would still be considering how to be "all-in available" on Wednesday and Thursday. That's an uphill battle. 

Sunday we tried to do something unique; to cast people out of their comfort zone and encourage them to respond in a physical way that isn't typical "McKinney." The goal wasn't to gauge a response, but to sear the commitment in our minds so that we couldn't forget before lunch. 

Reality: by lunchtime on Sunday, some of our friends had a chance to be all-in available in a specific situation, and they completely missed it. It's not their fault - they're just representative of a challenge we all face. We hear and see thousands of messages every day encouraging us to take action in a specific area; from following hard after Christ to changing the brand of toilet paper we use.  It is only natural that some of those get lost in the shuffle. 

So I have an assignment for you to comment on: Think back to a sermon that truly made an impact on your life; one that was still in your mind on Wednesday or Thursday. What was it about that message that was memorable for you? What helped it connect with you in such a unique way? 

Worship Venues

A fairly common trend in churches these days is to offer several different worship venues/services to allow people with different musical tastes to be in an environment where they feel comfortable. Churches like the Baptist church down the road offer a traditional service with choir, organ, and hymn books, followed by a contemporary service with a band, screens, and worship team. Other churches are even more specialized - they have a funk service, an alternative service, and an acoustic service. 

We currently have two services with a moderately contemporary feel - we'll never be confused as being "cutting edge," but we're not stuck in the seventies either.  I'm not saying our church will never go there but for right now, not having multiple worship venues is important to me. I like the discipline of it. 

On any given Sunday, there are two or three songs that I just don't like; only one or two that I do. At any church, not just ours. That's not abnormal. A "great" CD is one with 3 or 4 hits out of 10 songs - that's why iTunes is so popular.

Even when I served as a worship leader, there were only ever about two songs per service that I really connected with. I'm okay with that, because I've been around long enough to know that the songs that don't connect with me are meaningful to someone else, and help them respond to God more than my favorites. 

There is a selflessness involved in worship, and our music preference reinforces that. By creating many different music venues for a congregation, I worry that we're reinforcing selfishness and creating intentional disunity, which only serves to hamper spiritual maturity. 

A spiritually mature person doesn't worship better because of the style of music - he worships better because of what God is doing in his life.  

Illustrations

One of the real challenges for a teacher/preacher/communicator is finding illustrations that actually illustrate. 

My first sermon at McKinney Church included an illustration about me standing at the top of a high dive, trembling with fear. I told the story well, engaged the congregation well, and transitioned away from the illustration well, but the illustration failed miserably. 

How do I know? Everyone remembers the illustration; nobody remembers the point. 

If people remember the illustration but not the point, you have the relationship of the two backward: the point becomes the illustration and the illustration becomes the point. 

Confusing? That's the point... 

You want people to remember your point, and you want the illustration to help them do that. Sometimes stories are too good to tell. They're so good they distract from the point you're trying to make. 

A good illustration helps your point be more memorable. The best illustrations become forever connected with the point you were trying to make. For example: Ask any of the teenagers from my youth ministry years what they think of when they think of "crocodiles." I have forever ruined going to the zoo for them...

Storytelling is probably my biggest strength as a communicator, but is also the area that can crater my effectiveness more quickly than anything else because it so easily steals the focus from what I'm really trying to say.  

Organization

I'm not by nature an organized person. The people who work with me are always shocked when I tell them that, because I routinely keep my desk clear of clutter and excess piles. Even though I'm disorganized by nature, I can't function when my desk is messy. It's a nasty paradox that is just part of the burden of living as me...

Because I'm not an organized person, I don't even do good at organizing my organizational systems. I currently have a filing system for Bible Study, a filing system for meeting notes, and a filing system for articles. That is okay, until I get a magazine article in a staff meeting, and then I'm toast. I could streamline those filing systems, but that would take organization and I'm not by nature an organized person. Did I mention that already?

 

Enter: My two new best friends. 

About a month ago, the student ministry guys turned me on to Microsoft OneNote. I don't know which rock I was sleeping under when people started using this, but it has made my life a billion times easier. 

OneNote performs the functions of Word, Excel, and several other programs, and interfaces with Outlook, Power Point, and your web browser. It allows you to type, file, and copy information just like Word, but files your information in a notebook form. You can have as many notebooks as you want, and it will automatically file them for you according to grouping. Now I have a "work" notebook with separate sections for personnel, meetings, and general stuff. Within each of those sections I have separate tabs for various things pertaining to that section. 

If I had had OneNote during seminary, it would have saved me hours. Set it up with a microphone, start recording in OneNote, and take notes in a folder for whichever class you're in. When you go back to look at your notes, and realize you wrote down an incomplete quote, just click on the note and it will playback the recording at the exact point you took the note. That's sick. Just download the free trial and give it a whirl... trust me. 

Best Friend #2 is Windows Search 4.0. Since sometimes my disorganized style gets the best of me, I misplace documents, emails, and calendar appointments I need to find. Windows Search lets me do a quick search of my computer using keyword to find exactly what I'm looking for. 

Windows Search works in a similar way to Google Desktop, but will search OneNote files. Google Desktop will not, and I didn't want to hurt the feelings of Best Friend #1. Both Windows Search and Google Desktop are free, so you're not costing yourself any money for this convenience. There is no excuse not to have it.

One of my New Years Resolutions was to go paperless in 2009. Because of my two new best friends, I'm well on my way. I'm scanning in old files, and not adding any new paper files to my disorganized system. Now, they're all at my fingertips. 

Try it... you'll like it. 

Gray

A lot of my counseling opportunities come when people struggle with how to live in the gray. They need to make a decision in an area that doesn't deal with a moral issue, or a principle that is clear from Scripture, and those are difficult decisions. 

Unfortunately, those types of decisions make up the majority of the decisions we make. I've already made several decisions since I woke up this morning at 5am. Most of them were not black and white decisions. The Bible didn't tell me whether to wear a green shirt, orange shirt, blue shirt, or red shirt (I opted for green so I could wear orange tomorrow). Cheerios vs. toast was not a moral decision. I could have taken a couple of routes to work this morning, and wouldn't have sinned in taking any of those routes, but I chose one and didn't think much about it. 

Other decisions aren't quite so cut and dry. Should we participate in an activity where some people might do something immoral, although we ourselves will abstain? Should I exercise my freedom in a specific area, even though others might be offended?

Although the Bible doesn't give clear principles for every situation we face it does give clear principles for being wise in the gray issues, and especially the gray issues that could become black and white. 

In 1 Corinthians 2:2, Paul reminded the Corinthians that their entire focus should revolve around one thing: "Jesus Christ and Him crucified." Then he spends the entire book helping them understand what that looks like. 

They should be careful when they fight in church, because divisions can be a distraction from Jesus Christ and Him crucified (1 Corinthians 1-4). However, they should be quick to distance themselves from people who violate the black and white because those violations are a distraction from Jesus Christ and Him crucified (1 Corinthians 5), though their distance should be handled internally so as not to cause a distraction from Jesus Christ and Him crucified (1 Corinthians 6). The Corinthians were to have marriages that pointed to Jesus Christ and Him crucified (1 Corinthians 7), and should avoid engaging their freedom in such a way that would confuse the message of Jesus Christ and Him crucified (1 Corinthians 8-9), realizing from history that although everything might be permissible, "not everything is beneficial" for pointing to Jesus Christ and Him crucified (1 Corinthians 10). Instead, public and private worship (1 Corinthians 11-14) should always point to our hope of resurrection (1 Corinthians 15) which has been made possible because of Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 

How do you decide in the gray? A pretty simple (and scriptural) place to start is by asking the question, "Will this distract myself or someone else from the message of Jesus Christ and Him crucified?" 

Purim

Tonight at sundown, our Jewish friends will begin their celebration of the feast of Purim. Purim celebrates the time when God protected the Israelites from Haman's evil plot to kill them, recorded in the book of Esther. 

As a part of this feast, the Megillah (Book of Esther) will be read tonight in synagogues all across the country in what amounts to a really cool tradition that you should experience at some point. 

In most places, the book is read, or more literally sung, in a traditional chant which adds drama to the story. But unlike many Jewish feasts which are celebrated in a sober, respectful, reverent way, Purim is a big party. Many people write Haman's name on their feet, and as the story is read they stomp their feet and boo at every mention of his name. They cheer, yell, and use noise makers to participate in the story. They play pranks on each other, and spend a lot of time laughing - all to celebrate God's rescue of their nation from an evil plot.

When was the last time you threw a party as a reminder of what God has done in your life? When was the last time you got so excited you stomped your feet or cheered at the reading of God's Word? As a Christian who has been rescued from even greater peril than the peril posed by Haman, when was the last time you celebrated? 

Just wondering...

Shepherding a Child's Heart

I might as well get this over with... Sorry for the long review.

I picked up "Shepherding a Child's Heart" because my sister-in-law suggested I read it. Honestly, I hadn't ever heard of the book before. But this week, it seemed like everywhere I went someone was talking about it. I had a couple stop me in Panda Express on Monday who spent 15 minutes raving about the book. Some of our other friends have mentioned it in several different conversations, and all the reviews were extremely positive. A lot of parents feel like this book has really helped them.

Here are the things I love about this book: (1) It is the first parenting book I have read that emphasizes heart-change above simple behavior-modification strategies for parents. Our job is not to get our kids to behave, it is to point them toward Jesus. Tripp says "It is impossible to get from preoccupation with behavior to the gospel," (p. 67) and I think he's absolutely right. (2) Tripp does a good job of emphasizing communication with our children from a young age. We have to understand, and help them understand why they do the things they do.

With that said, there are a couple of things that I don't love about this book. The first one I talked about on Tuesday. Trip has a tendency to characterize many things as "unbiblical" that don't find a black-and-white basis in Scripture, and I find that extremely troubling. It helps him make a stronger point - everyone wants to raise kids in a biblical manner - but I don't believe a parent who grounds their child, or pushes them to make good grades a goal are living in direct violation of a clear biblical command. Tripp says they are.

The second thing is an even touchier subject (no pun intended). But, before I comment on Tripp's chapter on "the rod," I need to make a disclaimer:

I am not against spanking. If it were not for God's grace and some good spankings, I would be in the federal penitentiary today. There will no doubt be times in my son's life where he commits an offense for which the best discipline will be a spanking, and I intend to give it.

However. I do not believe "the rod" is the only God-ordained method for disciplining our child. Tripp makes a strong inference in that direction. In fact, he infers that if we want to be "biblical," we must follow the passages that talk about "the rod" in a strictly literal sense. "The rod" does not simply refer to "discipline," but to "spanking."

In fact, one of the most troubling parts of the book for me was an illustration Tripp used on pages 29-30 recalling conversations with his child:

"Father: Do you remember what God says Daddy must do if you disobey?

Child: Spank me?

Father: That's right. I must spank you. If I don't, then I would be disobeying God. You and I would both be wrong..."

In my view, that kind of conversation raises a whole host of problems. First, if a child is old enough to truly follow the logic of that conversation, he is probably too old to spank. Second, even Tripp admits there are some times you would overlook an offense (p. 111). If some offenses are okay for a parent to overlook, doesn't the above conversation give the impression to the child that you are sinning against God by not spanking him for every offense? Finally, God hasn't specified that we have to spank our child for every act of disobedience. He simply said, "the rod" will save them from death (Prov 23:13-14), demonstrate love for our child (Prov 13:23), and will bring us peace and delight (Prov 29:17). God never specifies which offenses deserve a spanking. He never specifies how many spankings a child is supposed to receive. And before long, that child is going to read his Bible and understand God didn't say Daddy needed to spank him for every offense, and feel as though God was being used as a scapegoat to justify punishment for something that may or may not have deserved it. That is a huge problem.

God has certainly been creative in the way He has disciplined me (Hebrews 12:7-11). Thankfully, He doesn't apply the rod every time, or for every offense. And I think it is okay (and not unbiblical) for parents to feel the freedom to follow His lead in being creative as we discipline our children.

Overall, there are parts of this book that I loved, and parts of the book that I strongly disliked. I can certainly see why so many parents are passionate about Tripp's book in a positive way, but think the book should be read (and recommended) carefully, because I believe some of Tripp's dogma is misplaced.

I Ain't Comin' Back

Last week I got the chance to have lunch with a man named Dolphus Weary. Dr. Weary is an African American pastor from Mississippi who does a lot of work in the area of rural renewal - helping people (particularly African Americans) in rural areas receive the education, healthcare, and other tools they need to thrive in society. Most importantly, he stands tall for the Gospel. 

Dr. Weary is also very knowledgeable in the area of racial reconciliation within the church. As a pasty white, mid-western born whippersnapper, I had almost nothing in common with this larger-than-life African American pastor from the South. But we had what I think was (for me) a paradigm-shifting conversation. 

Dolphus has written a book called "I Ain't Comin' Back," that chronicles his story growing up in rural Mississippi during a time of intense racial tension, and you need to read it. 

Our country has come a long way in the past 50 years. Regardless of my political feelings, I'm proud to be a part of the generation that was instrumental in electing this country's first African American president. But we still have a long way to go. This book will remind you why.

The wounds of the past run deep in a culture, but there are people on both sides of the race barrier that have begun the process of reaching out to one another. It's a much more delicate process than just inviting white people to come to your black church, or vice-versa. It is a process that will take time. But we are making progress at a rapid pace, and I am excited to be a part of it.

A-biblical or Unbiblical?

As Christians, we're not always very good at distinguishing between "Unbiblical" and "A-Biblical" things. 

Something is a-biblical if it is an issue not addressed in Scripture. The Internet, for example, is a-biblical. The Bible doesn't provide us black and white instructions regarding the use of the Internet. What we decide in a-biblical areas must depend on the principles we gain from Scripture that speaks in other areas. Ephesians 5:3 tells us that among us "there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality..." which certainly governs the ways we use the Internet. There are lots of passages in the Bible that give principles concerning our involvement in a-biblical things, but something is not unbiblical simply because it is not found in Scripture. 

Something is unbiblical if it directly contradicts the clear teaching of Scripture. Drunkenness is unbiblical. Adultery is unbiblical. Idolatry is unbiblical. 

I'm reading a book right now about parenting that speaks a lot about "unbiblical" approaches to parenting, like grounding your children. I respectfully disagree with that use of the term "unbiblical." Your specific disciplinary technique for raising children is an a-biblical practice. Failure to discipline your children would be unbiblical (Proverbs 22:6; Ephesians 6:4). The author believes grounding your children is an unwise practice, and I might be inclined to agree; but I reject the idea that a parent who grounds their child is doing something unbiblical. I do not believe it is a sin to ground your child.

We like black and white. We like a list of the rules. It is easier to declare something unbiblical and be done with it, but that isn't the way wise living works. There are many things in our lives today, whether in raising children or picking out a shirt to wear for work, which are decisions for which the Bible does not give us black and white answers. In those areas we have to apply Biblical principles, use the brain God gave us, and ask Him for His perspective (James 1:5) to guide us as we go. But we must also resist the urge to make blanket statements about "unbiblical" things which in reality the Bible says nothing about. 

Day with a Perfect Stranger

A Day with a Perfect Stranger, by David Gregory is the sequel to the fictional book "Dinner with a Perfect Stranger." "Dinner with a Perfect Stranger" is a book about a man named Nick who is struggling through a crisis of faith, and ends up at dinner with Jesus. It sounds like a far-fetched plot, but it works.

"A Day with a Perfect Stranger" is the story of Nick's wife Mattie. It seems the fact that Mattie's husband claims to have had dinner with Jesus has thrown their marriage into a bit of a tizzy. She leaves for a business trip to Tuscon, hoping to use the time to ponder her next step in the relationship which she is fairly certain will be a step out the door. But on the airplane, she meets the nicest Man...

"A Day with a Perfect Stranger" contains help with the problem of evil, instruction on ultimate fulfillment, the character and attributes of God, the difference between religion and Christianity, and the meaning and purpose for creation... all in a fictional book you will be able to read during a one-hour lunch. I'm not a crier by nature, but the way this book ends turned me into a blubbering idiot.

"Dinner with a Perfect Stranger" and "Day with a Perfect Stranger" are great reads for people who want a little encouragement in their Christian life. They are also great reads for friends who are pondering Christianity but aren't quite ready to trust Christ. Both books are fictional, and not philosophical, but would be perfect for someone who is interested in spiritual Truth presented in an easy-to-read way.

These books are The Shack without the theological potholes. If you like theological fiction, you really ought to pick these books up. Trust me.