Disciple's Journal

The Paradox of Patience

2012-01-20T06:21:00.000-08:00

By Shawn McEvoy:

Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.
James 5:7-8

We all know that patience isn't easy, or fun. What it is, though, is the path of the wise. Or, perhaps it's better to say the "non-path," since it usually involves a decision to do nothing for a while, to be still and know that you are not God, to reflect, or to strategize.

I recently gained new insight into the value of patience and the reason it's prized so highly in the Bible, from verses about "those who wait on the Lord" to "letting endurance have its perfect result."

In the first half of 2010 I raced through a blog of the TV show LOST. The series is replete with Christo-religious metaphors and parallels. One such area it studies in detail is patience. Early on, one of the characters tells another that "Patience, which you lack, is the quality of a leader." It almost flew right by me, like it did the first time. Patience? The quality of a leader? Does that sound right? Not really, not to today's ears. Don't we usually think of leaders as people who make immediate, command decisions, rush into action, tell others what to do, and make people feel safe (which is to say, how they think they need to feel)?

That's part of it; however, those are the very flaws about the concept that plagued most of the characters on LOST. They were so driven to do, fix, run, save, correct, fight, and prove themselves that they often didn't take time to actually ponder the next step or, even better, to wait for the next step to present itself. Their lack of wisdom in making rush decisions and actions was obvious to the audience. We kept wondering why they couldn't remember the miracles they'd already seen, why they couldn't reflect on what they'd already come through, the amazing ways they'd been granted second chances, the redemption they'd been given despite not deserving it, the way they kept longing for home while failing to realize they were building a new one (if they could have just slowed down and seen it).

As I watched it all unfold, I was reminded of the children of Israel. Granted, 40 years in a desert would be a long time to wait for anything, particularly a promised new home. So they grumbled. They longed for the old ways, even though those meant bondage and servitude. They failed to stop and understand that the miracles of manna and the Red Sea meant more were on the way - at the right time. They nagged their leadership, sought unproductive solutions, and just like the characters on LOST, were plagued by always feeling they had to do something, to take control.

The paradox is that control is indeed involved, but it's self-control instead of situational control. Relax. Quiet yourself. Let's remember where we came from and the amazing ways we passed through peril for a while. Let's reflect on the present - the fact we're here - and how amazing the Lord is. Let's ponder our future steps before rushing up them and tripping.

Patience - the "strengthening of the heart" James refers to - then is directly related to another fruit of the Spirit, self-control. Self-control thus leads to maturity, which is completeness, which is wisdom, which is leadership, which is purpose, which is ministry, which is being used of God, which is where we see miracles again. Full-circle we come, eventually, when we patiently wait on the Lord, who is never late and perpetually victorious.

Situational control may provide temporary satisfaction, but it also often makes a situation worse. Patience is a willing temporary dissatisfaction, but it puts your emotions under control and God in control. It might make a situation feel like it's not getting better, but the solution can only be miraculous with it as part of the equation. Patience prevents rash judgment, and judgmentalism. It secures a plan. It is a beautiful paradox of being a non-action and yet a conscious exercise of free will. It is the basis for the merciful ways the Lord deals with us. Patience provides the path in proper time, and promises that faith will be rewarded.

Practice patience this week by seeking not to pursue control in one particularly vexing portion of your life, and ponder whether it's indeed your problem to solve in the first place. Start by remembering the miracle of how God got your attention and delivered you, and his promise that the great work he began in you will not remain incomplete, no matter how long it takes. What miracle will be next? Wait and see. "You will know that I am the LORD; Those who hopefully wait for Me will not be put to shame (Isaiah 49:23)."

Ten Things That Can Cause Stress In A Leader

2011-02-21T11:49:00.000-08:00

Thanks for the reminder, Pastor Perry.

Actually…I am not sure if these cause stress in every leader…but I know these are the 10 most common things that cause stress in me…

#1 – I actually believe the church is MY church and not HIS church…and that I am in control rather than HIM! (See Matthew 16:18)

#2 – I do not trust the people who I delegate authority and responsibility to and actually begin to believe the lie that, “if I want something done right then I must do it myself.”

#3 – When I know without a doubt what God has spoken to me to do…but I begin to listen to the “experts” who tell me that the very thing God has called me to do is an impossibility.

#4 – When I try to explain myself to those who don’t really want an explanation…they just want to argue.

#5 – When I refuse to take some time to disconnect and rest, claiming that the devil never takes a day off while not understanding that the devil isn’t supposed to be my example.

#6 – When I begin to take on the “Messiah complex” and begin to think about how much the church needs me rather than how much I actually NEED CHRIST!

#7 – When I worry about results more than obedience!!!

#8 – When I focus on the size of the problem rather than the size of God!

#9 – When I fail to share my worries and concerns and admit my mistakes to others for fear that it may make me seem weak and stupid. (When…the opposite is the case, those around me actually love and respect me more when I ask for help!)

#10 – When I become unaware of HIS presence every single minute of my life!

2011-02-21T11:45:00.001-08:00

Responding to Failure...Responding to Success

2011-02-11T17:05:00.000-08:00

I think that the greatest test of leadership later in life is how we respond to our success. Do we let it go to our head or do we give God glory? Do we use it to build an army of fans or do we use it to make fans of Christ?

I think the greatest test of our leadership early on is how we respond to our failures. Do we go into self-defense mode? Do we abdicate responsibility? Do we try to make ourselves look better than we actually are? Or do we embrace the failure as an opportunity to learn?

In both instances, it’s a matter of who holds the reins on our lives. Is it all about us? Or is it all about God?

I firmly believe that we will not respond to our success well if we don’t first respond to our failures well.

Leadership Can Be Lonely

2010-09-15T09:21:00.000-07:00

I've come to grips that leadership can sometimes be lonely.

I try to always lead in teams. But sometimes, leadership can just be lonely. There are places that only you can go. Think about Jesus going into the garden to pray. Or Elijah hiding out in the cave. Or Moses going before Pharaoh. There are some seasons and situations where leadership is lonely.

That’s why you’ve got to make sure that your identity is rooted in something much deeper than your own abilities or other peoples’ opinions of you. Popular opinion is fleeting and it is flawed. Those who praise you too much and those who criticize you too much are both wrong. Don’t listen to either. Hunker down into the Scriptures and discover who God says you are and who he created you to be. Seek his approval, favor, and pleasure. And when the lonely seasons come, you'll be anchored well.

Building People, Not Crowds

2010-09-15T09:15:00.000-07:00

One of the most important church leadership principles that I've come to understand is that I am not called to build crowds, but to reach them. This happens when we build people...and building people is the most fulfilling part of a church leader's job.

What people need most from us as leaders is equipping and encouragement. Early in my ministry, I was too focused on all I had to do and not focused enough on seeing clearly what God wanted to do for and through our church. I've learned that He really expects two important things of us as leaders. He desires for us to equip people through biblical teaching and empower them for ministry so they become excited about what can happen for the Lord.

God calls us not just to reach crowds, but also to build people.

Monday

2010-06-28T11:35:00.000-07:00

Monday is the day that most pastors/church leaders struggle…some call it the “holy hangover,” others call it “life!” So many are tempted to quit, give up and/or throw in the towel.

Don’t do it! Don’t quit!

Galatians 6:9 is true about you..."Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." NIV

I don’t know about you…but I have several quotes in my office, things I look at to challenge and inspire me…here is one I thought I would share because, well, it’s Monday!

“It is not the critic who counts, not the one who points out how the strong man stumbled or how the doer of deeds might have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena. Whose face is marred with sweat and dust and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes short again and again and again, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions and spends himself in a worthy cause. Who, if he wins, knows the triumph of high achievement, and who, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat.” Teddy Roosevelt

MVPs

2010-06-28T11:26:00.000-07:00

Who are your MVPs? The people-- whether paid or volunteer-- that you cannot imagine doing ministry without? The people who make it happen, keep momentum flowing, keep the vision at the forefront, and give you joy.

As I read the epistles of Paul, I'm struck with how often he praises people in the various churches he writes. He's so thankful for the many great leaders, and he's constantly acknowledging their sacrifices, accomplishments, and efforts. He heaps gratitude on people who bring him joy because of their ministry and their friendship with him.

We've all got MVPs around us. They are the people that make us happy to do what we get to do. And we should find ways to let them know that.

I Used to Think I Knew it All (a personal reflection)

2010-03-29T09:10:00.000-07:00

I thought I knew everything there was to know about marriage…I was the expert and had philosophies and ideas that I knew would make marriage unbelievable. THEN I got married and discovered that it took more than philosophy to make marriage successful…it took work and change and adjustments and a willingness to unlearn everything I thought I knew!

I thought I knew everything there was to know about raising children…I was the expert. I was NEVER going to be THAT parent that had a kid freak out in the middle of a restaurant…I was NEVER going to say ridiculous things such as, “do you want a spanking?” THEN Jacque and I had Tori, and then a little over three years later, we had Ian. Jacque and I came to the understanding that it takes more than philosophies and book knowledge to raise our children…it takes work and change and adjustments and a willingness to unlearn everything I thought I knew.

I thought I knew a lot about leading a church…I thought I was an expert. After all, I had taken some seminary classes, had experiences working in some great churches and had read a lot of books by some people who had done quite well in regards to leading great churches. I've come to the understanding that it takes more than philosophies and some inspirational one-liners from my favorite conference speaker to really lead a church...it takes work and change and adjustments and a willingness to unlearn everything I thought I knew.

I’ve been in full-time ministry many years, and the longer I do this the more I realize that I really don’t know what I’m doing, which is awesome for me because realizing this will keep me desperate for God’s voice; after all, it IS His church.

I will NEVER have church leadership figured out! The more I am around amazing leaders, the more I realize I have so much to learn. The thing that I have learned though is that in order to be an effective church leader we MUST be willing to throw out philosophies, ideas and “book knowledge” that doesn’t fall in line with what the Scriptures and the Spirit is saying.

The beginning of Jesus bringing serious change in His church is when He begins to bring that type of serious change in the leadership of that church! If we are willing to embrace all He has for us, we will see things that absolutely blow our minds…and that’s my prayer. I don’t want to know it all, I want to know HIM who controls it all, and trust Him to lead me step by step!

Making Happy Christians Mad

2010-03-25T12:54:00.000-07:00

Here's a great post from Tony Morgan...tonymorganlive.com

“I, too, try to please everyone in everything I do. I don’t just do what is best for me; I do what is best for others so that many may be saved,” 1 Corinthians 10:33

Fascinating perspective isn’t it? Typically, we don’t operate like that. We put personal conviction or preferences ahead of what may be best for others. Think about it…

*It isn’t worship if the music is too loud or too fast or the wrong genre.
*It isn’t discipleship if the content is delivered in a home or online instead of in a classroom.
*It isn’t missions if we help a neighbor who has wealth instead of focusing on people who live in poverty.
*The message is good if it calls out the sin of other people, but when it’s our sin, we’re offended.
*Rather than embracing the ministries that are impacting the most people, we want the church to embrace our
personal projects and passions.
*We’re more inclined to give when we can direct how the money is used.

Crazy. You’d think we’d be intentional about living out our faith to do what’s best for others. Instead, we make ministry decisions to try to keep people happy. That’s how we end up with churches full of happy Christians. That’s why churches stop growing. We start doing church for us instead of trying to impact the lives of people around us.

The reality is that if we’re going to reach people outside the church and outside the faith, we’re going to have to be uncomfortable. And, once we figure out what’s best for others today, it’ll be different tomorrow. That will involve change. That means we’ll have to get uncomfortable again.

Let’s face it. It’s a lot easier doing ministry when our only goal is to keep people happy. Doing what’s best for others makes life and ministry messy. We have to be willing to rock the boat. We have to be willing to watch people who don’t have a “1 Corinthians 10:33″-mindset leave the church.

When I stop doing what’s best for me and focus on what’s best for others, though, that’s when real life-change happens. It’s worth making “happy Christians” mad so that many may be saved.

Long Haul Discipleship

2010-03-25T12:25:00.000-07:00

Discipleship can't happen in sound bytes. What a profound sound byte!

I think this is a statement of critical importance. In an age of short attention spans, meals in microwaveable boxes, and life moments reduced to 140 Twitter characters, we need to recapture the ideas of longevity and endurance.

Discipleship is a whole life journey, not an 4-8 week class. It's about developing the fruit of the Spirit and spiritual gifts and looking more like Christ, not about checking off a set of boxes. It's a process of becoming, not a destination. There is no way to short-circuit discipleship. It's about turning every moment of every day into an encounter with God.

Read what Paul's final encouragement to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:5-7 (NLT)
"Fulfill the the ministry God has given to you. As for me, my life has already been poured out as a drink offering to God. The time of my death is near. I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful."

These are not the words of a man who has just finished a set of sprints. These are the words of a man who is on the last leg of a super marathon. Listen to some of his words. He has been "poured out as a drink offering to God." Are we allowing God to pour us out? Have our lives spilled out all over those that God has entrusted to us?

He "fought a good fight." If you want to shorten a fight, there are three ways you can do it- die, surrender, or win. Unless Jesus returns, the final victory is not something we can control, and I know I don't want to surrender. So I have to keep fighting until the death.

He "remained faithful." Discipleship is not about us and our schedules. It's about remaining faithful to God and the people he has put in our paths.

If someone discovers a Biblical way to shorten the discipleship process, then I am all for it. Until then, I'm going to have to find some way to follow Paul's example.

Highest Calling versus Ministry

2010-03-04T09:27:00.000-08:00

Don't neglect your highest calling in the name of ministry. We all do it. We don't read the Bible to grow closer to God; we read the Bible to get a message for Sunday. We don't preach for the glory of God; we preach to grow our churches. We cheat our families and our friends to tackle a to-do list of ministry activity that will never end.

Ezekiel gives us a sobering message in the 44th chapter for his book. In Ezekiel 44:10-14, we learn that the priests in the temple have served the people well, but have not worshiped God. So God allows them to continue to work in the temple and serve the people, but they can no longer enter the most Holy place to worship him and experience his presence.

How tragic to live a life of service to the people of God without experiencing the presence of God. And yet if we are honest, many of us must confess that we have found ourselves in that place before...if not living in it now.

Do not neglect your highest calling in the name of ministry.

Information Overload

2010-01-28T10:32:00.000-08:00

Information barrels down on people like a relentless convoy of eighteen-wheelers. Books, magazines, the web—the available resources are excellent and helpful but overwhelming. What sources are important?

I'm gradually being disabused of the notion that all this information matters. The Enlightenment suggested that if we could just get more information, we'd be better people. I don't believe that anymore, which has helped me be less compulsive about my reading. The feeling that we've got to read all these things can be an idol.

I would rather know a few things well than a lot of things pretty well. I'm told this happens when we get older. I'm more accepting of what my genuine interests and strengths are, and I'm going with those. I'm not driven to expand into areas I'm not so good at. When I was 25, I wanted to be a renaissance man, but I've finally given up. For example, I don't read much science anymore because I'm just not strong in it.

I still read a lot, though, and despite what I tell myself, I still feel a little compulsive about it. I'm not reading for information as much as for perspective. With everything I have to juggle, I'm always trying to find where the fulcrum is on this mass, the perspective that will help me make sense out of things. In magazines I might scan a book review, but if there's a good article that synthesizes a lot of ideas and will give me perspective, I'll read that.

Stop Doing Ministry

2009-12-28T12:17:00.000-08:00

I’m guessing you’re familiar with the story from Acts 6 where the widows in the church were not getting fed. That’s a bad situation. I know how grumpy I get when I’m hungry. I can’t imagine how grumpy a group of hungry, older women can be. That can’t be good.

The grumpy, old women weren’t getting fed because the apostles weren’t getting the job done. These leaders were supposed to be focusing on prayer and teaching God’s Word (see Acts 6:4), but instead they were stuck trying to pull off a not very effective food distribution effort.

So who’s at fault? It could be the people in the church who are just showing up for services on Sunday morning but not engaging in ministry. Maybe they haven’t studied the Bible enough to learn that it’s not biblical to pay pastors to do all the ministry of the church.

It could be the fault of the leaders. Maybe they’ve fallen into the “I can do it better” trap (see the post below). Maybe they aren’t really leaders, so they aren’t spiritually gifted to empower other people in ministry.

Either way, here’s what strikes me about this passage in Acts. The apostles were engaged in ministry. In that day, food distribution was just as much a part of the ministry of the church as praying and teaching. They were doing ministry; they just weren’t doing the right ministry. In other words…

It’s possible to do the work of God without doing the work God has called you to do.

That should be alarming for us. Because as the church grows, it requires us to prayerfully consider questions like this:

Am I encouraging people to serve in ministry?
Am I helping people determine their gifts?
Am I empowering new leaders?
Am I a leader, or am I just in a leadership position?
Am I doing what God designed me to do?

Fortunately, the apostles decided to empower seven other leaders to take responsibility for the food distribution. That allowed the apostles to get back to focusing on prayer and the teaching of God’s Word. I guess you could say they stopped doing ministry, and encouraged others to do it instead. As a result of that, “God’s message continued to spread. The number of believers greatly increased in Jerusalem, and many of the Jewish priests were converted, too,” (Acts 6:7).

If you’re doing all the ministry, you’re probably going to lead a small, ineffective ministry that’s not consistent with God’s plan for your life. So what are you going to do? Are you going to continue to do the work of God, or…

Are you going to do the work God called you to do? Here are some Scriptures to consider:

Galatians 6:4 NLT Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won't need to compare yourself to anyone else.

Ephesians 5: 17 NLT Don't act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.

I Can Do It Better

2009-12-28T12:11:00.000-08:00

Pride makes you do stupid things. One of the consequences is falling into the “I can do it better” trap. It’s what happens when you look at a situation and or a decision and say to yourself, “I can’t let anyone else have this one, because it’ll just be easier (and better) if I do it myself.”

Here are some thoughts for those of us who wrestle with this:

If you are a perfectionist, people won’t like to be around you. It’s one thing to give our best effort. It’s another thing to think it always has to be perfect. Perfectionism isn’t attractive.
Needing to be in control will kill you. It leads to anxiety and fear. It’s an indication that God’s not in control. It will paralyze you.
If you always do it, no one else will learn to do it and you will always be stuck thinking you have to do it. It’s a vicious cycle.
If you always do it, you’re denying other people the opportunity to live out God’s purpose for their life. That’s kind of like telling people you know better than God what’s best for their life.
What if Jesus said, “I can do this better.” Because, if you think about it, he could do it better…but he still elected to give ministry away to others.
When we don’t let others do it, we limit our influence and impact. Small organizations (and churches) have leaders who think they need to do it all.
When we choose to do it ourselves, we’re taking the easy way out. It’s harder to find someone else, train them, coach them and check up on them. In other words, we’re basically admitting we’d rather not do the hard work that could ultimately lead to better results.

Just so you know, I’m a recovering perfectionist. This is something God is continuing to work out in me. The crazy thing about this mindset is that it directly conflicts with my ministry calling. Here’s what I believe my primary calling is in my life:

“[My] responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ, until we come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature and full grown in the Lord, measuring up to the full stature of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12-13 NLT).

For me to fulfill that calling, there’s really no room for “I can do it better.” In order for me to do what God is calling me to do, I have to equip God’s people to do his work. Which, not to state the obvious, must suggest that God thinks …

They can do it better.

Who's The Leader?

2009-12-28T11:34:00.000-08:00

I'm currently reading Greater Than Yourself by Steve Farber. This is a wonderful leadership book written in story or parable form. The big idea of the book is to make others greater than yourself, and this is accomplished by living out three tenets; expand yourself, give yourself, and replicate yourself. This is definitely not your average leadership "how-to" book.

There are elements that I'm continually learning about leadership. One thing I've discovered is people are in positional leadership roles who aren't necessarily the leaders of their organizations. Leadership is no longer a title on a business card. (Do people still carry those things?)

Leadership looks a lot different these days.

It doesn’t necessarily reside in the corner office.
It’s something that’s earned rather than bestowed.
It rarely tells people what to do, but rather asks how can I serve?
It can’t be bought, because most people ultimately care very little about the money.
It’s focused more on the mission than the tasks.
It’s concerned more about fostering influence instead of wielding power.
It recognizes the next new idea will come from someone else.
It doesn’t necessarily require words.

The Paths to Discipleship

2009-12-25T19:53:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking about discipleship a lot lately. After all, it's my job; to help people become fully devoted followers of Christ. But what does that mean and how do we do it? I've spent quite a bit of time developing a "discipleship track"- a four tiered track of academic type classes that are designed to help people rise to the next level of discipleship. The track is easy to implement, manage, and measure. But are people really being changed? I'm not sure.

The more I observe, the more I understand that when it comes to spiritual growth, Christ-likeness is never the same, linear path for every person. And Jesus' approach with his disciples appears to be anything but linear. It was personal and born out of relationship. I think spiritual growth can be predictable to some degree, but it never seems to be linear. This is a theme that I keep coming back to.

Still...I'm not sure people are truly being changed or if they are just checking off boxes. We run the risk of building programs instead of building people. How can we make sure we stay laser-focused on building people. I'm convinced that information without relationship is not true discipleship.

Does Size Matter

2009-12-21T14:31:00.000-08:00

Why do some people go to small churches? Why do others go to large churches?

This is certainly an oversimplification, but track with me.

People tend to stay at small churches because they are:

1) Needed

Each week, someone is counting on them to pass out the red attendance folders, vacuum the floor, fill the communion cups, or help organize stuff. They are needed.

2) Known

People love small churches because they are known. If they have a toenail operation, someone knows. If they miss church, someone calls. If their pet cat gets hit by a car, someone cares. They love being known.

All things equal, why do people go to large churches? The answers vary widely:

The church has a good Mother’s Day Out.
The videos are cool.
The church has great music.
The junior high pastor is creative.
They have a group for widows.
They have a group for addicts.
They have a group for everything, including annoying people.

People have tons of reasons to go to large churches.

But why do they leave? Typically because they don’t feel:

1) Needed

The paid staff does most everything. The professional band is too good for most. The yard is mowed by a company. The daycare workers are paid. If there is no place for me to use my gifts, I just might leave.

2) Known

If a person misses church and no one calls, it hurts. If someone is in pain and no one knows, again, not good. One can be in a crowded church building and still feel all alone.

What can we do to help people become needed and known no matter what the size of the church? Post your comments.

Congratulations!

2009-12-17T09:02:00.001-08:00

Congratulations to Mark Ingram (22) and the University of Alabama.

Discipleship Track

2009-12-16T13:24:00.000-08:00

We have been developing and tweaking our Victory Discipleship Track for the last two months. Several people were invited to participate as I worked through the bugs. We are ready to launch the track in 2010 and initiate our process of discipleship...Victory 101-Intro to Victory, Victory 201-The Essentials, Victory 301-Discovery, Victory 401-Dream Team. I ask, Lord, that You bless our efforts!

Mobility, Technology and Community

2009-12-16T09:39:00.000-08:00

If you work with people and building community and have not read the book Refrigerator Rights, you need to go get it right now. It's authored by Drs. Will Miller and Glenn Sparks, and it contains fascinating studies and perspective on the effect that mobility and technology have had on relational connection.

Consider the following:
*According to the 2000 census, over 16% of the population moved their residence during the census period.
*One third of young adults ages 20-29 moved in one year—from 1999 to 2000.
*Nearly 45 million Americans move every year, and the average America moves every 5 to 6 years, thereby rupturing significant relationships with family and friends.

The technological surge of the past 50 years has also impacted our connection points.
*Roughly one-fourth of America’s dinners are eaten while watching television.
*According to the Kaiser Foundation, during a typical year, the average child in the United States spends the equivalent of two months of television viewing.

And we have not even begun to consider the impact of social media on face-to-face connection. We've got lots of anecdotal evidence pointing to both the positive and negative impacts of Facebook, Twitter, and other forms of social networking on feelings of isolation and detachment. I really think it's a net positive. But if we are honest, we just don't know yet what the full impact will be.

All of these variables factor heavily in my personal ministry goals- to create environments where connections can happen. We experience turnover at Victory Church every year like so many other churches. I can't think of many of our leaders who don't stare at a computer screen for the majority of their day. The way we relate to one another is changing. What do we do?

Randy Frazee might say to fight against it, to live counter-culturally. I think I'm more in favor of embracing the reality and doing the hard work of building community in the midst of the craziness. But I'm not sure how.

Just rambling...

Senior Staff Retreat

2009-12-16T09:25:00.000-08:00

The senior staff of Victory Church recently went to Estes Park on a planning retreat for 2010. Here are a few photos:

Why Do We Do Small Groups/Life Groups

2009-12-16T09:08:00.000-08:00

We do small groups because we have found that they are the most effective way to do discipleship within the context of our culture.

This may be a surprise, but small groups are not sacred to me. I do not hold to the view that small groups (or a particular small group model) are the only way to Biblically disciple others. What I care about most is that people grow in their relationship with Christ, transform their lives to look more and more like him, and grow in their relationship with other people. Small groups just seem to me to be the best way to facilitate that process.

I believe there are five primary ways that people grow in their faith:

Relational- people grow in their relationship with Christ as they grow in relationship with others and are influenced by those relationships.

Experiential- people grow in their relationship with Christ when they are immersed in an experience with him that propels them in some area of their faith formation.

Intellectual- people grow in their relationship with Christ as they develop the mind of Christ through the reading, study, meditation, and memorization of Scripture.

Personal- people grow in their relationship with Christ as they incorporate and practice spiritual disciplines into the context of their everyday lives.

Incarnational- people grow in their relationship with Christ as they seek to follow his model of servant leadership and become his hands and feet in sacrificial service to those around them.

Every person tends to gravitate towards one or two of those five growth patterns, and small groups offer opportunities for all five types of growth.

Here are some of the more practical reasons we do small groups:

Organization, The Jethro Principle (Exodus 18:21-26)

v. 21 "But find some capable, honest men who fear God and hate bribes. Appoint them as judges over groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten."
We do small groups because it establishes a structure that allows for continued church growth and the effective pastoring of people.

Relationship, The Acts Community (Acts 2:43-47)

v. 46 "They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord's Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity."
We do small groups because we believe they provide an environment for true Christian community to develop through the intentional sharing of our lives with others.

Discipleship and Ministry (2 Timothy 2:2)

2 Timothy 2:2 "You have heard me teach many things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Teach these great truths to trustworthy people who are able to pass them along to others."
We do small groups because we feel that discipleship and ministry are ultimately community activities.

Many churches run into problems because they think small group ministry is the “thing to do,” but they have never given any significant thought to why they were doing them. Why small groups? is a critical question to ask and answer before implementing any sort of small group model. It’s imperative to put structures in place and create environments that move people forward in their faith. Otherwise, it’s just one more church program.

What Do You Value?

2009-12-02T13:08:00.000-08:00

What do you value most in your life group? The number of people who show up? Or the one life that begins the process of change?

In the 1700s, the spiritual climate of a generation was shaped by two important figures-George Whitfield and John Wesley. Both preached to huge crowds and led high profile ministries. George Whitfield was regarded as the best preacher of his time, and he has left us a legacy of Biblically rich and stirring, convicting sermons that are as relevant today as they were then. John Wesley was a good preacher, as well, but he prioritized investment in people over the sermon. His legacy can be found in people--the millions of followers in churches all over the world that have been left in his wake.

I'd personally rather be a John Wesley than a George Whitfield--a legacy that is found not only on some dusty bookshelves, but in the everyday, walking around lives of people. But that's harder to do because you can't see the immediate success. Recognizing that his legacy was dependent not only on his own gifts and abilities, but also on the gifts and skills of those he discipled, Wesley organized his followers into groups called “class meetings.” At each meeting, the participants shared what they were learning from Bible study, what they were praying for, where they were struggling, and where they were growing.

Wesley also invested significant time and energy in the development of young preachers. Even today, you can visit the chapel that he built at Bristol in which he installed a glass window above the sanctuary from which he could watch his young emerging ministers preach. Afterwards, he would meet with each of them and evaluate their progress.

Over 200 years later, we see the powerful results of Wesley's vision to prioritize people. So what should we value most--how many people show up? how well we led a group discussion? We tend to value most the things we can measure most readily and easily, but placing priority on those things might short-circuit the greater purpose of our group. If we value the growth of one person--no matter how small or how long it takes--we will build the Kingdom of God through people.

ROLL TIDE!

2009-12-02T12:53:00.000-08:00

I just couldn't "bear" to go any longer without showing a little Bear Bryant love! ROLL TIDE!

Stay the Course

2009-11-30T17:16:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday evening before Thanksgiving, I talked about giving thanks to God IN all circumstances. Sometimes we find ourselves in the middle of a spiritual fire. Sometimes we place ourselves there because of bad decisions or sin. Then there are those times that God places us in the firey furnace. Here's the key: it's in the midst of the fire that God brings change to our lives.

Some of you are reading this today and you are on the verge of giving up because the heat of the fire is becoming more than you can bear. You question your leadership. You question the point. You are tired and confused and frustrated. You feel burned out and think the lack of growth in your group is the result of a flaw in your leadership. My encouragement to you:

Stay the course.

What you are doing is fulfilling the role your Creator gave you to do. You are completing the mission your Lord and Savior has charged you to do. When He gave His last command, the Great Commission, He said, “Go and make disciples of all nations.” He didn’t say go find disciples. He said go make disciples. That means it's work. And that requires us to embrace the fire and stay in the fire until God has competed His work.

Let's remember our mission is to make disciples...not simply find them.

For a Cause or for Christ?

2009-11-30T16:56:00.000-08:00

The disciples didn't lay their lives down for a cause but for a person.

For some reason, that one statement is really challenging me personally and challenging the way I lead. I fear that I have spent too much time motivating people to a cause-make disciples, advance the Kingdom, create culture, change a generation, etc. That's all good stuff, but it's not the ultimate goal, is it? Maybe I should focus a bit more on simply elevating the person of Jesus Christ.

Causes are good. Causes build fans and create evangelists. Christ is better. He builds communities of faith and creates martyrs. Not that we all want to rush out to the Colosseum to volunteer ourselves for lion dinner. But laying down our lives is one of the ways we follow Jesus Christ.

The disciples didn't lay their lives down for some great cause that had captivated their emotions and imaginations. They laid their lives down for a person who had already laid his own life down for them.

Why am I more cause focused than person focused? Perhaps it is more comfortable and easy for me to acquaint myself with and attach myself to a cause than to enter a messy and flesh-killing relationship with Jesus Christ.

2009-11-25T17:16:00.000-08:00

Jacque, Tori, Ian and I attended Matt and Cari Miller's life group on Friday, November 20. WOW! What an awesome group. Their living room was packed with couples and their upstairs, as well as, their basement was packed with children. This is a great group for couples with a strong focus on issues that couples face everyday. Thanks Matt and Cari!

Friday Night @ Christ For Life

2009-11-14T08:41:00.000-08:00

Jacque, Tori, Ian, and I had the privilege of attending the Christ for Life life group on Friday evening. Wow! What a great group of people. We started with an incredible meal, provided by Bryan and Cindy Lee, Jon and Michelle Zarbok and the other leadership couples. We then had a time of great praise and worship, followed by Bryan's teaching of the Word. The evening was topped off by celebrating communion and praying for the needs of group members.

With around 70 in attendance on Friday, this is, by far, the largest life group at Victory Church. If you're looking for a place to connect where great ministry takes place in a big way, then I encourage you to check out this group. Here's their website www.cflvictory.com.

We Serve God by Serving Others

2009-11-14T08:03:00.000-08:00

"Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant..."(Mark 10:43 NLT).

We have a Victory 301 class scheduled in a few weeks. This is an opportunity for people to gain an understanding of how God has gifted and wired them for ministry. As a prelude to the class, I offer the following post.

We serve God by serving others. The world defines greatness in terms of power, possessions, prestige, and position. If you can demand service from others, you've arrived. In our self-serving culture with it's me-first mentality, acting like a servant is not a popular concept. Jesus, however, measured greatness in terms of service, not status. God determines your greatness by how many people you serve, not how many people serve you. This is so contrary to the world's idea of greatness that we have a hard time understanding it, much less practicing it.

The disciples argued about who deserved the most prominent position, and 2,000 years later, Christian leaders still jockey for position and prominence. Thousands of books have been written on leadership, but few on servanthood. Everyone wants to lead; no one wants to be a servant. We would rather be generals than privates. Even Christians want to be "servant-leaders," not just plain servants. But to be like Jesus is to be a servant. That's what he called himself.

While knowing your giftedness is important for serving God, having the heart of a servant is even more important. Remember, God destined you for service, not for self-centeredness. Without a servant's heart, you will be tempted to misuse your giftedness for personal gain. You will also be tempted to use it as an excuse to exempt yourself from meeting some needs.

God often tests our hearts by asking us to serve in ways we're not gifted. If you see a man fall into a ditch, God expects you to help him out, not say, "I don't have the gift of mercy or service." While you may not be gifted for a particular task, you may be called to do it if no one who is gifted at it is around. Your primary ministry should be in the area of your giftedness, but your secondary service is wherever you're needed at the moment. Your giftedness reveals your ministry, but your servant's heart will reveal your maturity.

No special talent or gift is required to stay after a meeting to pick up trash or stack chairs. Anyone can be a servant. All it requires is character. It is possible to serve in church for a lifetime without ever being a servant. You must have a servant's heart. How can you know if you have the heart of a servant? Jesus said, "You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act..."(Matthew 7:16 NLT).

Are You A PK?

2009-11-12T13:35:00.000-08:00

Preacher's kids get the worst reputation, just ask my wife, Jacque. But they're in good company! This isnt' small group or discipleship related, but I thought I'd share the names of some famous preacher's kids I found Wikipedia:
Tori Amos
Ingmar Bergman
Nat King Cole
Alice Cooper
Gudrun Ensslin
Aretha Franklin
Mark Few
Marvin Gaye
Phil Jackson (both parents)
Carl Jung
Art Linkletter
Charlie Manuel
George McGovern
Friedrich Nietzsche
Katy Perry
Condoleezza Rice
Jessica Simpson
Harriet Beecher Stowe
David Tennant
Nicola Tesla
Vincent Van Gogh
Denzel Washington
The Wright Brothers
Malcolm X
Jonas Brothers
Elijah Muhammad
Gordon Brown
Some of the names makes sense to me (Jonas brothers, Art Linkletter and so forth), and others were quite surprising! Neitzsche? Jung? Holy cow! If you're a PK, you're destined to become famous—er, um, infamous—

Small Groups are Great...I Think.

2009-11-12T13:00:00.000-08:00

Small groups are great...and then the people show up.

We've heard pastors give stirring messages on the theological, ecclesiological, and practical importance of life in community and you left with a newfound conviction that small groups are great. An announcement was made from the pulpit about the need for new small group leaders, and you decided to put your convictions into practice because you were convinced both spiritually and experientially that small groups are great. You courageously attended leadership training classes and left with a passion to change the world through the greatness of groups. You saw your group promoted in print, in word, in pictures and you approached the night of your first meeting with a holy anticipation. Small groups are great!

And then people walked through the door.

It might not happen on the first night. It might not happen in the first month or even in the first year, but at some point, your well-tended "great" group experience begins to fall apart. The chairs are set, the snacks are ready, the lesson is prepared, the service project is planned...you're doing everything you need to do as a leader. And all of a sudden, you realize that there are some things no one ever told you about leading small groups. The nice thoughts about growth and friends and transparency and community fade into the newfound realization that groups are messy.

What do you do at that moment? The moment you realize that groups are messy will become the defining moment of your leadership.

Here's the scary news: small groups are messy because groups are made up of people and people are messy. Community is messy because it’s about broken people hauling their brokenness and stink and baggage and moving in with you.

Here's the good news: mess might be exactly where God wants you to be to become the person and the community that he created you to be.

Community is Messy

2009-11-10T14:13:00.000-08:00

Community is messy, and it's been that way since the beginning. Let's just think about some messes of Biblical proportions. God created. Everything was good. But three chapters in, mess happened. Eve disobeyed God, encouraged Adam to join in the mess, and sin mess happened. Fingers got pointed and relational mess happened. The inevitable results of sin are proclaimed and life mess began. Then we move to Cain and Abel. I would say jealousy and murder amount to mess.

Noah—built a huge boat to house the few remaining fragments of creation mess that God wanted to maintain. Later, he got himself drunk and his sons discovered him naked. Which resulted in some family breakdown mess. Then there was Abraham claiming that his wife was not his wife and navigating water resources rights with his nephew, Lot. There’s Isaac and Rebekah playing favorites with their sons Jacob and Esau, thereby producing life-long (and history-altering) sibling rivalry. Then Jacob favoritism to his own son Joseph, which resulted in another family meltdown.Let’s fast forward a few hundred years to Moses. I like to think of Moses as the first small group leader in the Bible—but look at these people he was charged with leading. They don’t follow instructions. They complain. And they forget the miracles they see in a matter of hours- they are completely ADD. It’s a mess.

Fast forward a bit more to David. I think of David as the second small group leader in the Bible. In 1 Samuel 22 we read about David running for his life and then hiding in the cave of Adullam. Then Scripture tells us that he was first joined by his family. And then he was joined by men who were in trouble, in debt, or just discontented. Great. Talk about a dysfunctional group. First of all-family. Then add on the Extra Grace Required people in the form of those who were in trouble or in debt or just plain discontented. Mess. How many of us feel like that’s our small group? Right? And think about David's other messy relationships. David and Saul. David and Uriah. David and Bathsheba. David and the prophet Nathan. David and his son Absalom. Okay, pretty much David and everyone.

Skip over to the New Testament. Jesus was born in the mess of a stable—a cave where animals were kept and fed. Placed in a stone feeding tough. Jesus called 12 men to follow him- fisherman, tax collectors, political revolutionaries—who bickered over who was going to be greatest in the Kingdom. In Acts 15, the apostles had to meet in Jerusalem to sort out theological mess. Paul and Peter had issues. Paul and John Mark had issues. The majority of writings in the New Testament are there because the early church was messy. Look at the church in Corinth—all the stuff that was happening there. Incestuous affairs, lawsuits, divorce and separation, idol worship, big egos, doctrinal fighting, sexual promiscuity, people getting drunk while celebrating communion. And you thought your small group was messed up.

And yet...in the midst of the mess...

As we read these stories, we see the hand of God writing his own story in them and through them. Emerging from the mess is the fingerprint of God writing the hope of the Gospel and the story of redemption in history. Proverbs 14:4 has become one of my organizing metaphors in regards to group life: Where no oxen are, the manger is clean, but much increase comes by the strength of the ox. You can have a clean barn with no animals in there. But you aren’t going to get much done without animals.You can have a tidy group as long as no one is in it. But community requires that we show up. And showing up means bringing our mess.

Wesley's Discipleship

2009-11-10T14:08:00.000-08:00

John Wesley had a pretty hard-hitting approach to discipleship. In many small groups today, structuring the meeting time around the following questions would be frightening to many members. But if you want to challenge your people to deeper community and more focused discipleship, try these questions:

Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I am a better person than I really am? In other words, am I a hypocrite?
Am I honest in all my acts and words, or do I exaggerate?
Do I confidentially pass on what was told to me in confidence?
Can I be trusted?
Am I a slave to dress, friends, work or habit?
Am I self-conscious, self-pitying, or self-justifying?
Did the Bible live in me today?
Do I give God time to speak to me everyday?
Am I enjoying prayer?
When did I last speak to someone else of my faith?
Do I pray about the money I spend?
Do I get to bed on time and get up on time?
Do I disobey God in anything?
Do I insist on doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?
Am I defeated in any part of my life?
Am I jealous, impure, irritable, touchy, or distrustful?
How do I spend my spare time?
Am I proud?
Do I thank God I am not as other people, especially as the Pharisees who despised the publican?
Is there anyone I fear, or dislike, or criticize, or resent? If so, what am I doing about it?
Do I grumble and complain constantly?
Is Christ real to me?

What Has Happened to Discipleship?

2009-11-04T09:58:00.000-08:00

I have been in conversations and been asked the following question: What do you feel God is saying to His church today? At the risk of sounding rude, I usually respond by saying, "He's probably saying the same thing He said two thousand years ago: "Go and make disciples."" Sad to say, a lot of churches talk about discipleship, but they never quite go the distance in making it part of the culture of their church.

Why do church leaders spend time doing everything but making disciples? Why do we try every church growth gimmick known to man, yet ignore the one strategy Jesus endorsed? Shouldn't His last message be our first option?

Discipleship isn't suppose to be complicated. Difficult sometimes, complicated never. If modern discipleship is confusing or complicated, it's because we've strayed from biblical principles and the simple biblical process that Jesus lived and taught His disciples.

For Jesus, discipleship was and still is top priority. Yes, He fed the hungry and healed the sick, but He always gave the twelve disciples His prime time. His final word to them before He ascended into heaven was a commission not just to be disciples, but also to make disciples. Like the original followers of Jesus, we are supposed to be disciples and we are supposed to make disciples. In other words, we are supposed to follow Jesus and we are supposed to help others follow Him.

Here are some simple biblical steps that can be integrated and applied that will help make discipleship a reality:

1. Establish spiritual foundations. There was a sign with a picture of the Leaning Tower of Pisa with a tagline that read, "Good facade, bad foundations." Like the tower, many Christians have a good facade but are dangerously unstable because of poor foundations. Even the slightest storm or temptation sends them crashing to the ground. On the other hand, Jesus promised His disciples that storms, winds and floods would beat against their lives, but they could survive if they built their "foundation on the rock" (Matt 7:24-25). If we want our disciples to survive the storms of life, we must help them establish spiritual foundations. This includes repentance, faith, water baptism and the baptism in the Holy Spirit (see Acts 2:38-41). Once these basics are established, we need to begin to develop theological foundations such as eternal judgment and resurrection from the dead (see Heb. 6).

2. Equip all believers to minister. We've heard the phrase, Every member a minister. Yet often, because of our performance-driven culture, we have littler tolerance for the messiness of the equipping process. Some do church as if only professional ministers should do ministry. The biblical job description for professional ministers-apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers-is to equip the "non-pros" for ministry, then get out of their way (see Eph. 4:11-12).

3. Empower all disciples to make disciples. Jesus expected all of His original disciples to make disciples. He empowered them, knowing they would make disciples. The call to make disciples (see Matt. 28) was given to people who were far from perfect. They had questioned, disobeyed, doubted and even denied Jesus. Here is a key point to remember; it is progress, not perfection, that qualifies one to disciple others. Because Jesus expects all His disciples to make disciples, we must not only equip them, we must empower them. To empower means to give permission or power to do something-in a sense, to give confidence to do something. Equipping without empowering produces disciples with head knowledge. Empowering without first equipping produces disciples who never mature.