It took less than 15 minutes and What is best of all is that if you’re in seminary and apply for the Seminary Scholarship, and put my name as the person who referred you, if you win the scholarship, so do I. It’s that simple. We could both get a $1,000.00 scholarship and digital theological library. So, do us both a favor and go apply for the Seminary Scholarship today.

Things were going well except for one thing: God was calling me to leave.

I wrestled with the selfishness of the decision. Leaving would mean a much needed rest from the whirlwind of crisis management I had undertaken on the job. It would also mean my wife would move into the field of nursing sooner than expected so I could pursue a Master’s Degree and fulltime ministry. I would be home while she sacrificed. There would also be freedom in self-employment as I would spend most of the summer enjoying time with my son. The plan was simple; run a home business while going to school, seek God’s call on my life and make family important again.

To my surprise, my wife selflessly agreed to make the move. But what followed is what I can only describe as a swift blow from the clenched fist of reality.

Reality Check
Peace wasn’t so peaceful after all. The calm, napping baby I had seen my wife holding every evening made a quick about-face. No one told me how quickly my son would evolve from needing a periodic diaper change and bottle to scaling tall bookshelves in my office. I found it difficult to complete a sentence without finding something valuable in his hands. And then he learned to flee the scene of the crime using the newfound skill of walking. I rue the day.

In matter of weeks my wife’s new career had proved to be just as unpredictable. She had accepted a job visiting and providing health care in stranger’s homes. It supported the family, but wasn’t ideal in any way. She came home every night with stories that sounded somewhat unsafe and downright disgusting.

Then came a momentary collapse of the income that would have supported my dream of education. Business wasn’t coming in, and freedom turned to worry.

Our plans of peace had somehow turned into an environment of chaos, where the majority of families live today.

Not Alone
It is no secret that American marriages are ending at an astounding rate of 50%. We can only cringe at thinking how a poor economy has pushed those numbers even higher. Financial instability, an ever-increasing unemployment rate and a general lack of hope will hit pressure points of even the strongest marriages. And the effects of this stress do not stop there. Statistics will show you how children are a handling the plight of their parents.

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5)
If you live in this place with the rest of us, a strategy for navigating these unsteady waters can be found in Philippians Chapters 1 & 2, where Paul urges the Philippian church to have the Mind of Christ. That is to say, model the very philosophy of life that Christ lived. Whether you are transitioning to a new career, trying to be a patient father or facing an uncertain economy, approach life with this way of thinking.

From the surrounding scriptures, we are not only given this instruction but also a description of what this looks like in practical terms for the family.

Live in Unity.
Paul makes this request; ”fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.” (Phil 2:2, NKJV). It is infinitely important that my family (and yours) communicate about the direction we are headed, hear concerns and fears with an open heart and then seek a unified direction from the Holy Spirit. In a family of any size, a successful journey is only possible when all members are moving in the same direction.

I’m a creative problem solver, so I tend to think my way through life. But this kind of unity begins with prayer. Rather than solving issues on our own, we must make sure we are “looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, (Hebrews 12:2) and not to ourselves as saviors. When we choose to follow God’s direction rather than our own creative answers, everyone involved can be confident that God is sovereign in his solutions. We must be unified in following Him.

Live in Selflessness.
Christ is the ultimate example of humility in His approach to relationships. Of anyone who ever lived, He could have claimed the right to make demands of the people around Him. But no; “He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross (Phil 2:7-8 NKJV).

When we put the Mind of Christ at the heart of the family unit, we consider humility the priority. Our spouse and children suddenly become more important than our own goals for the future and our very existence will be laid down for the necessities of their lives. This is our calling; to elevate the interests of others above our own. (Phil 2:3 NKJV)

Redefine Success.
At times, it is very tempting to return to corporate life for the sake of selfish peace. I could easily ignore the difficulties of marriage with a different schedule – and there would be no toddlers demanding to be chased in and out of my office. In theory, I could accomplish more. But while culture around us is driven by corporate success and checking off items from a to-do list, Christ’s mind in us redefines success in the family.

Christ accomplished his mission, but not without enduring the punishment and brutal death of the cross. His calling was to glorify God through sacrifice. Our families can see fulfillment by following this example, as there is only one ultimate success as defined by Christ’s selfless actions – the Glory of God.

For this same purpose our lives, goals and lists are all set aside.

As our families wait patiently for direction in ministry and life, we are held stable by an intense desire to see these things worked in us. We will be assured that single-mindedness and humility must prevail against the chaos of rowdy children, selfish goals and inevitable change.

As I write, there are deadlines to be met. My wife and I are patiently discussing the possibilities of even more transition in the coming months. My sleeping son has left my office in a literal disastrous pile of scattered toys, textbooks and damaged personal items. But something within is leading me to use this quiet moment to prepare myself for whatever is ahead.

“Let this mind be in (me) which was also in Christ Jesus.”

I came across an article in the journal ‘Bibliotheca Sacra” called The Reconciliation of All Things in Christ by Gary Shultz, Jr., and decided to critique it as an assignment for my Biblical Theology class.  I’m posting the critique below, but before you read it, you should browse the original article by Shultz.

The Main idea; All of creation is ultimately reconciled by God through the work of Christ on the Cross.  Reconciliation looks different, however, for Believers, Non-believers and the rest of creation.  Overall, I think Shultz’s explanation to be scripturally valid as an intelligent response to Universalism.  Read the original article here.

The following is my brief critique on Shultz’s theory.

“The low view of God entertained almost universally among Christians is the cause of a hundred lesser evils everywhere among us… The decline of the knowledge of the holy has brought on our troubles. A rediscovery of the majesty of God will go a long way toward curing them.”

–A.W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy (New York: HarperCollins, 1961), pp. vii-viii.

Leaving a career to pursue ministry is not easy. Watching your wife drive across town to work a night shift to help financially is worse. Watching your web development income dry up is downright terrifying.

So then we find ourselves blind in the middle of a swaying, decrepit bridge. We are at the second decision of faith.

While the first step isn’t easy, it isn’t the only one you have to make. The next series of steps are clumsy. You grope around in the dark for something to cling to. You can’t see anything. You’re scared, but can’t show it. There are two more people behind you that need the assurance. And you have a nagging thought;

“If we turn back now, there is a cliff waiting where we came from.”

The other option is not so clear. It’s still dark. There might even be nothing there. God called, but maybe to sacrifice. As many happy endings as we have in the bible, there are plenty that end badly. Steven was stoned. John the baptist was beheaded when he thought Jesus would free him from prison. Christ himself was tortured to death. There are enough possibilities at the end of this bridge to make me reconsider.

So what do you do in the dark when you can’t panic and you can’t see where you are going? Even though I’m still in the darkness, I have a few practical things I can grasp when I read Hebrews Ch. 12. If you’re also in the middle of the bridge, I hope this encourages you.

Be Wise and Attentive to Your Family.
It’s o.k. to stop and think. If something is causing the bridge to be unstable, evaluate it. You definitely don’t want to travel heavy. Financially, it’s o.k. to cut back to make room for what’s important. Lay aside the weight that hinders. (Heb 12:1).

Also, be sure that your family is staying close with you. Don’t let resentment foster, so deal honestly with any fears from your family. It’s important to make sure they are not following you, but following God along with you.

Be Faithful and Attentive to Your Calling.
It’s easy to forget details when you’re in the dark. Remember the original calling that you felt; God didn’t call my family to prosperity. He called us to ministry and the preparation for it. What did He lead you to do when you first stepped out? Look for opportunities to further that. He’ll bring them along in his timing. When income and opportunities are dry, consider Christ and his endurance and use it as a way to relate to Him better.

Hebrew 12:3
Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.

Be Quiet and Attentive to God.
In all the commotion and instability, you may be missing clear direction that is coming your way. Make sure you are listening for God’s voice, and set your feet in the direction of Christ. His word will be the only light you have on the path. (Psalm 119:105)

Hebrews 12:2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Encouragement for you and me.
In my effort to make it across the bridge where God has called us, I will remind myself of this. “Michael, pay attention to these things, and you’ll have the most important ones covered. Your family, your calling, and your God.”

I love the encouraging words of Verse 12 in the ESV; “Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees and make straight paths for your feet,..”   That is to say, fight for your second wind and stay focused.  

I encourage you to open up Hebrews 12 for yourself.  Keep it close by and keep walking forward.

I’m inspired by all things creative and artistic.

Here’s just an example of things that have caught my eye; a resurgence of variety on television. For instance, on SNL you’ll see sketches that aren’t necessarily comedic in nature, but is worked into the regular mix of sketches. Their “Les Jeunes De Paris” series of sketches, which aren’t even in English, are good example of this. Enjoy — but don’t hold me responsible for the content of this — just get the concept and move along.

On another note, Emma Stone is seriously talented.

Likewise, if there is no change or growth happening in the life of someone claiming to be a follower of Christ, what exactly does that mean, and what action should they take.

I wrestle with questions like this, and then I’ll get it. And then I’ll wrestle again.
For anyone who struggles with the same type of questions, here is an excellent sermon from Tim Keller (one of my favorite pastors and authors) that brings a touch of clarity. I listen to it often.

Over the course of Christian history, one thing is certain about “Revival.”  It comes in all shapes and forms.

It is fluid, free flowing and at times, subjective.  It may not look like you expect it to.  In fact, the revival that one church body needs may be entirely different than the awakening needed for another.

The term can also be misunderstood, misused and to be frank, counterproductive to the central mission of the church.  This is why “Revival” is becoming a word that is endangered.

In the midst of all the church growth programs, books and tv ministries trying to define it for us, I thought I would look to the past to find out what revival has historically looked like.

Starting with a quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer:

Revival of church life always brings in its train a richer understanding of the Scriptures. Behind all the slogans and catchwords of ecclesiastical controversy, necessary though they are, there arises a more determined quest for him who is the sole object of it all, for Jesus Christ himself.What did Jesus mean to say to us? What is his will for us to-day? How can he help us be good Christians in the modern world? In the last resort, what we want to know is not, what would this or that man, or this or that Church, have of us, but what Jesus Christ himself wants of us.  

(The Cost of Discipleship, 1937, (New York: Touchstone, 1995), 35.)

The line that sticks for me is that “Revival” produces “a more determined quest” for Jesus Christ, the “sole object of it all.”  This undoubtedly fleshes out as a congregation-wide re-focusing on the central mission of the church, producing Christ-followers through evangelism, gospel-oriented preaching and biblical discipleship.  This is one expression of revival I long to see.

I’ll keep posting as I find more historical ideas and case studies.  Until then, I’d love to hear your thoughts on what Revival means to you.  Comment Below or message me here.

And then I caught myself in the ridiculous. Why would we want to? Because they did it?

I suddenly felt myself freed from comparison. Our church also has an average age of around 55 (estimate). My grandparents would undoubtedly assume that a “flash mob” equals naked gangsters running through our church campus.

The reality is that we are not, and never will be Gateway Church.

Even if you had the resources, take it from me. There is no fulfillment in the carbon copy.

I’ve spent a lifetime asking myself if my creativity is my own, and I’ve found comparison only breeds less satisfaction and ultimately less ideas for the future.

I don’t mean to be harsh, but your church will never be Gateway. Your band will never sound like Coldplay. You will never sing, create or be the artist, writer or preacher you love to follow.

This idea has changed me. Please, let that liberate you to authentically and creatively be who you are, and reach the people you are called to reach.