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Healthy Tension

Posted in Church, Formation on August 31, 2011| Leave a Comment »

 

Switchfoot is one of my all-time favorite Christian bands.  Last week I wrote a post using some Queensryche lyrics (you can link to that post here), so this week I thought I would balance that out.  I had the opportunity to see Switchfoot in person a few weeks ago at Rock the Desert.  They did an amazing job – fighting dust and the suffocating west Texas August heat.

Yesterday, I ran across this music video of theirs from the song, Dare You To Move.  As I watched, I really listened to the words for the first time in a while.  The words that caught my attention and have stuck with me up to this point are these:

Welcome to the fallout
Welcome to resistance
The tension is here
Tension is here
Between who you are and who you could be
Between how it is and how it should be

I have been wrestling with these words.  I often feel that tension – in fact, I would say that I feel that tension each and every day.  I feel the tension between who I am and who I could be.  I also feel the tension between how it is and how it should be.

You see, as a follower in the Way, I firmly believe that God has called followers to push for the change that would move our world from what it is to what it should be.  In fact, I have committed my life to the struggle that is part of that tension.  Anyone can go with the flow – that is easy!  It takes courage and strength to push for change – to call our world into tension.

How about you?  Are you living in tension?  Maybe you should be!

I dare you!

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Community On Friday Nights

Posted in Church, Community on August 26, 2011| Leave a Comment »

If you live in west Texas, then this is a special day.  What’s so special you may ask?

High school football.

Even if you don’t live in Texas, as long as you live in the America, high school football is a big deal.  BUT . . . if you live in west Texas – it’s a huge deal!

People take off work early to travel hours to watch 16, 17 and 18 year olds put on pads and take the field.  Car windows (or in west Texas – truck windows) are covered in shoe polish with encouraging words and images to spur their teams to do their best.  The fields are prepped and ready for action.  The fans fill the stands and get settled in anticipation of the kick off.  Everyone is wearing their school colors and waving flags and pom poms.  And usually their is that one really annoying person with the propane tank full of rocks sitting right behind you – shaking that thing incessantly – to the point that you want to take it and . . .  but I digress.

The point is, Friday nights in west Texas have become THE community event.  People who would not really socialize on any other day of the week, sit side by side on Friday night for a common cause – to cheer their team on.

How cool would it be if that same sense of community could be found at church?  Think about it – people from all socio-economic backgrounds, from all parts of town, from all different races – coming together for one common purpose – to worship, learn and grow together.

So today, here is my challenge for each of us: head out to support your local team this evening.  As you sit in the stands, take a look around and then offer this prayer:  Lord God, may my church become a place for community that far surpasses what I see here tonight – and use me to make that happen!

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Fly Fishing and Building Relationships

Posted in Church, Community on August 18, 2011| 1 Comment »

I have been silent for a few days.  I have to admit, it has been different to be away from the keyboard.  Actually, being away from technology has been difficult.  I spent 4 days on a trip to Colorado with a group of 11 men.  We did not even have cell service where we went much less internet.  We saw the sights from a jeep, we had worship around a campfire, we got to see rain (which is not a usual sight here in west Texas).  I even tried my hand at fly fishing.

You know, when I was in college, I contemplated getting an ear ring (not for long – but it did cross my mind).  But I never once thought about piercing my nose.  But I am here to tell you, if you don’t cast that fly just right, you could come home with a new piercing.  A note for the future – when you are fly fishing and in the midst of casting, don’t attempt to change the direction of your cast.  I learned that the fly will pierce the skin on a person’s nose – and it might even draw a little blood.  Lesson learned!

The best part of the trip was building relationships with a group of guys I had not had the opportunity to get to know very well before the trip.  It is always great to hear a person’s story.  I was reminded that being a part of a body of believers is getting to know one another.  It is hard to really care deeply for a person if you don’t know them.  But why does it take getting away and being secluded with a handful of folks to make that happen?

Here is my challenge for you today – think about the acquaintances in your life.  Who can you set aside a little time for today to really get to know them?  Take the time to invest in a relationship today!

Now where is that antiseptic cream?

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1st B

Posted in Church, Community, Formation on July 27, 2011| Leave a Comment »

We have been focusing in our church for the last month or so on communicating our mission and strategy as a church.  We have talked a lot about how we, as a family of Christ followers, should see our mission not as “our mission” but seeing ourselves as God’s mission – the mission of making disciples – of helping people to develop into maturing followers of Jesus.

We have even developed a strategy as to how that should work in our setting.  We have articulated this strategy as Learning, Living, Loving . . . Together.  We are to be about learning who Jesus is (not just learning about him but really getting to know him) and then living out what we learn.  All of this is to be done with compassion and love and all of it done together – in community.

But a couple of weeks ago, I asked our folks to think “bigger picture.”  We have a strategy that supports our mission and mission that exists because of our vision.  That vision is to truly be the church God wants us to be – to be the people God created us to be.  So it begins with being!  It begins with an undying passion to BE!

The way we will remember this here in our setting is:  1st B.  Our church is First Baptist Church.  Our URL for our website is 1stb.com.  So it is not a stretch to begin to think of our family as 1st B.  But in doing that, we are reminded that before we do anything – we must first strive to BE.

Today, remember – God is more concerned about who you are and who you become than what you do and accomplish.

Be the person God intends you to be today!

Be blessed!

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God Still Moves

Posted in Church, Community, Hope on July 25, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Yesterday was an amazing day to be at our church.  I have to chuckle at myself.  I know in my mind that God is always present but it never fails that I am amazed when God moves in our midst!

I had prepared off and on all week to address the question, “Does God still speak?”  I had my sermon wrapped up by Thursday and was feeling pretty good about what God would have me say come Sunday morning.  Then on Saturday morning, I got up before anyone else to read and pray and look over my sermon.

As I mentioned, the sermon dealt with God speaking to us.  As I went over the outline, I felt the overwhelming sense that God was telling me, “This won’t work.”  I sat a minute and responded with resistance – “But God, this is what I thought you wanted me to say.  I have been working on this for a while now.  Here it is Saturday morning and you want me to start over?”

As I worked through the outline, I began to agree that there was too much there to really try and squeeze it into one sermon – but I could not figure out what to do about it.  In fact, I began to pray, “God, if you want me to change this at this point, just show me how.”  The answer came through Sunday morning about an hour before the service.  Now, for those of you who know me, you know that I don’t like operating by the seat of my pants.  But, I felt strongly that if I was going to stand before God’s people and teach about God speaking, then it would be a bit hypocritical if I didn’t listen to the prompting to change the sermon.

I changed the passage, re-ordered the outline, cut some stuff out and prayed through the entire process.  To be honest, I could not really tell you all that came out of my mouth on Sunday morning during the sermon, but I can tell you that God moved.  But God was not finished.  Our pianist had called on Friday to say she had the opportunity to go to Dallas and see family so we were going to be without a pianist on Sunday.  A few weeks ago, Andy (our interim worship leader) had asked one of the ladies on the worship team to work up a solo.  So Andy called her on Friday to ask if she could do her song on Sunday morning at the close of the service – where we often have a piano solo.  The song that Holly had chosen days before, fit perfectly with what God had led me say and was extremely moving.  Yep – God moved!

We serve a God who is constantly at work all around us.  And it is really cool when we stop long enough to notice!

Now I am looking forward with expectancy for this Sunday when we continue to look at how God speaks.  If you are around Littlefield, Texas on Sunday come join us!

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Drastic Change in Environment

Posted in Church, Leadership on July 1, 2011| Leave a Comment »

After a hot night at camp, I was looking forward to a change of climate.  I am now in Washington, DC, at the National Association of Church Business Administration national conference being held at the Gaylord National Hotel and Conference Center.  I had to arrive on Wednesday as part of my responsibility serving on the Board for the organization.  We had a wonderful dinner together with the staff and then it was off to bed for me.  Unfortunately, about mid-night, my stomach had other plans.  The next several hours are a blur but I can tell you it involved kneeling at a toilet followed by the use of mouthwash.  Now here it is Friday and I am beginning to feel better and am looking forward to conference

This conference is always a wonderful experience.  There are over 80 workshops from which to choose to attend dealing with all things pertinent to work and life in the church.  We will also have great keynote speakers who always inspire, challenge and motivate us.  I am excited to see what God will do over the next few days.

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Off to Youth Camp

Posted in Church, Hope on June 27, 2011| Leave a Comment »

This morning we are off to camp.  We have 11 boys ranging from 12 to 14 – all headed to youth camp.  I can remember the days of my youth and the trips to camp.  They were always one of the highlights of my summer.  And looking back, those days still hold wonderful memories.  It was at youth camp that I first played guitar and sang for an audience.  It was at another youth camp that my buddy and I took the competition in a talent show where we showcased one of our original songs.  Unfortunately, the world of the 80’s just wasn’t interested in reviving Simon and Garfunkel with a Christian twist (for those of you born after 1975, Google them, I am sure they were cool at some point before I could walk).

It was also at camp that I felt God speaking to me – telling me I needed to pursue ministry as a vocation.

Yep, some really good memories from church camp.

So today, we load up 11 boys and head to camp where they will mingle with 400 others students they won’t know – at least not at first.  We will all claim a bunk and settle in (nothing like trying to sleep when you have 11 boys their age all in the same room).  I pray there is air conditioning!

But despite the heat and the possible frustrations of dealing with junior high boys, I am really excited about all of this; because at this camp, God’s word will be taught.  At this camp, relationships will be mended and strengthened.  At this camp, lives will be changed.  At this camp God will move as never before experienced by some of these students.  And I have to tell you – I am pumped!

Now, where did I put those earplugs?!

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One Committed Kid

Posted in Church, Formation on June 15, 2011| Leave a Comment »

This week, the church has been teaming with little voices and the sounds of laughter and singing.  We are hosting our annual Vacation Bible School in the evenings this week and it has been amazing!  The kids are fun and they tell you exactly what they are thinking.  They aren’t afraid to ask hard questions and they soak up the answers like sponges.  It is so refreshing to witness their openness.  I have also learned from them this week.

One little girl who came with a friend wanted to talk to me the other night.  I was sitting on the edge of the stage as we waited for parents to arrive to pick up their kids.  She came up to me to ask a question.  She asked, “Would it be OK if I brought my Bible tomorrow night?”  I smiled and told her I could not think of anything better for her to bring to church.  I asked her if she read her Bible often and she gave me a big smile and a full body nod – yes.  Then she sat down beside me and told me that she attends Mass with her mother but everything is in Spanish so she doesn’t understand what is being said.  But then she smiled again and said, “I write down the verses when they say them so that when I get home, I can read them in my Bible.”

I was floored by the heart and the initiative of this little girl.  She is faithful to attend her mother’s church even when she doesn’t understand what is going on and then committed enough to read for herself the passages that are used during the service.  I have been wondering since, “how many adults would go that extra step?”  I even have to ask myself, “Am I that committed?”

Something to think about.

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Learning Together

Posted in Church, Community, Formation on June 10, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Last Sunday, I introduced some things to our church family that I hope and pray take hold and become an integral part of our DNA.  As I talked about our mission as a church, I reminded everyone that we should look at the bigger picture first – the fact that God’s mission has a church.  When we look at that mission, we see that the mandate to us is to make disciples – followers of Jesus – apprentices.

The plan for us in this regard can be stated simply:  Learning, living and loving . . . together.  That is the plan.  That is the strategy.

So this week, we will be looking at what it means to be “learner” and how we can do it together, in community.  It begins with each of us coming face to face with Jesus.  We have to move beyond knowing about Jesus to the point of really knowing Jesus.

I am excited about our services on Sunday.  If you are around Littlefield, Texas this Sunday morning at 10:45, I would love to have you drop by and see what God will do!

Be blessed today!

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Biblical Truths from America’s Got Talent

Posted in Church, Community, Hope on June 8, 2011| Leave a Comment »

 

 

My family sat down last night to watch America’s Got Talent.  It was amusing to watch.  Some of the acts that took the stage really did have some talent – and some . . .  not so much.  But as we watched, I thought about the practical truth that could be gleaned from this show.

Truth 1:  The Bible says, as believers, we are all given gifts and talents that should be used for the building of God’s Kingdom.  Everyone of us has a place in God’s strategy to positively impact our world.

Truth 2:  Not all of us have the same gifts and talents.  That is why it takes us all – working together.

Truth 3:  It is important to come to terms with the gifts we possess and also accept the fact that we just don’t have some gifts.  Not all people have the ability to sing (as was shown on the show last night!).  But that does not mean that they are not gifted in other areas.  In order for us to work together as efficiently as possible, we need to be comfortable with our gifts and talents and be willing to use them for God’s glory.

Truth 4:  I am so glad we don’t have to take a stage on national television to prove our talents.  Just put them to use in your local church!

To read more about what the apostle Paul said regarding gifts, take a look at this.

Be a blessing today!

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