Todd's Blog

The Unanswered Questions - Part 2

2012-04-06T16:22:00.002-07:00

As I mentioned in my last post, this is Part 2 of my attempt to answer questions that were texted to my iPad in services a few weeks back. We ran out of time to answer them live, so as promised at the end of services, I'm cranking out responses in blog format.

Q: What do you do when you have heard the Lord speak to you, but it's not going the way you thought it would when you heard Him?

There are several different possibilities to consider:

Like Abraham who received God's promise of a son, but who had to wait much longer than expected, it might be that God has good things in mind that He wants to accomplish in you or through you as you wait on His perfect timing. This "waiting" isn't a passive thing (Isaiah 40:31, Galatians 6:9). It's active and attentive, like a "waiter" at a fine restaurant. It's hopeful, expectant, and diligent, not apathetic or grumpy. Remember that "waiting" on the Lord means being active with what we already know He wants us to do while simultaneously believing that our small acts of obedience will bring us into a bigger future that He's promised to us.
Like David who worked toward building a Temple that was ultimately completed by Solomon, or Moses who led the people toward the Promised Land that was actually entered under Joshua's leadership, or like the nation of Israel waiting for the promised Messiah, it might be that God's promise has gotten you up going in the right direction, but the final fulfillment might look different from what you expected. Hebrews 11 is a list of many Bible heroes who received promises from God that weren't completely fulfilled within their lifetimes, but because of their faith God was able to include each of them in the big storyline of His redemptive plan for the world.
Like Joseph who received a dream that he would lead God's people, but the fulfillment seemed to be thwarted by his brothers' murderous jealousy, through Potiphar's wife's lie, and through Pharaoh's cupbearer's forgetfulness, it might be that others' sin or brokenness is messing with your life and causing you to wonder if you misheard God's voice. Don't worry. God will use what the enemy means for harm ultimately for your good and theirs (Genesis 50:20).
Like Jonah who kept missing out on God's heart and plan because of his own stubbornness and bitterness, it could be that there are unresolved issues in your life that God is trying to draw your attention to. Perhaps you've convinced yourself that God meant to say "Tarshish" when He clearly said "Ninevah." Maybe you've fantasized a future based on something God spoke and now you're disappointed. It's not that God's promise was invalid, it's just that what you extrapolated it to mean isn't accurate. If this is where you're at, God doesn't condemn you for the heartbreak you're experiencing. He wants to meet you there, heal your broken heart, and get you back on track with Him (Prov. 13:12, Isaiah 42:3, Hosea 2:15, Jonah 2).
There's a possibility that you were mistaken in what you heard. The Bible is full of warnings against false prophets. It's super easy to be excited and inspired by our own thoughts rather than the Lord's (Ezekiel 13:1-7). Any prophet worth his or her salt will acknowledge this vulnerability! This should not make us hesitant to seek God's voice, nor should it make us fearful of speaking prophetically when God puts a word on our hearts. Instead, it should make us eager to submit our sense of what God is saying to others. If we're humble enough to ask others to help us by "judging" whether we've actually heard God, He will be faithful to either confirm His word or help set us straight (1 Corinthians 14:29, 1 Thessalonians 5:21, 2 Peter 1:20, Matthew 18:16, Proverbs 15:22).

Q: Lately I've felt that I'm not getting anything from church. I feel like I'm drifting away. I don't know what to do. I'm hoping the Lord will speak to me soon. Am I being selfish? WWGD?

Like the last question, there are several possibilities to consider:

Like David when he had to flee from Saul, it might be that you've suffered some kind of painful injustice that is driving you out of a place that is rightfully yours. Maybe you've been the victim of gossip or self-righteous judgment. If so, I pray that God will show you how to maintain grace for those who have violated you, and also show you how to keep pressing forward in what He has for you. Jesus asks us to be willing to go back to people who have wronged us so that they have the opportunity to realize their mistake (Matthew 18:15-20).
Like Moses who needed Aaron and Hur's support (Exodus 17), maybe you've been trying to do what God wants you to do, but you've been alone. Maybe you're just exhausted. But instead of throwing in the towel, I believe God would encourage you to look around for others who aren't being fully utilized in the Kingdom and invite them into a place of significance.
Like Saul (later called Paul), perhaps you've been resisting God. God told him, "It is hard for you to kick against the goads" (Acts 26:14). It's discouraging and exhausting to avoid doing what God invites us into. Maybe you've felt God encouraging you to get involved and to start serving, but you've resisted (you probably have some legitimate-seeming excuses). You want church to inspire and energize you like it used to, but it isn't working. That's because it wasn't actually church that was exciting back then! It was your obedience to God! Now He's inviting you into more, into the place of ultimate blessing: serving. Remember, church isn't meant to be primarily fun (although that does sometimes happen!). Like exercise, it's often a real drag. But if we give ourselves to it (not just in self-discipline, but in faith in God's promises), we'll end up stronger and healthier in the long run.

If I haven't gotten to your question yet, stay tuned for another blog entry! I'm going to get to all of them someday. *smile*

The Unanswered Questions - Part 1

2012-02-29T17:09:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago in services, Hilary and I opened up the microphones for questions. We also invited people to text questions in that came live to my iPad on stage. I promised everyone that I would blog on the questions that were texted because we didn't have enough time to get to most of them. So here it goes!

Q: How does praying in tongues help us in distinguishing the Lord's voice?
The baptism of the Holy Spirit is too big a topic to do justice in a blog entry. But just briefly, I'd say that speaking / praying in our spiritual language strengthens and familiarizes us with launching out in faith (1 Cor. 14:4). God's ways are not our ways and His thoughts aren't our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8). Like a connoisseur cleansing their palate, worshipping and praying in our spiritual language can help clear our mind of our own biases and prepares us to receive wisdom that is not our own.

If you're new to the subject, I'd recommend listening to this series by Daniel Brown (you can download the MP3's for free), or I did a series in August-September 2010 that you can access audio or video for here (click "Sermon Audio" or "Sermon Video" and then scroll to the series, they are in date-order). Here's the teaching outline that I wrote for that series.

Q: What do you do when someone says "God told me..." and it doesn't sound right?
It depends completely on the level of credibility that I have with that person. Check out this verse:

Like one who takes a dog by the ears is he who passes by and meddles with strife not belonging to him. Prov. 26:17

If the person is really asking for my input, then I might say something like, "Hmmm... I'm not sure that really sounds like the Lord to me." But sometimes people who aren't interested in any input will drop the "God told me..." line. I think it's more fruitful to invest in people who are hungry for input than it is to try to convince people that they're on the wrong track.

Q: If God can answer everybody's questions all at the same time, would that make it really noisy in Heaven?
Ha! I'm not sure if this was intended to be humorous or not! But in any event, I'm smiling. I love the picture in Revelation 8:3-4 of the prayers of the saints being like the hot coals that burn a heavenly incense before the throne of God. He basks in our prayers and our praise. The cries of our hearts are always before Him and they motivate Him to bring His justice into our broken world. Nowhere in the Bible do we see God annoyed or overwhelmed by heartfelt prayers. The only prayers that drive Him crazy are the fake ones, those offered as a show to impress people rather than to really connect with God.

Q: Will God put us in harm's way to get us to hear Him?
Yes and no. Evil and harm were never part of God's plan to begin with. He made the world to be perfect. We were the ones who introduced sin and death into the world. Aikido and other martial arts redirect the attacker's force in order to achieve victory. In that sense, God is the master strategist and sensei. God doesn't send the suffering, it the fruit of our choices (1 Peter 2:20), the attack of the devil (Matt. 15:22), and sometimes it's just part of life on a broken planet (Isaiah 20:24). But God is actively redirecting the force of our suffering so that if we partner with Him, our pain can draw us closer to God and help us hear Him in ways that we can't when everything is smooth-sailing (Psalm 34:18). I've spoken with many people who tell me that the hardest and most painful things they've endured were also the most fruitful.

Q: We're not immune to bad things but why do they keep happening? How do you keep your strength when bad keeps happening?
Yeah... Part of me wants to say, "When you get God to answer that question, let me know what He says!!" This question is one of the most agonizing in my experience, and also in the lives of Bible heroes and other heroes of the faith through the ages. One of my favorites is David, who had TONS of horrible things happen to him. It says that he "strengthened himself in the Lord" (1 Sam. 30:6). I think this is what most of the Psalms are, David wrestling it out with God, being real with his questions and arguments, and (mostly) landing back in place of trust. Doing this again and again isn't easy or fun. But the alternative is hopelessness, isolation, depression... Also not easy or fun (and way less fruitful).

Another thing that helps me is to remember Jesus. He lived without sin, but not without pain. Jesus said, "No servant is greater than his master" (John 13:16). This doesn't mean that Jesus is forcing me into painful situations without mercy because He's in charge and I can't ask questions or cry out for help or relief. Quite the opposite! It means that He's been right where I'm at. He's struggled just the way I'm struggling. And it means that there IS a way through because He's gone before me. He promises to lead me if I'll follow. He's honest up-front, "If you follow Me, you'll suffer like I did," but He makes huge promises about what that suffering will accomplish in this life and in the life to come. The only question then becomes, "Am I willing?" For the most part, my answer is, "Yes." Occasionally I decline. I choose the seemingly easier path of self-preservation, which universally backfires.

My next blog entry will cover the questions I haven't gotten to yet. Thanks to those who contributed questions!

Not One Stone Will Be Left...

2012-02-03T10:15:00.000-08:00

Stones from the Temple Mount,
destroyed by Roman soldiers in 70 AD.

This morning in intern class one of our rising leaders asked a question about how we think about structure in church. When and why would we change a structure, a program, or an event?

Of course I couldn't help but start with a bit of theology. *smile*

When Jesus walked away from the temple at the beginning of Matthew 24, He was declaring the end of institutional religion. Buildings, structures, and rituals are no longer sacred. In times past, God lived in a building and people would come there to worship Him. Now, each person is a temple of the Holy Spirit, and wherever two or three are gathered in Jesus' name, we enjoy His presence.

Structure is needed like a body needs a skeleton. But when programs and structures are heralded as a source of life rather than a vehicle for it, ministry became fleshy... or maybe better said, boney! Skeletal. When we believe in a structure (whether we call it "church" or anything else) rather than in Jesus we'll end up disappointed. As leaders, if we're busy building structures rather than people, we (and those whom we serve) will end up disillusioned.

Jesus said, "The wind blows where it wishes" (John 3:8). He was speaking of the Holy Spirit. We can't pin Him down. We can't expect Him to fit Himself to our structures. We must constantly be changing our structures to keep up with Him, not the other way around. Ministry is like sailing; we're constantly changing the structure to capture the wind.

Or to use another Bible image... it takes faith and courage to attach muscles and sinews (people) to bones (structure) as the Spirit blows (Ezekiel 37). We shouldn't fear or avoid structure! But may we also have the courage to abandon any structure (like Jesus did) when the Spirit changes directions.

Our job is to empower people with the Holy Spirit to do hands-on ministry and then invent structures that are flexible to the point of being destructible (remember Jesus walking away from the temple, and also when He warned the churches in Revelation that He would shut them down if they didn't empower people to "overcome"). Thus our programs and structures should always be seen as temporary and experimental. If Jesus would shut down a church for not empowering people, then I should have the same mentality toward any structure, event, or program in my church (even if people are enjoying it, will disappointed to see it go away, but aren't being changed or empowered by it).

To sum it up, Jesus wants to build a spiritual home for people by building US:

..you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:5

I have been challenged and inspired by a couple articles on this subject recently written by my mentor, Daniel Brown (here's Part 1 and here's Part 2). Many people are leaving traditional churches. Some of these folks are Daniel's friends. These articles give us a glimpse into Daniel's response to his friends.

Holding On to Promises

2012-01-17T11:24:00.000-08:00

He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. 2 Peter 1:4

When I am confronted with the reality of my own failure, hopelessness tries to land in my soul. I'm often aware of my brokenness and the pain it causes others long before I get the deliverance and victory I am believing for. There are other times where discouragement is caused by others' failure. Sometimes it's just the exhaustion of working in a world that has been subjected to futility (Rom. 8:20).

These are the moments to hold on to God's promises. Holding onto promises is spiritually powerful. By remembering and refreshing myself in fact that God will win in the end, I am translated out of the futility of my own effort, and introduced into the realm of God's victory. Again and again it says of King David that he "strengthened himself in the Lord" (1 Samuel 30:6).

Here are some ideas for how to stay strong in God's promises:

Make a lifestyle of sharing the things God has promised to you with others. Our tongue is a rudder that steers the course of our lives (James 3:4). We defeat the enemy as we share with others what Jesus has spoken to us (Revelation 12:11).
Write down any verses that Jesus has made alive to you. Put them where you'll see them often.
Pray that God shows you how He's making those promises come true in your life.
Invite God to show you how you get off-track from those promises being made real in your life. Ask others to help you see this too. Repent. Rinse and repeat. :)
Make a big deal out of it when you see God be faithful to a promise. Throw a party. Make a memorial (in the Old Testament, they built altars; the point is to have something physical to look at that will remind you of something God did). Don't succumb to the lie that it just "worked out."

If we trust His promises all the way to the end, we will not be disappointed!

Santa's Visiting the Coastlands this Sunday!

2011-12-13T11:20:00.000-08:00

Kneeling Santa by Bonnie T. Barry

Each year at the Coastlands, we invite Santa Claus to come and spend some time with our kiddos. We're excited that he found some time in his busy schedule to be with us this Sunday! Sometimes I get asked why we invite Santa to be part of our church tradition since he wasn't part of the original Christmas that's recorded in the Bible.

It's a great question! Let's start with a few verses that will help give a framework for the rest of our thoughts:

God gives to all generously. James 1:5

Every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights. James 1:17

He will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

The Lord has much more to give you than this. 2 Chronicles 25:9

He who did not spare His own Son... He will with Him freely give us all things. Romans 8:32

We love to invite Santa to visit our kids in Children’s Ministries because Santa understands God’s heart. Nothing makes God happier than seeing His children delighted and astounded by His generous love. Santa is a great reflection of God’s generous love. He’s like a sign-post that points the way.

Santa himself knows that he’s not the destination, and neither are the presents that he brings. Like any good sign-post, his job is to point the way. In fact, all our Christmas traditions point to Jesus. The mistletoe, the garlands, the lights, the trees, the hot chocolate, the ornaments, the gifts... the whole season of wonder and delight... it’s all about Jesus.

When our family was on vacation a few years ago, we took a picture in front of a sign that showed where we had been. Nobody imagined that the sign was our destination. And it wasn’t nearly as amazing as the actual experience. But that picture seemed like a good way to remind ourselves of the whole adventure.

In the same way, when Santa comes to visit our kids, take pictures, and get excited together, we don’t imagine for a moment that Santa could or would ever replace Jesus. Nor do we worry that he will threaten the true meaning of Christmas. Like you and me, Santa is another in a vast array of characters who celebrate Jesus. In our classrooms, Santa will tell the story of Jesus’ birth and how He is the greatest gift that was ever given.

When Jesus taught, He used examples from fishing and farming, normal stuff from people’s lives that would help them understand God’s Kingdom. Santa is like that: a normal part of our culture that can help our kids understand God’s heart.

Each cherished Christmas tradition, whether directly connected to the Bible story or simply enjoyed by our family or culture, are signs on the sign-post, all pointing the way to Jesus, the greatest Gift and the greatest Giver, the One who is the reason for all our celebrations.

The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people.” Luke 2:10

Merry Christmas!

Unto Us a Child Is Born

2011-12-02T13:35:00.000-08:00

Adoration of the Shepherds
by Gerard van Honthorst (1590–1656)

Christmas is a celebration of God’s love for us. He put Himself in a most vulnerable position: an infant born in a barn. He let go of His power and His majesty so that He could be with us. It wasn’t enough for Him to love us distantly… aloof on His throne. No, He knew that normal people like us would never be able to approach Him there. So He came to the most humble setting, a real-life scenario, so that He could love us right where we live.

We celebrate the most stunning moment in history: when God gave Himself to us. “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given” (Isaiah 9:6). Unto us. To put Himself into our hands… that’s a vulnerability that shows true love.

Contrary to popular misconception, God doesn’t want us to grovel before Him. He calls us His children and invites us to come home. Not to scold us (as we might have feared). But to welcome us and to honor us. He doesn't flatter us and pretend that we don't have problems, nor does He shame us for them. Instead He comes to be with us, no matter where we are. No pretense on our part or His.

Just like in that barn, it’s with simplicity, honesty and humility that God gives Himself to us.

The world we know is constantly on the offensive, so we’re trained not to let our guard down. It’s full of attack, of blame, of facades and performance—and we’ve all been forced to learn to navigate it. Because of this training, it can feel awkward to allow God into the unvarnished reality of our hearts and lives. It doesn't seem like a place fit for a King. But God loves us and there's no place He'd rather be. And when He shows up, even a barn becomes a peace-filled, intimate, holy place. That's what Christmas is about -- God coming into the world and into our hearts to transform us by loving and serving us.

God came as a baby so that we would always know His heart. He doesn’t want His power or glory to intimidate us. He wants to lay all that aside so that we can simply talk with Him. But don’t be surprised if you hear some singing in the background. The angels are aching to burst out just like they did back then. When God gets personal, they just can’t help it.

Merry Christmas!

What about those (other) guys?

2011-10-19T14:42:00.000-07:00

I recently got an email from one of our former interns asking my thoughts about a certain celebrity TV evangelist. He wanted to know whether I thought ministry was "real" or "fake" and how to think about the negative rumors he's heard about the guy. Here's the answer I sent him.

Hi [Friend]!

So GREAT to hear from you! I hope you're are doing well.

Honestly, [Friend], I don't exactly know how to answer your question. It's not as clear cut for me as that. Everybody is a mixed bag. You and me included. Just because there are things in our lives that aren't the way they are supposed to be doesn't keep God from using us.

In other words, if the miracles are real, I don't think we should take that as evidence that everything in a person's life is A-OK. Also, if a person doesn't have a miraculous ministry, that doesn't mean that they aren't doing everything God has asked them to do.
Look at Sampson. His spiritual maturity level was near zero. But God used him miraculously.

Look at the church in Corinth. Paul says they "are not lacking in any [spiritual] gift" (1 Cor. 1:6), but they have nearly zero spiritual maturity to go along with that gifting and that faith. In fact, there is more sin inside their church than outside of it (1 Cor. 5:1)! Lots of super-spiritual signs and wonders, speaking in tongues, etc... but that wasn't coupled with a growth in the Corinthians' character. So Paul instructs them and begins to disciple them.

The reason I don't know how to answer your question about [Celebrity Ministry Person] is that I'm not in a position to know the inside scoop of what's really going on in his life. I am confident that at least some of the miracles are for real. But I don't have any way to know about his character. I'm not saying that I think the rumors are true. I'm not saying that they aren't. I just don't have an opinion because I don't think God has given me any place to have an opinion. When it's not my place, I try not to have thoughts. It just keeps my life a lot simpler and freer from judgement, criticism, doubt and so forth.

I hope that [Celebrity Ministry Person] has voices in his life that are helping to keep him on track the way that the Corinthians had Paul. But Sampson didn't have anybody like that. And God still used him. But I think that Sampson's life would have been much less of a tragedy if he had allowed someone to help him with his thinking and decision-making process.

I hope some of this is helpful!

Yours,
Todd

Have you ever struggled to step forward in what God wants for you because you've been turned off by some of what you've seen being done in the name of "ministry"? I sure have! I used to hold back from really going for it in the Kingdom because I didn't want to look like, sound like, or be associated with one of "those people."

In fact, I sometimes used to watch Christian TV with a mocking attitude in my heart. But one morning a few years ago, after I had one of my little mocking-episodes the evening before, I came across these verses:

Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and strife... out of selfish ambition, rather than from pure motives... What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice, yes, and I will rejoice. Philippians 3:5

God leveled me. He showed me that I was so proud of my particular approach that I would mock another person's attempt to share the gospel. He told me that the people I was mocking had great motives. But even if they didn't, even if they were off-track in their motives, I should be grateful and excited for the gospel to be preached. After all... it's the gospel that is powerful. Not how well or how badly we preach it.

The Myth of Balance

2011-10-06T10:20:00.000-07:00

I got a question the other day about how to balance family life with church life. My main thought about this is that balance is a myth. Nowhere in the Bible are we encouraged to be "balanced." The whole concept seems so fragile, so teetering, such a constant effort to make sure I don't overdo anything. Trying to be "balanced" feels like a recipe for apathy and mediocrity or else exhaustion and bitterness.

Instead I want to be 100% gung-ho about whatever I'm doing! I think God has given me each of the things that He's put in my life because they help ground me in who I really am. When I'm at home with my kids being daddy, I want to be 100% there -- body, soul, and spirit -- connecting fully with my little ones, laughing, tickling, playing, encouraging, disciplining, praying, and so forth. When I'm engaged in church stuff, same thing (well... actually not the tickling part *smile*). When I'm hanging out with another dad of a kid in our neighborhood, same thing. When I'm relaxing watching the 49'ers game, same thing.

I find that the enemy of my soul always tries to distract me with other good things God when I'm trying to engage in the good thing God has put right in front of me. The enemy wants me to be thinking about the church when I'm at home, wishing for vacation when I'm being given time to work, regretting my family's needs when I'm serving the church, and so forth. The enemy never wants me to be fully engaged in anything that God gives me.

But when I trust that God is the one holding onto the big picture of my life, when I truly know that He gives me all these things to add life to me and not to take life from me, then I can give myself fully to each of them. Then I can trust that He's taking care of my family when I'm taking care of the church. And I can trust that He's taking care of the church when I'm taking care of my family. The same is true for my finances, for my efforts to reach my neighborhood with Jesus' love, my vacation plans, my need for rest, and so forth. Every facet of life is another gift from God that is meant to be fully received and thoroughly enjoyed. And again, the only way to fully immerse yourself in each of these gifts is to fully trust that God's got all the other ones handled while you're engaged with the one He's put right in front of you.

If we understand all that, then the big question of life is not, "How can I live a balanced life?" (notice how God is not part of that question), instead it's "God what do you want me to do today?"

Trying to be "balanced" in life leaves us vulnerable to legalism (performance / man-pleasing), self-pity, shame, and hopelessness. They come in and try to steal away the life Jesus wants for us. But when we remember that everything Jesus has given us is for our benefit and blessing, then we can go for them with all our hearts, and we find ourselves growing more into the people He's made us to be.

There are two extremes that spiritual forces try to drive us towards. Self-pity and laziness try to tell me that the things God has given me will steal away my life. These forces tell me to go back to bed. Legalism tells me that I have to do it all perfectly, and there's no room for flexibility or creativity or grace in the things I'm doing. This force cracks the whip on me, and takes the life out of the good things God gives. Either extreme is deadly.

The way to escape these deadly extremes is to live in the grace God gives with all the stuff He puts in front of us. Part of His grace are the natural limits God puts in our lives (i.e. there are only 24 hours in a day and 7 days in a week and a limited about of energy that we can expend within that limited about of time, we can't be in two places at ones, etc.). If we try to ignore the limits God gives us then we'll end up doing both ministry and family in unhealthy, unrealistic ways. We won't promote other leaders, we won't delegate responsibility, we won't encourage people to go to God for themselves, we won't discipline our kids or require them to help around the house, and so forth.

The MOST important thing is that we need to seek Jesus in the things that He gives us. We're not supposed to do it on our own wisdom and strength (i.e. trying to find "balance"). We need His help to teach us how to navigate all the stuff we're doing. We really need to hear from Him. If we just try to think it through on our own, we'll end up confused and frustrated and in the end... embittered against God & people.

In addition to asking God for help, it's key to be asking others for help, too. Find mentors whose lifestyle you admire and ask them for perspective about the specific things you feel stressed by.

Click here to read more about The Myth of Balance.

VBS -- Go BIG!

2011-06-15T15:27:00.000-07:00

Enlarge the place of your tent; stretch out the curtains of your dwellings, spare not;
Lengthen your cords and strengthen your pegs.
For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left.
And your descendants will possess nations and will resettle the desolate cities.
Isaiah 54:2-3

Our theme for VBS is “GO BIG!” –it comes from the verse above. Fear tries to keep us in small places that feel safe, but in the end those small places rob us of the future that God has in mind. So God is inviting us out of fear and into faith.

When I am stretching into the BIG place God has for me, I get nervous that I won’t have enough to cover. I am afraid that in the end, I’ll look silly for having stepped up. But what I (and many others) are discovering is that God is meeting us in those places, and that when we go BIG, He goes BIGGER!

Let's join our faith together and each offer those places that we need God's BIGNESS to cover our smallness. Let's not wait until we feel ready to say, "YES!" Let's not let our boundaries be defined by our fears, but by our faith! Let's believe that best and encourage the most in one another (and agree to cover each other when we do fall short)! Our kids ("descendants") will reap the reward of our faith and courage, and those hopes that seem forever lost ("desolate cities") will be rebuilt!

For those of you who won't be able to join us physically, we are going to LIVE stream our VBS Assemblies. Monday through Friday next week, you can tune in at 9:15am and 12:45pm, and again on Friday night at 6:15pm for our Grand Assembly. You can use either of these links: Facebook or directly on Ustream.

Exciting Days

2011-05-18T16:14:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was über-cool. Evan, who is my brother in law, spoke in our services. Evan gave one of the best messages I've ever heard... deep, funny, personally vulnerable, theologically rich, challenging... Wow! You can check it out on our website... it's titled "Bag in the Can."

After services, Evan & Lindsay shared their heart and some of their vision for planting a church in the Bay Area with a group of about 35 folks who came to support them. I especially appreciated their heart for their church-planting team. In response to questions about how we can support them, Evan & Lindsay basically asked us to pour ourselves into their team members. Love it! That's the heart of a shepherd... always looking to benefit those under their care.

What an incredible boost to all of us as we rally together to launch Evan & Lindsay and their team later this year! Keep updated on their progress by following their blog.

I'm also stoked on the developments with our other Foursquare churches in Santa Cruz county. Danny & Jenny Bennett are rockin' the house with their 5-week-0ld church-plant, Santa Cruz Hope, which meets at Del Mar Elementary in Live Oak. They had over 150 folks at their first public service on Easter, and Danny told me over dinner this past Sunday that lots of folks have kept coming back! Yeah!!! That's what I'm talking about! Here's a video of Danny talking a bit about their heart as a church:

Also, I just got word this morning that Michael & Kim Howard (pictured left, but no, that's not their baby) were just officially installed as the new Senior Pastors of our church in Soquel (formerly Lighthouse). Up until now they've been "interim" pastors, but now it's all systems GO! A couple weeks ago, Mike & Kim invited Steve & Donna (who pastor our church Scotts Valley), Daniel & Pamela (our church's founding pastors), and Hilary & me to lay hands on them and pray for them and the church. What an amazing thing to have such unity and sense of teamwork in all our efforts! Mike & I are having coffee in the morning to brainstorm an inter-church work-party over at their place sometime later this summer. Such a work party would be a seriously awesome and seriously historic moment!

All of this to say... Jesus is remaining faithful to His promise:

I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Matthew 16:18

Gates (last I checked) were defensive structures. That means we're on offense! We're called to be advancing, not just surviving or maintaining! His invitation to each of us is to seek Him so that He can show us our place in the ranks of His saints' onward march toward victory. Jesus is teaching me and encouraging me lots these days as He is showing me my place among His troops.

May 21st Hoax

2011-05-17T10:29:00.000-07:00

I've gotten a few questions about billboards that some of our folks have been seeing in the Bay Area that are announcing this coming Saturday as the end of the world.

The billboards are sponsored by a couple groups affiliated with a radio preacher named Harold Camping. Bottom line, Mr. Camping's approach to scripture and ministry is fundamentally flawed. Dozens of similar teachers / teachings have flopped just like this one will (click here for a list of dates have been picked by various teachers and ministries through the years). Despite their good intentions, such teachers get sucked into this thinking because of the lure of special knowledge and sense of insider info and the feeling of power and control that come along with it. Paul wrote about such teachers to his young friend Timothy:

As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines, nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith. But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion, wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions. 1 Timothy 1:3-7

My basic thought about any date-setting claim is that Jesus specifically told us that nobody could predict the date:

Of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. Matthew 24:36

If Jesus says nobody knows, then I think that means that nobody knows. In other words, I'm thinking that one day Jesus is NOT coming back is May 21st!

Mr. Camping and his friends counter this verse by saying Jesus only meant those words for those people at that particular point in history, but now that the end is upon us, God is letting us in on the secret. The fact that virtually every church and every denomination and theologian has rejected their claim they see as further confirmation that they are on the right track! In the end times, they quote from Revelation, many churches and believers will fall away. "See!", they say, "The churches are falling away from the truth because they are rejecting our teaching!"

Since their logic and interpretation of Scripture is circular (they interpret all scripture through their already-arrived-at conclusion), we are only left to evaluate with the measuring stick Jesus gave us, that we should evaluate a ministry by its fruit (Matt. 7:20). The fruit of this "ministry" and the dozens of others who have tried to pick dates is not good. Their fruit is fear-driven manipulation, followed by disillusionment and a loss of credibility (Christians everywhere bear the reproach of these unaccountable, sensationalist false-teachers). The fruit we're called to bear is disciples won by binding up broken hearts and setting captives free.

All that said, we pray Jesus' mercy and grace on these folks (just as we pray for ourselves). But mercy and grace doesn't mean that we don't call false teaching what it is! It's a distraction from people's real spiritual growth and I pray that this stuff is exposed for the hoax that it is. I also pray that when the hoax is exposed, that the Lord will use it for good by calling those who have gotten off-track from their true assignment (making disciples by offering people the restoration that is only found in Jesus) back on track.

For further reading, check out Lee Grady's great article in Charisma mag.

Church as Hospital / Med-School

2011-03-25T10:19:00.000-07:00

My sister-in-law recently graduated from one of the top medical schools in the country. It has achieved that status not by being the biggest, but because of the quality of students it turns out and the number treatment-breakthroughs that are discovered there.

Similarly, our churches (or Bible studies, or worship teams, or whatever other ministry-effort we're leading) should not be evaluated by their size, but on what is happening in the lives of those who are there.

Here are a few other parallels that have crossed my mind:

Most med-schools also have hospitals attached. What a great picture of church! Everyone is welcome... nobody is shamed or turned away. However, entrance into the hospital does not guarantee entrance into the attached med-school. At our church, what we're looking for in people who would aspire to ministry leadership are servant-heartedness (my spell-check doesn't know that word), teachability (a desire to learn things that I don't already know), accountability (a desire to be linked up with others in a growth-process), and repentance (an eagerness to have my thinking changed by God).
We have more "students" than "doctors" and the learners are the ones doing the hands-on work. While patients at med-school hospitals might prefer to have full-fledged doctors doing the surgeries, often students are involved in the process. At church, it's the same. Our pastoral team and Delta leaders' jobs are not to do the ministry directly, but to mobilize and connect people who are learning how to pray and counsel with those who need it (all of us). Interestingly, studies have shown that (despite patients' nervousness) the care at med-school hospitals is better than at non-teaching hospitals.
For patients, healing is the goal. Everybody hopes that a trip the hospital is brief! Some treatments can take time, but every patient should aspire to wholeness. The point of coming to the hospital is to be healed so that we can get on with our lives. Sometimes church can seem like an endless cycle of going into the hospital! Instead, let's all set our sights on fruitful ministry (getting off the sick-bed and into the white gown and stethescope).
For students, each day is lived with graduation day in mind. The point of this school is not just to build a bigger and bigger school and hospital... but to SEND out these students into the wide world where they are needed. I am asking God to give me big dreams for those who call our church home... and the wisdom to equip them for what God is asking them to do. And I want to get better at planning a church-program that will love, mend, train, and send people in a period of a few years.

It's helpful to spend time thinking about what we're trying to do with this thing called "church." Without proactive thought, we'll end up just doing stuff out of tradition or routine. Neither will get us to our objective ("Go therefore and make disciples...").

2010 Congregation Report

2011-02-15T16:26:00.001-08:00

You might have thought that I had retired from blogging! But actually, I've just been pretty occupied with other things. Most notably Hils and I had our fourth, Joseph Chevron Millikan, on November 24th. And we also moved into a new home in early December. It feels like life is beginning to settle back into a more sane rhythm... Here are a couple recent pics of our cute little brood:

Now onto a Coastlands update... This past weekend I presented our annual
Congregation Report (you listen to it here, video is here). Here's a glimpse of what I presented:

This chart shows our average weekly attendance from our launch back in Daniel & Pamela's living room in '84 to today. That trend line looks kind of like a roller coaster, right? The latest wild drop began when Daniel handed the church over to Hils and I. While it's been humbling to lead through these days, it is beginning to be exhilarating... It feels to me like we are at that point on the ride where the wild drop begins to bottom out and anticipation of the next twists and turns begins to build...

This shows basically the same data, but it zooms in on just the last four years. Some of the drop from '09 to '10 was due to the transition from three services to two. People who came to all three were getting counted three times, now they are only get counted twice. It's impossible to know how much of the drop is due to these challenges of keeping an accurate count.

This charts shows our average monthly income and expenses for the last four years. After the challenges of '09, it felt great this year to basically have a balanced budget.

This chart shows the percentage of our adult weekend attendance that is participating in a home group. In early 2010 we hit the "reset button" on our ICU structure by launching a new one, which we call our "Delta's". During their first few months, we did not collect attendance data, but in October and November (on the far right of the chart), you can see that we are running at about 85%. What a pleasant surprise!

I look forward to the day that we are running over 100% on this chart. In the years to come, I think we will discover that more of our unchurched friends will find small home groups a more comfortable place to get connected than started out in our services.

This chart shows the number of people who have come to know Jesus through the various ministries of our church through the years. Praise Him that He used us to bring 120 people into His Kingdom this year!

This slide shows a few fun stats from our youth groups, which we call "The Nation." I am amped on the energy and life that I feel building among our young leaders...

This gives a little overview of the young leaders who participated in our Internship program in 2010.

The little red dots are tough to see, but if you look closely, you'll be amazed at all the places around the world that people have accessed Daniel's resource ministry, CTW.

Pretty wild travel schedule, eh? If you're not signed up for Daniel's travel journals, you're missing out! Stop by the CTW website to get signed up and check out the resources that are there, too.

Our church is a cross between a parachurch ministry (which exists to accomplish focused ministry of some kind) and regular church ministry (which is defined by the needs of a local group of people). Parachurch ministries usually only focus on one thing (feeding the homeless, distributing Bibles, etc.). Local churches take care of any and all needs that a group of people will encounter (birth, marriage, funerals, and every in-between). We are a blend of both and it's part of what makes this place so special...

These three couples are continuing to serve out the last year of their two-year term on our Council. Our Council is the group of people who together serve as my boss, set our budget, and help me keep a finger on the pulse of our the spiritual condition of our church family.

I'm delighted that Terry & Bethany Madsen and Dick & Lynne Starr were ratified this past weekend to serve a two year term on our Council. I love our Council. Our meetings are one of my favorite nights of the month.

Follow Me and I Will Make You Fishers of Men

2010-10-21T09:55:00.000-07:00

I love what Jesus says when He calls His disciples, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men" (Matthew 4:19). I hear Jesus words in three ways:

I hear a promise. Jesus takes the responsibility on Himself to transform my life. He makes me significant and useful by leading me and teaching me. I am not significant nor useful on my own strength or ability... that only comes from my continued determination to listen and follow.
I hear an instruction. The instruction is to follow. Following is a challenge to me. It means that I am not in charge and that I am not free to evaluate the path that I am on. My role is to keep seeking Jesus and asking Him if I am on track. When I choose to embrace this mentality (rather than trying to be a smart, savvy, independent sheep), I find deep peace and confidence.
I hear an example. The invitation to "Follow me" reveals the heart of a shepherd. It isn't prideful or manipulative to make that invitation to people. Quite the opposite! It's a choice to make a place of safety and fruitfulness for those whom we love. Just as Jesus takes responsibility for my growth and development, and He gives me instructions to follow, He asks me to be the same for another person. It's a sobering thing to step into that role in another person's life. But it's the most rewarding, exciting thing too! It's a place that God wants for every single one of us. Every single child of God is made to have a role of incredible significance and influence in others' lives.

When Peter first meets Jesus, he felt disqualified and inadequate. He feared that his sin would disgust, offend, or maybe even defile Jesus, "Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!" (Luke 5:8). But Jesus replies, "Do not fear, from now on you will be catching men" (Luke 5:10).

Many of us either disqualify ourselves or we never understand that we can aspire to such significance. Sometimes our sin feels more real than our significance in Jesus. But He says, "Nevermind about that... just keep following Me. I've got you covered and I want to use you."

Follow the Leader

2010-10-05T12:48:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, Hilary taught on Psalm 23. I love listening to her teach... she's entertaining, deep, and authentic -- exposing the realities of her thought process (good and bad).

I won't try to summarize her teaching, but just encourage you to check it out yourself (it's not up there right now, but it should be by tomorrow). Instead I wanted to share a few of my own thoughts on life as a sheep (and a shepherd).

Sheep are defenseless, directionless, and dependent. They are the perfect prey--without claws or sharp teeth they can't fight, with heavy coats and stubby legs, they can't outrun or outmaneuver their predators. They will wander into dangerous predicaments, even following other sheep to slaughter or off a cliff. They are one of the few animals that simply can't survive without attentive care (I had fun browsing this site for some of these interesting sheep factoids).

Any of this sound familiar?

Our natural tendency is to overcome our shortcomings--to try develop a strong defense, to be highly motivated, and to gain independence. While we can keep up appearances for a time, it's short-lived. No matter how impressive our lives might seem to the other sheep around us, it eventually falls short.

Jesus, who is our Good Shepherd, invites us to become shepherds, too. Check out this interaction between Jesus and Peter:

Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My lambs.” He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Tend My sheep." John 21:15-17

One of the primary ways that Jesus asks us to show our love for Him is to take responsibility to care for His little lambs. Many believers make the mistake of thinking that Jesus is mostly interested in having us stop sinning. While that's partly true, it's not for the reasons that many people think! We could be morally perfect and still completely miss the point (that's the mistake the Pharisees made). The point isn't how much sin is in my life, but rather how much of my life am I using to serve and bless Jesus' little lambs?

As a sheep, it's logical to have a problem with the concept of shepherding. Isn't that like the blind leading the blind? That's true if we're trying to lead people on our own strength and with our own wisdom. But we're not! The goal is to pass along to others what we've received from Jesus.

Our thinking about spiritual leadership / shepherding / ministry tends to be tinted with fleshly, human thinking. Our natural thinking tells us that a person must be extraordinarily charismatic or otherwise talented in order to lead other people (apparently there's actually an Icelandic sheep-breed that's famous for it's leader-like qualities). But unlike the Icelandic sheep, we don't need any special gifting or ability! All we need is an experience with Jesus and the courage to pass it along!

I love this passage in Isaiah:

The smallest one will become a clan, and the least one a mighty nation. I, the Lord, will hasten it in its time. Isaiah 60:22

No matter how insignificant we see ourselves as being, God wants to make us into a person of tremendous influence! That doesn't mean that we will necessarily fill stadiums. But it means that He's designed each of us to have a big impact on others. He's arranged our gifting and our life to bring us into contact with people who need what He has given us. Being a shepherd simply means loving and serving other people the way Jesus has loved and served me.

God says that He will "hasten" this process "in its time." In other words, God wants to speed you and me into the process of becoming a leader / influencer / minister / shepherd / servant / big brother or sister (take your pick of words... it's all the same thing), BUT He's not in a rush, either.

Maybe this is a time God is urging you to step forward and begin leading. Remember playing "follow the leader" as a kid? Wasn't it lame when the same kid always wanted to lead? That's because back then we thought it was fun to be the kid at the front of the line... but that was before a lot of painful stuff happened to us (rejection, failure, betrayal, etc.). But as Jesus heals us, we can find that spunk and spontaneity to enjoy showing others His goodness once again.

Over the last couple months, I've had fun working with a group of guys to plan our upcoming Men's Advance. There have been several great moments, but the best have all been in helping other guys remember / discover how God made them to help bless / serve / lead others. The reason I'm a pastor is because I love to help people let go of self-defeating ideas and identities and grab onto the truth of who Jesus says they are. When we begin to understand how GOOD God is and how lovingly He made us, we aren't quite so afraid to take our turn at the front of the line.

Dangling

2010-09-21T10:54:00.000-07:00

The Lord will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber… The Lord is your keeper; The Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun will not smite you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever. Psalm 121

The picture that's been in my mind recently is of the Lord being the strength behind my efforts to serve Him. Like the photo above, I've seen myself as a person sent and secured by God to help rescue people. But I'm not alone in my efforts; my contribution is a small fraction of the big picture.

I easily get stressed and overwhelmed when I imagine that it's all on me. But the Lord is reminding me to relax into the "harness" that's securing me; that He's holding onto me so that I can hold onto others. Every now and then fear tells me that God might lose His grasp on me and that both I and those whom I'm serving will be swept away. But again the Lord reminds me not to fear, and that He's holding me securely. When I am reassured of God's strength and promise, then dangling out there to rescue others becomes the greatest adventure and privilege imaginable.

Being Critical of Leaders

2010-09-02T10:43:00.000-07:00

I try to make a habit of reading Daniel's travel journals. It's refreshing and encouraging to me just "hear" his voice and perspective. His most recent post includes a lament about the criticism many pastors endure. He's not talking about people who lovingly and carefully bring constructive thoughts and observations, but about people who sit back in judgment (as if it were "American Idol" where the goal is to get rid of the non-superstars).

Over the last several years, I have come to peace with what I have had to face in this role. I don't point you to Daniel's lament for my sake, but rather for the sake of the pastors we will raise up and send out. As one young man (who I hope will pastor someday) put it, "I am just scared to step out and really lead because I think people will reject what I have to offer."

Obviously, this is a fear that this aspiring leader will have to overcome if he's going to lead. His broken perspective is NOT everyone else's fault. BUT if we want to raise up more leaders we collectively need to work at creating a culture where:

Love and acceptance are the foundation (rather than being rewards for good performance).
It's OK to make mistakes (mistakes are evidence that we're on the right track in promoting people who are in a learning-process).
Everything is an experiment (success is measured by our ability to help people get past their fear to try something new, not by their ability to produce an amazing program or event).

Sending out leaders will be part of our future once again... not just a dusty relic from our past. But we must start by asking God to change us individually -- asking the Lord to transform us into the kind of people that can nurture others' growth rather than critique their performance.

A Fork in the Road

2010-08-25T13:27:00.001-07:00

I know, it's a bit corny and cliche... A fork in the road. *smile*

God loves to help us clearly see our options. Turn right or turn left. Blessings or curses. Good or evil. Black or white.

Life often doesn't feel like it's black or white, rather it seems to be grayscale -- trying to navigate priorities, balance commitments, and choose the lesser of various evils. In the gray, there's not much room for conviction. My mind can see validity in various perspectives -- and often seems most comfortable in the worst ones!

But from God's vantage point, all perspectives are not equally valid. He is right and everyone else is wrong. But He does not hold that against us. Instead, He graciously and generously gives wisdom to all who seek Him with all their hearts (Jer. 29:13, James 1:5).

So I'm praying that God will bring me to those points of conviction, that He will show me where my ways aren't lining up with His, and that I will understand what I need to change to be more of who God made me to be. Confusion takes over when I'm trying to figure things out on my own. The world becomes gray, neither black nor white, neither hopeless nor exciting, neither right nor wrong. But when I stop trying to figure things out on my own, and really ask God for His thoughts and His conviction (Matt. 5:6), then He is faithful to show me.

God gave Ezekiel and Jeremiah each a fork in the road (Jer. 1, Ez. 2). My very rough translation of what He said to each of them: "If you speak what I tell you to, then I'll strengthen you to do it. You'll face opposition, but you'll win in the end. But if you give into your fear and don't go for it, then your fears will come true and you'll end up afraid of your own shadow."

When I'm gung-ho-obedient-going-for-it-with-all-I've-got, then I feel God strengthening me and energizing me. But when I start to lean back, I find a bottomless pit that quickly swallows me up. The fork in the road that God is showing me has less to do with circumstances (i.e. what should I eat for lunch?), and more to do with attitude (i.e. am I aggressively seeking to do what I already know God wants me to do?).

Back in the Saddle

2010-08-04T11:27:00.001-07:00

The Millikan family has been on a wild, fun blitz for the last couple of months. A few months ago Hils and I got away to Maui for our 10 year Anniversary, then VBS kicked into gear, then we headed off for a family vacation in the Sierras (for those of you on Facebook, you gotta check out the video I posted... it's a hoot!), then we came back into town for a couple weeks in which Hilary's youngest brother (Evan) got married, and then we headed back out of town for another week of vacation with the extended Milli-fam (see below).

I heard an old voice call out to me this week. When the day came to jump back into work, my flesh grumbled and complained. But I quickly felt convicted. Sweating and suffering for Jesus is the greatest honor of our lives! Here are some verses I've been holding onto:

Even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. Phil. 2:17

I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus. Acts 20:24

My pastor Daniel taught that until we've felt like quitting, we haven't done much in the Kingdom. That feeling is actually evidence that we're on the right track! Learning to take it captive (rather than being taken captive by it) is a big part of growing in ministry (2 Cor. 10:5). Ministry is all about dying to myself--it will never be comfortable or easy.

VBS Tuesday: Listening Ears, Mouths that Speak Kind Words

2010-06-22T15:38:00.000-07:00

Oh, how I LOVE this week!!! Above are a couple of our directors who are evidence that we still don't know: "Who has more fun at VBS -- the adults or the kids!?!" It's a question we've been pondering for the many years, and we still don't know the answer!

This year's overall theme is "Geared for Adventure!" The idea is that God made us to be His partners in the greatest adventure imaginable: winning the world with His love and kindness.

Our verses of the day are about how God made our ears and mouths to be key components of the "gear" God's given us to show others His love:

"Let's be quick to listen and slow to speak." James 1:19
"Let the words of my mouth be pleasing to You, Lord." Psalm 19:14

Today I'm praying that God continues to teach me how to use my ears and my mouth to bless people! I tend to be quick to talk. But I want to listen more carefully to people and to the Lord. I don't want to fill the air with my own words and thoughts. I want to speak the words Jesus Himself wants to speak to people.

Did you know that even Jesus had to watch His words? He did this by carefully listening:

I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak. John 12:49

Jesus was careful in speaking by carefully listening. I'm going to try the same thing!

VBS Monday: God Looks on the Heart

2010-06-21T16:01:00.001-07:00

This morning we kicked off VBS 2010! Pictured above are a few members of the team who led us in some rockin' worship! We have about 280 elementary-aged kids on campus for week of absolute fun learning about the God's great love for each of us. It's been a great day. Our campus feels peaceful, joyful, safe, and fun. While there's plenty of energy, it doesn't feel chaotic or crazed. For those prayer-warriors out there, please pray for some slightly warmer weather...

One of our theme verses for today was:

Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7

When people evaluate us, it's tough not to try to adjust to expectations. But from an early age many of us learned that when we followed that age-old advice to just "be yourself" we paid a heavy price. The pressure to conform (and the punishment for lack of conformity) is too much for most of us to handle. So we try to fit in. Over time, little bits of who are made to be are carved away until we wonder what's left. Then we scramble to redefine ourselves. But this scramble doesn't often produce confidence or peace.

The best solution is to turn to the one who knit us together in our mother's womb (Psalm 139:13-14). He formed not only our physical being, but also our personality and emotional make-up. As we turn to Him, we discover that He knows us better than we know ourselves. Nobody is better equipped than Jesus to introduce us to ourselves:

Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

Maybe you're not sure what the "desires of your heart" are. Maybe you've tried hard, but haven't found anything that's truly satisfying. Jesus knows exactly what you need. Ask Him to show you how to seek Him. If you'll seek Him instead of what you think you need, He will add the missing pieces to your life.

To check out videos of the Assemblies click here, for other VBS Highlights click here and here.

Decade!

2010-05-21T16:27:00.000-07:00

Hilary and I returned last week from a week-long trip to Maui for our ten year anniversary. Wow!!! What a wonderful time we enjoyed together!

Some highlights:
When we checked in, the nice person at the front desk put us in a spectacular room. We had booked with Priceline, so I was kind of dreading getting stuck on the 6th floor overlooking the parking lot in the room adjacent to the elevator. But as it was, they put us on the first floor with a sliding glass door that opened onto the lawn right next to the pool and beach. Ohmygoodness... Wow, wow, wow! I couldn't imagine a more perfect setting.

We watched at least 10 movies. Iron Man 2, Robin Hood (the new one with Russel Crowe), Sherlock Holmes, Did You Hear About the Morgans, Invictus... I forget the rest.

We spent at least three days laying by the pool reading books. Hils is a ridiculously fast reader and made it through 4+ books by Brock & Bodie Thoene and Francine Rivers. I'm a ridiculously slow reader and made it through half of an N.T. Wright theology book and a thriller by Stieg Larsson.

We snorkeled. Kinda a miracle since Hilary doesn't appreciate fish or the open ocean. The first time we did it, she had fun (it was a really quiet bay with about a dozen other couples also snorkling... felt super-safe and easy).
The second time we did it, it was more open-ocean style. Definite faux paux on my part... that was definitely NOT fun for her.

And the absolute best was a hike we took to a series of four waterfalls. There was a little tiny trail through a 40+ foot tall bamboo forest. At one point the trail disappeared into the water and we had to swim for a few hundred yards and climb a little waterfall to keep going. The greenery, the warm breeze, and the idyllic surrounding almost felt surreal.

It was a wonderful time of reconnection with Hils, and also an investment in our own refreshment for the great work that God has called us to do (1 Tim. 4:16)!

Return & Rebuild: Feel the Pain

2010-03-30T11:07:00.000-07:00

When I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days... I and my father’s house have sinned. Nehemiah 1:4, 6

Upon hearing that the Jews living in Jerusalem “are in great distress and reproach,” Nehemiah is brokenhearted. Maybe he had been living under the illusion that things were going great in Jerusalem. After all, the temple had been rebuilt! While there had been some complaining among the older generation, the younger ones were super-amped on their miraculous accomplishment (Ezra 3:11-13). Up until this point, Nehemiah had probably only been listening to those younger, excited folks (and been a bit annoyed at the complaining of the older ones).

But now the Lord helps him to see the full picture. It’s not that God hasn’t been doing great things…. Yes, yes, yes! Be excited and praise Him for the good things that happened in the rebuilding of the Temple (that’s the book of Ezra)! But God was giving Nehemiah a chance to acknowledge Jerusalem’s true condition: the walls are broken down and the people are a laughing-stock to the neighboring nations. A far cry from God’s plan for Jerusalem (Ps. 135)!

Although the Jews are worshiping God in their newly rebuilt Temple, the city is still in shambles. It’s time for another miracle—rebuilding the wall. That miracle begins with Nehemiah’s painful acknowledgment that things are not as they should be. He takes ownership for his part: that while he had been enjoying a cushy life of serving the King and comforting himself with incomplete reports on how great things were going in Jerusalem, the Lord wanted more from him and for the city.

There is a miraculous story that isn’t told in the Bible– it’s the story of how this Jewish kid named Nehemiah ends up in the high court of King Artaxerxes as a trusted servant. What a wild ride that must have been! I can only imagine the discipline, the integrity, and the wisdom that Nehemiah must have grown in over the course of many years to end up in that position. But Nehemiah did not take pride in his previous growth and obedience, nor in the position that he has achieved. Instead he allowed the Lord to still convict and correct him so that He could lead him (and the people) into even better things!

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Some of you may have heard me say recently, I feel like the book of Nehemiah is a great picture of where our church is at these days. "Return and Rebuild" is what I hear the Holy Spirit encouraging us to do... I'll spend the next few weeks sharing in blog-form some of the insights He's been giving me.

11 Out of 203

2010-03-24T14:31:00.000-07:00

In our Central Pacific District of Foursquare churches, 11 out of 203 senior pastors are under 40 years old. A stat I heard recently for churches across America are that within 7 years, half of the churches will not have pastors (I can't verify that stat, but the person I heard it from attributed the research to the Barna Group).

We are all designed to have an impact, to have an influence, and to gain followers:

The smallest one will become a clan, and the least one a mighty nation. I, the Lord, will hasten it in its time. Isaiah 60:22

As we grow in the Lord, He raises us up to have influence in others' lives. So let's lean into Him, and believe together that we will see those numbers change.

Encouraging & Promoting Others' Ministry

2010-03-23T16:33:00.000-07:00

…Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples… although Jesus Himself was not baptizing, but His disciples were. John 4:1-2

I noticed this verse for the first time the other day. I don't know why it never jumped out at me before! What a fantastic example of how Jesus mobilized His disciples in ministry!

Jesus knew that if He did everything, He would be the bottleneck and far less ministry would happen than if he promoted and released His guys to go for it. As a pastor, my job is to love people and then encourage and train them to do my job.

In other words, my job is to work myself out of a job!

If we give in to our natural thinking in ministry, we will try to recruit "helpers" (people who will help us minister to more people) rather than "disciples" (people who we train so they can grow into their own ministry). Jesus is all about raising up disciples. Yes, they started out as ushers who served the multitudes when Jesus miraculously fed them. But Jesus' goal wasn't just to have an usher team, it was to train and equip these guys to have their own ministries.

Two questions:

In the areas I'm serving, do I see myself as merely a helper for someone else's ministry, or am I utilizing the opportunity to grow my own? If I'm only helping someone else's ministry, I may be a servant, but I'm probably not a disciple.
In the areas I'm leading, do I recruit people so that I can have the help that I need, or am I offering them a training opportunity? Do I see my invitation as a stepping stone toward their success or toward my success?