Lifeway asked me to write a book review for their Let’s Worship magazine. I’m sharing it with LeaderLines readers. Stop by our church library to check out a copy of the book.
Tom
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“All I know is that someone stole my church and I’d like to get it back.”
That was the frustrated outburst of Yvonne Padula, a fictional character in Gordon MacDonald’s newest book, Who Stole My Church? What to Do When the Church You Love Tries to Enter the 21st Century (released in January 2008).
Anyone who has tried to introduce change in an established church--and anyone who has struggled to accept such changes--will identify with MacDonald’s insights. Drawing on forty years of pastoral experience, MacDonald said he wanted to help longtime church members understand “why many things about the way we have made church work must change and reflect new realities.” Conversely, he also hopes that younger generations of church leaders can be more sensitive to the resistance that their changes bring.
The book was written as a narrative instead of a “how to” manual. MacDonald created an imaginary church in New England and populated it with fictional characters from the “Builder” and “Boomer” generations who became frustrated over the changes that younger leaders made to their church. MacDonald imagines what he would do as their pastor to help them navigate the changes. Most of the book’s chapters describe the weekly meetings that the pastor set up with his frustrated church members, and the topics they covered in those meetings.
Those who struggle with changes in their church will benefit from “overhearing” the conversations in these meetings. MacDonald introduced his fictional church members to transitions in church music, characteristics of younger generations, and adaptations required for evangelizing, among other subjects.
At the same time, those who introduce changes to their church will benefit from the book as well. In his story, MacDonald demonstrates a pastoral quality that is too often disregarded by church leaders in the midst of change. Either from insensitivity or defensiveness to the criticisms against our changes, we aren’t always willing to listen, be patient, and walk with those who struggle. MacDonald imagines himself tolerantly listening to the complaints of the fictional characters resistant to the changes, and he provides them with training to help them gain a fresh perspective on the issues.
Despite the pastoral investment and the group’s slow adoption of the changes, not every character gets on board. One man eventually leaves with a dramatic flair of hostility that, sadly, most pastors will recognize. Most of the characters in the book, however, eventually work through the process of change and gain a new appreciation for their church.
Discussion questions are included in the book for those who may want to take a group through the same process of discovery as MacDonald and his fictional church.
________________________________
Each Thursday I post my article from "LeaderLines," an e-newsletter for church leaders read by over 300 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "LeaderLines," sign up here.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Winning Ways: “What If God Responds?”
If you consider yourself a seeker after God, you should seriously consider if you’re ready to meet the God you say you want to know.
I remember an experience on a fishing trip from many years ago. I must have been only 9 or 10 when it happened, but I still re-member how weak my knees got and how hard my heart pounded.
My uncle had baited my line and dropped it over the railing of a walkway that ran along a Gulf coast causeway in Pensacola, Florida. The bridge had been decommissioned for anything but foot traffic, and it was a rickety old thing. The wooden planks were weather-beaten and rough under my bare feet, and the whole contraption shuddered with every footfall. My uncle had walked ahead of me, trolling his line over the handrail as he went. Soon he was a hundred yards away, and it was quiet enough to hear the rhythmic slapping of the seawater upon the pylons twenty feet below.
Little boys love to “go fishing” but they can quickly get bored without any action on the line. I had fallen into that bored state, dully letting my bait sway upon the surface of the rolling swells.
Suddenly, a huge fish emerged from the murky waters and shot toward my line. Fearing that such a magnificent fish would pull me off that old wooden walkway and into the wild, deep sea far below, I panicked and yanked my line out of the water. The fish disappeared into the deep as quickly as it had appeared, and I was left alone again with unsteady legs and a thumping heart.
While many of the people I’ve talked to are on a sincere spiritual search, others merely “troll” for God. They have no anticipation of finding what they say they’re searching for. If God’s presence actually welled up from out of the mysterious deep, they would abandon their search for fear of being pulled away and overwhelmed.
In your spiritual search, it’s important to settle the question of what kind of “fisherman” you are. What will you do when what you’ve been searching for actually responds?
Tom
P.S. Thank you for you kind comments about last Sunday’s message, “The Church of Oprah.” If you missed it or want to review it, you can pick up a CD this Sunday or listen online at www.HillcrestAustin.org/sermons.
I remember an experience on a fishing trip from many years ago. I must have been only 9 or 10 when it happened, but I still re-member how weak my knees got and how hard my heart pounded.
My uncle had baited my line and dropped it over the railing of a walkway that ran along a Gulf coast causeway in Pensacola, Florida. The bridge had been decommissioned for anything but foot traffic, and it was a rickety old thing. The wooden planks were weather-beaten and rough under my bare feet, and the whole contraption shuddered with every footfall. My uncle had walked ahead of me, trolling his line over the handrail as he went. Soon he was a hundred yards away, and it was quiet enough to hear the rhythmic slapping of the seawater upon the pylons twenty feet below.
Little boys love to “go fishing” but they can quickly get bored without any action on the line. I had fallen into that bored state, dully letting my bait sway upon the surface of the rolling swells.
Suddenly, a huge fish emerged from the murky waters and shot toward my line. Fearing that such a magnificent fish would pull me off that old wooden walkway and into the wild, deep sea far below, I panicked and yanked my line out of the water. The fish disappeared into the deep as quickly as it had appeared, and I was left alone again with unsteady legs and a thumping heart.
While many of the people I’ve talked to are on a sincere spiritual search, others merely “troll” for God. They have no anticipation of finding what they say they’re searching for. If God’s presence actually welled up from out of the mysterious deep, they would abandon their search for fear of being pulled away and overwhelmed.
In your spiritual search, it’s important to settle the question of what kind of “fisherman” you are. What will you do when what you’ve been searching for actually responds?
Tom
P.S. Thank you for you kind comments about last Sunday’s message, “The Church of Oprah.” If you missed it or want to review it, you can pick up a CD this Sunday or listen online at www.HillcrestAustin.org/sermons.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Links to Your World, Tuesday June 24
Will advocates of gay rights stop at demanding that homosexual unions be recognized by the State, or will they demand that private citizens and religious organizations be punished for failing to get on board, too? NPR presented an important piece on this last week. Chilling stuff. Maggie Gallagher and Marc Stern also provided some interesting comments on the concern.
William Saletan of Slate predicts that parents will soon have a chance to abort based on tests that predict homosexual orientation much like parents who now abort based on gender selection. Now that will become an interesting cultural clash among liberals: Will prochoice forces soon meet one choice they will prohibit?
A Spanking Might Beat Ritalin.
“Promises of chastity don't seem to sway the screaming girl-fans, of course, it just makes them scream harder because boys-who-wait seem even dreamier than boys-who-don't, from the look of things for the Jonas brothers.” (story)
Eric Gorsky of the Washington Times reports on young leaders in Southern Baptist Convention churches.
“Plants have a secret social life.”
If you need a ransom note for your upcoming kidnapping, someone created a free online Ransom Note Generator just for you.
Hilarious headlines, ads, and classifieds.
Here's a 7-1/2 minute interview with Adrian Warnock and Ed Stetzer. Ed says there are two different camps in the evangelical world today: the 'theologically minded' and the 'evangelistically effective'. Many see these streams as mutually exclusive. But according to Ed, 'he wants it all'. Good stuff, as usual with Stetzer:
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Epbis3kugW8
William Saletan of Slate predicts that parents will soon have a chance to abort based on tests that predict homosexual orientation much like parents who now abort based on gender selection. Now that will become an interesting cultural clash among liberals: Will prochoice forces soon meet one choice they will prohibit?
A Spanking Might Beat Ritalin.
“Promises of chastity don't seem to sway the screaming girl-fans, of course, it just makes them scream harder because boys-who-wait seem even dreamier than boys-who-don't, from the look of things for the Jonas brothers.” (story)
Eric Gorsky of the Washington Times reports on young leaders in Southern Baptist Convention churches.
“Plants have a secret social life.”
If you need a ransom note for your upcoming kidnapping, someone created a free online Ransom Note Generator just for you.
Hilarious headlines, ads, and classifieds.
Here's a 7-1/2 minute interview with Adrian Warnock and Ed Stetzer. Ed says there are two different camps in the evangelical world today: the 'theologically minded' and the 'evangelistically effective'. Many see these streams as mutually exclusive. But according to Ed, 'he wants it all'. Good stuff, as usual with Stetzer:
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Epbis3kugW8
Thursday, June 19, 2008
LeaderLines: “When Leaders Pray, Week Eight”
Today we’ll wrap up an eight-week series in LeaderLines. We’ve been going through some of the prayers the Apostle Paul expressed for his people in his letters. These prayers can serve as a valuable guide in your own prayers.
But in Ephesians 6:19-20, the man who prayed for others asked others to pray for him:
Ephesians 6 isn’t the only place he asked for Christians to pray for him:
There was something about intercessory prayer that actually created a partnership between Paul and the person who prayed for Paul. It’s true between you and me, too: You may not know the details of my work, and I may not know that you are even praying for me. But in the spiritual world there is a partnership between your prayers and my work.
What should you pray for when you pray for me? For my physical health? Yes, but there is something more important than that. For faith and emotional strength and the ability to fight back the demons of depression? Yes. For financial discipline? Yes. For moral purity? Yes, that too. For the stability of my home and the commitment to be a good husband and father? Yes, but there is something even more important than that. Paul said to his people: “Pray for me that words will be given to me and that boldness will be given to me.” I need those same things: I need God to give me the words and the courage to say exactly what God wants me to say.
First, he wanted words. He wanted to say exactly what God wanted him to say. The NASB and KJV translates it “utterance”—“Pray that I may be given utterance.” That’s an old-fashioned word that we don’t use much today, but it just might be the best way to help us understand what Paul was getting at. He had in mind more than just words--he wanted God to give him divine words. He wanted God to give him words that would convict and convince. He wanted otherworldly conversation. He wanted “utterance.”
So, when you pray for me, pray that words from God’s Word will be given to me. Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 2:15, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”
Notice what he calls a person whose job is to correctly handle the word of truth. He calls that person a workman, a laborer, a hired hand, blue-collar worker, an ordinary grunt. Far from taking a pastor’s time in the Word and shoving it off into whatever spare time a pastor has left after the “real” work of ministry is done, Paul said, “Timothy, here is the real grunt work of ministry, here is where you should labor until you’re wiping grit and sweat from your brow like a plowboy: Timothy, do your best to be a workman who correctly handles the word of truth.”
I’ve spent time as a grunt on construction crews, and I’ve stocked warehouse shelves, and I’ve operated forklifts, and I’ve drawn pay as a plumber. But I can tell you that nothing exhausts the body and mind like extended study in God’s Word. You need to pray that I be given time to listen to no other voices but the voice of God as he speaks through the Scripture.
So pray that I might have the time to be a workman who correctly handles the word of truth. And pray that the time I spend with God’s Book will he productive times. Pray that during those times of study God will feed me and shape me and enliven me so that when I speak on Sundays or counsel in my office or offer leadership on the direction of this church--when I open my mouth to speak, it will be exactly what God wants me to say.
Second, he wanted courage. Paul wanted the Ephesian Christians to pray not only that God would give Paul the words to speak but also that God would give Paul the courage to speak those words.
His concern for courage was so much on his mind, he mentions it twice--once in verse 19 and immediately again in verse 20. In verse 19 he says, “Pray . . . that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel.” Then in verse 20 the thought comes to his mind again: “Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.”
It’s hard to imagine Paul worried that he might lose courage in sharing the gospel, isn’t it? But anyone who seriously considers what is at stake has this concern. Chuck Colson wrote:
So, when you pray for your pastor, pray that he be given words and courage.
Several years ago, college football coach Bill McCartney began the phenomenal men’s movement called Promise Keepers. As a result, hundreds of thousands of Christian men pledged to keep seven vital promises, one of them being to honor and pray for their pastor. Pastors experienced powerful personal revival because Promise Keepers reminded Christian men to honor and pray for their pastors.
In a 1993 conference, Coach McCartney said to the men: “I see us going home to our churches and asking our pastors for permission, praying fervently for the favor of God, to stand before the congregation and say, ‘We’re going to start to lift up our pastor. We are going to stand in the gap for our preacher. We’re going to pray around the clock! We’re going to build this man up. We’re going to take him where he has never been before!’”
All around this nation churches were different when hundreds of thousands of men took up the coach’s challenge and prayed. Ephesians 6:19-20stands as instruction for every Christian, not just Promise Keepers. Like Paul asked his people, I ask you: “Pray for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel.”
_________________________
Each Thursday I post my article from "LeaderLines," an e-newsletter for church leaders read by over 300 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "LeaderLines," sign up here.
But in Ephesians 6:19-20, the man who prayed for others asked others to pray for him:
Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.Just a sentence earlier he had written, “Always keep on praying for all the saints.” Now he says, “Pray also for me.” He seems to be saying that every Christian needs to be on someone’s prayer list, but every prayer list ought to include someone’s pastor.
Ephesians 6 isn’t the only place he asked for Christians to pray for him:
In 2 Thessalonians 3:1-2 he writes, “Finally, brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you.”In fact, he even regarded the prayers of others as a sort of partnership with him. He writes in Romans 15:30, “I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.”
In Colossians 4:3-4, he writes almost the same thing that he writes in Ephesians 6: “And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.”
In 1 Thessalonians 5:25 he says simply, “Brothers, pray for us.”
There was something about intercessory prayer that actually created a partnership between Paul and the person who prayed for Paul. It’s true between you and me, too: You may not know the details of my work, and I may not know that you are even praying for me. But in the spiritual world there is a partnership between your prayers and my work.
What should you pray for when you pray for me? For my physical health? Yes, but there is something more important than that. For faith and emotional strength and the ability to fight back the demons of depression? Yes. For financial discipline? Yes. For moral purity? Yes, that too. For the stability of my home and the commitment to be a good husband and father? Yes, but there is something even more important than that. Paul said to his people: “Pray for me that words will be given to me and that boldness will be given to me.” I need those same things: I need God to give me the words and the courage to say exactly what God wants me to say.
First, he wanted words. He wanted to say exactly what God wanted him to say. The NASB and KJV translates it “utterance”—“Pray that I may be given utterance.” That’s an old-fashioned word that we don’t use much today, but it just might be the best way to help us understand what Paul was getting at. He had in mind more than just words--he wanted God to give him divine words. He wanted God to give him words that would convict and convince. He wanted otherworldly conversation. He wanted “utterance.”
So, when you pray for me, pray that words from God’s Word will be given to me. Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 2:15, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”
Notice what he calls a person whose job is to correctly handle the word of truth. He calls that person a workman, a laborer, a hired hand, blue-collar worker, an ordinary grunt. Far from taking a pastor’s time in the Word and shoving it off into whatever spare time a pastor has left after the “real” work of ministry is done, Paul said, “Timothy, here is the real grunt work of ministry, here is where you should labor until you’re wiping grit and sweat from your brow like a plowboy: Timothy, do your best to be a workman who correctly handles the word of truth.”
I’ve spent time as a grunt on construction crews, and I’ve stocked warehouse shelves, and I’ve operated forklifts, and I’ve drawn pay as a plumber. But I can tell you that nothing exhausts the body and mind like extended study in God’s Word. You need to pray that I be given time to listen to no other voices but the voice of God as he speaks through the Scripture.
So pray that I might have the time to be a workman who correctly handles the word of truth. And pray that the time I spend with God’s Book will he productive times. Pray that during those times of study God will feed me and shape me and enliven me so that when I speak on Sundays or counsel in my office or offer leadership on the direction of this church--when I open my mouth to speak, it will be exactly what God wants me to say.
Second, he wanted courage. Paul wanted the Ephesian Christians to pray not only that God would give Paul the words to speak but also that God would give Paul the courage to speak those words.
His concern for courage was so much on his mind, he mentions it twice--once in verse 19 and immediately again in verse 20. In verse 19 he says, “Pray . . . that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel.” Then in verse 20 the thought comes to his mind again: “Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.”
It’s hard to imagine Paul worried that he might lose courage in sharing the gospel, isn’t it? But anyone who seriously considers what is at stake has this concern. Chuck Colson wrote:
When I was a Marine lieutenant, I was conscious that I had fifty lives in my hands. I didn’t dare show it, but I was frightened. A 747 pilot knows that he is responsible for three hundred or more lives. But can there be anything more terrifying than to know that you are actually speaking for God—the holy, majestic ‘I Am’? Can there be any greater responsibility than to shepherd the church of God which Jesus purchased with His own blood? Even with the anointing of the Holy Spirit, the charge is terrifying, considering our own frailty.Pray that I will be given boldness to say exactly what God wants me to say—in the pulpit, one-on-one, and as I lead this church.
So, when you pray for your pastor, pray that he be given words and courage.
Several years ago, college football coach Bill McCartney began the phenomenal men’s movement called Promise Keepers. As a result, hundreds of thousands of Christian men pledged to keep seven vital promises, one of them being to honor and pray for their pastor. Pastors experienced powerful personal revival because Promise Keepers reminded Christian men to honor and pray for their pastors.
In a 1993 conference, Coach McCartney said to the men: “I see us going home to our churches and asking our pastors for permission, praying fervently for the favor of God, to stand before the congregation and say, ‘We’re going to start to lift up our pastor. We are going to stand in the gap for our preacher. We’re going to pray around the clock! We’re going to build this man up. We’re going to take him where he has never been before!’”
All around this nation churches were different when hundreds of thousands of men took up the coach’s challenge and prayed. Ephesians 6:19-20stands as instruction for every Christian, not just Promise Keepers. Like Paul asked his people, I ask you: “Pray for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel.”
_________________________
Each Thursday I post my article from "LeaderLines," an e-newsletter for church leaders read by over 300 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "LeaderLines," sign up here.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Winning Ways: “The Church of Oprah”
"It's the best summer school class you'll ever take!”
That’s the banner on Oprah.com, promoting an online class with Oprah Winfrey discussing the new book A New Earth with author the author, Eckhart Tolle. A new semester began last Sunday night.
At Hillcrest this Sunday, June 22, we’ll examine what they’re learning.
The more research I do for this message, the more impressed I get with Oprah. She’s generous, informative, and inspiring. One of her associates referred to Oprah as “a serial sharer,” and she’s shared her life with millions each afternoon. Her childhood abuse, her favorite purchases, her struggles against weight gain, her charitable causes, and even her spiritual search have become topics for her shows.
But when it comes to her spiritual search, she has chosen the wrong guides to help her. Most recently she’s been attracted to the esoteric lessons of Eckhart Tolle, a writer who presents New Age concepts in Christian language. Even the title of his latest book--“A New Earth”--comes from a verse in the Revelation, the last book of the New Testament. When she picked his book for her popular “Oprah’s Book Club” in January, she exclaimed, “I think this can change the world!”
After her recommendation, sales of his book skyrocketed to 4 million in a matter of weeks. Then, when she announced that she and Tolle would join together to lead an online seminar through the book in March, half a million people from 139 countries tried to log on the first night, shutting down the server. Two million people experienced the first 10-week semester and, as I said, a new semester began last Sunday evening.
"There is the Church of Oprah now," her longtime friend said to Newsweek with a laugh. "She has her own following."
The Bible can help us evaluate the concepts that Tolle has introduced to Oprah and, through her influence, to millions of others. Our lesson on June 22 will help you develop discernment.
Join us this Sunday at 9:30am or 10:45am!
___________________________________________
Each Wednesday I post my article from "Winning Ways," an e-newsletter that goes out to over 900 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "Winning Ways," sign up here.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Links to Your World, Tuesday June17
You MUST read or watch the Commencement Address of J.K. Rowling, author of the best-selling Harry Potter book series. It’s called “The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination.” Read it or watch it here.
Bored with ironing? Here are some ways to make it more exciting.
“I was talking to a friend today who used to work in the marketplace but now works at a church. She was challenged by the transition. It struck me that for many folks, their jobs are stress-producers, but the church is a stress-reliever. So they think to themselves, "If I could just work at a church, I'd get rid of my stress-producer and be forever at my stress-reliever!" What happens, of course, is that the church (when it is a job) becomes their stress-producer. Not only that, they've lost their old stress-reliever, since even when they come to church on Sunday they're coming to the job site.” (John Ortberg)
Calvin’s dad (of Calvin and Hobbes) always had great advice for his son. Read some of his sage comments here.
Last week I commented about articles showing that America is becoming the last Western nation to defend free speech. The New York Times’ Adam Liptak examines the issue here.
“The country’s moral guardians are forever looking for decadence out of Hollywood and reality TV. But the most rampant decadence today is financial decadence, the trampling of decent norms about how to use and harness money.” Read David Brooks concerns that America is losing sight of the moral dimension of money, especially in our runaway indebtedness.
Five Reasons Muslims Convert to Christianity
Read about the “100 Thing Challenge.” What would you keep if you decided to whittle down your possessions to just 100 things?
I’m reading more and more articles like the two following. These articles have something to say about reaching our church’s surrounding neighborhoods, and how the future is city-center, not suburban: “Is America's suburban dream collapsing into a nightmare?” (CNN); “Suburbs a Mile Too Far for Some” (WSJ).
Anxious? Larry Crabb says, “Go deeper.” “Beneath everyday nervousness; most panic attacks and phobias; worries about health, money, and children; and anxiety disorders lies a core terror, a consuming fear that lives in secrecy. Until it is brought into the light of consciousness where the reality of God can strip its power, that core terror will continue to reign as a hidden tyrant.” (article)
Bored with ironing? Here are some ways to make it more exciting.
“I was talking to a friend today who used to work in the marketplace but now works at a church. She was challenged by the transition. It struck me that for many folks, their jobs are stress-producers, but the church is a stress-reliever. So they think to themselves, "If I could just work at a church, I'd get rid of my stress-producer and be forever at my stress-reliever!" What happens, of course, is that the church (when it is a job) becomes their stress-producer. Not only that, they've lost their old stress-reliever, since even when they come to church on Sunday they're coming to the job site.” (John Ortberg)
Calvin’s dad (of Calvin and Hobbes) always had great advice for his son. Read some of his sage comments here.
Last week I commented about articles showing that America is becoming the last Western nation to defend free speech. The New York Times’ Adam Liptak examines the issue here.
“The country’s moral guardians are forever looking for decadence out of Hollywood and reality TV. But the most rampant decadence today is financial decadence, the trampling of decent norms about how to use and harness money.” Read David Brooks concerns that America is losing sight of the moral dimension of money, especially in our runaway indebtedness.
Five Reasons Muslims Convert to Christianity
Read about the “100 Thing Challenge.” What would you keep if you decided to whittle down your possessions to just 100 things?
I’m reading more and more articles like the two following. These articles have something to say about reaching our church’s surrounding neighborhoods, and how the future is city-center, not suburban: “Is America's suburban dream collapsing into a nightmare?” (CNN); “Suburbs a Mile Too Far for Some” (WSJ).
Anxious? Larry Crabb says, “Go deeper.” “Beneath everyday nervousness; most panic attacks and phobias; worries about health, money, and children; and anxiety disorders lies a core terror, a consuming fear that lives in secrecy. Until it is brought into the light of consciousness where the reality of God can strip its power, that core terror will continue to reign as a hidden tyrant.” (article)
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Thursday, June 12, 2008
LeaderLines: “When Leaders Pray, Week Seven”
We’re taking a few weeks in LeaderLines to go through some of the prayers the Apostle Paul expressed for his people in his letters. These prayers can serve as a valuable guide in your own prayers. The prayer recorded in Ephesians 3:14-21 is so rich that I’ve meditated over it for four weeks in my LeaderLines articles—
Posture: When you pray for other believers, you must kneel with the shamelessness of a beggar. We looked at this in detail three weeks ago.
Petitions: When you pray for other believers, ask that they might experience God’s power and God’s love. Two weeks ago we looked at Paul’s prayer for power, and last week we looked his prayer for love.
Praise: When you pray for other believers, know that you are bringing your requests to a great God! In verses 20-21, Paul concluded his prayer in this way:
This word demolishes most of our prayers! Most of us calculate the risks, assess the data, consult the experts, determine the probabilities and then formulate a request that we feel is practical enough to lift up to God. When we look at Paul’s robust confidence in God, J.B. Phillips was right: our God is too small!
I challenge you to voice this prayer on behalf of a beloved believer today. Below, I’ve provided a blank wherever “you” shows up in the text. Replace the blanks below with the name of the person and then forward this e-mail to him or her:
________________________________________
Each Thursday I post my article from "LeaderLines," an e-newsletter for church leaders read by over 300 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "LeaderLines," sign up here.
I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.If you want to learn how to pray for other believers, this beautiful heartcry gives us training in the right posture, the fitting petitions, and the worthy praise of intercessory prayer.
Posture: When you pray for other believers, you must kneel with the shamelessness of a beggar. We looked at this in detail three weeks ago.
Petitions: When you pray for other believers, ask that they might experience God’s power and God’s love. Two weeks ago we looked at Paul’s prayer for power, and last week we looked his prayer for love.
Praise: When you pray for other believers, know that you are bringing your requests to a great God! In verses 20-21, Paul concluded his prayer in this way:
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.Notice that the God to whom you pray is a God who can do immeasurably more than all we ask for even imagine asking. The Greek word we translate “immeasurably more” is huperekperissou. It’s a lively combination of four words: huper means “above,” ek means “out of,” and peri means “around.” So Paul is saying that God is able to do “above, out of, and around” all things which we ask or even think to ask.
This word demolishes most of our prayers! Most of us calculate the risks, assess the data, consult the experts, determine the probabilities and then formulate a request that we feel is practical enough to lift up to God. When we look at Paul’s robust confidence in God, J.B. Phillips was right: our God is too small!
I challenge you to voice this prayer on behalf of a beloved believer today. Below, I’ve provided a blank wherever “you” shows up in the text. Replace the blanks below with the name of the person and then forward this e-mail to him or her:
I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen ________ with power through his Spirit in ________’s inner being, so that Christ may dwell in ________’s heart through faith. And I pray that ________, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that ________ may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.God’s richest blessings on your prayer life!
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Each Thursday I post my article from "LeaderLines," an e-newsletter for church leaders read by over 300 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "LeaderLines," sign up here.
Prophecy Bomb
Dang. I thought I wouldn't have to write my LeaderLines article today because Yisrayl Hawkins said nuclear war would begin today. He's the House of Yahweh church leader in Abilene, Texas who has instructed his followers to set aside 60 truck trailers full of survival rations. Considering that we're all still here, guess I'm gonna have to finish that article after all. Will post LeaderLines in a bit. YouTube:
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Winning Ways: “A Parent’s Lesson Plan”
What are the most common things parents say to their children?
Two family-life specialists surveyed hundreds of children and published the top three comments. Delmar Holbrook and his wife reported that the three most-said things were:
We squander too many opportunities to teach our kids, but this Sunday we can recommit to that sacred task. This Father’s Day, June 15, I’m going to talk about the “lesson plan” we must follow as parents. Just as school teachers follow lesson plans to ensure that our kids get the curriculum they need to learn, parents have a lesson plan, too. In Proverbs 4:20-27, the wise father guides his son to . . .
Also, spread the word about our special study the following Sunday, June 22. It’s called “The Church of Oprah,” and we’ll conduct a biblical critique of Oprah Winfrey’s spiritual search.
The more research I do for this message, the more impressed I get with Oprah. She’s generous, informative, and inspiring. She’s honest about her frailties, from her childhood abuse to her struggles against weight gain to her spiritual search.
But she has chosen the wrong guides to help her on her spiritual search, most recently Eckhart Tolle. And, since she is incredibly influential, millions of women are getting the same bad advice.
The Bible can help us evaluate Tolle’s teaching. Our lesson on June 22 will help you develop discernment.
Join us this Sunday and the next at 9:30am or 10:45am!
___________________________________________
Each Wednesday I post my article from "Winning Ways," an e-newsletter that goes out to over 900 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "Winning Ways," sign up here.
Two family-life specialists surveyed hundreds of children and published the top three comments. Delmar Holbrook and his wife reported that the three most-said things were:
“I’m too tired.”We can’t let those become our most memorable phrases when our kids think of what we’ve said to them! God has given us parents the responsibility to mold our kids into God-honoring adults—and we’ve only got about two decades to get the job done. As one writer said, the finger marks on the hallway wall get higher and higher and then, suddenly, they disappear.
“We don’t have enough money.”
“Keep quiet.”
We squander too many opportunities to teach our kids, but this Sunday we can recommit to that sacred task. This Father’s Day, June 15, I’m going to talk about the “lesson plan” we must follow as parents. Just as school teachers follow lesson plans to ensure that our kids get the curriculum they need to learn, parents have a lesson plan, too. In Proverbs 4:20-27, the wise father guides his son to . . .
. . . guard his heart from corruptionJoin us this Sunday and recommit to teaching this “lesson plan” to your kids. If you don’t have kids, or your kids are all raised and gone, come to prayerfully support the parents who will be sitting around you!
. . . discipline his mouth from irresponsible words
. . . fix his eyes on worthy goals, and
. . . set his feet on roads that won’t disappoint.
Also, spread the word about our special study the following Sunday, June 22. It’s called “The Church of Oprah,” and we’ll conduct a biblical critique of Oprah Winfrey’s spiritual search.
The more research I do for this message, the more impressed I get with Oprah. She’s generous, informative, and inspiring. She’s honest about her frailties, from her childhood abuse to her struggles against weight gain to her spiritual search.
But she has chosen the wrong guides to help her on her spiritual search, most recently Eckhart Tolle. And, since she is incredibly influential, millions of women are getting the same bad advice.
The Bible can help us evaluate Tolle’s teaching. Our lesson on June 22 will help you develop discernment.
Join us this Sunday and the next at 9:30am or 10:45am!
___________________________________________
Each Wednesday I post my article from "Winning Ways," an e-newsletter that goes out to over 900 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "Winning Ways," sign up here.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Links to Your World, Tuesday June 10
Thabiti Anyabwile lays out “Seven Reasons Conservative Whites and White Evangelicals Should Stop and Enjoy Obama's Nomination.” Thabiti is an African-American pastor serving at my former church, and he has a point. I admit that Obama's atrocious voting record on behalf of abortion advocates has kept me from taking a moment to "rejoice with those who rejoice" over the historical significance of Obama's nomination. This is gonna be an interesting General Election . . . .
“My marriage ended because John McCain didn’t want to be 40, he wanted to be 25.” Carol McCain, who is more tolerant of John McCain’s adultery and divorce 30 years ago than the others quoted in an unflattering piece on John McCain in London’s Daily Mail. (story) As I said, this is gonna be an interesting General Election . . . .
Happy Father’s Day: “A few days ago, I came across a draft of a memoir my father was working on before he entered immortality in 1999. After reading it carefully, I realized that I knew almost everything in it except for one huge thing: how hard his work — his “business,” as one might say, for it surely kept him “busy” — had been for a number of years in middle age.” (Ben Stein, on his father)
“If I had to pay 42 cents to send this email, would I?” And review 35 more questions to ask before you send your next e-mail.
Value your First Amendment freedom of speech, because the U.S. is becoming the last place among Western nations to exercise this right. Last week a French court convicted Brigitte Bardot of provoking discrimination and racial hatred for writing that Muslims are destroying France, and in England two pastors handing out gospel leaflets in a predominantly Muslim area were threatened with arrest and warned of being beaten for committing what a police officer called a "hate crime."
“In the last decade, even during the seven-plus years of the Bush presidency, the center of American politics has moved considerably to the left. Whether Obama or McCain wins the White House, liberalism has already won the national debate about the future of the country.” I’m a conservative, but I found this article by Michael Lind in Salon absolutely intriguing.
You should read Time’s coverage of the violence against Israel’s messianic Jews and pray for the Ortiz family. And I send you to this article despite the fact that editors let a horribly-worded phrase from reporter Tim McGirk slip in: “Orthodox Jews view [messianic Jews] as traitors for joining the Christian faith, which for centuries has persecuted Jews.” What a contrast to how McGirk carefully nuanced his presentation of the violence: “Lately, the outrage among extremist orthodox Jews has spilled into violence.” So let me get this straight: Christians persecute Jews, but its only “extremist” orthodox Jews who blow up the children of messianic Jewish pastors. I’m sure that’s not what McGirk meant, but it was lazy reporting nonetheless.
“Card-carrying members of the intelligentsia like Mr. Hitchens, Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris would surely be doubtful, even incredulous, if a politician who had illegally seized power claimed that his motives for doing so were purely patriotic; or if a CEO of a drug company explained a sudden drop in prices by professing her undying compassion for those unable to afford her company's products. Discerning a difference between people's professed aims and their real aims is just what intellectuals do. Yet when someone does something nasty and claims to have done it in the name of religion, our leading atheists suddenly become paragons of credulity.” (“Too Much Faith in Faith” by Alan Jacobs)
“A computer spell-checker run amok christened several Pennsylvania high school students with new — and in some cases unflattering — last names. Middletown Area High School's yearbook listed Max Zupanovic as ‘Max Supernova,’ Kathy Carbaugh as ‘Kathy Airbag’ and Alessandra Ippolito as ‘Alexandria Impolite,’ just to name a few.” (story)
Can you use “compunicate” in a sentence? How about “defriend” or “moofer”? Advertising agency Cramer-Krasselt has compiled a 2008 Cultural Dictionary of new words and phrases culled from magazines, web sites, blogs and conversations. Check it out.
How to Get More Than 40 Miles Per Gallon Without a Hybrid
“Back where I come from, we have universities, seats of great learning where men go to become great thinkers. And when they come out, they think deep thoughts — and with no more brains than you have. But! They have one thing you haven’t got! A diploma!” (“The Wizard of Oz”)
The stress from deepening debt is becoming a major pain in the neck — and the back and the head and the stomach — for millions of Americans. (story in Time magazine)
“A rich 80-year-old Indian widow has spent thousands of dollars on a feast for 100,000 people in the hope it would please the gods and open the doors of heaven for her, local officials said.” (story)
“For just $40 a year, believers can arrange for up to 62 people to get a final message exactly six days after the Rapture, that day when -- according to Christian end times dogma -- Christians will be swept up to heaven, while doubters are left behind to suffer seven years of Tribulation under a global government headed by the Antichrist. ‘You've Been Left Behind gives you one last opportunity to reach your lost family and friends for Christ,’ reads the website.” From Wired magazine, which smells a possible scam.
What’s the solution to the worldwide environmental, obesity, and food crises? Eat more bugs, or, as they are euphemistically called, “mini livestock” and “land shrimp.” Yum.
“My marriage ended because John McCain didn’t want to be 40, he wanted to be 25.” Carol McCain, who is more tolerant of John McCain’s adultery and divorce 30 years ago than the others quoted in an unflattering piece on John McCain in London’s Daily Mail. (story) As I said, this is gonna be an interesting General Election . . . .
Happy Father’s Day: “A few days ago, I came across a draft of a memoir my father was working on before he entered immortality in 1999. After reading it carefully, I realized that I knew almost everything in it except for one huge thing: how hard his work — his “business,” as one might say, for it surely kept him “busy” — had been for a number of years in middle age.” (Ben Stein, on his father)
“If I had to pay 42 cents to send this email, would I?” And review 35 more questions to ask before you send your next e-mail.
Value your First Amendment freedom of speech, because the U.S. is becoming the last place among Western nations to exercise this right. Last week a French court convicted Brigitte Bardot of provoking discrimination and racial hatred for writing that Muslims are destroying France, and in England two pastors handing out gospel leaflets in a predominantly Muslim area were threatened with arrest and warned of being beaten for committing what a police officer called a "hate crime."
“In the last decade, even during the seven-plus years of the Bush presidency, the center of American politics has moved considerably to the left. Whether Obama or McCain wins the White House, liberalism has already won the national debate about the future of the country.” I’m a conservative, but I found this article by Michael Lind in Salon absolutely intriguing.
You should read Time’s coverage of the violence against Israel’s messianic Jews and pray for the Ortiz family. And I send you to this article despite the fact that editors let a horribly-worded phrase from reporter Tim McGirk slip in: “Orthodox Jews view [messianic Jews] as traitors for joining the Christian faith, which for centuries has persecuted Jews.” What a contrast to how McGirk carefully nuanced his presentation of the violence: “Lately, the outrage among extremist orthodox Jews has spilled into violence.” So let me get this straight: Christians persecute Jews, but its only “extremist” orthodox Jews who blow up the children of messianic Jewish pastors. I’m sure that’s not what McGirk meant, but it was lazy reporting nonetheless.
“Card-carrying members of the intelligentsia like Mr. Hitchens, Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris would surely be doubtful, even incredulous, if a politician who had illegally seized power claimed that his motives for doing so were purely patriotic; or if a CEO of a drug company explained a sudden drop in prices by professing her undying compassion for those unable to afford her company's products. Discerning a difference between people's professed aims and their real aims is just what intellectuals do. Yet when someone does something nasty and claims to have done it in the name of religion, our leading atheists suddenly become paragons of credulity.” (“Too Much Faith in Faith” by Alan Jacobs)
“A computer spell-checker run amok christened several Pennsylvania high school students with new — and in some cases unflattering — last names. Middletown Area High School's yearbook listed Max Zupanovic as ‘Max Supernova,’ Kathy Carbaugh as ‘Kathy Airbag’ and Alessandra Ippolito as ‘Alexandria Impolite,’ just to name a few.” (story)
Can you use “compunicate” in a sentence? How about “defriend” or “moofer”? Advertising agency Cramer-Krasselt has compiled a 2008 Cultural Dictionary of new words and phrases culled from magazines, web sites, blogs and conversations. Check it out.
How to Get More Than 40 Miles Per Gallon Without a Hybrid
“Back where I come from, we have universities, seats of great learning where men go to become great thinkers. And when they come out, they think deep thoughts — and with no more brains than you have. But! They have one thing you haven’t got! A diploma!” (“The Wizard of Oz”)
The stress from deepening debt is becoming a major pain in the neck — and the back and the head and the stomach — for millions of Americans. (story in Time magazine)
“A rich 80-year-old Indian widow has spent thousands of dollars on a feast for 100,000 people in the hope it would please the gods and open the doors of heaven for her, local officials said.” (story)
“For just $40 a year, believers can arrange for up to 62 people to get a final message exactly six days after the Rapture, that day when -- according to Christian end times dogma -- Christians will be swept up to heaven, while doubters are left behind to suffer seven years of Tribulation under a global government headed by the Antichrist. ‘You've Been Left Behind gives you one last opportunity to reach your lost family and friends for Christ,’ reads the website.” From Wired magazine, which smells a possible scam.
What’s the solution to the worldwide environmental, obesity, and food crises? Eat more bugs, or, as they are euphemistically called, “mini livestock” and “land shrimp.” Yum.
Sunday, June 08, 2008
Thursday, June 05, 2008
LeaderLines: “When Leaders Pray, Week Six”
We’re taking a few weeks in LeaderLines to go through some of the prayers the Apostle Paul expressed for his people in his letters. These prayers can serve as a valuable guide in your own prayers.
Two weeks ago we began to look at the prayer recorded in Ephesians 3:14-21. Paul asked God to give the Ephesian believers two things: God’s power and God’s love. Verses 16-17 record his request for power, and we looked at those verses last week. Now take a look at his request for God’s love in verses 17-19:
It’s the same thing church leaders must pray for those we serve:
First, pray that those you serve gain a deeper appreciation of God's love. If we want to pray for our people as Paul prayed for those he led, we’ll pray verse 17 for them: "I pray that you . . . may have power to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ."
What made him think of those measurements of Christ’s love? Maybe Paul had in mind Psalm 139:
Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
So, maybe Paul was saying, “I pray that every day you live you will grasp the profound truth of Psalm 139. You can rise on the wings of the dawn and race at the speed of light to the far side of the sea, and you will not outrun the width and length of Christ's love. You can go up to the heavens and not rise above the heights of Christ's love. You can make your bed in the depths and not dig below the reach of Christ's love.”
Or maybe Paul had in his mind an image of the cross, stretched out to cosmic dimensions. The width and length and height and depth of Christ's love was demonstrated in this: while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Maybe Paul was saying, "I pray that every new day, every new crisis, every new experience, you can more firmly grasp just how much Jesus loves you."
Second, pray that those you serve will gain a better appropriation of God's love. To pray like Paul, you’ll want those you serve not only to meditate upon God’s love but to live in the joy and freedom it brings. And so he prays, "God, let them not only grasp it but also know this love that surpasses knowledge!"
________________________________________
Each Thursday I post my article from "LeaderLines," an e-newsletter for church leaders read by over 300 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "LeaderLines," sign up here.
Two weeks ago we began to look at the prayer recorded in Ephesians 3:14-21. Paul asked God to give the Ephesian believers two things: God’s power and God’s love. Verses 16-17 record his request for power, and we looked at those verses last week. Now take a look at his request for God’s love in verses 17-19:
I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.Take note of two words in those verses: to grasp and to know. He prayed that they would grasp God's love and know God's love. He prayed that they would appreciate it with their minds and appropriate it with their lives.
It’s the same thing church leaders must pray for those we serve:
First, pray that those you serve gain a deeper appreciation of God's love. If we want to pray for our people as Paul prayed for those he led, we’ll pray verse 17 for them: "I pray that you . . . may have power to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ."
What made him think of those measurements of Christ’s love? Maybe Paul had in mind Psalm 139:
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
So, maybe Paul was saying, “I pray that every day you live you will grasp the profound truth of Psalm 139. You can rise on the wings of the dawn and race at the speed of light to the far side of the sea, and you will not outrun the width and length of Christ's love. You can go up to the heavens and not rise above the heights of Christ's love. You can make your bed in the depths and not dig below the reach of Christ's love.”
Or maybe Paul had in his mind an image of the cross, stretched out to cosmic dimensions. The width and length and height and depth of Christ's love was demonstrated in this: while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Maybe Paul was saying, "I pray that every new day, every new crisis, every new experience, you can more firmly grasp just how much Jesus loves you."
Second, pray that those you serve will gain a better appropriation of God's love. To pray like Paul, you’ll want those you serve not only to meditate upon God’s love but to live in the joy and freedom it brings. And so he prays, "God, let them not only grasp it but also know this love that surpasses knowledge!"
For the Christian struggling against some sin, know this: "Jesus loves you, and will forgive you and raise you up when you fall."As your pastor, my prayer is that every new day, every new experience, every new crisis will simply be a way for you to more firmly grasp and more deeply know the divine love that surpasses knowledge. As someone who serves Hillcrest with me, join me in that prayer for our church!
For the perfectionist who secretly believes that acceptance comes only by achievements, know this: "Jesus loves you; he chose you before the foundation of the world, let alone before you ever achieved a thing for him. He will never let you down."
For the person working through some crisis, know this: "Jesus loves you, and he will walk you through this."
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Each Thursday I post my article from "LeaderLines," an e-newsletter for church leaders read by over 300 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "LeaderLines," sign up here.
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Buttprints in the Sand
Who really wrote the "Footprints" poem? You know, the one shared around the world on posters, plaques, and coffee mugs. The one about the single set of footprints in the sand where Jesus carried us in our darkest moments.
According to the Washington Post last Sunday, three contenders are duking it out for the claim of authorship.
It got me to thinking about an updated version of the famous poem. Though it was sent to me long ago as an anonymous work, I'm thinking about being the first to file a copyright for it. It's lovingly entitled, "Buttprints in the Sand," and at various moments in my life I've need its truth as much as "Footprints in the Sand."
One night I had a wondrous dream,
One set of footprints there was seen,
The footprints of my precious Lord,
But mine were not along the shore.
But then some strange prints appeared,
And I asked the Lord, "What have we here?"
Those prints are large and round and neat,
"But Lord, they are too big for feet."
"My child," He said in somber tones,
"For miles I carried you along.
I challenged you to walk in faith,
But you refused and made me wait."
"You disobeyed, you would not grow,
The walk of faith, you would not know,
So to discipline, I said, "Time's up!"
And there I dropped you on your butt."
And so in life, there comes a time,
When one must fight, and one must climb,
When one must rise and take a stand,
Or leave their butt prints in the sand.
According to the Washington Post last Sunday, three contenders are duking it out for the claim of authorship.
It got me to thinking about an updated version of the famous poem. Though it was sent to me long ago as an anonymous work, I'm thinking about being the first to file a copyright for it. It's lovingly entitled, "Buttprints in the Sand," and at various moments in my life I've need its truth as much as "Footprints in the Sand."
One set of footprints there was seen,
The footprints of my precious Lord,
But mine were not along the shore.
But then some strange prints appeared,
And I asked the Lord, "What have we here?"
Those prints are large and round and neat,
"But Lord, they are too big for feet."
"My child," He said in somber tones,
"For miles I carried you along.
I challenged you to walk in faith,
But you refused and made me wait."
"You disobeyed, you would not grow,
The walk of faith, you would not know,
So to discipline, I said, "Time's up!"
And there I dropped you on your butt."
And so in life, there comes a time,
When one must fight, and one must climb,
When one must rise and take a stand,
Or leave their butt prints in the sand.
Winning Ways: “Risk’s Rewards”
Have you ever suffered from the “Wallenda Factor”?
Thirty years ago, Karl Wallenda, patriarch of The Flying Wallendas, fell 75 feet to his death while walking a high wire in Puerto Rico. His widow felt that a new fear of falling actually contributed to his fall. In the months leading up to his death, she watched Karl transition from courage to precaution. The aerialist who once loved walking the high wire became a man obsessed with the fear of falling.
This fear of failing is today known as the Wallenda Factor. It refers to people and situations where the fear of failure overwhelms what used to be the joy of daring.
A few years back there was a sociological study done of 50 people over the age of 95. They were all asked the question, “If you could live your life over again, what would you do differently?” The second most-repeated response was, “I would risk more.” I wonder if they were not thinking back over chances they missed because they were unwilling to lay it all on the line. Life had taught them that sometimes the only way to get life’s best is to risk.
We know this instinctively, because the books we love to read, the movies we love to watch, and the sports or business stories we love to hear all have one thing in common: they all involve people who were willing to risk. Our heroes tend to be people who were willing to lay it all on the line in order to achieve.
If you have a short list of heroes like that, Caleb should be on your list. Whenever we find Caleb in the pages of the Bible, he’s acting boldly. If you could sit down with Caleb and talk with him about the decisions you’re facing, what advice do you think he would give you? This Sunday, I will share with you seven things I believe he would say about how to take a risk.
Maybe you’re considering a big decision right now. May God give you wisdom to make the right decision—and may he give you courage to see it through!
___________________________________________
Each Wednesday I post my article from "Winning Ways," an e-newsletter that goes out to over 900 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "Winning Ways," sign up here.
Thirty years ago, Karl Wallenda, patriarch of The Flying Wallendas, fell 75 feet to his death while walking a high wire in Puerto Rico. His widow felt that a new fear of falling actually contributed to his fall. In the months leading up to his death, she watched Karl transition from courage to precaution. The aerialist who once loved walking the high wire became a man obsessed with the fear of falling.
This fear of failing is today known as the Wallenda Factor. It refers to people and situations where the fear of failure overwhelms what used to be the joy of daring.
A few years back there was a sociological study done of 50 people over the age of 95. They were all asked the question, “If you could live your life over again, what would you do differently?” The second most-repeated response was, “I would risk more.” I wonder if they were not thinking back over chances they missed because they were unwilling to lay it all on the line. Life had taught them that sometimes the only way to get life’s best is to risk.
We know this instinctively, because the books we love to read, the movies we love to watch, and the sports or business stories we love to hear all have one thing in common: they all involve people who were willing to risk. Our heroes tend to be people who were willing to lay it all on the line in order to achieve.
If you have a short list of heroes like that, Caleb should be on your list. Whenever we find Caleb in the pages of the Bible, he’s acting boldly. If you could sit down with Caleb and talk with him about the decisions you’re facing, what advice do you think he would give you? This Sunday, I will share with you seven things I believe he would say about how to take a risk.
Maybe you’re considering a big decision right now. May God give you wisdom to make the right decision—and may he give you courage to see it through!
___________________________________________
Each Wednesday I post my article from "Winning Ways," an e-newsletter that goes out to over 900 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "Winning Ways," sign up here.
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Links to Your World, Tuesday June 3
“The producers of a Mormon version of the popular "Bachelor" television program were dealt a rude surprise when their lead man got down on his knee and proposed to all six finalists.” (story)
For those of you who just can’t ignore bubblewrap . . .
"Despite the fact that religion is always in the news, visits to religious websites in the U.S. are declining rapidly. They dropped over 30% within the last year, down 35% the last two years, while visits to online entertainment, in the form of video sites and social networks like MySpace and Facebook, continue to soar. Does the erosion of online interest in religion translate to a major shift away from spirituality? Are we losing our religion?" ("Looking for God Online")
“Critics must be more careful about their use of the terms topical and expositional when used of preaching. What some mean is that the preaching in the new churches is topical as done in liberal churches, where often the message is on a topic that may not even be found in the Bible or the preacher ignores the Bible. Again this may be true of a handful of new-model churches but by no means all. Many of us who teach preaching at a seminary level divide expository preaching into several areas, all of which are based on preaching the Bible. Three such areas are book exposition, biographical exposition, and topical exposition. Book exposition involves preaching through various books of the Bible. Biographical exposition is preaching the lives of biblical characters, based on what the text says about them. And topical exposition is preaching on various topics addressed in Scripture, for example, what the Bible says about worry, money, abortion, capital punishment, and such theological topics as angels, salvation, sin, the Trinity, and so on. Thus it is okay to preach a topical sermon, as long as it is topical exposition. How else might we preach systematic or biblical theology or some other subject of the Bible?” (Aubrey Malphurs)
Cathy Lynn Grossman's recent USA Today article on William Young's surprise bestseller The Shack is her second in a month, this one shifting attention to the long-developing and growing backlash against the book coming from a number of influential voices concerned about the book's implicit theological claims.
“The argument that government is often a flawed instrument to improve social conditions has merit. There are limits to take-a-number-and-wait bureaucratic compassion -- and tremendous advantages to the commitment and sacrificial love of volunteers. Which is precisely why compassionate conservatism looks first to the expansion of private, community responses to poverty and need. But the scale of these needs is sometimes overwhelming. Private compassion cannot replace Medicaid or provide AIDS drugs to millions of people in Africa for the rest of their lives. In these cases, a role for government is necessary and compassionate -- the expression of conservative commitments to the general welfare and the value of every human life.” (Michael Gerson)
For those of you who just can’t ignore bubblewrap . . .
"Despite the fact that religion is always in the news, visits to religious websites in the U.S. are declining rapidly. They dropped over 30% within the last year, down 35% the last two years, while visits to online entertainment, in the form of video sites and social networks like MySpace and Facebook, continue to soar. Does the erosion of online interest in religion translate to a major shift away from spirituality? Are we losing our religion?" ("Looking for God Online")
“Critics must be more careful about their use of the terms topical and expositional when used of preaching. What some mean is that the preaching in the new churches is topical as done in liberal churches, where often the message is on a topic that may not even be found in the Bible or the preacher ignores the Bible. Again this may be true of a handful of new-model churches but by no means all. Many of us who teach preaching at a seminary level divide expository preaching into several areas, all of which are based on preaching the Bible. Three such areas are book exposition, biographical exposition, and topical exposition. Book exposition involves preaching through various books of the Bible. Biographical exposition is preaching the lives of biblical characters, based on what the text says about them. And topical exposition is preaching on various topics addressed in Scripture, for example, what the Bible says about worry, money, abortion, capital punishment, and such theological topics as angels, salvation, sin, the Trinity, and so on. Thus it is okay to preach a topical sermon, as long as it is topical exposition. How else might we preach systematic or biblical theology or some other subject of the Bible?” (Aubrey Malphurs)
Cathy Lynn Grossman's recent USA Today article on William Young's surprise bestseller The Shack is her second in a month, this one shifting attention to the long-developing and growing backlash against the book coming from a number of influential voices concerned about the book's implicit theological claims.
“The argument that government is often a flawed instrument to improve social conditions has merit. There are limits to take-a-number-and-wait bureaucratic compassion -- and tremendous advantages to the commitment and sacrificial love of volunteers. Which is precisely why compassionate conservatism looks first to the expansion of private, community responses to poverty and need. But the scale of these needs is sometimes overwhelming. Private compassion cannot replace Medicaid or provide AIDS drugs to millions of people in Africa for the rest of their lives. In these cases, a role for government is necessary and compassionate -- the expression of conservative commitments to the general welfare and the value of every human life.” (Michael Gerson)
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Song of the Week: Bonnie Raitt's Cover of "Hear Me Lord"
Bonnie Raitt covered "Hear Me Lord" from Zimbabwe's Oliver Mtukudzi on her 2002 project Silver Lining:
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