What a Summer!

So, today is July 31, and, in a way, the end of summer. It has been an amazing summer at Church of the Way. Really, on Memorial Day, I didn't know what to expect over the summer. We were beginning a new series, and I'd never done a series like it, especially one that long.

Nine weeks later we've had the greatest summer we've ever had a Church of the Way. Over 40 kids went on our Student Beach Retreat. We had over 200 in worship on 6 of 9 June & July Sundays. And we've seen great ministry happen in Random Kindness throughout the summer. Plus, we had some amazing nights of family worship with Family Fusion and ministered to over 45 children at VBS.

I prayed for it, but I'm not sure I expected it. That's God, though. He shows up in unexpected ways. And God is capable of more than we realize. Thank you, Church of the Way, for an awesome Summer. I can't wait to see what God does this Fall.

Kids Will Wear You Out

After a week of evening VBS, I was pretty zapped today. It was one of those days where I wanted to accomplish something, but about all I accomplished was cleaning out a closet. Kids simply zapp you. They take attention and focus and that wears you out. Heck, all I did was lead the singing and then help out where needed. I can't imagine how all our group leaders feel.

But, it's a good reminder to encourage parents of young children. There's a reason parents with young kids look tired all the time -- they are. Kids mean responsibility, and responsibility is taxing. There's no way around it. So, when you see a worn out dad, mom, or teacher, encourage them. They're are giving their all to kids, and that will flat leave you wasted.

Decisions

"For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision." Joel 3:14

Decisions have been on my mind lately. If you were to ask me the most important thing about leadership, I'd probably say decisions. But decisions are really the foundation of life. Our lives are built on our decisions -- for better or worse. That word, decision, is not found in the Bible much. In fact, this passage in Joel has it two times, and it's the only time in the Bible that it's translated as 'decision.' The Hebrew word for decision can also be translated:

-Sharp, pointed
-Ditch
-Gold

Isn't that weird? I mean, those are four pretty different translations. But they are fitting. A decision can be a dagger to you or someone else. It can also land you or your life in a ditch. But it can also be gold. Decisions have the ability to harm others, ourselves or bring incredible good for everyone around us. Decisions affect the future, which will require more decisions. The important thing for those that want the life God has planned for them is to figure out what it means to make decisions that honor God. Is you decision making based on:

-Biblical Principles?
-Prayer?
-Godly Counsel?
-Past Experiences of God's faithfulness

How do you make decisions? If we get that right in our walk with Jesus, we will get so much else right in our lives. God wants a say in our decisions because He has such a big, incredible plan for our lives.

Communication

It's really as simple as communication. Communication will thwart almost every future dispute and solve most problems. Why in the world don't humans know how to communicate? I was just reading this morning about Laban and Jacob in the book of Genesis. Laban had not communicated clearly his hopes and expectations of what it would mean for Jacob to work for him. Jacob had not communicated his desires and wishes clearly to Laban. The result was a cloud of uncertainty and disappointment. Jacob fled in the night and Laban pursued him, only to end up in a big argument. And could have been avoided by simple communication.

Communication is hard because it requires honesty, and most of us are not ready to be honest about our dreams, hurts, and hopes. We don't want to be honest to tell others difficult things about ourselves or them. We don't want to hurt others' feelings. Moreover, we don't want to seem vulnerable or week. Communication requires vulnerability. You have to be truthful to communicate and sometimes the truth leaves you kind of out there, with all your stuff exposed.

Healthy relationships simply run on communication. It is the lifeblood of a well-adjusted life. People that live in constant drama do so usually because they have no clue how to communicate clearly with those that are closest to them. But, if we will communicate, we will begin to chip away at the facades we often live with. Communication can solve almost any problem in a relationship. But you'll have to be honest. You'll have to tell the truth. Just remember, the truth will set you free. I think that's in the book somewhere.

Learning About Leadership

I just finished what I think is the thickest book I ever read -- George W. Bush's presidential memoir, Decision Points. 481 pages. It was fascinating. One of those books that would be a good read for every American. So much history happened during his presidency. But the one thing that stuck out to me was how much I don't understand. The guy is really smart. In fact, pretty much all presidents are smart.

I'm not a political guy at all, but I wanted to share an insight from the book that just spoke to me. You don't get elected President if you're stupid. Partisan politics make liberals lambast Bush as dumb and conservatives label Obama as stupid. It's simply not true. Presidents have to know more about more stuff than we can possibly imagine. That doesn't mean they always do the right thing, of course. However, I believe most presidents want to make the right decisions for the country.

That's the other insight. You see how much went into decisions when you read a book like that. When you have a leadership position like that, the stress is enormous. And you don't take a position like that unless you want to make decisions for the greater good. I think that is the great thing about our country. I've always been the kind of guy to cast my vote, and whoever wins is my president. President Obama has some big decisions to make in the next few days, but I trust him because I believe our public servants want to make the right decisions for the country, not just their party. I believe Bush wanted to do the same things.

The problem is that the nature of leadership is dis-trust from those that aren't in leadership. Simply put, those not in leadership don't always know all the facts. If you knew all the Bush knew, would you have gone into Iraq, too? If you knew all the President Obama knows, would you raise the debt ceiling? Often, leaders have to make decisions that don't really have good answers, just the better of two 'okay' answers. People don't always understand that.

It's so important to pray for our leaders, whether in the government, the business world or the Church. Pray for leaders to make wise decisions. That's what I pray for myself every day.

Thankful

It was a powerful reminder today of how blessed I am to lead Church of the Way, an amazing group of people. Simply put, they are fun to be around. Starting Church of the Way really has been a dream come true. I've been at it six years, but we're just getting warmed up. I'm super excited to see what God is going to do in this great church.

I remember when I was in seminary and so many of my classmates there bad-mouthed their churches. We were all serving the same kinds of churches -- little country churches out in the sticks. However, I believe that when you see good in people, good comes out. God's image is on us all.

I'm grateful that I don't have to pretend. I get to serve a group of people that care deeply about our mission and vision. Being around them gives me energy. People talk about burnout in ministry all the time. I've seen it over and over again. I get it. I've felt burnt out from time to time. But I've never felt totally burned out. I've got the most exciting job in the universe. I get to be involved in the redemption of broken people. I get to see people come to faith in Christ and have their lives transformed. I can't imagine myself doing anything else. My church just reminded me today why I love what I do. I'm just getting started and pumped about what's comng next at Church of the Way.

The Responsibilities of Leadership

I recently read a line in President George W. Bush's memior that when he went away to Camp David, the press called it a vacation. However, he would, of course, get security breifings every morning as well as deal with any urgent matters and take strategic calls. He said something to the affect of, "The responsibilities of the presidency followed me wherever I went." There really isn't a vacation for a president.

In reality, that is true for any leader, whether that is a coach, business owner or pastor. Those that are in leadership cannot escape the responsibilities and duties of their organization, no matter how far away and sandy the place they go is. This has been especially true of my experience of leadership as a pastor. It is virtually impossible to escape the duties of the ministry. Now, the key to avoiding burnout is learning how to navigate it. I see so many pastors burn out because they don't know how to create balance in their lives. A few things I've learned along the way in making my way through 11 years of ministry:

• You have to really love what you do. Ministry is stressful and full of putting out fires, but I love it.


• You have to understand how to control technology. We simply can't always be available or we'll drive ourselves crazy. Jesus wasn't available 24/7 -- we shouldn't be either.


• You have to have outlets. Mine are my family, exercise and college football. Jesus has all of them, but I won't let the ministry have them.


• You have to have times of spiritual renewal. Jesus repeatedly took time away to pray. We have to. We don't only need daily time with God, but sometimes we need extended time away to focus and pray.


• You have to get over it. I am grateful to be in ministry and know what I signed up for. So many pastors act like it's a surprise that they are needed so much by the ministry. This is just life. Stop throwing a pity party and put your nose to the grindstone or go do something else. It simply comes with the territory.

I've been thinking about some of these issues this week while I'm away visiting some family. We're kind of taking one last trip away before school starts back, but we'll be back on Saturday to get ready for another awesome Sunday of worship at Church of the Way. And there will be times I'm needed during this week. It's just life. If you're a leader, you get that. You understand it. It is the cost of leadership. It's worth it to me. I get to experience the movement of God's Spirit in the lives of His children. Sometimes, I get inconvenienced, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. And I won't let the inconveniences win by burning me out.

The Sun

So, I got pretty sunburned today playing in the pool with my boys. Do you ever think about how hot the sun is that it can burn us from that far away? And do you ever think about how powerful that must make God?

No Rainouts in Life

It was pretty fascinating this morning to watch the best golfers in the world struggle against the elements at the British Open. It was windy and raining and basically pretty miserable. But that's what officials at the Royal & Ancient Golf Club expect at the Open Championship -- and they love it that way. They don't really have rainouts at the British Open. They expect that it's going to rain every year during the championship, and they expect play will go on. In America, we'd call it a rainout. We'd postpone play till another day. But not at The Open.

Life is more like The Open. You don't get to postpone play in life when storms come. Don't you wish you could? Instead, we have to play through the elements. We have to battle the wind, rain and cold. We have to fight. You don't get to delay life if the situation is rough. You don't get to postpone decisions just because it's uncomfortable. There are no rainouts in life.

The best thing to do is expect the storms and prepare for them. The players at the British Open pulled out umbrellas, rain gear, hats and gloves. They were ready. What are you doing now to prepare for the storms of life? Is your relationship with God getting stronger and preparing you for rough waters? God will be with you, no matter what, in the storms. But the thing we can do today is prepare for storms now. They will come. May our faith be steady when the rain comes.

But, but, bless me, too...please!!!!

"Esau said to his father, 'Do you have only one blessing, my father? Bless me too, my father!' Then Esau wept aloud." Genesis 27:38

I've been reading about the story of Jacob and Esau this week. Jacob was a really important Biblical character in Genesis long before the name came synonymous with a really ambiguous character on the greatest TV show of all time, LOST...but I digress. It's Esau that fascinates me. As I thought about Esau, the quote that came to my mind was, "He's always a day late and a dollar short." You know, it was just always something with Esau. He was always a step behind. His attitude bothered his parents. He sold his birthrite without thinking about it. He rushed off to marry someone like Jacob because he thought it would please his parents. He was always begging for seconds. He had every opportunity in the world, the first born of Isaac...but he never really got it because he just couldn't focus on the right things. And it seemed like he was always saying, "Bless me, too".

Is that ever us? Are you squandering an opportunity God has given you in life, your family, your career because you can't focus? Are you always coming up 10 minutes late to God saying, "I meant to do that, too, bless me, too." That was the sense with Esau. He was always 'meaning' to do the right thing but never really seemed to do it. Sometimes I feel like we have that attitude. It's the victim mentality. "It wasn't my fault." "I want my share." It's like God is giving away something for free and we're always running up to try get it but He runs out just before we get there and we're like a kid saying, "Don't you have anymore lollipops left?" While our motivations are important, that motivation has to be followed by action. Meaning to follow Jesus isn't enough. You know how you make sure you always get the lollipops God is handing out? Stand right next to Him all the time. You'll find that there's a limitless supply.

Swearing

I got to thinking about swearing the other day. Cussing. Cursing. Profanity....whatever you want to call it. I generally don't swear. It's just never really been appealing to me. I've never swore in front of my kids. I've never swore to my wife. College football doesn't even really make me cuss (though it occassionally comes awfully close). I just figure I can usually come up with better words when life throws me a frustrating situation. However, if there is one situation I am prone to swear it's counseling.

I know, I know, it sounds crazy. When I counsel someone as their pastor I'm supposed to be a comforting voice. I'm supposed to be gentle and caring. And I am. I genuinely care about people. When I meet with someone to talk about a problem, I want to help them. That's part of my calling and part of my job. But I'm telling you, that's when I'm most likely to swear. I think the reason is that I so often feel like people come to talk to a pastor so that he will give them a pat on the back and affirm their sinful behavior. I often find that people are not listening to a word I have to say, even if it is the truth. Sometimes, I think I feel like I have to shock them into listening. A four-letter zinger usually does the trick. This has happened time and time again and I think it's just part of my DNA. It usually happens when I feel like I just don't have anything left to say and they're still not hearing me. Am I wrong for that? I don't know. It's certainly meant for the right reasons.

It begs an interesting question for Christians: is it wrong to swear, all the time? Mark Twain wrote, "Under certain circumstances, urgent circumstances, desperate circumstances, profanity provides a relief denied even in prayer." I always thought that was funny, and sometimes true. I mean, Paul cussed in the Bible in Phlippians because he was looking for the key word to make a point about wht Christ had done for him. Of course, Ephesians 4:29 says, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." But what does that really mean?

Our cuss words are simply a collection of letters that society has deemed as dirty. God didn't make them up. Jesus spoke Aramaic, not English. And can a swear word be used to build up others for for their benefit? I've certainly felt so sitting across from a cup of coffee from someone. And isn't all about the attitude? When I get frustrated and tell my boys to "pick up the dadgum toys", is not the same attitude behind that statement that's behind the other word? This is why it's tricky to be led by the Spirit. For me, I feel God tell me that it's foolish to use profanity and I'm just stupid if I can't think of other words. But I've also felt God nudge my heart to say something a little salty to help get His point across. I think the key is found in the scripture above:

• Is this wholesome?


• Is this building others up?


• Is this for the benefit of others?

If we ask ourselves that question, I think we'll use the right words. Just kind of a thought I've been having lately.

Peace.

An Interesting Absence

I was enthralled watching Jaycee Dugard's first interview on Sunday night. I really can't believe the story. It's like a movie. It's amazing she was found and that she still has her sanity. Her stories were remarkable. I appreciated her attitude and willingness to share her experience with the world. What a miracle!

I was struck, though, by the lack of Christ. His absence was palpable, and because of that, there was a missing element to the story. That's really the feeling I got. Listening to her, and especially her mom, I told my wife, "There's something missing...it's Jesus." Faith in God was not really part of the story. And I wondered, perhaps, what an experience like that must do to whatever faith you might have had. I wondered what would happen to any of our faith in those situations. How would we view Christ if a crazed man that raped us read to us from the Bible, ESPECIALLY if we didn't have any grounding, which seems like is the case from her family.

And that is the biggest travesty of this all. This man took an 11 year-old girl with little faith background and did the most terrible things to her imaginable for 18 years while claiming to be a prophet sent by the God of OUR Bible. He didn't just steal her life. He warped her view of God in the ugliest way. He represented what she came to know as the God of the Bible. And it's so obvious that there is the missing element to her and her mom's recovery that I believe only God can be a part of.

I'm so glad that this woman and her two children have been rescued. I'm so grateful a mom got her little girl back. My hope and prayer is that over the next 18 years, God will place people in their lives who are true representations of who Jesus is, so that they can find the missing element to their recovery and redemption. I really believe this is true for all of us. I believe that there is a spot in our hearts and life that only Jesus can make sense of. Perhaps you've had some bad representations of Jesus in your life. Don't judge Jesus on bad apples. He just might be the missing element you need.

USA!

I do not fancy myself a soccer guy at all. I'm not even sure what I'm watching. We didn't have soccer in my hometown or at my high school growing up. I know you're supposed to get the ball in the goal.

I did see the US women win the Gold at the '96 Atlanta Olympics. That was pretty awesome.

But, Sunday afternoon I tuned into the last 5 minutes of the USA Women's World Cup match. It was awesome. I always say this about soccer, and other Olympic sports I don't understand. I don't get it or understand, but I know who I'm cheering for.

The Wisdom of Chick-fil-a

We did the whole dress like a cow thing Friday night and got six free meals. It was awesome. They were giving away food left and right. Some people wonder why they do such a thing.

My prayer is that churches across America would get the message of CFA. All they did was create an incredibly positive experience for millions of people. You know what? People want to go to places in which they've had positive experiences. The Church should do all we can to give people positive experiences. It might cost us something, but people will come back.

It's a shame

Most folks know that I'm a big UGA football fan. Word came out today that Georgia RB Caleb King is academically ineligible. The thing that is a shame about this is that this is a young man with enormous potential who squandered a tremendous opportunity.

It's something we don't think about much. We are all going to stand accountable for what we've done with what we've been given. King's lesson for should be not to squander our opportunities. What talents have you been given? What advantages have you been given? What are you doing with the gifts God has given you? Don't squander it. Use it...every last drop.

I don't get hackers

So, my facebook account got hijacked/virused/hacked today...whatever. A friend of mine had his email hijacked last week. Can I say that I just don't understand hackers? I mean, you don't make money on doing something like that. Does it make people happy to create a virus that annoys people or inconveniences people? I mean, that's a really sad life. I just don't get it.

I think that happens when you don't have a purpose. I can only imagine hackers that want to hijack my facebook account don't have a purpose or much of a life for that. Trust me, my facebook page isn't THAT interesting.

Just an observation and one of those things I just don't get.

The Casey Anthony Decision

Everyone is up in arms about the Casey Anthony "Not Guilty" decision. (Full disclosure here -- I didn't pay REALLY close attention to it all). I understand people's feelings. I understand her relief. However, I'm just the type of person that tries to spend time on me and those closest to me.

I don't have the emotional energy to worry about something going on hundreds of miles away to people I will never meet. I certainly don't have the energy to judge someone else. I know that I will have to stand before God for what I do. All of us will. I'm going to spend my time and energy simply doing my best.

Calling

So, I'm back to work after a pretty awesome vacation. We did nothing truly remarkable, I just got to spend a whole lot of time with my family. Of course, I hit the ground running this week to catch up on a few weeks' worth of work. But it got me to thinking about something.

I have such a weird job. I mean that in a good way. I am energized and refreshed and ready to tackle whatever awaits us as I lead Church of the Way. I love what I do. I am passionate about our mission and vision. I believe in our values and our people. And I am called. My daddy told me that if you love what you do, you never have work a day in your life. I sort of feel that way. However, even if you love what you do, it's going to become a grind at some point. Sundays roll around every seven days no matter what I do. Sundays a-comin'. When the grind hits, it's those moments that I lean on my calling. This is what I was born to do. This is what God called me to do. I can't imagine being anywhere else doing anything else.

What has God called you to do? Now, before you answer, let me ask you another question...Why aren't you doing what God called you to do? Maybe you are. I hope you are. But, if not...why not? Is it money, time, effort, fear, family support? I believe that you won't be happy until you are doing what God called you to do. Now, that comes in a variety of ways. Maybe it's just being a parent - that's you're calling. Maybe it's serving at your local church, and you do something else to make money. That's okay, as long as you're clear about that. Maybe making a lot of money allows you to live out a calling to be generous. Maybe it IS ministry? Maybe God is calling you to get MORE involved at your local church. Heck, maybe God is simply calling you right now to simply go to church. But, I know this: God's calling will bring you and others closer to Him. God's calling will help further the Kingdom. And you'll be happing in God's calling.

I am blessed that I found God's calling for ministry early in life. I am grateful to serve a church in which I can live out that calling (and wear blue jeans on Sundays!). I hope you find yours. What are you waiting for?

Freedom

Today is a day to celebrate freedom. Of course, we celebrate freedom in the U.S. on Independence Day because of the brave men and women who have sacrificed to give us that freedom, from the American Revolution and onward. I am very grateful to be living in a country in which I am free.

However, when I think of freedom, I don't think of America first...I think of Christ. The truth is that real freedom is found in Christ. Freedom from the tyranny of sin. No government or army can free us from the bondage sin has over our lives. Sin tells us that we're worthless, that we have to fit into the crowd, that we have to do something, dress like someone, or think something to be accepted. Sin tells us that we'll never change, that we're ugly, and that no one really loves us for who we are. Sin lies to us and tells us that nothing really comes free.

Then Jesus swoops in with his radical, totally 100% free gift of salvation. You don't have to earn it, look a certain way to get it, or think a certain way to deserve it. You get it if you want it. It's FREE. And, when we receive it, we become really free.

This is the part that I think is hardest for people to grasp. Conventional wisdom says, "How can I be free if now I'm not supposed to do all these things that I liked doing or were fun or felt good." "All Christianity is is a list of rules." That couldn't be farther from the truth. The truth is that when we are in Christ, we are really free to be who we were created to be. You don't have to fit in anymore to whatever mold the world has for you. You don't have to dress a certain way or have a certain income. You are immediately accepted. God's love frees us from all the other things that we thought made us happy. Those things don't last - Jesus does.

Now, that can seem a little crazy. But, have you ever seen other countries that the U.S. tries to help start democracy and seen them slip back into tyranny and dictatorship and thought to yourself, "Those people just don't know how to handle freedom." And they don't. They don't know any better. They THINK their way of life will make them happy, but they are in bondage. Our addictions and worldly desires are much the same. We THINK they'll make us happy. They want. We are in bondage. And we just don't know any better.

But there is a better way. Real freedom. And it's found in Jesus.