Holding Back

I'm sitting on my couch. I'm about to head to bed, but I just finished watching the story of an amazing church and how it began. It's cool, it's current and it's new. Like 2005 new. It's reaching thousands of people. It got me excited! Fired up. But wait...aren't I already excited and fired up? What is going on? Let me try to answer. Maybe for you. Maybe for me. Here goes.

I'm blessed to be at a church that has a story much like the one I just watched. But ours started in 1927 with one man and a passion for the lost. I'm sure it was scary and difficult for him. I'm sure he had to persevere through tough days and tough months. But they reached people. Many people. Over the years, thousands of people. Then our church struggled. I was just a kid, but I'm sure there were many reasons. No one person, or group of people. Just reasons. Whatever they were...it struggled. Period.

But then the ship turned around. I guess you could say a modern day miracle. You see, dying churches don't grow, they die. So what happened? Well, some new philosophies and processes helped a lot. But more than that, a renewed passion for the lost developed. Beginning with the leaders, it trickled down into the hearts of the people. A desire to see new believers began to grow. In turn, the church grew. And it's still growing.

So what's the problem? Why am I not excited? The thing is...I am excited. I'm pumped. Our church is reaching lost people. People are meeting Jesus for the first time. And people are growing in their faith, strengthening marriages, making commitments to serve. People are loving others and allowing God to provide for their needs. Looking forward, I believe our church can reach thousands of people in our area with the gospel. I believe God has put us here for this very time with a tremendous purpose. It's an awesome thing. So again...what's the problem? What is going on in my heart from watching that video?

The problem is...am I living every day focused on reaching thousands? Am I praying like we will change this entire area? Does that dominate my thoughts? Not just cause I'm a pastor, but because I'm a Christian. Am I putting it all on the line for the sake of the Kingdom? Or are my actions telling a slower story...one filled with Him moving in a simple, explainable way. Still good, still God, but slow.

Can you tell I'm trying to figure this out? Are you? Maybe you're reading this like "yeah that's me!!!" You want to make a huge difference and reach tons of people. Me too. And you want to reach people faster. Me too. And I get the whole be where God has you thing. Not everyone is called to reach thousands. Or evangelize their whole block. Agreed. I also get the "doesn't God give the growth" cop out. Yes He does. Agreed. But we live it backwards. We somehow assume that He is not planning on using us that way. And then, we live off of that assumption. An assumption!!! It's not from God, it's from you! It's from me! We work our jobs, live in our neighborhoods, raise our families. We go to a good church, invite a couple people, maybe join a small group. But we expect little, so we get little. Or we expect something in the middle, so we get it. Whatever you think, our actions are all messed up. We need to flip our thinking.

Instead, why don't we let God worry about the results?! Maybe the shift in thinking is this: we live, act, pray, dream, share, serve, and love in a way that whatever God wants to do He can. We plan on lines of people filling a room to hear God's word preached. We share Christ with our whole block. We invite every co-worker to church. I mean, get this: at our recent men's event, 68 guys brought 32 visitors. That's almost 50%! That would be 250 visitors on a Sunday at The Bridge. Wow!!! Maybe you say "but that's a special event." I know I'm saying it right now. But that is my whole point. Or the point God is making to me right now. We've got to stop telling Him what He is allowed to do. What He can do. We must leave results to Him, standing ready to reap a harvest every second of every day.

Why are you holding back?! Why am I?! Unbelievable, unexplainable, unimaginable stories of lives changed are waiting to happen. What can you imagine for The Bridge? Or for your church, wherever you are? Could it possibly be more than the church groove you've settled into?

Let's be done with small goals and quiet clapping. Instead, let's run the race hard with thunderous applause for His glory. Then we can leave the results up to Him. Don't just think about it. Do it. And I will too.

Vacation!!!!

Let's talk about vacation. Do you take vacations? Do you put planned time in your calendar for leaving? Actually getting away? Do you save a little money up and find a nice hotel? Or a simple cabin? Spend quality time with your family? With your spouse? If you don't do this, or rarely, let me tell you something...

How great it is to get away!!! My family and I are currently in Virginia at my in-laws relaxing and enjoying some time away. My wife and I just got back from an overnight getaway without the kids to Washington DC (woohoo!!!). Is life so bad that we needed to leave to have fun? Of course not. We have had a great spring in Chicago (though cold) and are getting used to our new place more and more. The church is growing and our friendships are deepening. We love our house and being near grandparents. And pizza!

So why get away? You might think I'm fishing here for an easy, cliche answer, but let's really think about it. Why do we need to actually go somewhere? And plan on doing it? Because getting away and RESTING is completely necessary, especially for those who live 'all out.' Those who give God their everything at work, at home, with family, with friends, everywhere. Those type of people need to get away and cannot avoid doing so because of busyness. That's the point! Even if going on vacation isn't exactly relaxing, or it causes more work later, it still relaxes the brain and body because we're not thinking about work and the "problems" of home. And it allows those who work away from their kids to focus on them! That is so important!

Honestly, I could talk a lot more about this, but I'm on vacation :). I don't want to spend the time! My goal in writing this whole thing is simple: if anyone is reading this and you (or your family) are exhausted or your job performance is beginning to suffer or your family is sensing anxiety or you haven't been at your house for many weeks...GET OUT!!! Please. It is not godly to continue. As I learned many years ago, even Jesus pushed the boat away from the crowds to sleep on the boat. Crowds that needed Him. But he knew they'd still be there and He needed sleep. He needed to rest so He could give His everything the next day. He needed to get away. And so do you.

Moving forward from Easter

One thing about church work...it's never over. While Easter might be done, next Sunday is coming. And the next. I guess it's true about every job. There are always deadlines looming and seasons that are busier than others. There is the time when breaks are needed, but aren't coming for a few weeks or months. It's a little unique in that every week a service has to be ready to go and everyone must be on their game again. It must be what working in news feels like. No matter how good last night's program was, tonight's must be great too.

But the church is different in that every Sunday it's not about having a "good show." Of course we want things to go well, music to sound good, preaching to be impacting, greeters to be friendly, children's workers to have fun, etc. But the reason is much bigger than a "good show." Eternity hangs in the balance! People are coming. People with horrible medical struggles...with incredible stories of tragedy and pain...with no jobs...with broken families...with baggage on top of baggage...with a lot going on. And every week those serving must be ready mentally, physically and spiritually ready to welcome them into our building. To let them know that Jesus truly loves them. That He has answers for everything. That He desires to walk with them through the valleys and on the mountaintops. He has an incredible life for them to live both now and forever with Him. It's the truth. We're not making it up. Everyone must know this. So........

That's why we must keep going, working hard every Sunday. Week in, week out. And I'm not just talking about church staff. I mean everybody. While God provides for us through our vocations, whatever they may be, serving in the church is a high calling. I think it's the highest. I hope we all remember why we're doing what we do, every time we do it. Parking a car, shaking a hand, playing guitar, flipping a switch, passing out crackers, handing out bulletins, pouring a coffee...it's all needed. It's all necessary. It's all important. What we do matters for eternity. God is using people to reach people. Wow. May we always give everything we have to the tasks at hand. For His glory. Amen.

Easter is coming!!!

Every year we get to a time when the title of this blog is ringing in my head. All the time. Easter is coming, Easter is coming, Easter is coming. Why? It's because for the "worship guy", Easter is a huge deal. Actually for the whole church it's a huge deal. We know it's the day with the biggest attendance, the day where people come who otherwise never come. It's the greatest, happiest, biggest celebration of the year. We want to give it our all. Jesus Christ is risen!!!

But it's also the saddest day. Now I know Good Friday is sad and I'm sure other specific days are sad for you as you move through a year. But as I sit here and think, Easter is at the top of the list. It's pretty simple to think this way. It has to do with the big attendance at churches around the world. People come out of their homes, walk into a church, and don't realize that the whole point is God loves them. They 'celebrate' a day that don't understand. It's like cheering for your friends' team, never realizing that your own father plays on the team too. They have never figured out that the reason we put so much effort into one day is because it commemorates our Messiah's conquering of death. Eternity with God is now possible. Holy cow!

That's my point. It doesn't seem to matter to people. Or maybe it just doesn't click. It's sad either way. I so desperately want people to know and embrace the truth. What is offered to us is incredible. So maybe I'll just tell you now. In case you're reading and you don't already know. God loves you. That might sound weird, but it doesn't make it untrue. He knows that you have messed up over and over and over. You don't deserve His love, attention, grace or anything like that. But you have it. Jesus came to suffer for your sin, your junk, your messups. He took all of that and more...by defeating death and bringing eternal life to be a reality for all of us. He literally died for your sins. All of them. Isn't that awesome?! And then he literally came back to life. He beat death down big time. He did all the work. We just have to receive this gift. He has said that we must place our faith in Him, confessing with our mouth that He is Lord of our life, and believing in our heart that God raised Him from the dead. Wow, what a gift you've been given. Why wouldn't you take it?

I'm starting to cheer up now. It will still be sad to look at faces and know I won't see them for a year. But knowing I could see them the next week will be so exciting! I know my God and I know He loves every person that comes to our Easter service. And at any point, including that morning, they could turn to Him.  Even as you read this you could do that. Completely. Listen...forget pride and always needing to be right. Make a step of faith and put your trust in God. Why not do it now?! Then celebrate Easter in a whole new way...knowing your Father is the one you're cheering for.

What a woman!

Today we buried my Grandma. It was the conclusion of an incredible weekend of celebration, memories, tearful hugs, loud laughs, and immeasurable praise to God for giving us Belva Nelson. While she touched many lives throughout her time here, there are only 14 of us who called her Grandma. In fact, she was such a special Grandma, that she spelled it Gramma. In fact, I'll call her that for the rest of this blog. Now I'm not saying she's more special than yours. I hope you love your Grandma! But it was an honor to have her as my Grandma. What a unique opportunity I had to be that close with someone as sold out for God as she was. She was genuinely gracious, constantly encouraging, and the advancement of the gospel of Jesus Christ always trumped preferences and comfort. And if you knew her, you were fortunate enough to know someone who cared more about you than she did about herself. She really did. All the time.

At her funeral yesterday, there were some great things said about Gramma. Not only the things I have written above, but much more. The interesting thing is that it wasn't false praise. It wasn't the somewhat typical "greatest person ever" speech people given at funerals, whether the person was great or awful. And how do I know it wasn't empty praise? Is it because I knew her well? No, it's not that. That opinion would be slanted because I'm her grandson. So why? It's because it was the exact same things people said about her while she was alive. It wasn't new information. It wasn't surprise revelations. Or even hidden family things that no one outside ever knew. It was just the same stuff we had been saying for years. She really did put others first all the time. She lived on very little, but I always got money for my birthday and Christmas. She prayed for every kid, grandkid, great-grandkid, and now great-great-grandkid BY NAME,  EVERY DAY. Plus spouses! We all knew that. She wanted church music to reach younger generations and she let people know it by saying so out loud. She loved her neighbors, her friends, her family. And on and on we go.

Here's the deal...people often talk about, "What do you want said at your funeral?" I do too. It's a good question to really think through. It's definitely challenging. But as I'm sitting here reflecting on this weekend, the bigger question is, "What do people say about you now?" In other words, the first question almost allows us to relax a little and figure life out later. As long as we get it right before we die, we can have a 'Belva Nelson' funeral. That's nonsense. If you're reading this and thinking that way, please stop!!! Change now. Turn the ship around. Or make the few corrections/adjustments you need to make. I've got my list...so what am I waiting for?! And what are you waiting for?! It's not our funeral that matters....it's right now. God has incredible things for you here on this earth, waiting for you. But He needs you to cooperate in every area of your life; even the really hard, hidden, sad areas. Gramma was the absolute perfect picture of a blessed, full, joy-filled life with not a lot of money or personal indulgences or earthly possessions. It was all about Jesus and everyone else... every day, every week, every month, every year.

So how do we do this? Let's look at Gramma for a short list. First off, you have to choose. Gramma chose to be this way. She chose to pray. She chose to give away money. She chose to get sin out of her life because she hated it. Do you think all this just happened? So choose that you will change now, make a plan, and do it! Second, become a learner. The last sermon she ever listened to was one I did a few weeks ago, called "Others First." She listened to it twice. You might think it's because I'm her grandson. But I don't think that's the only reason. Even at almost 97 years old, she wanted to learn more about her best friend Jesus. What did He want her to do? Where could she become more like Him? My goodness, she could have been the sermon. She lived "Others First." But she was still looking and listening for something that she maybe hadn't gotten in the previous 13,500 sermons she had heard (an actual legitimate estimate). She NEVER thought she had it figured out. Do you do this? Do you really think you know everything God knows? I do sometimes. Not really, but I act like it. Or I tune people out because of it. So become a learner. Third, remember that Gramma messed up, but she kept going. She sinned. I know she had victory in many areas that many of us still struggle with. And if we counted each day's sins, her total might have been lower than yours :). But she still sinned! She still messed up. That's why God's grace is so incredible and necessary. As we choose to change and decide to become lifelong learners, we will have setbacks. We will make bad decisions. You will fall down. You will mess up big time. But the question is will you get back up? Will you remember that God's grace covers those falls in the life of the believer? Maybe you need to get back up right now and get going.

Gramma never stopped growing. She didn't have it all figured out and she knew she never would. That's the encouraging thing to me. If you think "I'll never be like her", just start living the last two sentences and you will. I believe many people will make some life-changing decisions after being at the funeral of Belva Nelson. I hope they stick to them and begin to grow.  But then, I hope and pray that when the first hurdle comes, the first pothole, the first big challenge that will appear to derail the decisions they made because of Gramma; when that comes, I hope they don't give up and forget about March 6th, 2011. Instead, I hope they get up and keep going forward. Because that is what really made Gramma who she was. What a woman.

Pumped for 2011

I'm so excited for this year!!!  I know it's already February, but the future is looking very good.  I had a meeting at our church earlier tonight with our worship/production teams.  What a great group of people I get to work with.  Being around them gets me excited.  Why?  Because...

They are committed.  They are excited about what God is doing.  They are humble.  They are aware that worship is about God, not them.  They give everything they have each weekend.  They have an active relationship with God throughout the week.  They connect with others.  They honestly care about the group more than themselves.  They serve without looking for a reward.

It's easy to see I'm pumped about them, because they have great qualities!  And they're at our church leading us in worship each week.  How cool is that?!  I want everyone to be like this.  I'm not saying they're perfect.  And I know that we have many others in our church, serving in other ministries, who are like this too.  Our team isn't more 'special' or 'valuable'.  I'm just saying that the group we have serving us in our worship/production ministries are a special group.  They are concerned with God's work in the church, and not their own thing.  And if everyone got on board with that mentality, it would be unbelievable.  I can only imagine :).

I'm pumped about this year because The Bridge does have many people serving each other, committed to the work of God in our community.  But my excitement will grow as I see more and more people giving everything they have over to God, trusting Him with their every move.  That's what the gates of hell can't stop.  So join us.  We're a church on the move!

If no one has said it, welcome to 2011!

Stop with the resolutions...well, kinda

I look at 2011 as an opportunity.  An opportunity to do things better than I did in 2010.  I love my family, my friends, my job.  I love them enough to want to 'improve' in each area.  To make the adjustments necessary to accomplish great things.  I know that God has many things in store for all of us this year and I can't wait to see what they are.  But how do I plan on doing this?  On actually improving?

I can tell you what I'm not going to do...I'm not making any resolutions.  Instead, I'm just making some thoughtful adjustments.  What's the difference?  Is there a difference?

Well maybe not to you.  But hear me out.  Resolutions seem to be knee-jerk reactions or changes.  They are "I'm gonna quit..." or "I'm not going to..." or "Every day I will..." or something like that.  They are huge, severe, often ridiculous.  They haven't really been thought through and they've often been 'promised' before.  And they are devised during a crazy time (Dec 25th-Jan 1st).

Permanent adjustments are changes one decides to make over time.  You think.  You pray.  You analyze.  You zoom out and look at the big picture.  It's true that a new year is the perfect time to do it.  But you wait until after Jan 1st.  When we clear the holidays, come home from trips and get into a routine, there is a collective sigh throughout our towns.  It is the moments that follow that contain tremendous information. It's not necessarily about clearing our mind.  Instead, it's about removing the busyness of life and hearing the voice of God.  What does He want you to change?  Where does He want you to take a step forward?  Who does He want you to love as you move through 2011?  What does He have for you to do?

Those are the questions that are ringing through my head...last week, today and for the next couple weeks.  Then I will set my sail for the rest of the year.  It will bring me to some amazing places, because God is in control.  It might not be easy, but I won't be down from breaking my resolutions.  Instead, I'll be moving forward with great purpose and contentment.  Not because of me.  But because I stopped, thought, listened, and then moved on.