If you are not interested in people who do not follow Jesus, you haven’t been following Jesus very much.

If you do not care about a world that doesn’t know Jesus, you’re not getting to know Jesus very much.

If you care about a good cause more than you care about people who are not following Jesus, you don’t understand the cause of Jesus very much.

If you care more about exegesis than you care about your neighbors, your heart does not reflect the heart of Jesus very much.  (Nor did you do a good job with your exegesis.)

If you care more about doctrine than you care about others, you don’t understand the doctrine of Jesus very much.

And if you are a church and all of that is true about you,  that is such

A shame.

Because you can do much

Better.

And so much

More.

Very much.

The prison was dark and dismal.  Paul glanced once at his chains, and then at his friend Silas, who was sitting next to him on the cold rock floor.   Noticing the weary look in his companion’s eye, he offered him words of encouragement.

“Silas,” Paul whispered, “Let’s sing a hymn.”

“What shall we sing?  They took our hymnals when they imprisoned us.”

“Ah, Silas, old friend, we’ve sung them so many times, we both know many of them by heart.  Let’s sing “Hymn Number 54.”

“A Mighty Fortress Is Our God?”

“That’s the one.”

Silas smiled, and together with Paul he began to sing the grand and majestic hymn with all of his heart.

Moments later, the chains and walls came crashing down.

And of course they would, if such an anachronistic event ever actually occurred…

This may be a loaded sentence, but basically, at Stoneview we will teach people the Bible more than we teach the Bible to people.

(Don’t get lost in the wording, there. I’m talking about the “how” now, not the “what,” brown cow. )

This is because we want people to understand the Bible and we care enough to communicate it in a way they will understand.

Preaching is for people. If you’re a preacher, I hope you don’t think you’re preaching to God… He already knows this stuff.  If you’re not interested in teaching people the Bible, you don’t really need the people, do you? You can do that alone in your study.

I will not be doing the deep exegetical study in front of everyone as I’m delivering the message.  That will happen before and in preparation for the delivery of the message.  The goal is that the “deep, accurate message” is clear and understandable.

I’ve heard deep, accurate sermons that connected with the hearers and I’ve heard deep, accurate sermons that bored the heck out of people and caused them to walk away not understanding anything.

The Bible is deep.

It’s also simple.

It’s never simplistic.

I want people to understand as much as possible as the Spirit opens their hearts to hear.

What is the 100 Project?

In Luke chapter 15, we find that notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. Jesus spent time with them, had dinner with them and associated with them. When the Pharisees and Teachers of Religious Law noticed Him doing this, they began complaining and criticizing Jesus.

In response to this, Jesus told them several stories with a common theme: finding something or someone who was lost. In the first scenario, Jesus asked them to consider the possibility of a Shepherd who had 100 sheep. He asked them:

4 “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t He leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it?

5 And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders.

6 When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’

7 In the same way there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away! (NLT)

In this and the stories that followed, Jesus was saying that He was here to reach the lost and bring them back into the fold. These “notorious sinners” were lost sheep who desperately needed Him, whether they knew it or not.

In a similar way, we are starting Stoneview Church to reach the ONE: Those who are “lost” and have yet to give their lives to Christ. In the Fort Worth (Alliance), Texas area, the “ONE” numbers in the thousands.

As a new church, we are leaving the safety and comfort of the ninety-nine in order to reach the ONE. This is the heart of “The 100 Project” and the start of Stoneview Church.

“The 100 Project” provides an opportunity for Stoneview Church to have a strong start, making it possible for us to continue developing more, stronger and closer followers of Jesus Christ for many years to come. It is a campaign that includes fund raising, a prayer initiative, people-gathering, acts of service in our communities and more.

A Summary of Our Goals for the 100 Project:

1. Enlist 100 Prayer Partners by the end of September 2009.

2. Commit to 100 hours of prayer for Stoneview Church.

3. Gather 100 adults by the end of 2009.

4. Perform 100 acts of service and ministry.

5. Record 100 stories of life change.

6. Rejoice over 100 baptisms by the summer of 2010.

7. Raise $25,000 in startup funds by enlisting 100 partners who make a ONE time gift of $250.

For an expanded look at these goals including how you can be a part of “the 100 Project,” click on the “Goals” link on “The 100 Project Site.”

Click here to see how you can be a part of “The 100 Project” and let us know about it.

Reading, re-reading and hoping to read a variety of books this summer.  Categories are all over the map – Church planting, Theology, business, leadership, marketing, fiction and fun stuff.  I may add to or take away from this list as the summer goes on, but here’s where I stand at the moment.

Ok, I know this one is kind of obvious, but I wanted to be specific.  I won a copy of the NLT Study Bible in a Twitter Contest several weeks ago, so I’m going to be using it for my Bible reading this summer.  My goal is to make my way through the New Testament before September.

Some of the following books I have already read, and am now either skimming, focusing on certain chapters or re-reading completely.  Others, I’m starting for the first time.  You can find most of them on Amazon.

Notice the “Studies in Hebrews” by Herschel H. Hobbs from 1954.  How about that “spare no expense” flashy cover?

Finally, here are a few I hope to read, but haven’t purchased, yet.

What are you reading this summer?

Heads Up: This is a long post. But it’s also kind of short post, because there are pictures! Enjoy.

Our Honda started overheating again so I took it to the mechanic. I had to leave it there. But since it was a beautiful day and I was only a few miles from home, I decided to walk. I didn’t have to do it, I just wanted to do it.

I wasn’t in a hurry, and the breeze was nice. My first stop was a neighborhood park for a few sips of water at a water fountain and a short time of prayer & reflection.

Feeling refreshed, I moved on. As I walked, I was struck by the variety of landscapes and scenery of the Alliance, Texas area. At one point (as in one of the pics below) I could see a “stamp sized” Texas Motor Speedway crunched between some trees.

Watch a few seconds of the walk through some trees here.

Texas heat is sometimes deceiving. A cool breeze and a little shade can make you wonder why you’re beginning to break a sweat. And I was beginning to break a sweat.

But what’s a little sweat on an adventure? Actually, it’s probably not an adventure without a little sweat.

On I walked.

I know what you’re thinking about that last set of photos: “How’d he take those photos?” Well, the answer is really complicated and involves the implementation of high tech procedures and satellites and such, so I probably had better not tell you. In fact, I’ve probably told you too much already.  Let’s move on.

The walk and the view continued.  The vines were creepy, but kind of cool.

As cars passed me, I began to realize that I probably looked like a drifter, walking wearily along with my backpack. …And my goofy sunglasses.  …And my phone.

As I approached our neighborhood, about 5 miles were behind me. Before me was my lovely wife, Leona – greeting me at the entrance to our neighborhood with a smile on her face and a mug of iced water for me in her left hand. Our dog, Molly, trotted along on the leash in Leona’s right.

Melissa and Michael were waiting in the park.  We hung out under the shade of the pavilion for a while, chewing ice and watching Molly strain against the leash and whimper menacingly at the ducks.

By the time we’re back to the house, I’m reminded yet again of how blessed I am. Sure, the Van is toast and the Honda is most likely looking at another part replacement, but I’ve still got a lot to be thankful for.

…Ok, and a sunburn on my noggin to beat the band.

One of the best things I’ve ever started in ministry was a weekly gathering called “Compass Men.”   This gathering involved me bringing men together from both inside and outside of our church to a coffee shop for a “later than ususal” meeting.  

This gathering was simple and amazing.  Essentially, it involved issuing challenges to these guys with achievable, tangible things for them to do to help them grow as Christ followers, husbands, fathers and leaders.  

Here’s how it played out each week:

• We went through a book of the Bible together, but they read their assignments before they arrived.  
• We memorized a verse of scripture each week, but we did not all memorize the same one.  Each man memorized a verse of scripture they felt God was speaking to them about during their reading.
• We started each week by quoting our verse and telling each other why we felt like God wanted us to learn it.
• We walked through the reading for that week, and I kept us from heresy…
• We emphasized what God wanted us to change, do or obey.
• We closed the evening with prayer in the parking lot.
• We then went home and shared what we were learning with our families.

It was cool to see men rally around this basic plan each week, with a basic action plan that was a “doable” way to flesh out their faith each week.   As the weeks went on and I saw the growth happening in these men, I began to wish that we had been doing this from the very beginning.

That’s why it’s the first thing in our storyboard heading into Stoneview Summer 2009.  (The astute among you will also see that the name is a hat tip to our previous adventure in church planting.  That, and “Stone Men” just didn’t have the same ring to it! )  

See the info below:

There’s a man of iron in you that God wants to sharpen.  You can become a stronger husband, father, friend and leader.

On Tuesday nights during the summer of 2009, we’re inviting men from all over the Alliance, Texas area to join us for an hour or so to challenge each other to be the best God wants us to be.

No fluff.  No study guide.  No hugs.  One book – the Bible.

You don’t have to be a member of our church or know anything about the Bible to be a part of Stoneview’s Compass Men. You just need to be ready to take your life to the next level.

Begins Tuesday, June 2nd.

Location:  McDonald’s in the “Pilot Point Travel Center” at “Alliance Crossing”

Directions:  Click for Map.  

I first noticed this at one of my son’s football games a few years ago.  His team had been on a losing streak for several weeks, and it made a difference in the way they played the game.  And with each new play that went astray, their approach to the next one was affected.  

In the same way, there is a “Culture of Losing” that develops over time in some organizations and churches.  

Here’s how it plays out:  After experiencing a series of “losses” the team begins to expect to lose.  And before long, without even realizing it, they may actually begin planning to lose.  Then the team knows nothing of winning, only of losing, and a “Culture of Losing” is the result.  ”Losing” becomes the norm.  It’s what they know.

But one good win can change everything.  It can turn a game around, put wind in your sails, provide hope, and plant the seed of a “culture of winning.”  

I watched it happen in my son’s football game after a great play.  I felt it on the 18th hole of a round of golf when, after 17 holes of  lame attempts, I hit the ball straight down the fairway.  I noticed it in the attitudes of team members after a successful event that followed ones that were not so successful.

Good leaders recognize the frequency of “losses” and learn to ask themselves the following question:  Without manipulation or ‘head games’ with my team, what small wins can I create that in turn will create momentum enough to banish the “Culture of Losing” and create a new “Culture of Winning?”   

Never underestimate the power and momentum of a good win – no matter how small.

There is no right way to do the wrong thing.

If it is the wrong thing, it is the wrong thing.  If you change it up, put fresh paint on it, work harder at it, or pour more money into it, it won’t work if it’s the wrong thing.

Generally speaking, this applies to most relationship choices, project selections (and solutions), career choices, church strategies and company decisions. 

Don’t try to fix the wrong thing.  Stop doing the wrong thing.

Instead, discover the right thing and pour everything into that.

What if God asked you to do something?

Would you do it?

Or

Would you ask for a better time table? (Like this guy - Matthew 8:21-22)

Would you make excuses? (Like Moses - Exodus 4:1-16)

Would you balk and get angry? (Like Naaman – 2 Kings 5:10-12)

Would you run away? (Like Jonah – Jonah 1:1-3)

Would you keep asking for signs until you were sure He was asking you? (Like Gideon - Judges 6:36-40)

Would you say no? (Like Peter – John 13:6-8)

Would you explain why it couldn’t be done? (Like Jesus’ Disciples - Luke 9:12-14)

The truth is, God is asking you to do something.  It is very likely that you know exactly what it is.  You sense it.  You feel it.  You may have been avoiding it, but you know it.

What if you were to just …do it?

Maybe you would:

Catch more than ever before. (Like these guys – John 21:6)

Set many people free. (Like Moses - Exodus 12:50-51)

Find healing.  (Like Naaman – 2 Kings 5:13-14)

See a nation restored. (Like Jonah - Jonah 3)

Win against incredible odds. (Like Gideon – Judges 7:7-9)

Discover a deep sense of belonging. (Like Peter – John 13:8-9)

Experience a miracle. (Like Jesus’ Disciples – Luke 9:14-17)

Regardless, you’ll experience and know God more deeply and fully if you obey.

What if God asked you to do something?  

…What if you actually did it?