The PaperBoy

Happy Holidays, Seasons Greetings, Merry X-Mas And Any Other "Non-Christian" Greeting That Is Certain To Get Me Branded As A Heretic...

2011-12-15T11:12:00.000-07:00

I don't know if you've seen facebook lately. If not there are two constants: 1. all the griping about the latest facebook format changes (brace yourselves because there is another one rolling out today - December 15th); and 2. around this season many of my Christian friends get really upset because they aren't being greeted with a "Merry Christmas" in the places they shop. Some of them are genuinely angry.

I get it - I really do. Jesus is the reason for the season and all that.

I don't want to throw the proverbial wet blanket on anyone's personal Keep Christ in Christmas Campaign however I would like to offer up a different perspective or seven...

1. The reason Stuffmart and Shooters (that's what my great-granddad called Target) and every other retail chain don't care about the whole "Merry Christmas" thing is because they dont care about Christ. They care about making a profit - period. It is not Walmart's job to point people to Jesus. It doesn't make sense to me to be angry when lost people act like lost people or when businesses do and say things to make money. You're not ever going to get a Merry Christmas, a holy kiss, or any other traditional Christian greeting from your friendly Walmart greeter - deal with it. By the way, not everyone who is buying a bunch of crap during the Christmas season is a Christian.

2. The word "Holiday" is a contraction of "Holy Day." What's wrong with that?

3. Jesus never asked His followers to celebrate His birthday. He asked us to celebrate His death. We celebrate His "birthday" on December 25th because back in the day we tried to keep everyone happy in the Roman Empire by combining the supposed birthday of Christ with the annual pagan winter festival. I don't know how merry Jesus was with that little compromise.

4. Maybe we're angry about the wrong things. If we want to keep Christ in Christmas maybe those of us who follow Christ should start caring about the things Christ cares about. I dont know if Christ cares about the fact that K-Mart doesn't have "Merry Christmas" posted next to the blue light specials. Maybe He does - I don't know.

- I do know that Jesus cares about the fact that more people are held captive in slavery today than at any other point in human history. Most of them are enslaved in the sex-trade industry. Anyone angry about thousands of little girls being used and abused as sex toys this Christmas season?

- I do know that Jesus cares about the 25,000 people who will die today, and everyday around the world because they are hungry.

- I do know that Jesus cares about the 143 million orphans who will go to sleep tonight without the love and care of a parent.

- I do know that Jesus cares about the crazy guy who lives under the bridge two blocks from my warm office where I am typing this.

- I do know that Jesus cares about the 884 million people who have no access to clean drinking water. Every twenty seconds a child dies from a water related illness. 3.6 million people die every year because they have no access to clean water, Clean water!!! Did you know that it would cost 20 billion dollars a year to give every man, woman, and child in the world access to clean drinking water. Sound expensive? Did you know that for the past seven years, Americans have spent over 450 billion dollars a year celebrating Christmas?

I got an email this week from a lady who is angry with me and the church because we aren't teaching about Christmas, the Nativity, and the Christmas story during the Christmas season and as a result she just can't get in the "Christmas spirit" - whatever that is.

My not-so-humble response was to remind her that it is not my job to get her in the "Christmas Spirit" nor is it her job to tell me what to teach the church. It is my job to teach the truth in and out of season.

The truth about Christmas? As I see it, we are angry about the wrong things.

For the follower of Jesus, Christmas should be all about The Christ - and so should Thanksgiving Day, Boxing Day, New Years Day, President's Day, Ground Hog Day, St. Patrick's Day, Earth Day, and every other day on the calendar!

Jesus told us to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow Him. That means we go where He goes, do what He does, say what He says, love what He loves, and get angry about the things He gets angry about.

As for me, I just donated to Charity Water (www.charitywater.org) and I'm going to go learn the name of the crazy guy under the bridge, find out what he needs, and wish him a Very Merry Christmas!

Raising A Jerk

2011-09-14T16:36:00.000-06:00

This Sunday I will begin a teaching series called "Parenthood." I've never preached in "Big Church" about Biblical truths for parenting our children. Honestly, I'm a little nervous for many reasons - which I won't share with you.

This will only be a four week series but the truth is, I could preach for the entire year on God's principles for parenting.

There is so much I want to share with my people, but we've got other things to study too, so I'm in the process of refining and reducing this series to the essentials.

All that said, one of the things I've cut is a simple, easy to follow, guideline for raising a big, fat, arrogant jerk.

There is a fine line between raising kids who have a healthy self-esteem and kids who are too egotistical.

So how can you raise a kid with an overinflated sense of self-worth and entitlement?

Here's how you can raise a jerk:

-Protect them from the consequences of their own mistakes.

-Make sure that you do for them everything they can do for themselves.

-Keep them away from anyone who thinks differently than you do.

-Try to give them everything they want.

-Tell them over and over again that you just want them to be happy.

-Convince them that they are more special than other kids.

-Always take their side when they get in trouble with their teacher at school.

-Always take their side whenever they are in a conflict with a friend.

-Keep insisting that they are the best player on the team.

-Don't give them consistent opportunities to help or serve others.

-Never require them to do chores at home.

-Reinforce prejudices about people from different cultures or backgrounds.

-Sacrifice your relationship with your spouse for the kids.

-Do not express genuine gratitude to those who help you.

-Teach them to talk more than they listen.

-Never let them hear you say, "I was wrong, I am sorry."

Just follow these guidelines and you too can raise an entitled, arrogant, self-centered jerk.

Happy Parenting!

Standing With The Groom

2011-08-10T09:59:00.000-06:00

I don't like weddings! I just don't. I love marriage, but weddings drive me crazy!

Most weddings really aren't about the bride, they are about the bride's mother and grandmother and any other woman who happens to be present and is happy to share their opinion. I've seen too many brides-to-be reduced to tears at their rehearsal because of their opinionated, forceful, inconsiderate friends and family. (Not all wedding rehearsals are like that - but most are...)

Weddings are stressful, expensive, and always on Saturdays.

Too many couples prepare more for the wedding than they do for the marriage (so much I'd like to say here, but it will have to wait).

All that said, there is something profound about standing next to the groom as his bride walks down the aisle! It's my favorite part of every wedding I've participated in as the pastor. There is a tangible sense of awe, anticipation, excitement, gratefulness, and pride.

I have a friend who was a pastor for almost 50 years - he used to tell us, "There's no such thing as an ugly bride." After performing countless weddings, I would have to agree with him.

As a pastor, it's an honor to stand with a young man who is watching his beautiful bride approach.

As a pastor, it's an honor to stand with Jesus as he adores his bride!

I've always wondered why Scripture calls the church the "Bride of Christ." I don't think I will ever understand it completely, but two things I know for sure: 1. There is no such thing as an ugly bride; 2. Jesus loves his bride!

It's easy to get down on The Church or the church you attend. It's easy to focus on the flaws and point out the problems. I'm thinking maybe that's not such a great idea.

If you come to me griping about my bride's flaws and problems I'm probably going to punch you in the throat (with the love of Jesus, of course)!

I wonder how Jesus feels when people like me come to him with complaints about His bride. I wonder how Jesus feels when His bride is overlooked, neglected, disparaged, discredited, disrespected, and devalued.

I love the church. I love my church. I love every church who proclaims Jesus alone for salvation!

I believe in the church. I believe in my church. I believe the church is the greatest source for good, creativity, impact, and change that the world has ever seen!

Jesus loves His bride - so should I - so should you!

I stand with the Groom. How about you?

Drop the Disguise!

2011-07-12T11:09:00.001-06:00

A few weeks ago, Champion Construction began the expensive process of re-siding our Family Life Center at church. The current siding is crumbling and falling off the building and urgently needs to be replaced.

I heard an interesting story about the building and the reasons for its crumbling exterior....

When we bought the building, in the 90's, we bought it from a local school district - it was a metal building used as a gym. As the church was reassembling the metal building, someone decided that the metal building shouldn't look like a metal building so the metal exterior was discarded in favor of a stucco-like exterior not designed for this kind of building. They were successful in disguising the true nature of the building by hiding it behind a pretty exterior, but since the stucco wasn't designed for this purpose it eventually failed. The stucco exterior probably looked good for a few years, but it has been falling apart and really ugly for the past seven years that I've been here.

Guess what kind of exterior is going up on that building right now... Metal!

Yep, we're replacing the stucco (that we put up in hopes of disguising the fact that this was a metal building) with metal siding. There's no hiding it now, the truth is out there for all to see, our gym is a metal building inside and out. Gasp!!!

And guess what? It looks great! It even matches our new Worship Center, which is a metal building.

Why do churches feel the need to disguise who and what they really are?

Why do people feel the need to disguise who and what they really are?

Disguising the true nature of our building cost us much more than it should have. It also put us in danger of losing the whole building because of the damage over the years.

What is your false facade costing you?

Is your character in danger?

You can fake it for a while - some people can even pull it off for years - but it's just not worth it in the long run - it ends up costing you more than it should.

The truth sets you free. Be you - you're the only you God created!

Drop the disguise, forget the facade!

They Never Told Me...

2011-06-29T14:02:00.000-06:00

For almost seven years now, God has appointed me to be the pastor of a small town church. As a kid, I grew up in a big city and attended a big city church. As you might imagine, my background in the big city did almost nothing to prepare me to lead a church in small town New Mexico. The tension between my past experiences and my current reality has created tremendous opportunities for growth - in me and in the church I lead.

You need to know that the rest of this blog is really going nowhere. I'm not trying to make a point, I won't challenge you to action, and there's probably not much for you to gain from reading on. From this point on I'm going list some observations about leading a church in small town America. Your time is almost certainly better spent checking your Facebook profile, eating some salsa, or washing your cat.

In his book "Transforming Church In Rural America," Shannon O'Dell lists several revelations about pastoring in rural America. I want to share those revelations with you then add some of my own.

What They Never Told Me About Rural Ministry:
- It is the most difficult job on earth.
- Friends will become enemies.
- The people who leave my church are going to be glaring at me in the check out lane at Wal-Mart for the rest of my life.
- I was going to be thrown in the pit.
- A red-hot marriage is a must for being an effective rural pastor.

Those are Shannon's thoughts - he has more but those are the ones I completely agree with.
Here are mine.

What They Never Told Me About Leading A Church In Small Town America:
- Everyone knows everyone. This may seem obvious to those of you raised in a small town but this is a foreign concept and a difficult adjustment for us big city folks.
- Everything you do, say, own, drive, eat, and sometimes think will be scrutinized and criticized. If you are not the real deal you will be found out quickly because there's nowhere to hide.
- Small town people do not easily trust or welcome people from the "outside." We have several folks who worship with us every week who happen to live in the "rival" town just south of us. The separation between the locals and these outsiders is obvious, tangible, and pathetic.
- If you can figure out a way to be trusted and welcomed you will have gained some incredibly loyal friends.
- Some of the most honest, authentic, Godly people I've ever known are small town folks.
- If you don't do the friendly little half-wave (that's where you raise two to three fingers two to three inches off of the steering-wheel) to everyone you pass on the street you will be considered rude and since everyone knows everyone it's a real problem. (Don't make the mistake of raising just one finger off the steering-wheel! Trust me on this one - most of these folks carry guns...)
- God can do BIG things in and through small town folks.
- God has BIG plans and BIG dreams for the small town church.
- Jesus was a small town guy.

I think the thing that has surprised me the most and certainly the thing I was least expecting is the fact that I would come to love this small town and thank God daily for the opportunity to serve Him here.

I told you to wash your cat...

Open Road Leadership

2011-06-21T12:50:00.001-06:00

I just returned from a six day motorcycle trip down the Pacific Coast Highway from San Francisco to Carpinteria. The sights, sounds, and smells were simply glorious! I won't bore you with the details - try it for yourself, you'll understand.

Every time I take one of the trips I learn something about myself, my God, my country, and my fellow riders. The past several years I have been the leader on these trips - which means it's my responsibility to choose the routes and the destinations, the lodging and the meals. It's pretty much like being in youth ministry again only the kids are bigger and the toys are more expensive.

What follows are my random thoughts on leadership learned on the open road:

- Those guys following me are counting on me being prepared! They trust that I have done my homework and that I know where we're going.

- Those guys following me are counting on me to ride straight and true.

- Sometimes the leader must sacrifice what he wants to do because the guys behind can't make the exit or the turn-off. So as the leader, I need to slow down enough for everyone to be able to move as a unit not as individuals.

- I can't always see everyone who is following me so I have to trust that the guy right behind me is keeping an eye on the guy behind him.

- Don't burp in a full-face helmet! (This has nothing to do with leadership, but since I've regained my sense of smell after years of not being able to smell anything, this was a really valuable lesson to me.)

- My mistakes are multiplied because everyone behind me repeats them - which makes the mistake seem bigger than it really is.

- My victories are multiplied because everyone behind me repeats them - which means the victory isn't really as big as it seems.

- Trust is difficult to earn and easy to lose.

- The leader has a lot more to think and worry about than the followers.

- The burden/gift of leadership should be cherished never envied.

- It is an incredible honor to have someone trust you enough to go where you go and stay where you stay and do what you do. Protect that trust!

Do what you want with those random thoughts - you'll either get it or you wont, kind of like riding a motorcycle down the coast...

Toxic Waste

2011-05-19T10:30:00.001-06:00

The cover of this week's Time Magazine is entitled, "Why We're Stuck With Pakistan." The article tries to explain all the reasons that the United States is stuck in an unhealthy relationship with Pakistan. It got me thinking about our personal relationships...

All of us, during different seasons of life, get stuck in unhealthy relationships. Maybe you're stuck in an unhealthy marriage, or in an unhealthy family, or in an unhealthy working relationship. If you were married into, born into, or hired into a "stuck" relationship there's not much you can do but make the most of it and take the high road as often as the opportunity presents itself. I'll deal with these relationships in a future blog.

I want to talk about the unhealthy relationships that we get stuck in because we choose them: friendships. Sometimes the friendships we choose can turn into toxic relationships.

I have a friend who is great fun, he makes me laugh, and he's full of life... but he's toxic. There is so much drama in maintaining a friendship with him - it's like being friends with a seventh grade girl (no offense to all you seventh grade girls reading this). Truth is, the more time I spend with this friend the more I'm sucked into his vortex of bitterness, delusion, and cynicism. I don't want to bring the residue of this toxic waste into my home or workplace.

Maintaining a toxic friendship requires massive amounts of time and energy - both of which come in limited quantities. I came to the conclusion a few years ago that if I'm going to be the best husband, father and pastor I can be then I need to limit the time and energy I spend maintaing toxic relationships.

If you've got toxic friendships I strongly encourage you to deal with them and stop maintaining them. You have a limited amount of time, emotional energy, and spiritual energy. If you're going to be the best spouse, parent and child of God you can be, you need to recognize your limits and refuse to spend time and energy on toxic friendships. Set some healthy boundaries and be willing to completely cut off some relationships.

I know some of you are thinking that's not a very "Christian" thing to do - you're supposed to love everyone. Yes, love everyone - but you don't have to spend time with everyone. Jesus didn't. When his friendship with Judas turned toxic Jesus simply allowed the relationship to dissolve. In Acts fifteen, Paul and Barnabas had to part ways because their relationship became toxic.

Don't spend another day standing in a pool of toxic waste!

Sometimes you just have to move on.

Move With The Movers

2011-05-12T08:08:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago our church staff attended a big conference in Atlanta with amazing speakers, great merch, inspiring stories, and thousands of people all going somewhere - well most of them were.

When you're at one of these conferences one of the most frustrating things can simply be getting to where you need to go. It never fails that the break-out sessions I choose are on opposite ends of the convention hall which means I've got to wade through thousands of people to get to my destination. If you've ever been to a professional sporting event, or stadium concert with thousands of your best friends you know what I'm talking about.

Judah Smith says, "The most important thing you can do in life may be to just keep moving." This is never more true than in a crowded convention hall. For the love of all that's holy, KEEP MOVING!

There's always some dude in the crowd that doesn't have a clue where he's going so he just stops and looks around or looks at his map or maybe he's praying, it doesn't matter because he has become a stalled car in the middle of an interstate. AND he's completely oblivious to the fact that while he's standing there in the middle of this swarm of people his life is in danger. He's not danger of being trampled, he's in danger of getting punched in the throat by those of us who are trying to get to our destination. When you encounter this stuck-in-the-flow guy you've got a couple of choices: 1. knock him down, take his conference bag and tell him he can have it back when he gets his butt in gear or; 2. step around him and move with the movers.

Our churches are full of spiritually stuck-in-the-flow people, maybe you're one. It's easy to get stuck when you're confused, upset, angry, bitter, unforgiving, rebellious, depressed, worried, or afraid. It is very tempting to sit, soak, and sulk in the valleys of life. King David called these seasons "the valley of the shadow of death." It's equally as easy to get stuck when you're in awe, amazed, excited, speechless, spiritually high, and closer to God than ever before. It is very tempting to celebrate, contemplate, and camp out on the mountaintops of life. Peter wanted to pitch some tents on top of a mountain with Jesus and Elijah in their heavenly forms.

You can't dwell in the valley and you can't camp on the mountains, you've got to keep moving. Jesus invites us to follow Him which implies that He's on the move. Jesus had a laser sharp focus on his mission to seek and save the lost - He never got stuck-in-the-flow, He kept moving to fulfill His mission. Don't forget His mission is now your mission. When you get stuck eternity hangs in the balance.

If you dwell in the valley you won't make it to the mountaintop. The mountaintop is good for changing your perspective, inspiring you, and reminding you how small you are and how big God is. Life isn't lived on the mountaintop it's celebrated. Jesus didn't get stuck on the mountain and you can't either.

If you camp on the mountaintop you won't learn the lessons of the valley. The valley is where your faith is refined and proven. The valley is where you learn to depend on God and begin to understand how His strength is made perfect in your weakness. Granted, most of life is lived in the valley but you can't sit and sulk, you've got to keep moving through the valley. If there's a shadow in the valley it means there's a light. Keep moving, the light is your Savior.

If you find yourself stuck today (and we all do at some point) just get up and take one step, it may be the most important thing you do.

KEEP MOVING!

It's All About Me!

2011-05-03T10:38:00.000-06:00

Rick Warren starts his best seller, "The Purpose Driven Life" by stating, "It's not about me." With all due respect to Papa Rick, he's dead wrong. It IS all about me!

We used to sing a song in church with a line that says, "It's all about you, Jesus." I'm so glad we don't sing that song anymore: 1. because it's just not true (the words are true, we just don't live like they're true) and 2. because it's an oopy-goopy, sappy song (like I said, it IS all about me and I don't like oopy-goopy, sappy songs).

My second daughter plays on a traveling volleyball team which means I'm always broke and I get a front row seat to view way too much girl sports drama. This team is as athletically gifted as any team we've played this year, yet we can't seem to win any of the big games. Our biggest problem, in my humble yet completely correct opinion, we lose because one of our players should not be on the team, any team - not because she's not a good player but because she needs to be playing golf or tennis. Team sports require a measure of humility and sacrifice that she is not currently capable of expressing.

It's amazing to me how one selfish person can effect an entire team. Selfishness is like cancer. When one person on the team starts to play the blame game and looks out for number one, the rest of the team crumbles, my kid included - I'm not one of those "my kid's perfect and never messes up" sports dads. It doesn't matter how much the coach talks about teamwork and supporting each other - those are just oopy-goopy words cheered in the huddle and forgotten on the court.

It breaks my heart but it seems to me that the church is a breeding ground for selfishness. The people in our churches can be the most selfish, self-centered people on the planet - and I am the worst of all!

I don't like the music, I don't like the musicians, I don't like the preacher, I don't like the carpet or the curtains. I want to be fed, I want to be valued, I want to be in the inner-circle. They should dress like me, they should act like me, they should read the same version of the Bible as me. Don't they know that my way is the best way, my ideas are the best ideas, my traditions are the best traditions, and when a church meets my all of my expectations, then and only then, is it a good church?

I can say all the right words about how life is not about me but words are empty unless I live them. The truth is that I constantly catch myself living as if life were a movie starring me and everyone else is just a supporting character. Everywhere I go, there I am. It's all about me.

I don't want to be the cancer. I don't want to be a selfish, self-centered Christian. I don't want our churches to be selfish. I don't want my church to be self-centered.

I want to embody the essence of Philippians 2:3-4 (read it in your favorite version...). I want our churches to practically and powerfully live that scripture for the world to see.

Isn't it true that the longer I follow Jesus the more I should display His character in my life? He left His rightful place in heaven and came to our world. He gave up His rights, His preferences, and His life for people who would reject Him, fail Him, and take His name but never display His character.

What if life isn't a movie all about me? What if life is all about Jesus and I'm just a supporting character?

What say you?

I'm going to go play golf...

Going Deep!

2011-04-20T10:11:00.000-06:00

Not long ago a lady, who had attended my home group for several weeks, asked me, "When are we going to go deep and really study the Bible and talk about the deep things of God?"

What does that mean? How do you "go deep?" What are the deep things of God?

After doing this pastor thing for twenty-one years, here's what I think that really means: "Give me something deep, preferably with some Hebrew or Greek language references. Confuse me and speak of things that are extremely difficult to understand so that I can spend all week thinking, researching, contemplating, reading, studying, discussing, and meditating on what you just said. And then I'd like to repeat that process again next week with an even deeper teaching. Because I really don't want to do anything with or about this teaching I just want be deep. If you teach me things that are simple, applicable, and practical then I might have to DO something with this faith of mine. I don't want to DO something I want to BE deep."

Granted, this is my jaded opinion and granted, no one has ever said that to me out loud, but I don't pay attention to your words anyway - I'm watching the way you live. Your actions reveal what you truly believe and you only believe that parts of the Bible that you obey.

So what does it mean to go deep? I believe the deepest thing you can do is to act on what God has already said. Deep is doing, acting, living your faith. Simple acts of obedience often lead to the deepest impact.

I'm not saying you shouldn't study your Bible or do some research. I'm not saying you shouldn't meditate and strive to understand the Scriptures. I am saying your goal should be action not knowledge. Too many of us strain to understand God's concealed will and ignore His revealed will.

Deep is being able to say to Jesus, "I don't understand it all completely, but I will do what you ask anyway." That's following Jesus - that's submission - that's the essence of faith - that's going deep!

Paul told the Galatian church, "As we have opportunities, let us do good to all people, especially those who belong to the family of believers." Which is deeper? To understand all the Greek nuances behind "opportunities" and study the true meaning of "family of believers" or to go do something good for someone? Yesterday my pastoral staff used their morning to chop down some bushes in the yard of an aging couple in our church who are trying to sell their home. With their rakes, chainsaws, brooms, gloves, and sweat they went deep!

Jesus told us all to "Love your neighbor as yourself." For two weeks, I have asked members of our church to be willing to give up their seats in our brand new, cushy, beautiful worship center this week and sit in our old, smelly, dirty auditorium so that our guests can have a seat for our Easter service. No one formed a study group to learn the deep truths of that scripture - 120 people loved their neighbor and gave up their seat for someone they probably don't know. That's going deep!

Deep is not complicated. Practical is not simplistic. Faith without works is dead.

Are you deep?

What's For Breakfast?

2011-04-13T10:24:00.000-06:00

I decided to start this blog as a way to answer the questions that always go unanswered as a result of my preaching. I've currently got an inbox full of questions about the Holy Ghost and His work in our lives.

With my first blog post I will completely ignore all those questions and share what God is currently teaching me.

I've been talking with a pastor friend/accountability brother recently about people who leave our churches. (Yes, people leave other churches too, not just this one...) He says, "I never chase Christians. If people want to leave my church and attend a different church that's fine, God bless them." Doesn't that sound uncaring, wrong, and maybe a little "unChristian?" Isn't the church leader supposed to chase after those who leave and try to convince them to stay?

Last week I was listening to a different pastor teach me that it's not always a bad thing when people leave your church, on the contrary, it's often a very good thing. This pastor encourages his people who aren't growing or serving to visit other churches in town - he even has brochures from other churches to guide them in their search.

I've always been taught that the goal of "church work" is to get as many people as you possibly could in your church and then do whatever you have to do to keep them there. Is "church work" the work of the church?

Shift gears: I'm asking God to give me a good, strong message for Easter - a message that will wow our guests and convince our "Creasters" to stick around. (A Creaster is someone who attends church only on Christmas or Easter.)

Then it hits me - when Jesus had a large crowd he would usually preach a message that would cause most of them to leave - not stick around.

Have you ever read all of John 6? Jesus is teaching a crowd of probably fifteen to twenty thousand people. Jesus has never been more popular. Word of his miracles and teachings was spreading fast and this crowd came to check him out and cheer him on. He's never had more fans. At the end of the day, the crowd is hungry and Jesus uses a little boy's generosity to ignite a miracle. The Bible tells us Jesus feeds everyone till they are full and there were leftovers.

After dinner the crowd camps out for the night so they can be with Jesus the next day. When morning comes, the crowd is hungry again but Jesus and his boys are gone. Their meal ticket left them behind and sailed to the other side of the lake. Eventually the crowd catches up with Jesus and wants to know what's on the menu for breakfast. They weren't aware that Jesus had shut down the all-you-can-eat buffet.

Jesus offers himself to them but tells them they're not interested in following him but in having their bellies filled. When Jesus is the only item on the menu the crowd has to decide if he is enough or if they are hungry for something else. Verse 66 says, "From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him." Jesus didn't chase them down, he didn't whip up a pancake breakfast, he didn't do whatever he could to make sure the crowd stuck around.

Jesus didn't care about the size of the crowd - he cared about their level of commitment.

What will Easter at West Main look like this year? We're calling people to commitment and obedience. That's it.

Are you a fan of Jesus or a follower of Jesus?