Spiritually Stunted Babies-Part 4

Over the last few weeks I've been looking at how spiritually stunted babies are like real, physical babies. This whole idea came out of observing my two little girls & how our physical & emotional immaturity is so often paralleled in our spiritual maturity. So here's the last parallel that I want us to look at. When we act like spiritual babies or when we're spiritually stunted...

We Still Need Someone To Clean Up Our Mess.

Believe me I could have used much more descriptive terminology because I'm thinking about a particular mess. Parents might not want to admit it, but the truth is that one of the greatest days in parenthood is not the day your child takes his first steps or speaks her first words; it's the day when your child finally learns how to use the potty all by herself! It's a great day when a parent doesn't have to deal with poopy diapers & all that goes with it, but imagine what it would be like if your child never hit that milestone. It wouldn't merely be gross; it would be tragic. They would forever be dependent on someone else to take care of a basic need.

Spiritually stunted babies are just as tragic. They constantly are running to someone else to clean up the mess in their life. Sure, every now & then we all need the help of others, but we all know people who are constantly having crises that they can't deal with on their own, & they need their pastors or some other spiritual leader to "fix" their mess. 

What's really tragic is that too often these spiritually stunted babies never realize what they're doing to themselves & those around them. They're either oblivious to it, or they become defiant & defensive. It's never their fault. It's always what someone else has done to them that's created the continuous drama in their lives. As a result, it becomes harder & harder to really help someone grow. Instead, family, friends, & leaders are pulled into a constant drama of hurt, blame, & unwillingness to really deal with the issues that always rear their ugly head. Until we acknowledge the reality of our immaturity, we can't grow & become stronger, more mature believers.

Spiritually Stunted Babies-Part 3

Sadly, churches are filled with spiritually stunted babies who cling to their routines & who throw fits when someone dares to challenge the statues quo. Why are these people stunted in their growth? Here's a possible answer:

We Still Can't Feed Ourselves.

It's funny to watch a little kid try to feed themselves. They get as much food on them as in them. It's cute when they're learning how to manipulate a fork or spoon to get the food to their mouth, but it's not so cute when all of this happens & a few minutes after the meal, the child is complaining because he or she is hungry. For most kids there is a stage where they should be able to feed themselves, & if they can't, something is wrong.

Spiritual babies are not that different. They either don't know how or refuse to feed themselves spiritually. Often they assume that it's someone else's job to feed them. Their Bibles become props used to decorate their homes or as an accessory each Sunday at church. In some cases, their Bible doesn't even get that much attention. Having served in ministry in one way or another for 20 years, I'm still shocked at how often I see people, especially men, come to worship or Bible study without a Bible. I mean surely you think you're going to need & use your Bible at church, right? 

As a result, they get just enough of God's Word into their lives to make a mess. They often talk about the Bible, but they don't really know Scripture or use it as the filter for their worldview. That's why it's not uncommon for spiritually stunted babies to be self-righteous hypocrites who hold people to standards of "holiness" that aren't even biblical. Each Sunday they climb into their high-chairs, known as a pew, & demand to be fed by the pastor or their small group leader. If you want a picture of a spiritually stunted baby, go check out the Pharisees in the Gospels. They embody the idea of spiritually stunted. 

Believers who can't feed themselves will not be healthy believers, & it will affect the rest of the family (church.)

Book Review: The 4 Wills Of God

I recently received a copy of "The 4 Wills Of God" by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs from B&H Publishing to look over & give my review. Dr. Eggerichs is both a pastor & a conference speaker. He & his wife, Sarah, have developed the Love & Respect Conference focusing on teaching men & women how to pursue God-honoring, loving, healthy biblical relationships. Much of the insight that is shared in this book is built on the 30+ years of pastoring & counseling.

The basic premise of this book is that so often we want to know God's unique will for our lives without examining whether we're being faithful to God's universal will for us. Dr. Eggerichs rightly asserts that as we pursue faithfulness to the 4 universal wills, God's unique will become easier to discern in particular situations.

So what are the "4 Wills Of God" & where does Dr. Eggerichs find them?

1. Believe In Jesus Christ (John 6:40)
2. Give Thanks In Everything (1st Thessalonians 5:18)
3. Submit In Doing Right (1st Peter 2:13-15)
4. Abstain From Sexual Sin (1st Thessalonians 4:3)

These passages literally say something like, "This is God's will..." Therefore, there is some solid biblical foundation here that Eggerichs can build upon. He devotes a couple of chapters for each of the "4 Wills" using one chapter to lay the biblical foundation & another to flesh out practical application & tell stories to illustrate those points. For me, there were a few too many stories, but that's just me. Other readers will likely love the numerous stories that help illustrate the author's point. 

This could be a really good resource for counseling, small groups, or for individual growth as long as those using it don't reduce the "4 Wills" to some legalistic grid for morality & instead realize they are more of a road map to living the life that God desires for us of growth in Him & impact in our relationships.

Spiritually Stunted Babies-Part 2

All of us hit the pause button from time to time in our spiritual growth, but sometimes something happens and our growth gets completely stunted. It's as if we're spiritual 2 year olds, & we definitely know how to show it. Here's the second way to spot the spiritually stunted babies:

We Still Throw Fits.

Last week I talked about the fact that little kids love routine & when that routine gets messed up, the kid usually flips. That of course leads to the fit. We've all seen them. The kid momentarily loses their mind as well as control of their body. They jump up & down or roll around uncontrollably; there's usually crying or screaming involved. It's fun, big fun, but usually if the parent can wait it out, it's over relatively quickly.

The same is true of a spiritual baby. Babies, both spiritual & physical, are still primarily focused on themselves, & both spiritual & physical babies cry & throw fits when they have a need they think is going unmet. Here's the thing: not all fits are the result of purely selfish desires. A lot of times the needs are real, but the way a person goes about expressing the need is what is selfish. That's where it takes real leadership to determine whether you're dealing with a selfish person or someone who has some growing to do & is just ACTING selfish. Those are the fits you can walk with someone through & help them grow. It's when you deal with someone who seems to be a chronic fit-thrower that you need to be really concerned. That's a sign of stunted growth, & there is more going on than the particular issue they're throwing a fit about this time.

So the next time that person throws a fit because you messed with their routine, you have to figure out whether they're being selfish at the time or if they are just plain selfish. A lot of times a little kid needs you to stop & explain things further to calm them down. Then they're good. Remember that simple practice next time somebody throws a fit.

Spiritually Stunted Babies

All Christians go through seasons where we aren't growing. It may be due to our laziness or some other sin that drags us off the path of Christ, but no matter what the cause, we've all been there. Those who deny that are lying to themselves! However, I've also noticed that our churches are filled with a lot of people who don't look like it, but they are spiritual babies. They've been Christians for a long time, but somewhere along the way their growth was stunted. They may know the language & the church culture, but in reality they're reliving the same year(s) of their faith over & over again. 

Over the next few weeks I'm going to give you handful of ways you can spot the spiritually stunted babies around you or maybe that stunted baby is the person looking back in the mirror (that's how it is for me sometimes). Here's the first way that we (church people) act like spiritually stunted babies:

We Need Our Routine.

Babies like routines. Babies need routines in order to function at their best. Try messing with a two year old's routine & see what happens (we'll talk more about that tomorrow)! But here's something I've noticed: Little kids get into routines & they expect their parents to keep them up even if the child doesn't really participate. For example, when my younger daughter was little, she learned a little prayer song & insisted that we sing it at meals & at bedtime. At first, she would sing along enthusiastically, but after a little while she didn't participate at all. But guess what? If we tried to skip the song, which was getting kind of old to her mother & me, she freaks. She has to have it done that way.

In the same way, our churches have been built on routine, & there is nothing inherently wrong with that. Routine is important, but why should a routine stay in place when it is no longer useful? But that's exactly what happens in many ministries. The routine & the status quo are guarded, even at the expense of the ministry. Routine becomes a problem when it exists for its own sake. Just as a child eventually grows out of the afternoon nap routine, there will be structures & routines in your church that you will & should outgrow.

Watch out when you start messing with the routine. Those who NEED it will freak.

Book Review: Becoming A Welcoming Church

I recently received a copy of Thom Rainer's new book: "Becoming A Welcoming Church". Dr. Rainer is the the President & CEO of Lifeway Christian Resources. In recent years, he has a produced a series of short but powerful books focusing on specific issues of church membership, church decline, & church leadership. In this new book, Rainer focuses on years of research in the area of church guest experience & follow up with those guests. In just 100 pages, he is able to identify some specific issues in how congregations minister to their guests & how to move toward a more effective ministry to newcomers in our churches.

One overarching principle in this book that most churches & church members need to come to grips with is the fact that our churches are not as friendly & welcoming as we think we are. The research shows that guests perceive our churches as friendly...if you already are a part of that church. In short, church members are welcoming to one another, but when it comes to guests, we're not as warm & friendly as we think we are.

This general lack of self-awareness should move church members & leaders to reexamine this aspect of our congregations' ministry to insure that we are as effective in our ministry as possible when it comes to welcoming & caring for the guests who worship in our church this weekend. In order to equip congregations to look in the mirror, Rainer gives not only some ideas but also resources in his book to help our churches see themselves with fresh eyes. Those resources are available in the book & on Dr. Rainer's website. Church leaders would be wise to take advantage of them.

The meat of the book tackles the particular issues of websites, signage, security, cleanliness, & greeters. Rainer gives helpful insight into how to leverage these items in a way that connects with our guests & encourages an atmosphere of authentic, gospel hospitality. One issue that I found somewhat surprising is that research shows that guests feel the most uncomfortable in the minutes prior to the worship service begins. In many places they've been warmly greeted as they arrived, but then they find a seat & are practically ignored until someone stands up & tells everyone to greet each other. Then they're "warmly" greeted again. The problem is that it all comes off as artificial. It's not enough to have a good welcome team. The whole congregation has to see themselves as the welcome team.

The book closes with a great reminder that if we want to be welcoming churches we must be going churches. Our hospitality ministry should really function as an extension of our Great Commission ministry. We reach out to people in our everyday lives. We share the Gospel with them. We share how Christ has changed our lives. We invite them to join us for worship on Sunday. Then the hospitality ministry at our church takes on a greater urgency. It's not just about making sure people get a bulletin. It's about making sure that each person that is a guest in our church feels just as welcomed as they would in our homes or by our Savior.

I would encourage every church leader to pick up copies of this for the church staff, those who serve in their church's hospitality/greeting ministry, & for the congregation in general. The insights & principles in this book need to permeate the cultures of our local congregations so that we not only becoming more welcoming churches, but that we also become more faithful going churches.

Membership Matters

It's become trendy in recent years to downplay the value of church membership. Some churches have all but done away with official membership while others have contributed to the negative connotation of membership by making it little more than filling out a card & getting your name on a list. Still other churches have tried to dodge some of the negativity by using different terminology that allows them to communicate the value of being meaningfully connected with a congregation & particularly a small group of believers while using a set of terms that don't carry quite so much baggage. There is even a movement in some churches to combat the apathy concerning church membership by raising the bar of expectation by requiring members to renew their membership every year & by actually holding members accountable for the biblical standards of what it means to be a part of a local congregation of Christ followers. The important thing for us to see here is that we shouldn't deal with the negative issues surrounding church membership by throwing the entire concept out, but instead we should lift up the biblical standard & call people to it. Membership matters. 

In fact, I would be so bold as to say you cannot fulfill New Testament instructions concerning following Christ together without it. When you read passages like Hebrews 10:19-25 or Colossians 3:12-14, you have to ask yourself, "How can I really do this apart from being meaningfully engaged with, devoted to, & invested in a community of believers who are following Christ together?" In other words, "How can I really do this without a church family that I'm responsible for & accountable to." The answer is you can't. The church needs you, & you need the church. Most of the conversations I've had over the years with people whose faith is drying up or who feel distant from God begin by recognizing that they drifted away from the people of God before they drifted away from God. As a result they've robbed themselves of other believers ministering to them, & they've robbed others of the encouragement that they might have to offer their brothers & sisters. Even more tragically, they rob the lost of the opportunity to hear the Gospel & see the Gospel at work. After all, I don't have a whole lot of interaction with people who are disconnected from their church family who are also leading a lot of people to faith in Christ. Being deeply invested in a congregation matters.

"Church Membership & Ministry Are Essential Because 

They Equip Us To Deny Self As We Submit To & Serve One Another."

Think about it. Our human nature is pretty self-centered. In addition to that, our culture reinforces that mentality. Meanwhile, Jesus tells us that to follow Him, we have to deny self. Since that goes against our own nature, it stands to reason that we might just need a training ground to help us grow in our willingness to put others ahead of ourselves. We need other disciples of Jesus who can encourage us & hold us accountable. We also need someone that we're investing in in the same way. We see this selfishness pop up when we listen to ourselves talk about why we leave churches.

"I wasn't being fed."

"I didn't like the music."

"The church didn't meet my needs."

If you'll notice most folks don't leave churches because they don't take the Gospel or the Great Commission seriously enough. They usually hop from one place to another because "their needs" aren't being met. Here's a newsflash: No church can meet your needs. Only Jesus does that. To expect a church to fill that void is to make it a false god. The church is where redeemed, imperfect people imperfectly follow Jesus together. You need it. I need it. Membership matters. Devote yourself to a local congregation. Get engaged with the people & the mission. Declare your devotion to that congregation, & invest your life in it.

Kingdom Minded Moms & Dads

We wrapped up our Family Matters message series over the last two weeks with messages focused on parenting. We began with a message for moms & looked at 1st Samuel 1. This chapter of God's redemption story begins with a woman who desperately wanted to become a mother. However, her desire for a child wasn't just about satisfying her maternal instincts. Her desire was that God would use that little life to glorify His name & further His Kingdom. In fact, in Hannah's prayer in 1st Samuel 1, we see that before she is even pregnant, she sets aside her son for God. She knows that being given a child is a gift from God, but she also understood something profound about motherhood:

"The Greatest Gift A Mother Can Give Her Child 

Is To Give Her Child To God."

Hannah surrendered her plans & hopes for her child to God's plans. She knew that, above all else, being used by God & serving His Kingdom should be her desire for her son. Sometimes as parents we let our protective instincts go off the tracks, & if we're not careful, we end up protecting our kids from God Himself. As a result, we inadvertently rob them of the only thing that matters in life. May we all pursue Hannah's example of surrender.

This past weekend we focused our message toward dads by looking at a season of King David's life that was a total train wreck. In 2nd Samuel 11 David has his scandalous fall with Bathsheba. The chapters that follow tell a tale of chaos & calamity in David's family. And it all started with David losing the battle in his heart. David should have been on the battlefield, but instead he was on the roof. The fallout from David's sin landed squarely on his family. In the end he loses three sons, & one of his daughter's has her life destroyed when her half-brother rapes her. All the while, David did nothing as his family fell apart. He had lost his moral authority & credibility on that rooftop. David's life can teach us something important as fathers:

"Our Biggest Battles Will Always Be In Our Heart & Our Home."

David probably though his slip up with Bathsheba was no big deal until it spiraled out of control...the way sin always does. The truth is that the battles we often think are big are insignificant, & the battles we think are insignificant are actually the big ones. Too many men are on the rooftop rather than on the battlefield. They're being distracted by the things of the world, & like David they're eyes are lingering a little too long. It's time for fathers to focus their attention on the battlefield for the sake of their families, for the sake of the next generation, but most importantly for the sake of the Gospel.

Moving The Immovable

Mission & vision have been big time buzz words among church leaders for years, & in recent years these concepts have trickled down into the language of church members & attenders as well. Mission & vision are the things that help us move people, & we've all heard some pretty good stories about the church being just about immovable. However, it's not just the church. All people tend to want to settle into a comfortable rut. Mission & vision are the things that we hope will create & sustain momentum. Mission & vision are the things that help an organization or ministry know who they are, where they're going, & what they're doing. However, if we're not careful they also can become idols.

When mission & vision statements & strategies & processes become the true trademark of the church, we're in danger of elevating them to a place that's unhealthy, unhelpful, & most importantly unbiblical. Too often we think that we can move our ministries & move our people with mission & vision, but in the church it can be a little more nuanced than that. We can craft incredible vision statements. We can build strategies & processes that if implemented, will undoubtedly lead us where we want to go. But when dealing with the church, there is something else that absolutely cannot be left behind or overlooked. In fact, it has to move our people, our ministries, & us as leaders more than our clever cliches about mission & vision. 

That one thing is the Gospel. When leading a church or ministry, this has to be the foundation, & you can't assume that foundation is there. To start with mission & vision without the solid & consistent backdrop of the Gospel is to put the cart before the horse. Sure, you want to reach the lost & make disciples. Yes, you have an incredible strategy to lead people into greater faith in Jesus. However, if you & those you lead are not first moved by the power of the Gospel, you will experience a powerful truth about ministry leadership.

"No Amount Of Mission & Vision Will Move A People 

Who Are Unmoved By The Gospel."

Lately I've been spending a lot of time looking at Jesus' words to the seven churches in Revelation 2 & 3. So many of them had gone off the tracks in one way or another. For some it was bad doctrine, for others it was the temptation to drift back toward religious pursuit of God rather than resting in the Gospel. In each case, Jesus calls the church to repentance. He doesn't call them to greater organizational alignment. He calls them to remember the Gospel & hold fast to it, & if they do that, they'll be confronted with their need to repent of whatever has gotten them off track. Some of these churches looked pretty good on the outside. They appeared to have it all together. However, they had drifted away from the Gospel, & the key to getting things right wasn't to remind the church of its mission & vision. First, they had to be reminded of & moved again by the life changing message of the Gospel. 

So whether you're leading a thriving, growing ministry, or planting a new church in a difficult area, or taking on a church in need of revival & revitalization, work on casting mission & vision to your congregation, build the process necessary to lead people into greater faithfulness, but first & foremost, preach the Gospel. If we lose sight of the Gospel, the mission begins to fall on deaf ears. If we've forgotten the power of the Gospel in our own life, we will not sense the urgency to experience it fresh & anew as we grow or to invite others to experience it for themselves. Before we will be moved by our mission, we must first be moved by the Gospel.

Behind Enemy Lines

In American church culture we have a doctrine that many of us hold on to. In some churches it's an unspoken doctrine, but in some it's actually a core doctrine that is lifted up as the ideal. There are different ways to state it, but it's basically this: "The safest place in the world is in the middle of God's will." In some contexts that means that if you follow God faithfully, He will bless you with all sorts of stuff because God's primary concern is making you happy. In other contexts we don't state it that way but we basically peddle a version of Christianity that makes Jesus into a cure all & will fix all your problems as long as you follow Him.

There's a lot of problems with this philosophy, but here's the biggest: it has no basis in God's Word. I'm sure the person who coined that phrase had good intentions & was probably speaking in very spiritual terms. Yes, ultimately if you're in the middle of God's will, you are safe because He will be with you & He will see you through whatever comes at you, but that's not how it's usually packaged or received. So what does Scripture tell us about being in God's will? Scripture tells us the exact opposite. Scripture reminds us over & over again that being in God's will invites opposition & can be downright dangerous. Need I run the list? Job, Joseph, Elijah, Nehemiah, David, Jesus, Peter, James, Paul, & on & on it goes. These were all men who were seeking to live a life submitted to God's will & it was anything but safe. At one point or another, every one of these guys had a reason to fear for his life. Some of them actually paid for their faithfulness with their lives. So yes, while God will be with you through the struggle & through the suffering, being in God's will is anything but safe.

"What If Being In The Middle Of God's Will
Is The Most Dangerous Place You Could Be?"

Here's why being in the middle of God's will is a dangerous place to be: we live in the middle of enemy territory. Let's face it we live every moment of our lives in a world where Satan & sin get to run pretty wild. Paul even describes Satan as the prince of this world. We don't live in a world or culture that shares our desire to honor Christ & do God's will. In fact, we live in a world that is pretty much completely opposed to Christ & His will. So why do we think being in God's will is going to be safe? If you buy into this deception that God's will is safe, you will be tempted to judge both your faithfulness & God's faithfulness solely on your circumstances & feelings, both of which are temporary. Instead we need to judge our faithfulness by what God's word says about God's people, & we need to base our view on who God is on what God has revealed to us in His word. If you think being in God's will is safe, you'll doubt God's goodness & faithfulness when hard times come, & you'll miss the blessing of knowing that God is walking with you through the hard times.

Now here's where it gets tricky. Do we really want to pursue God's will? Do we really want to live so radically devoted to Christ that it might cost us something? Do we really want to be so ridiculously faithful to Jesus that it might get us in trouble? Or do we want a faith that simply sneaks us into Heaven through the backdoor but doesn't attract any negative attention from the enemy in this world? That may be our real issue. Do we really want to be in the middle of God's will? After all, that could get complicated, that might cost us something, that might even get a little dangerous. Here's one final word for Christians. Non-Christians are not our enemy. No, instead we have a common enemy. Satan is the enemy. Sin is the enemy. Non-Christians are still simply enslaved to the same thing that once held us. Therefore, we don't attack non-Christians; we invite them to reject sin & embrace The Gospel, to embrace Jesus. We attack the enemy, & we attack the enemy with the truth about him, the truth about sin, & the love, grace, & hope of the Gospel.

It's time for the Church to rise up & recognize we live on a battleground. It's time for the church to recognize we have an enemy, & we have people we're called to rescue with the message of the Gospel. But to do that we have to embrace God's will in our lives, no matter the cost. After all, when we consider the price that Jesus paid to show His faithfulness to us, no price is too high so that we might show our faithfulness to Him.

Where Do You Draw The Line?

People are funny, & by funny, I mean strange. We all would say that we would like detailed information or instructions when making a big life decision. In fact, those of us who are Christ followers are perhaps more likely to say that. We want God to give us clear guidance, maybe even step by step instructions to follow in order to not only make a good decision but a decision that is in God's will. This is where the funny/strange part kicks in. My life & my work with other people tell me that as badly as we want detailed instructions from God, we are still prone to end up doing what we want in the end.

1st Samuel 15 gives us a painful insight into this truth about humanity. Though we would read this passage & point our fingers at King Saul, if we're honest, Saul is an empathetic character. We know what it feels like to be Saul. We've been there; we've done it. We've decided to pick & choose which part of God's word we'll follow & which parts we'll ignore or reject. We, like Saul, give reasons/excuses as to why we don't do what God has shown us in His word, but the result is the same: When we reject doing God's word, God rejects using us. We need to understand a powerful spiritual truth at play when it comes to our faith, love, & obedience to God.

"The Line Where Our Obedience To Christ Ends 

Is The Same Line Where Our Love For Christ Ends."

Jesus makes it very clear when He said, "If you love me, you'll keep my commands." What's Jesus mean here? It's pretty simple. If you love Jesus, you'll trust Jesus. If you trust Jesus, you'll obey Jesus. Simply put, your obedience to Christ & His word is a reflection of your faith in & love for Christ. This is an uncomfortable truth. We don't like to acknowledge that our love for Jesus has its limits. We somehow think we love Jesus the way He loves us: eternally & unconditionally. Well, I hate to break it to us all, but we don't love Jesus like He loves us. Wherever we choose to disobey is a place where we're choosing not to love Jesus. You see, Scripture doesn't present an emotional view of love. Instead, love is presented as an act of someone's will. Therefore, you can choose to love even when you don't feel it, which also means you can choose not to love even if you claim to "feel" it. 

Where is that line in your life? Where is the line where your love for Christ ends? We all have that place, & we owe it to ourselves to identify where that place really is. After all, we need to be aware of just how far we have left to grow, & we also need to recognize that place where we don't yet trust or love Jesus because that's exactly the place where God is going to press into us, stretch us, & challenge us to greater depths of faith & love. So where do you draw the line?

What Do You Expect?

Expectations are sort of odd. We all have them, even if we don't communicate them. Most of us have fallen victim to unspoken expectations because uncommunicated expectations almost always result in unmet expectations. There's another component to this as well. 

How many times have we seen someone, a kid perhaps, who was told over & over how stupid they were or how they didn't measure up, & lo & behold they lived a life of mediocrity: their grades were sub-par, they were in & out of trouble. Well, what did you expect would happen? If someone constantly gets the message that they're not smart enough, competent enough, or just plain good enough, they'll embrace that message & fulfill it through their life. You don't always have to come right out & say those things to someone for them to get the message. When you either explicitly or implicitly set low expectations for someone, don't be surprised when they live down to them.

The opposite is true as well. How many of us had a teacher, coach, parent, or leader in our life who called more out of us than we thought was actually in there? I've seen guys on the football field who accomplished more than what they should have because a coach set high expectations & convinced that player that they could actually rise to meet them. I've seen students who were bored or lazy excel because a teacher refused to let them stay bored or lazy. Instead he or she spoke to the potential in that student, & somewhere along the way the student bought into the idea that maybe, just maybe, they could achieve more than they thought possible. I've seen countless lives changed through the local church not just through the Gospel but through the Gospel centered leadership of men & women who refused to allow their brothers & sisters in Christ to simply fill a seat once a week or go through the motions of some ministry every once in a while. Instead they called their brothers & sisters to a greater sense of purpose, responsibility, & calling than anyone had before. The results are always the same: people rise to meet the expectations.

"Whatever You Expect Is Usually What You Get."

In the realm of leadership I've found this little principle to be true over & over again. If you set low expectations, you can expect low results. If you set expectations of mediocrity, don't be surprised when that's exactly what you get. If you expect high school students to act like fools, guess how they'll act. However, if you raise the bar, if cast a vision of excellence, most people respond by raising their output as well. They'll work harder, do more, & achieve more than they ever had before, not because they suddenly became smarter or more competent but because somebody called them to raise the bar.

As a church leader I believe there is no group in the universe whose bar should be higher than ours. In Christ, we've been called from death to life. We serve the King of all creation. We have been called to the greatest mission in history. Yet so often we set a low bar hoping to shield ourselves from risk or the possibility of disappointment. Ironically, there is nothing more disappointing than a low expectation follower of Jesus. It's time for us to expect more from ourselves as we follow Jesus. It's time for us to expect more from one another as we grow together & serve together. Considering our mission & calling has eternal ramifications, I would say it's time for us to set the bar high. After all, those we serve, lead, & reach out to deserve it, & our Savior, who we seek to honor, definitely deserves it.

How can you raise the bar for yourself? How can you raise the expectations for those you lead & serve beside? How can you speak to them & lead them in a way that calls out the greatness in them & calls them to do more & go farther than they ever have before. Whatever you expect is usually what you get, so what do you expect?

Orange 2015 Reflections

Last week I was able to take a couple of our key volunteer ministry leaders with me to attend The Orange Conference in Atlanta. If you're unfamiliar with Orange, you need to check them out at thinkorange.com. I wanted to share with you just a little from 3 days of incredible content presented by Reggie Joiner & the incredible team of leaders he assembled for this event. Here are a few quotes & some of my takeaways from the event.

-This year's theme was "It's Just A Phase...So Don't Miss It." Too often we're focused on what is to come that we miss out on what's right now, especially when it comes to kids. Slow down recognize & appreciate the opportunities that you have right now to impact a young man or woman's life.

-"You can fast forward childhood but you can't rewind it." Jon Acuff

-Remembering that every child is made in the image of God changes everything. It reminds us of the potential that's locked up in every kid & that we get to play a part in helping them discover who they could be in Christ so that in Christ all that potential is unleashed.

-"Kids are receiving mixed messages about sexuality." Jim Burns

-If we as parents & leaders don't engage kids on the issue of sex & sexuality (in a constructive, age appropriate way), culture will & by the time we think they're "ready" to talk about it, they've already formed their worldview on the topic.

-"When Nehemiah's heart was broken, he paid attention to his broken heart...So what breaks your heart?" Andy Stanley

-"Years from now what do you want people to line up to thank you for?" Andy Stanley

-"We're having to have answer questions previous generation haven't had to answer." Joshua Gagnon

-"Senior Pastors, elevate your leaders, & when they succeed, elevate them more." Brad Lomenick

-Jenni Catron is one of the smartest people I've ever heard speak. She never fails to make you think. Incredible role model for young ladies going into ministry to look to.

-"God hasn't blessed your church with success. He's blessed your church with potential." Jeff Henderson

-"Say 'yes' to your community." Jeff Henderson

-"Pastors, you need to be the voice of the people who don't come to your church but who should." Jeff Henderson

-"All 100 sheep are valuable, but there's a priority on the 1 sheep that is lost." Jud Wilhite

-"My music+my preferences+my style of service=Our church's funeral" Perry Noble

This is just the tip of the iceberg. I loaded Evernote down with notes from main sessions & breakouts. If you & your ministry team are looking for a conference that has something for everyone, Orange may be the right fit for you. For too long our ministries have been disjointed islands. Embracing an Orange strategy will help bring your ministries into alignment with one another so that they build on one another & better disciple our children so that they are prepared to face the world as an adult & as the future leaders of God's church.

The Only Change That Changes Anything

Leading always involves change. It's unavoidable. It's almost always uncomfortable. It's always necessary. Leadership by definition involves taking people or an organization where it's never been before, so change is inevitable. When leading a congregation, change is especially difficult & sometimes deceptive. It's difficult because in many settings there hasn't been meaningful change at the structural or organization level for years, decades, or maybe ever! Ironically that lack of change makes change even more necessary in order to move forward. 

Here's where the deceptive part of change comes in. It's tempting & dangerously easy for both leaders & those in the congregation to believe the lie that simply changing programs, schedules, strategies, & structures will affect lasting, meaningful change for the congregation & that all of issues the group may have endured will magically disappear. I'm sure as you're reading that you're realizing how silly it is to think that way, but deep down we've all been fooled into thinking those external changes will some how lead to drastic internal changes. I wish it were that simple, but it's far more messy & complicated than that.

"Changing Programs & Structures Doesn't Change A Church. 

Only Changed People Change A Church."

Changing programs & structures is actually a lot easier than changing people. However, changed people are far more powerful than changed programs & structures. The hope is that changing structures & programs may create a more suitable environment for people to experience the life changing power of the Gospel & the community of the Church, but that doesn't guarantee that we will actually experience it. We are incredibly skilled at resisting Jesus & His desire to transform us. Our structures & programs are important, but don't be fooled; they're no magic bullet. If they were, 75%-80% of evangelical churches wouldn't be plateaued or in decline. If changing your groups structure or worship service or meeting space did the trick, we would have stumbled onto the right trick by now. 

Instead, we need a renewed commitment to creating the right environments & structures for growth to happen while also praying desperately that God would do what only He can do in our lives & in the lives of those we serve with & lead. So if you're a leader, don't think you can program or structure life change & heart change in your congregation. You can't. You're not Jesus. That doesn't mean you shouldn't boldly lead & implement the changes that are necessary. It just means that you need to remind yourself that those changes aren't really the change we're hoping for & praying for. If you're the member of a congregation that's in the middle of some kind of transition, change, or revitalization ministry, embrace the change that comes, but don't assume that those changes are just going to "fix" everything. Instead, immerse yourself in a fresh pursuit of Christ & what it would look like to embody His life through your life. Don't just attend a Bible study; pursue meeting with Christ through that Bible study & let Him begin to change you. Don't just serve in that ministry; seek to make Christ known through your ministry to & love for those you serve. After all,  the only thing that will really change your congregation, is when you & I are changed. Changing programs & structures can't affect meaningful change, only changed people.

Filling The Room Isn't Enough

All of us in ministry want a full room. I don't know anybody who says, "I want to spend the next 5, 10, or 20 years leading an empty church." We want our churches to grow, period. However, to both Christians & Christian leaders the definition of growth is far to narrow. Even though it feels really shallow to admit it, we believe that a growing church is simply a church that fills the room.

What if we used just one new metric? What if we celebrated the fact that the crowd gathering in the room is getting bigger but also asked about another number? What if we not only looked at how many people we're able to gather but also how many people we're able to send? There are a lot of things we could measure, but I think this one thing could revolutionize our ministries & congregations. You see in Luke 15, Jesus tells three parables about lost things: a sheep, a coin, a son. In all three stories the lost thing is recovered. However, in the last story, the one about a lost son, no one actually went looking for him. Someone tracked down the lost sheep. The lady tore her house apart to find a lost coin, but nobody went looking for the lost son. Why did Jesus leave that out of the story?

You see, godliness isn't just about being well behaved & moral. If it were, the older son in that final parable wouldn't look so bad at the end. If he were really as good & righteous as he claimed to be, wouldn't he have gone looking for his lost brother to invite him to come back to the father? The father was waiting. The father was hoping, but no one went out looking for that young, rebellious boy. As Jesus looked at the spiritual landscape He saw older brothers who were moral & who thought they were pretty righteous. He also saw the ones who were far from God. They were the "sinners & tax collectors." They were "those people." However, the supposedly godly religious elite didn't reach out to those who were rebelling against God in hopes that they might repent & come back to the Father. Instead, they condemned them, marginalized them, & encouraged everybody else to as well.

Jesus however was the true older brother. He did what the older brother in the story should have done. He left the Father & at His own expense set out to find those who were lost & do whatever it might take to bring them back home. For Jesus no price was to high to rescue the lost. As followers of Jesus do we have that same mindset? Do we see that part of our growth as a Christ follower is that we would set out to seek that which was lost so that we might invite them to come home to the Father? Shouldn't that reality be a huge part of how we measure growth? Shouldn't we be looking at how we're going out into the world seeking the lost? Shouldn't we value boots on the ground as much or more than butts in the seats?

"We Should Be Just As Concerned With Filling The Field

As We Are With Filling The Room."

Jesus told His disciples that the field was ready for harvest. That wasn't the problem. The problem is that there weren't enough people willing to go into the field. Things haven't changed. The Gospel is still powerful, still life changing. People are still lost in sin & held captive by the things of this world, & the Gospel is the only thing that will set them free. The issue isn't our message. The issue is that not enough of us are in the field. There aren't enough of us filling the field of our community, our school, our workplace, or the field that extends to the ends of the earth. Filling the room is actually kind of easy, at least easier than filling the field, but it's filling the field that changes lives & give us even more to celebrate the next time we gather to fill up the room. Filling the field actually makes filling the room more meaningful. Are you out in the field or are you content with just being in the room once a week? Does your congregation value filling the field the way they value filling the room?

The Gospel Isn't An Appetizer

Most of us have a terrible problem with our faith. It's something that we all tend to drift toward if we're not really careful. In fact, Martin Luther called it our "default mode". Even 500 years ago, Luther understood that it's as if our hearts come with a factory setting that we will constantly be tempted to go back to in our relationship with God. That default mode is religion, the pursuit of a right standing with God based on our own hard work & goodness (which is just a toned down, less offensive word for self-righteousness).

So how does this work? Typically it goes something like this. Somehow we recognize our sin. We may be like the younger son in Jesus' Parable of the Lost Son, & we've rebelled & chased after all the stuff this world promises only find a bunch of broken promises. Through the Gospel, we're humbled, & we return to God repentant & looking for restoration in Jesus. Or maybe we're the older, morally upright brother. We've been working really hard to do the right thing & be a good person, but at some point the Gospel reveals the futility & emptiness that lurks at the end of that road as well. So we stop trying to slave away for God hoping to earn a place in His family, & instead we embrace that through faith in Christ we are His child. In an instant our sins are washed away, & we're justified before God through Jesus.

Then it begins to happen. And it usually doesn't take very long. We begin to drift toward the default mode of hard work, self motivated moral goodness, & religious goodness. We begin to measure our growth by how hard we try or by pointing out "those things" that others do that we don't. Starts sounding strangely like the religious, yet lost condition that some of us were rescued out of, doesn't it? In fact, for many of us it becomes so extreme that we begin to act as if our relationship with God is reliant on how good we are. Somewhere along the way we think we outgrow the Gospel. Sure, the Gospel is what saves us, but it's our hard work that keep us saved.

"It's Time For Us To Stop Viewing Our Justification As An Extension 

Of Our Sanctification & Start Viewing Our Sanctification 

As An Extension Of Our Justification."

What do I mean by that? Well answer this question? What saved you? Your hard work or the power of the Gospel? Well if the Gospel is the only thing that saved you & brought you into the family of God, why would you think that all of a sudden you can grow & become more like Christ in your own strength & goodness. Instead of outgrowing the Gospel, we need to be camp out in the Gospel. If you're trying to become more generous, it doesn't happen by just trying hard or by beating yourself up for being greedy. You & I become more generous by constantly meditating on the Gospel that reminds us of the generosity of God revealed in Jesus. When we walk with a constant awareness of how sacrificially generous Jesus was on our behalf, becoming more generous with something as trivial as our stuff will start to become second nature. The same is true in our marriages. We don't become better husbands or wives by working harder. We grow by constantly reflecting on the incredible love of Christ toward us & His submission to the Father's will. As we see the lengths Jesus was willing to go to for us, we'll become more loving toward one another & sensitive to each other's needs.

The Gospel isn't the appetizer to your relationship with God. It's not something that gets you started. It's the appetizer, soup, main course, & dessert! Tim Keller says it this way, "The Gospel then isn't the ABCs of the Christian faith. It's the A to Z of the faith." If you think you've grown to the point of moving on from the crucified & resurrected Jesus, then you might want to think about what exactly it is that you are growing. So stop snacking on the Gospel, & feast on the glorious depth & riches that it holds for us as we not only come into the family of God but as we grow as His children.

Purpose In The Pain

Everybody is going to face seasons of darkness & pain. It's one of the unpleasant & inevitable truths of life & of faith. When we receive that phone call, get that diagnosis, or experience that loss, it's easy for us to begin to question God, His goodness, & His will. After all, since we're His people shouldn't we escape at least some of this junk? The flip side of that question is that perhaps we have escaped some of that pain, but we will likely never realize how He has protected us. We only recognize the times when He allows the pain, & if we're not careful it can throw us into a tailspin.

The truth is that when we go through these seasons of pain & darkness, it's another opportunity to grow in our faith & trust in Christ. It may not be an easy opportunity, & even when we get through it & look back, we won't want to have to endure it again, but there's a good chance we'll see that God taught us something & grown our faith in Him through that trial or pain.

You see we serve a God who is a redeemer. That's not a word we use much anymore & when we do we don't bring out the depth of meaning in it. Our Heavenly Father is a redeemer. In Christ, He takes sinners & turns them into saints. He takes treacherous rebels & adopts them as sons & daughters. He takes death & turns it into life. And as a redeemer, he doesn't just redeem our souls from Hell; He redeems our entire existence. He redeems our pain for our ultimate good & His glory.

When you dig into the famous story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead in John 11, you're struck by the fact that Jesus was apparently more than willing to allow something tragic & terrible to come into the life of that family so that on the other side, they might have greater faith in Him. And even though our seasons of pain may not have the happy ending that Lazarus' did, the fact remains that Jesus wants to use it to stretch our faith & trust in Him. All along the way He's asking, "Do you believe me? Do you trust me?" As we stay in step with Him, He may rescue us from the darkness or simply walk with us through to the other side, but one thing is sure, He'll change us in the process. Tim Keller says, "Christ didn't suffer so that you wouldn't suffer, but so that when you suffer, you become more like Him." 

And the truth is these seasons of pain don't just affect us. People are watching how we handle it when things fall apart, especially if we claim to follow Jesus. When Lazarus' family balanced the tension between faith & disappointment, the result wasn't just that their faith grew. Scripture tells us that the people who witnessed the whole thing became believers in Christ. 

"God Wants To Use Our Circumstances 

To Deepen Our Faith & To Ignite Faith In Others."

What if this season of life right now that's got you beaten down or discouraged is an opportunity for you to trust Jesus even more? After all, isn't that when your test in anyone or anything is tested & strengthened? In fact isn't that when faith is actually revealed? What if how you walk through this season that God's allowed into your life isn't just about you or your faith? What if God's purpose in the pain is to redeem it so that you might trust Him more so that someone sees His power in your life, & in turn, they put their faith in Jesus, changing their eternity.

Not Just What, But What To Do

I remember the first time I heard the Bible taught in a way that I not only understood what God's word said, but I also know what to do with what God's word said. I was at a BigStuf Conference at Union University, & this skinny youth pastor from First Baptist Church in Atlanta walked on stage. From the moment he began sharing from God's word I was drawn in & hooked. He happened to be teaching on sex & purity so he had every teenage boy's attention for a little longer than he might normally, but the hook was set. And he didn't set the hook with something flashy; he set the hook with the truth from God's word. I remember one phrase to this day, "Purity paves the way to intimacy." The point he was making we don't abstain from sexual sin simply out of fear or religious duty. Instead we pursue purity because it leads us to the thing that sexual sin promises but never can deliver: real intimacy, an authentic relationship with someone else that is unlike any other.

Well, that youth pastor was a guy you probably have heard of. His name is Andy Stanley, & those messages that night at the conference are a sort of spiritual mile marker for me. It showed me God's word could be understood & acted upon. It wasn't just another subject to memorize like math equations or historical dates. That practical biblical teaching stirred a hunger in me for God's word that I had never had. Thankfully, I also had a new youth pastor at our church who taught in the same way. He didn't just teach us the Bible; he taught us what to do with the Bible. 

As I've grown up, gone into ministry myself, & taught God's word more times than I can count I've learned an irrefutable truth:

"Application, Not Information, Leads To Transformation."

This truth explains so many of our experiences. It explains why we know people who've only been in church a few months who seem to be growing at warp speed & why we know people who've been in church for decades who still seem to be cold & detached from God & His will. It's because it doesn't matter how often you go to church or how many sermons you hear. It's about what you do with what you hear in those sermons. If you put God's word into practice, it transforms you. If you simply store it away in your memory banks, you will never experience Christ-like transformation. 

That means that guys like me have a huge responsibility. We have to make sure that our teaching is not only biblical but that it's also practical. Biblical teaching & preaching teaches us the Bible, but practical biblical teaching & preaching teaches us the Bible & what to do with the Bible. It asks hard questions. It forces us to wrestle with God's truth & whether it's being trusted in the way we live our lives. Practical biblical teaching removes the excuses of "I don't understand it," or "It's boring" & instead makes the issue a trust issue, a faith issue. It's at that point that our faith can be stretched & therefore strengthened as we surrender new parts of our lives to Christ as we're challenged by His will as revealed in His word. That's why it's so crucial that we not simply teach what God's word says but also help each other understand what to do with it.