An Endless Series of Difficult but Achievable Hills – Seth Godin (every leader needs to read this)

God's Most Foolish Idea – Adam Jones (feel like God isn't coming through in time? read this.)

Just Enough of Jesus to be Bored – Mark Batterson (stopped me in my tracks!)

I was frustrated by the amount of cheesy material that I saw. There was some good stuff interspersed, to be sure. I don't want to be a total Debbie Downer here. But along with the good stuff, there was a lot of goofy stuff.

But more to the point, I kept thinking, "Is this it? Is this what it's all about? I'm in a Christian bookstore, filled with Christian music, Christian books, Christian t-shirts, Christian coffee mugs, Christian videos, Christian candy, etc. Is this what it's all about?"

In John 17:16, Jesus reminds us that His followers are not "of the world." People who are following Jesus should be different from the world.

There is a disturbing trend in the church today. There is a trend of telling people, "We're just like you. We're absolutely no different from you."

Question: If I'm not a Christian and you're just like me…why do I need to become a Christian?

We are not of the world, which means that we are different from the world. Very different.

But here's where I'm struggling. Does that mean that we need to create an entire Christian subculture? Because that is exactly what has happened. Christians do have their own bookstores, replete with Christian merchandise. Not only that, but there are Christian TV channels, Christian radio stations, Christian dating sites, etc.

All this is an attempt to obey Jesus when He said we are not of the world. I get that.

But in the preceding verse, John 17:15, Jesus also made it clear that He was not removing His followers from the world.

To summarize Jesus' prayer, we are called to be in the world but not of the world.

Are we "in the world" with all this Christian subculture stuff? The point could be made that, with all this stuff, we are not "of the world." My question is, are we also "in it?"

I don't pretend to have an answer here. But here's what I do know…my unbelieving friends don't read Max Lucado. They don't listen to Casting Crowns. And they didn't go see Courageous.

I'm not knocking these things per se. For example, I love Lucado. Phenomenal author.

But the question that I keep wrestling with is how can we be in the world but not of the world?

It seems like many believers fall to one extreme or the other.

A lot of Christians live as isolationists. They immerse themselves in the Christian subculture, therefore isolating themselves from the world. They are definitely not of the world. But they are also not in it. Many of them not only isolate themselves from anything non-Christian…they also isolate themselves from anyone non-Christian. They are not of, but they are also not in.

On the flip side, a lot of believers completely immerse themselves in the culture. The music on their iPod is trash. The books they read and movies they watch are garbage. But they believe it's ok, because a missionary has to know the culture if they are going to reach the culture. Good point…but at what cost? Many of these believers are in the world. But are they also of it? Probably more than they would like to admit. And their witness for Christ is really watered down because they really are like a lot of non-Christians. There is no discernible difference. They are in. They are also of.

To bring this long and rambling post to an end…I don't know. I just don't know. I don't believe either extreme is what Jesus prayed for. I really don't. I also admit that I have spent portions of my life on both sides of the issue. I have been a religious isolationist. And I have immersed myself in worldly things under the guise of evangelism and mission. I've been in both places.

Currently, I'm not in either place. I'm in limbo. I'm still in the process of learning what it means to be in the world but not of the world. And maybe the process is where I will become more like Jesus.

I can only hope.

Can we all agree that "pithy" sayings on church signs can do more harm than good?

Can we see that corny slogans posted on Facebook can make us seem out of touch?

Can we agree that many of our clichés are at best lame and at worst untrue?

Can we all believe that no one ever came to Christ because of a catch phrase?

I hope so. Because there is a whole big world out there that is filled with people who are dying. Their world is dark. Their hope is non-existent. They desperately need a Savior, even if they don't know it yet. But many times they are hesitant to even come to church because they don't speak the language. They don't speak in platitudes and Christian clichés. They live in Real World U.S.A. (or any other nation).

What they need is the truth. Communicated clearly. Spoken with passion and urgency. Laced with compassion.

What they don't need are trite, cornball, often unscriptural sayings that do nothing but muddy the water.

And really, this should be very freeing to us. We don't have to be clever. Or pithy. Or witty.

We simply need to be in love with Jesus.

• It saddened me to announce that Marie Young will be stepping down as our Children's Minister. Her last day on staff will be Sunday, March 25. We'll post the full announcement from this morning, complete with video, on our website this week. But for now, just remember that the Youngs are not leaving ACC. Josh is remaining in his staff position as our Creative & Communications Minister. The Youngs are still COMPLETELY bought in to our church and our vision. This is just the move that they need to make for the health and well-being of their family, and we will honor that…even if we wish the decision would have been different. Stay tuned as we'll keep our church fully informed as we move through this transition.
• Our small group sign ups for this semester have been incredible! Highest number of sign ups we've seen in more than a year. I can't wait to see how God uses these groups as we grow with God and grow with others.
• We kicked off a new series today called What Jim Said. We're spending four weeks exploring the New Testament book of James. Today was…um…what's a good word to describe it? Tense? Yeah, that will work. James is a tough book. This is a tough series. But when we receive and apply tough truth, our lives are changed and we become more like Jesus!
• Right before bed, our four-year-old quoted his memory verse. And he nailed it. I love our children's ministry!
• I'm watching the Pro Bowl as I type this. Wow. I know it's an exhibition game, but the last time I checked it is still football! Would somebody please hit somebody please?!?!?
• I had so many conversations this morning that just pumped me up! It's so encouraging to see the things that God is doing in the lives of our people. That never gets old!
• We have some HUGE stuff ahead of us. Big decisions. Steps of faith. Taking risks. It's just the way things are when you are part of a church that is on the receiving end of huge blessings. The bigger the blessings, the bigger the challenges. But since God is with us and has promised to never leave us, we're all in! Bring it!

I am really tired of pastors using their position to promote politics and politicians. At the very least, it is a misunderstanding of what it means to be a minister of the gospel. At worst, it is prostitution. Strong word, for sure. But when someone sells themselves out for the benefit and pleasure of another, what else would you call it?

Pastors, please stop using the pulpit to promote a political agenda. And while you're at it, please stop using Facebook, Twitter, your blog, etc. to do the same.

Now, I'm not suggesting that we don't discuss political issues at all. When a political issue is also a spiritual issue, then game on.

For example, I have never dodged issues like abortion. And homosexuality. And debt. And racism. And the entitlement mentality.

All are political hot potatoes, but they are also spiritual issues. The Bible is very clear about these issues (and many more). But when I talk about these things, I always pray that I can do it with grace and truth. Just like Jesus did (John 1:14).

Much of the political rhetoric coming from pastors today lacks grace. Or truth. Or both.

We can do better, pastors. Much, much better. We are called to preach the eternal gospel of Jesus. The King of kings. If we use our position to promote a "temporary king," we need to repent and then return to the truth of the gospel.

It doesn't matter if the temporary king is named Barack Obama. Or Newt Gingrich. Or Ron Paul. Etc. Etc. Etc. We are called to proclaim the one Name by which people may be saved (Acts 4:12). And it's not the name of any political candidate or political party.

To be clear, I do believe that we need godly people to step up and pursue political office. If a believer is called to go into politics, then go. And when you go, go all in.

But I am all in as a pastor. That means that I won't endorse any politician (and yes, I've been asked by a few local/state candidates). It means that I won't publicly support any political agenda, even though I have very strong political opinions. Being a pastor simply means that my loyalty lies with the gospel. I'll preach tough, controversial issues when the Bible is clear. And when the Bible is silent, I will be too.

If you want to know my political opinions, you'll have to ask me in a private conversation. I actually love to talk to politics…but I will not preach politics.

Let's bottom line it, pastors. If you want to preach, then preach. If you want to be a politician, go be a politician.

But please stop trying to be both.

• The Lost Causes series really didn't shape up as I thought it would. But it turned out exactly as God thought it would. Each message took twists and turns that I didn't plan, but God really used this series to mess me up. Especially today's message (podcast will be up early this week). The entire series really touched a nerve. It was raw and intense…and it set a lot of people free.
• Our small group sign ups are ROCKING! One groups is already full. Some others are getting close. If you haven't signed up for a group, do it NOW. Go to ameliasmallgroups.com and register today!
• Our student ministry kicked off tonight. My wife is hanging out with students as I type this, as are a lot of other amazing adult volunteers. So glad to have adults willing to love and invest in our students!
• I read a post from Perry Noble about how he measures success in their children's ministry. Every week, he asks his daughter two questions. 1. Did you have fun? 2. What did you learn? I'm so thankful that my boys have great answers to both of these questions every week!
• I promise that I'll won't make another Vanilla Ice joke. Until the next time I make a Vanilla Ice joke.
• I loved the new song All To Us! It is stuck in my head and it won't get out. That's not a bad thing, though. Great new song! Another great day from our worship band. You guys rocked it again!
• The Ravens broke my heart today. I can't stand the thought of the Patriots winning the Super Bowl. In Indy. In a year when my Colts won a grand total of two games. That's football purgatory. I know that has nothing to do with the rest of this post, but it's my blog. Deal with it!
• I love our leaders. We have a ton of challenges to face in 2012. But that's the way it is when God pours out incredible blessing. Huge challenges always accompany huge blessings. And our team is ready. We don't have all the answers, but we know Who does…and we're good with that!
• I saw Jesus walking through locked doors all over the place this morning. So many of us thought the doors of our minds, hearts, and souls were locked. But Jesus is an incredible locksmith. Coming through locked doors is just what He does (John 20:26).
• I am so privileged to do what I do. I get to pastor a healthy church that is on offense and taking new ground everyday. I love you, ACC! I am so proud to be your pastor! You are the Egg McMuffin of churches!

1. Community matters. Faith is not a solo act. The Bible clearly teaches time and again that we need each other. There is no "go it alone" mentality in the church. God created us for community.

2. Depending on the group you choose, you have a chance to…

• learn how to apply godly wisdom in your finances.
• gain a deeper understanding of your spouse or significant other.
• seek out a Scriptural approach to your diet and health.
• be challenged by what is arguably the most important book in all of Scripture.

3. It's fun. Seriously. People in our groups have a blast.

4. There is a group that fits your schedule. We have groups on Tuesday nights, Wednesday nights, and on Saturdays.

5. All the cool people are doing it. (Going for a little positive peer pressure here.)

6. Small groups are the second step in our vision of Connecting, Growing, Serving. We have been called to grow in God and grow with others. And that happens best, not in large gatherings, but in small groups. If you are "all in" with ACC and our vision, you've gotta get into a small group.

7. Registration couldn't be easier. Go to ameliasmallgroups.com right now. You can check out each group and register for any one you want. All our groups are currently open, but any of them could fill up at anytime. Go register now.

8. Why are you still reading this? I thought you were going to go register now. Sheesh.

9. You have something to add to a group. Small groups are not just about what you gain. They're also about what you give. You have something important to contribute. Something that will bless another person or family in our church. If you're not in a group, you're keeping it to yourself. And that sounds kind of selfish.

10. We have seen more spiritual growth happen in small groups than anything else that we do. How can you not want to be part of that?

I won't spoil the movie for you if you haven't seen it. I'll just tell you a little about the setting of the film. In this movie, Brad Pitt stars as Billy Beane, the general manager of the Oakland A's. In the mid-2000s, the A's lost all their star players to teams with more money. They had to rebuild from scratch. Most people wanted to operate from a standpoint of conventional wisdom, which says that small market teams (like the A's) can't compete with large market teams (like the Yankees). But Billy Beane refused to believe it. Instead, he got creative. Very creative.

I'll leave it at that because I don't want to spoil the movie. But there is a principle that I've been thinking about ever since I saw the movie. So many people around Billy Beane operated from a scarcity mentality. They were focused on what they didn't have. Billy operated from a very different perspective. He kept asking, "How can we do more with what we do have?"

The application in our lives is so obvious. It's easy to give cop out answers.

"I could do that if I had his money."

"I could do that if I had her education."

"I could do that if I had their opportunities."

But it's not just individuals. Churches do this, too.

"We could do that if we had their building."

"We could do that if we had a staff as big as theirs."

"We could do that if we had their budget."

Enough already. These kind of cop outs aren't helpful. In fact, they're incredibly destructive. And they're an insult to God, who gives us the grace and provision that we need. If we operate from a scarcity mentality, that is monumentally insulting to our Provider.

We need to adjust our approach. Reorient our thinking. Play to our strengths. Stop focusing on what we don't have and start maximizing what we do have.

And by the way, when we are faithful with what we do have, that's when God entrusts us with more. A scarcity mentality will never receive additional blessings. When we are faithful with little, we are blessed with much (Matthew 25:21).

That is the most dangerous thing God can give you.

And we pray for it. We beg God to bless us with more.

More money. More house. More cars. More clothes. More whatever.

"God, can I just have a little more?"

Be careful. That's a dangerous request.

We see how dangerous in the book of Hosea, where God said, "But I have been the LORD your God ever since you came out of Egypt. You shall acknowledge no God but me, no Savior except me. I cared for you in the wilderness, in the land of burning heat. When I fed them, they were satisfied; when they were satisfied, they became proud; then they forgot me." (Hosea 13:4-6)

Did you see the progression?

More led to satisfaction.

Satisfaction led to pride.

Pride led them away from God.

It all started with God's blessing. God blessed His people with more than they needed. They were more than amply supplied. But instead of turning their "more blessing" into "more worship," it had the exact opposite effect. The more they had, the less they needed God.

We live in a nation that has more than any other nation has ever had. Ever. To say that we are amply supplied is a grand understatement. People who live in "poverty" in the U.S. often still have heat, running water, a car, and cable TV. That wouldn't come close to qualifying as an impoverished lifestyle in the rest of the world. But that's how much the more mentality has overwhelmed us. We have so much more that we believe it's normal, when it reality it's an incredibly abnormal blessing. One that most people in the world can only dream of.

But more is a very dangerous thing. Is your more prompting you toward gratitude and worship? Or is it having the exact opposite effect?

Be careful before you ask for more. God just might give it to you. And if He does, can you handle it?

It really is the most dangerous thing He can give you.