Haiti, The Gospel, and God's Sovereignty

The tragic story of what has and is happening in Haiti is astounding. To think of thousands in a matter of moments being killed by such a unsuspecting event is horrifying. Yet in the midst of this tragedy and sorrow, we must be reminded that God is sovereign. Though we wish we could turn away and it disappear, we must be reminded that our world is broken and awaiting the return of its Savior to bring it to final redemption. And though we don't always understand why or how things like this can happen under God's watch, we are reminded that the people of Haiti need the gospel, and this tragedy will and can usher that in.

Unlike crazy Pat Robertson, who I can't believe I have to call a brother in Christ, I do not believe God was acting out some kind of judgment on Haiti. Instead, I believe it is a good reminder from God's Word (Romans 8) that all creation is moaning as in the pains of childbirth, awaiting the redemption of the sons and daughters of God. Awaiting the return of Christ. Awaiting final restoration.

As a church (The Journey), we are looking at ways that we can help bring relief to Haitian people. We will have updates to come soon on how you can get involved. In the mean time, here are several things we should partner together to pray for:

1. That the relief efforts and aid being sent and delivered would help relieve some of the physical suffering going on.

2. That the gospel of Jesus would come in power and that many would find hope and salvation.

3. That parents who lost children and children who lost parents would be comforted by the great Comforter.

4. That as a global community, God could use a tragedy of this nature, to remind us that the "betterment" of earth is not where our hope should lie. It is in Jesus Christ in whom we put our faith. We believe he is going to return to make right the wrongs that have occurred on earth. There will be final restoration. We look to that day.

Take some time today to pray for the country of Haiti. Pray for the people. Pray for the relief workers and missionaries who are hitting the ground. Pray for a mighty move of the Spirit of God there, that Jesus may be made known.

Church Discipline

I was in a class all week last week for my class: History of the Baptist. I know what you're thinking. It was exactly what I was thinking when I realized it was a requirement for my Master's Degree: "great, this sounds like fun!" Note this was said sarcastically. To my surprise, I learned more in that class than I have in many classes. The class was loaded with church history, theology, and the question of how church polity (governing) should be. I know some of you are still thinking, "wow, sounds like fun," but in my own little nerdy way, I really enjoyed the class.

This leads me to what I wanted to bring up in the blog. We learned a lot and studied a lot on the practice of church discipline. Now I know this is not a very familiar term today, but church discipline is something that happened from the New Testament churches all the way to the present, though presently very few churches practice or know church discipline. A definition of church discipline would be: the action taken by church governing bodies against individuals or groups of individuals whose actions, beliefs, or reputation effect the holiness and purity of the church body. It is important to note that this happened within the context of single congregations. Members of the church were held accountable for various types of attitudes, actions, and beliefs both inside and outside the church. The church would regularly conduct "tribunals" to try cases being brought up. Evidence would be presented for the accusation and the church would vote on a verdict, then a proper sentence would be given. Sometimes the sentence involved repentance and reconciliation with members of the church, and in many cases, the sentence was expulsion from the church. There were some who refused to undergo such trials to respond to accusations against them, but for the most part, individuals absolutely went through this process.

You see, in the past, church wasn't viewed as simply a place to show up on Sunday to worship. Churches were families. They were communities of faith. There was much love and affection for each other, but there was accountability. They believed the only two ways to leave a church were 1. death or 2. expulsion. You didn't want the reputation of having been expelled from a church. You would not be quickly received by other churches because they assumed that you had doctrinal or character issues that they didn't want exposed to their churches. Purity in the church was paramount!

When I read of this and reflect on what happens in our society today regarding church, I cringe. Very few people would dare to hear a charge brought against them, more-less publicly repent in order to be restored to the "right hand of fellowship" within the church. Today's churchgoer would simply leave and go somewhere else. The church they would go to would blindly receive them into the fold and more than likely, more issues would arise later.

Here's my questions for you: what are your thoughts on church discipline of the Church of the past (NT - 1800's) vs. the Church of today? Would you undergo church discipline or would you leave? What are your thoughts on how churches can, to some degree, recapture the ability to handle issues of discipline, yet retain the individual within the fold of the church? I would love to hear your thoughts.

The Price of Integrity

How much does integrity cost? Well, that depends. It depends on what your willing to do to maintain it or what you are willing to do to lose it. Integrity takes time to build. In order to create a legacy in your life of integrity, you need to demonstrate over time, with big things and small things, that you are willing to do what is right, what is true, what is moral, despite the cost. As long as it takes to build integrity, the sad thing is, it can be lost in an instant. Integrity is only as good as your latest choice.

Let me give you an example of how easy it is to slip in your integrity:

Let's pretend for a moment that a friend was able to get tickets to a game that you really wanted to watch. However, the tickets were not bought or gained honestly, instead, they were bought from a scalper in a place where scalping is illegal. Now, you didn't buy the tickets, but you are using them as a result of an illegal purchase. Are you wrong for doing this or is it only the fault of the person who bought them illegally? The answer: YES, you are at fault. YES, you are sinning. YES, you have comprised your integrity. In this scenario, you sold your integrity for $40 or so, simply because you didn't want to purchase the tickets for full price.

I know for many this sounds extreme, but here's the deal: as followers of Jesus we are called to above reproach, to set the examples in speech and action, to be light in a world of darkness. We are called not to just have a "belief" in God, but to honor Him with all choices. What is the price of integrity? It is a high price to pay if you want it, but it can be lost for the price of nothing.

It All Points to Jesus

I love Christmas. We celebrate the birth of the King of Kings. We are reminded that God initiated a rescue plan to redeem us and reconcile us back to Himself. Where do we get our evidence that the birth of Jesus was the hinge point of history? Where do we learn that Jesus' birth changed everything and was the promised hope we were looking for? The Gospel accounts tell us the story of Jesus and what he accomplished, but it is the Old Testament Scriptures that show us why Jesus' birth is so important. It is the Old Testament that tells us that we should be expecting a king, a messiah, a Savior.

As Christians today we often ignore the Old Testament as if were just a bunch of history. Sometimes we view it as the story of the vengeful and wrathful God, only to give way to the loving God of the New Testament. Not only is this view wrong, it is downright heretical. God is unchanging. The same God who announced judgment and enacted judgment in the Old Testament, is the same God who brought Israel out of exile when they repented, spared the city of Nineveh, and promised to provide redemption through a Savior. When we begin to think about Jesus, we need to understand that he came as a fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies and promises.

Jesus himself tells us that all of the Old Testament points to him. After Jesus' resurrection he appears to two men on the road. They did not recognize Jesus and were actually telling Jesus about what had happened to Jesus. In the midst of talking with them Jesus had to tell them the meaning of it all because they did not understand: ²⁵He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! ²⁶Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" ²⁷And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. - Luke 24:25-27 Jesus says that the Old Testament Scriptures point to him. Notice he even references every section of the Old Testament (Moses and the prophets). Jesus explains to them how the Scriptures (being Old Testament Scriptures at the time) pointed to and spoke of him. After Jesus leaves them they discuss how their hearts burned within them as he opened up the Scriptures.

It all points to Jesus. Remember this season that God communicates with us through His Word. Remember that God fulfills His promises. Remember that there is no difference between the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament...God is not divided, there is but One God, distinctly understood in three persons (Father, Son, Holy Spirit). Remember that salvation was bought for you at a price. The price was the life of Jesus Christ, who became the sacrificial lamb, and who died a death in our place, that we might live. He who was rich became poor so that we who are poor could become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9). That richness is a life lived redeemed and justified before the Living God. Remember in the midst of all your family get-togethers, services, dinners, gifts, and all the festivities: it all points to Jesus.

The Incarnation

This Sunday at the Journey I'm going to be unpacking one of the greatest, most under-appreciated realities of the Christian faith: the Incarnation. Without the Incarnation there is no cross of Calvary. Without the Incarnation, there is no atonement, no resurrection, and no significance to the person of Jesus. The Incarnation marks an amazing period in the history of man, God becomes flesh.

I don't want to go to much into detail about the Incarnation here on the blog because I still want you to come to church :-) but I think this is a misunderstood and rarely celebrated points in our faith. There is a beautiful reminder laced right in the middle of it: the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. Why? To save us. To rescue us. To redeem us. To pull us from the dominion of darkness and to bring us into the glorious light of his Kingdom. The Incarnation is a like a Navy Seal parachuting into a war zone to go in and win the victory. The Word became flesh, he parachuted in to rescue us. This should elicit a response of praise and worship.

This Christmas season, be slow to make it about all the other things: trees, lights, Santa, gifts, food, family, programs, shows, etc. and be quick to make it centrally about the radical, saving actions of the God who rescues and became flesh to do it.

What are your biggest questions or confusions about the Incarnation?

Problems with Neighbor breed Problems with God

Let me ask you a question: are there people in your life that you are less than cordial with? Let me ask a better question: are there brothers and sisters in Christ that you would say that you don't like very much? I ask the question rhetorically because I already know what the answer is: YES!!! I know there are people that get on your nerves. I know there are people who's personality gets under your skin. As a pastor I witness this reality between people, but I also fall victim to it as well.

If the Word of God, and not our emotions, opinions, and broken assessments, are to lead and guide us, then we need to take caution to what it says. When our lives don't align to its commands we should repent, meaning, turn from. We must ask the Spirit of God to stir our hearts toward change and we must go to our brothers and sisters in which we are not in right standing and reconcile. Take a look at what the Bible says about this subject:

1 John 2:9 (NIV) Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness.

1 John 2:11 (NIV) But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.

1 John 3:15 (NIV) Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.

1 John 4:20 (NIV) If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.

These are but a few verses that are contained in one book about this subject. These words are convicting. If you say you love God, but you have problems with your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, then the love of God is not in you. No eternal life in he who hates his brother. So at the end of the day, God doesn't care about your excuses or reasons for why you don't like somebody. How do you combat this type of thinking?

Be reminded regularly that while you were still a sinner and enemy of God, Christ died for you (Romans 5:8). If God could love you, in all your sin, in all your rebelliousness, in all your wicked ways, how is it that you, who has been forgiven, cannot seem to find love for your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. In God's eyes this is unacceptable. Take time today to reflect on what people in your life you have had a hard time loving and repent today. If necessary, talk to this person and reconcile with them. Make a vow to God to love them with the same measure of love in which you were given through His Son.

Why do you think this is such a problem in our churches and lives?

The Death of Orthodoxy Part 2

We are products of our culture. Regardless of how much you would like to think you have escaped the snare of the culture around you, you are immersed in something that has formed you. As Christians we know that our role in the culture is to be counter-culture, and live the ways of Jesus over and above the ways of this world. We are not supposed to be people who disconnect from the culture and try to hide from it in an effort to be holy. The Amish have attempted to do this. They don't live with electricity or phones and many other things we would consider normal because they are trying to live "set apart." The problem is this, the culture is so consuming that even the Amish can't escape it. You see, the Amish often have businesses in which they sell the goods they produce to the world outside of their farms. If you venture into an Amish dairy farm you will notice quickly just how difficult it is to escape culture. They have regulations they have to meet which requires them to conform to the rules. They have a phone located in the facility. They have particular equipment and machines. They follow the rules. Even the Amish, who try to live untainted by the culture, cannot escape the power of the culture around them.

So here's where I'm going with this. In my travels the last three weeks to other churches, I have seen many different styles, sizes, and types of churches. I have seen churches meeting in traditional buildings, warehouses, and schools. The one glaring thing that has stood out to me in my visits to these churches is the overwhelming, undeniable effect that culture has played on what the churches are doing. I'm not talking about the use of video, having heat and air, or sitting in chairs, rather, I'm talking about what seems to be a Bible anemic, commitment lacking, consumer product. At many of my visits I never heard the Bible preached. Often when it was used it was referenced to support the ideas and examples the pastor had mentioned, instead of the text of Scripture providing the points. I witnessed worship time that resembled concert performances more than participational worship. Communion was not served at any of the places that I visited, which has become something in the American church that seems to have been made into an "occasional" ordinance of the church, instead of what it was always viewed as by the apostles and early church: essential.

The culture has played an undeniable role in shaping our churches. Not all of this is bad, but not all of it is good. I believe it is okay to use and redeem some of cultures advancements and technology to allow the gospel message to be further spread; however, there are some things in the church that should be non-negotiable, unchanging, and staples of our gospel communities: participatory worship that brings glory to God through both its content and spirit, preaching of the Bible as the centerpiece of our messages and not man's wisdom or humor as the central component, the practice of taking Communion/Lord's Supper regularly (some churches perform more skits in a year than they take Communion), and a spirit of unity and community, not a feeling of attending a show, performance, or concert. Some of the things that separate churches who demonstrate these and those who don't are small and subtle things. At the end, we should be desirous of seeing our churches glorify our Father and His Son, as we carried by and united by the power of the Spirit. The design of a church is to never glorify a pastor, a worship leader, to impress or satisfy attendees, or to lift technology or creativity over and above Jesus. To bring glory to God and share His gospel is why gather and exist as churches.

These things, things I've mentioned before, and other things not wrote here are why I believe there has been a Death of Orthodoxy. I desire to lead the church I pastor and participate with to honor God in staying true to the things that are not on the table for debate and if needed, stand as a voice crying out in the wilderness for repentance.

Confessions of a Pastor Who's Still Learning

I'm a lousy spiritual leader in my home.

I think I needed to start the post by just getting that out of the way. I'm a pastor who can lead and shepherd and care with the best of them, but I have felt a conviction from God lately that I'm not doing all I should/could be doing to take my home to the next level. Now don't get me wrong. We are not a pagan household. I do regular discipleship with my son. We will pray as a family and we have no problem talking about God. You see my problem is not with the family, it is with my wife. I don't feel that I'm doing enough to help us to grow as ONE spiritually. I don't want to sit down and teach her the Bible like I'm leading a class, because the last thing she wants is to feel like I'm making her go to school. I have had a hard time finding good marriage devotional. So I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to help create and foster that time for us.

There are also fears attached to this. I have never seen this modeled for me in my life, so much of it is going to be starting from scratch. I fear some of the levels of vulnerability that it is going to require. I fear not doing a good job. I simply want to be better, and I know it is going to require some changes of my habits.

I started by confessing and repenting before God, then I sat down and talked to my wife and apologized and told her my conviction. Thankfully she is desirous of a deeper intimacy together as well through our walk with God. Now comes the hard part: doing it. If you have suggestions as to what you do as a husband and wife, I'd love to hear it. If you have a devotional that have seemed to work well, leave a comment and let me know.

Do you find yourself struggling with this? Why do you think this is such a hard thing for us to do in our marriages?

He Is Not Like Us

Forming and shaping God into our image is a very popular thing to do these days. If you want your cause to have more weight, say that God is for it and try to find a verse (though usually out of context) to support it. We forget that we are shaped into God's image and that a major responsibility humans carry is to be image-bearers. This can be tricky to think about because at the end of the day, we know that we often don't do a good job at reflecting God. There are attributes of God, things that are a part of His essence that we share, known as communicable attributes. Things such as: love, kindness, knowledge, etc. These are attributes of God that He shares with us. There are some things about God though that show us that He is not like us. These things teach us a great deal about God's richness. These three things about God, when understood, provoke deeper understanding and worship of Him.

3 Attributes of God that remind us that He is not like us:

1. God is Eternal - God has no beginning and no end. He does not live in successive moments of time, but instead sees all time equally vividly, yet God sees in time and acts in time. God is transcendent in that He is bigger than time and space. No one has given him life, and no one can take away that life. God has life in himself. Before the world was made, God needed nothing to make him happy or to make him God, he is self-existent and self-sufficient. God has it all, without beginning and without ending. (Psalm 90:1-2)

2. God is Holy - The Bible speaks of a lot of God's holiness. To be holy means to be different from all else - to be unique or separate or set apart. An important element of God's holiness is that He is completely separate from all that is wrong or impure or sinful. He has life that cannot be stained by anything bad. Because God is truth He cannot lie or believe a lie. Because God is faithful He cannot go back on His word or break a promise. Because God is righteous, He cannot do what is evil or consider the evil that others do as okay or acceptable. He is holy, and so he is separated from anything that is contrary to his own life as God. (Isaiah 6:3; Exodus 15:11)

3. God is Unchangeable - God is God, and this means He cannot be less than who He is as God, just as He cannot be other than who He is as God. God has every quality within his own life as God, and because of this, He simply cannot change for the better or for the worse. God is the same today as He was yesterday or 5,000 years ago. God is who He ever is, and nothing in the very character of God can change. He can be relied on, trusted, and followed, for He does not sway like the trees with every passing wind. (Psalm 102:25-27)

Considering that God is eternal, holy, and unchangeable should bring us to both praise for God's greatness and trust because of the faithfulness of His character. We can count on Him. He has all power, wisdom, and goodness. Knowing these things lead us to honor Him, worship Him, trust Him, and humble ourselves before Him. He is not like us.

The Death of Orthodoxy Part 1

So much of my story as a follower of Jesus has been trying to understand the way in which my life and walk will reflect and bring honor to the Father. While this is often a challenge and lifelong journey, the one thing in my observations about the church is that there has been a death to orthodoxy. By orthodox I mean: the historical doctrines and creeds established by the apostles and early church fathers, informed by the teaching of Jesus and the words of Scripture.

As I journeyed deeper into trying to be a leader in the Kingdom of God, I soon discovered that there were so many ways of "doing" and "being" the church. Most of my earlier years as a true follower of Jesus were spent critiquing the type of church I grew up in. Most of my reasoning for this was that its methods for sharing the message of Jesus were outdated and irrelevant. Though I still hold to this idea, I'm becoming more aware of a trend: sound doctrine and orthodoxy are a dying breed in the American church, especially the "contemporary" church.

Now, before I explain myself, know that I'm not one of those guys who is cynical and angry at everybody and looking for something to complain about. Also know that I'm on the front-lines of trying to help initiate change both in my church and in the Kingdom at large. That said, I seeing a growing trend of churches becoming schools of morality and self-help instead of gospel centers where Jesus is preached, the Bible guides us, and people are challenged to align their lives to both. In the quest for relevance, and often times as a reaction to EVERYTHING associated with a "traditional" church, the solid, foundational message has been tossed along with the outdated methods. We must never mistake the message from the methods. The methods should always change. The message is unchanging. The gospel of Jesus Christ is not a message that is changing or should change, for it contains the power to change and transform lives.

In our quest to be relevant, we must never sacrifice sound doctrine. We are warned repeatedly by the apostle Paul throughout his writings that the day is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine and teaching and will instead find teachers to give them what their itching ears long to ear (2 Timothy 4). I'm afraid to say that I feel I'm living in those times. I also feel an amazing burden to see that challenged and changed. Living here in the buckle of the Bible-belt, it is even more needed. Most who call themselves Christians cannot articulate the gospel, more less live it. I want to work relentlessly to see that changed.

Do you find yourself rejecting orthodoxy for the sake of relevance or even relativism? Why do you think churches are changing the message as they change the methods?

3 Prayer Requests

As a pastor I'm often taking prayer request, but rarely sharing them. The reason I love the social-networking world is that it allows for communication among greater numbers of people during the week than I could ever possibly sit in front of. It also gives me instant communication ability, good or bad, with hundreds and thousands of people. Because of the power of that technology, I want to utilize for my own spiritual growth and encouragement. I need your prayer. There are 3 things that I'm in need of your prayer for.

** in no particular order

Prayer Request #1 - My Health

I have been having back issues from an old Army injury for about 4 months now. The pain has varied throughout this time, but it has been consistent. I'm doing much better lately, thanks to the prayers of others, but would ask for continued prayer. Another big part of my health prayer request is losing some weight. I'm not grossly overweight by any means, but I want to lose about 10lbs at least. I need to do this for several reasons: 1. I don't want to be grossly overweight 2. I think it would help my back 3. I want to feel healthier than what I feel right now. I have lots of little aches and pains (getting older) that I want to ensure are not a lack of exercising. So please pray for me in this area.

Prayer Request #2 - My Prayer Life

I really want to go deeper in my prayer life. I truly want to spend more quality time in God's presence. I don't want to just fill time talking, but I want to cultivate a deeper prayer life than I've ever had. I don't necessarily know how to do this other than pray for it. I would appreciate your joining me in this, as I have many things I'm desiring to hear God clearly on right now in my life and leadership.

Prayer Request #3 - My Heart for the Lost/Unsaved

This last prayer request will hopefully be something that can help be answered by my second prayer request. I want God to help break my heart for the lost and unsaved in our communities. I want to be bothered, even more so, by the numbers of people drifting through life aimlessly without the hope of Christ in their life. I want God to burden my heart so badly that I can't sit idly by and do nothing about it. I challenge you to not only pray this for me, but to add it to your prayer life as well. You cannot divorce being a Christian from being evangelistic.

Wednesday's Four Silly Questions

Our Wednesday tradition continues...

1. Food: Mexican or Chinese food?

2. Alternate Sport: Hockey or Nascar?

3. Your tea: With lemon or without?

4. Sleep Habits: Bundled up or Sprawled out?

Bonus Question: Thermostat: + or - 71 Degrees

MY ANSWERS: Mexican (all-day), Hockey, w/Lemon, Bundled (no skin exposed), definitely 71 or higher

To Care or Not to Care, That is the Question

Lately I have been doing a lot of reflecting about the importance of followers of Jesus to be about sharing the gospel message. I know that immediately when I say that it causes anxiety, fear, and worry in some because you seriously doubt your abilities to share the gospel effectively. I too share with you in this personal fear; however, the more I think about this fear, the more I realize how ridiculous it is. I'm really just more concerned with my ego not getting bruised or looking ignorant if they have questions I can't answer. Really and truly my fears are more about me than the people who desperately need to hear the hope of Jesus.

Something that I have come to realize the longer I have been in ministry is that many people believe in the right things, they just don't care about them. We believe in the things, but because we don't care about them we don't act on them. For example: many believe it is important for those who are not Christians to hear the gospel message of Jesus and respond, yet this belief for me is never acted upon because we don't care. Many believe its good to contribute both financially and through service to the church, yet many don't because ultimately they don't care. You will never act on a belief unless you care about it. It is impossible to care about something that you don't believe in, but many of us have learned to believe in things that we don't care about.

So getting back to the issue of reaching out to people. When is the last time you invite someone to church or a small group? How many people in your life are truly unchurched/pre-Christian people? We have a heart issue at hand, myself included. We need to ask God to break our hearts for the things that break His. We need God to disturb us from our complacency so that we wake up and realize that many are living lives of emptiness and attaching meaning to everything but the One thing they need the most. Many will experience the sad words from Jesus at the judgment "depart from me, I never knew you." May these words not be spoken to them simply because I feared to open my mouth. Lord, help me to care more.

One Church?

Is the body of Christ, the Church, really one as Jesus prayed we would be (John 17)? My answer is a resounding no. In fact, one of my greatest frustrations is the constant pissing contests (yes I said that) that go on between churches and even different camps of churches.

You see, if you read my blog as someone who is part of The Journey or someone who is starting to journey back toward Jesus/Church then I want to let you in on a reality happening right now in the American church. A movement away from the traditional style church was launched 20+ years ago. Churches started to reevaluate their effectiveness and ability to reach their communities for Christ. This shift led to changes in style of music, buildings, sermons, and outreach endeavors. This style of church has since become traditional in many ways as well, but there has been another movement. The "emerging" church has become a movement of people who have reinvestigated the entire thing again and are implementing changes once again. Within the emerging church are 3 very different camps.

1. The Relevants - this group is doctrinally and theologically orthodox and seek to find ways to make the message of Christ more relevant for a secular world and society, while seeking to serve the mission of Jesus both personally and communally.

2. The Reconstructionist - this group is usually doctrinally and theologically orthodox, but they spend most of their time critiquing methods and styles. Though they are sound theologically, sometimes they are light on sharing the message because they use most of their time criticizing other churches or camps. Preaching is replaced with conversations. Coffee houses replace buildings or other more traditional gathering spaces. These are not bad changes, though they are often treated as important as the message and ignore that they are simply their chosen methods. This group is often so critical of traditional churches, but can't seem to understand why those traditional churches won't engage in dialogue with them or partner with them in joint endeavors to advance the Kingdom.

3. The Revisionist - this group is not theologically and doctrinally sound. In fact, because of the secularization of our society they have been transformed with it. Methods and Message both have undergone major changes. Core tenants of the Christian faith have been tossed aside as outdated and irrelevant in a 21st century postmodern America. Because of doctrinal wariness this group has often been categorized as the Emergent Church, as opposed to the "emerging" church.

I self-identify in the Relevants camp, if I'm forced to be in one. I don't have a problem with Reconstructionist, but they are often highly critical of anyone not them that they are hard to engage with sometimes. The Revisionist in my opinion is not truly a church. For the church of Jesus is committed to the teaching of sound, biblical doctrine. See any of Paul's letters.

Why do I bring all this up? I'm just so frustrated when I look across the landscape of the church in America and see not only a decline in effectiveness, but fighting between the different camps. Instead of clinging to the message that unites us, we are divided by methods designed by us. I wonder if we really believe Jesus when he said the world would know we are his disciples by our love for one another. If we did believe it, would some of this change?

I'd love to hear your thoughts...

Igniting a Jesus Movement

Do we want to be a part of a church or do we want to see a radical movement of Jesus?

I vote for radical movement of Jesus. In fact, I desire to see our community shaken up by the number of people surrendering their lives to Christ and all take notice. With this being said, there are several things that come with being a part of a movement that you may have to truly look at:

1. It may call for sacrifice. This can mean sacrificial giving, giving up parking spots so more people can have parking spaces, serving in the children's ministry at one service so kids can be taught about Jesus and then attending a different service, helping start a new campus or new service time, and many other potential sacrifices.

2. You have to become an inviter. You see here's the deal, with nearly 300 adults in worship each week, if everyone brought someone, we would have 600 adults hearing the gospel. This is called EXPONENTIAL GROWTH. This isn't 10 new people on a Sunday, this is multiplication. These are the things that have to happen in order to begin igniting movements. Each one reach one. Who have you invited to church recently?

3. It may mean you don't know everybody you go to church with. A big misconception about church is that intimacy only happens when you know everybody you go to church with. The truth is: you can only truly know a few handfuls of people really well. You may have acquaintances, but genuine friendships are limited. This is why regardless of the size of the church, you can only really know a certain amount of people. This is another reason why small groups are so important.

4. It means you have to become more inclusive. The problem with churches is we like showing up and seeing all of our friends. This is a good thing and big reason why we stick to churches. The only question that should come to our minds is this: what about the people who just came in who don't seem to know anybody? Are we making them feel welcomed? Are we treating people like guests in our homes or like strangers we pass in a store? The answer should and must be: guest in our home. If someone comes to your home you don't go to the next room and leave them by themselves or simply let them show themselves around the house. You walk with them. The church that wants to stir a movement must be the same.

Wednesday's Four Silly Questions

Okay, here we go. I want to know your answers.

1. Do you sleep with the TV on or off?

2. World Series or Football?

3. A good book or a good dinner?

4. Your favorite: Winter clothes or Summer Clothes?

Bonus Question: If you could only pick one, what would it be: free pizza for life or free tank of gas per month for life?

My answers: TV on, World Series, good book, winter clothes BQ: Free Pizza, who cares about gas, I'm a pizza-holic. :-)

Do You Love the Bible?

This morning in my personal time of Bible study and prayer I was reading from Colossians. I love reading the Scriptures and letting God preach to me. I fill up on His Word daily. I always read with a notebook and pen handy because I'm constantly writing down things that God is both revealing about me and revealing about our world and circumstances in general.

This morning I was just struck by two particular pieces of the Scripture I read. I read Colossians 1:1-14

* The first thing that caused me to stop and take notice was an often skipped and ignored section of this passage. In vs. 7 Paul is talking about how the church in Colossae had learned from Epaphras. Then Paul gives this description of Epaphras: He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf. When I read that I just paused and wondered to myself, "How great would it be that my legacy when all is said and done would be these words: He is a faithful minister of Christ? That is a legacy worth having and one that Epaphras has forever been remember by.

* The second thing that caused me to stop and erupt into praise of God was and is vs. 13-14. It reads, "13He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." The thing that overwhelmed me was the phrase: He has delivered us. He did it. It is author of our salvation. He is the one that has delivered us from darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his Son. Through the Son, Jesus, we have redemption, the forgiveness of our sins. I don't know about you, but I'm eternally grateful for a God that has provided, offered, and granted me forgiveness of my sin.

I'm a man who can live with gratitude today because I'm a man of freedom and hope because of Jesus. I love the Bible. I love that I can hear the words of God to me anytime I choose to open the Scriptures. I'm grateful that God preaches to us every moment we approach him with ears to hear and hearts to receive.

Question for Discussion: How often do you get into the Bible to read it and allow God to speak to you? What are some of the study techniques you use?

Sermon Outline for: God Can Rescue

Last week was a crazy week for me. My little daughter Kaleigh Grace entered the world and she has been wrecking me ever since. Because of her birth, I didn't get a chance to develop the outline for my message this past Sunday. So, here it is for those who want it.

Highly Flammable: God Can Rescue (Week 3)

Highlighted passage that we are unpacking: Daniel 3:16-17

Four questions that help us to understand more about God's ability to rescue:

1. How do we know God can rescue?

God is Sovereign. Sovereignty means that God is in control of all of his creation. He is all-powerful. Nothing is impossible with God, because God is above all things.

Two aspects of God's Sovereignty:

i. Transcendent otherness: God is beyond us. He is over and above the creation. He is not dependent on the creation to be God. His throne is in heaven and the earth is his footstool (Isaiah 66:1).

ii. Immanent nearness: God is at work within his creation. Though he is above that which he has created, he is at work in that which he has created.

Because of these two things, we know that God can rescue. Our God is Sovereign above all things. He can rescue because he is both above and beyond his creation, yet he is immanent in that he works intimately in his creation.

2. In what ways does God rescue?

i. Miracles

A miracle is God changes a set of circumstances that were deemed as unchangeable. A miracle is not God's intervention because this would imply his absence or distance from the situation (deism).

ii. Decrees

A decree is when God speaks forth his words and they set into motion that which he has spoken. We see this in the creation of the world (Genesis 1). God can still decree our rescue and it will set into motion the changes that are necessary.

3. How can we evoke God's rescuing action?

i. Prayer

Prayer changes how God acts. God has ordained that the prayers of his people will shape how the world we be.

ii. Faithfulness

Living a life of faithfulness means to live a life devoted, loyal, and obedient to Jesus Christ. Faithfulness is not church attendance, its moment by moment relationship to the Savior.

4. Why does God rescue?

i. God rescues to point us to the reality of the Kingdom's advancement.

ii. God rescues to bring himself greater glory.

iii. God rescues because of his love and compassion for his children.

Ultimately, if you want to know if God can rescue you from your circumstances and trials, look no further than the cross. For the cross of Jesus Christ is the greatest demonstration of God's ability to rescue.

Kaleb's Baptism

This was definitely one of my most memorable weekends in a long time. There were many reasons why it was so good, but the number one reason had to be my son being baptized. He got baptized Friday night, October 16th, at The Journey Praise and Worship night. It was a special opportunity for me to be a part of that. There have many conversations around the Reed house with Kaleb about following Jesus and being baptized. He has wanted to get baptized for a couple of months now and I have been hesitant because of his age. The more I talk to him the more I realize that he really does understand what Jesus has done and why he did it. He may not be ready to write a doctrinal dissertation on the dynamics of the Trinity, but neither are most. He has much to learn, and being a child, he needs to do it at his pace and timing.

The one thing that I feel especially burdened for is discipling him. Too often children come to Jesus and commit their life to him and they fade away as they get older. Why does this happen? Is it because they didn't really know what they were doing? No. It is because they stay at their same level of faith and it is not enough to equip them to overcome the trials, tribulation, temptations, and other things that will test your faith. In other words, children who come to faith often stay children in their faith, even though they get older. I have a book I'm doing with him that I'm tailoring especially to him. The book is called Big Truths for Young Hearts by Bruce Ware. It is a book that helps parents/adults teach children theological truths and concepts, not just Bible stories, though telling Bible stories is important.

Several weeks ago I was thinking about the whole conversation of Kaleb getting baptized. As I was thinking about it, the thought the came to my mind, "what if something happened to him and I never had the opportunity to do this?" I knew then that if he truly understood the basics and he was willing to make that very public step in front of everyone, then I needed to do it. The rest is history. Now comes the real journey: a life-long process of helping to form my son into a warrior for the Kingdom.

Vamos a España.

Vamos a España. You better get use to learning what those words mean and more because we are going to be a Spanish speaking church! Why? Because, vamos a España! We are going to Spain! That's right. After months of praying and meeting, our missions coalition team has pinpointed Spain as the Journey's global mission focus. There are many exciting things to share about how this particular country made it on our radar, but God is in it in big ways!

You will be learning more details soon about the exciting opportunities we are going to have in the days ahead. To give you some backdrop to our global missions strategy. We want to be a church that invests over a long period of time in an area, not just short-term, in and out trips. We want to be married to an area. In this way, we can plant churches, partner with existing churches, send missionaries, send teams from the church, and have a long-lasting impact in that area. There will be many more details to come in the days ahead, but there are some exciting times in our future.

One of things we are going to be offering soon are Spanish courses online via Rosetta Stone. Throughout the year(s) we will be providing opportunities for people to lean to speak the language of the area we feel God has called us to invest in. I hope you are excited, we feel The Journey can have a huge impact in this area of the world that is the second largest Western European country, yet is increasingly more and more unchurched. The gospel would radically change this area, we feel we can do something about it.

Wednesday's Four Silly Questions

We missed last week's 4 Silly Questions so we have some ground to make up today. Like always, pick one of the two possible answers for the questions. You can even give some explanation to your answer if you're ashamed and feel the need to explain yourself.

4 Questions with a Bonus Question:

1. Morning Beverage: Coffee or Soda?

2. Navigation: Main Roads or Back Roads?

3. Vacations: Beach or Other (Mountains, Cities, Etc.)?

4. Favorite Shows: Reality T.V. or Other (Sitcoms, Drama, Etc.)?

**Bonus Question - Sleep Habits: Night Owl or Morning Person?

I'm interested in hearing your answers. Here are mine:

1. Coffee 2. Back Roads 3. Beach 4. Other (LOST, The Office) Bonus: Morning Person

Pastoral Confession: I Struggle with Comparison

I have a confession to make: if I'm not careful, I will compare myself to others. To some degree I think this is a natural part of human nature, but it is an unhealthy one, and can lead to discouragement. I will hear of things going on at different churches across the country and I'm happy for their success and God's Kingdom moving forward, but I will also have a part of me that gets discouraged because I'll compare myself to them. Questions that arise: Am I not as good of a leader as them? Am I not a good enough communicator as them? Am I too young? Any many more.

The comparison game is never healthy. First off, it keeps you from appreciating and enjoying the fruits of what God is doing in your life. Second, none of us were created to be carbon copies of other people, we are called to be who God created us to be. Our "sameness" should only be in the realm of becoming Christ-like. Comparing ourselves to others will keep us frustrated and wondering why our lives don't look like others. For me, I can get discouraged at not being where someone else is.

So there is my confession. Here are some actions I have taken to help with it: 1. I've quit trying to keep up with or follow after too many different people or churches because it can lead to a constant comparison game. 2. I have decided to keep all of my focus on the things that I can control (my hard work, the responsibilities God has given me, etc.) and not things I cannot control (other people's churches, buildings, budgets, etc.). 3. I'm picking a few leaders/mentors to follow and not worry about the rest. I can't keep up with everybody, nor do I want to live in envy or jealousy of their success. 4. I'm praying for God to release from the need to compare myself to others and instead be content with where I am, while striving to move toward where God wants me.

What is your level of struggle with comparison? What things do you find yourself comparing? It's confession Tuesday so feel free to share openly without the fear of condemnation.

Weekend Reflections

I just want to start by saying that I love being a part of The Journey Church. This church and her mission is so much bigger than any one person, including me, and it excites me to see all that God is doing. This is not a church that will be great for all people, but it is definitely a church that will be great for a lot of people. God is stirring some amazing things right now and bringing a lot of leaders our way. Are best days are ahead of us, but some amazing days are happening now.

Some things worth getting excited about:

1. We have some huge renovations coming to the Children's Areas at each campus that will help us take that ministry to the next level.

2. We are excited about the progression of the Hartsville Campus. This campus will start having previews early 2010 and will launch Easter 2010. More details coming soon.

3. A team of people have been meeting together and praying for several months now concerning God's direction for us for local, regional, and global missions. All I will say is this: we have some absolute amazing opportunities ahead of us that everyone is going to be pumped about!!

4. I'm excited about this new series and the ground we are going to cover, but we have some very neat things coming in the weeks and months ahead at The Journey. I will give more details soon, but I'll say this: we are going to be a church, unlike most churches, in which our people will be biblically and theologically equipped to deal with a cynical and skeptical world.

5. We have baby dedications and baptisms this coming Friday night for our Praise and Worship Night. This will be an awesome night. It never gets old celebrating changed lives!!

Thank you Journey Church for all you do and your commitment to the mission. God is doing some amazing things in our church and will continue to do so as we are obedient to Him. I'm honored to be a part of it.

3 Lessons from my Twitter/Facebook Sabbatical

I took a one week sabbatical from Twitter/Facebook this past week. I missed being on there to see what is happening in the lives of people. Now that my sabbatical is over, I have had a chance to reflect on some lessons that I learned from the time. 

1. I need to take more scheduled breaks from Twitter/Facebook. The one thing I learned from this thing is that breaks are good. I didn't take off of work, but taking off of Twitter/Facebook kind of felt like a vacation. I didn't realize how often I check the sites to see what is happening. I was a much more focused worker last week. The thing I will take away from this is that I need to only check the sites at certain parts of the day, and I need to take regular breaks from it. My family sure appreciated it. 

2. Twitter/Facebook is a great tool for ministering. The one thing I missed about Twitter/Facebook is the ability to connect with those I have a chance to influence through it. These tools have allowed for me to interact with people who eventually came to church and made faith decisions and were baptized. With over 300 people who attend The Journey and the countless others that I know and interact with through these tools, it allows me to connect to more people in a given day or week than I could ever do by meeting face-to-face with them. I still cherish the face-to-face gatherings, but tools like these allow for more opportunities to connect with people.

3. Twitter/Facebook can lead to discouragement. This may sound strange, but if you follow people in your profession it can lead to comparison. The one thing I noticed in my time away from it is that I quit worrying about what other churches are doing or their successes, and focused more on the things in front of me. I think these tools can be used to learn from others and to be connected to others, but if we are not careful, it can put us on rat-race of trying to measure up to what others are doing. We should focus on who God calls us to be and trust Him for the results. 

Milk or Solids?

We are only a handful of days from having our second child in the Reed home. Little Kaleigh Grace could be here any day now and we are real excited. We are doing all of our homework and preparations for feeding and caring for her as we await her arrival. When she is born she will obviously start off needing milk for nourishment, but will eventually grow to need solids. For her to progress in healthy manner, she doesn't need to stay on milk forever. 

I was reminded of the reality that as followers of Jesus we are not supposed to stay on milk forever either. We are supposed to mature and develop to be people who can take in solids. The writer of Hebrews reminds of this is when he says, 

"¹¹About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. ¹²For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, ¹³for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. ¹⁴But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. ¹Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God..." - Hebrews 5:11-6:1 (ESV)

We are called to move forward in our walk with God and not stay the same as when we came in. Many should move from needing to receive the basics to teaching others. We should be growing toward maturity. 

Questions: Why do some struggle to ever move from milk to solids? What things have you done personally to help yourself mature in the things of God?