Elusive Odes...

So, I've tried on two different occasions now to compose an apparently elusive "Ode to Iced Tea." Why? Just a crazy idea I thought would be funny, at least to me (Can we all agree that this is all that matters anyway? After all, this is my blog...).

Odes don't come easy.

At least ones that are trivial, as one about iced tea would surely be. Don't get me wrong; I love the stuff. In fact, I break out into a sweat every time I see that new "Ice Gold" McDonald's billboard in town with a giant styrofoam cup supposedly housing that intoxicating elixir called "sweet tea" (some of you reading this may be able to hear my obnoxious rendering of that phrase). Back to my point...

Trivial things are, well...trivial. Dictionary.com defines trivial "as of very little importance or value; insignificant." So, I'm coming to grips with the insignificance of iced tea. Pray for me!

After reading that definition, I started looking for more trivial things that take up space in my life. While delivering this past Sunday's message, I confessed before my church things that have been (or have potential to be) idols in my life. Idols meaning things that keep me from God. Idols are trivial, are they not? Idols are things that are "of very little importance or value; insignificant" in the grand scheme of life.

The great lie of idols is that they seem vital, valuable, and utterly significant at the time. Otherwise, they would struggle to command our attention as they do.

• That new instrument is vital until it becomes the god I serve instead of a tool to worship the one, true God.
• That 12-win regular season for the Hokies is valuable until it fades into just another year.
• That ministry job is utterly significant until I realize I'm doing it for all the wrong reasons.

Idols seem to be something they are not--vital, valuable, and utterly significant. This is not say that everything trivial in the world is inherently evil or should be condemned, but at the very least, we should guard our hearts from the idolatry that can so easily slip into life virtually undetected. In other words, iced tea isn't evil (thank God!). But, as silly as it sounds, it has the potential to be if I put it between God and me. So it is with other, not-so-silly things in my life.

Even "good" things can be idols. Like technology, relevance, tradition, a denomination, or even your kids. But, in the grand scheme, when God is put first as He most certainly should be, these things become blessings and extensions of His goodness. Sometimes, we get it the other way around, that these things lead us to God's goodness. These are the hardest idols to avoid, and that probably explains why we pursue them so hard, because they seem noble at the time.

Idols lie.

My prayer today is straight out of God's Word.

Psalm 24:3-6 ~

3 Who may climb the mountain of the Lord?
Who may stand in his holy place?
4 Only those whose hands and hearts are pure,
who do not worship idols
and never tell lies.
5 They will receive the Lord’s blessing
and have a right relationship with God their savior.
6 Such people may seek you
and worship in your presence, O God of Jacob.

Personal Vision - Do I Have One?!

Our pastor has been on vacation the past week or so, so I've been filling in giving the messages. I preached last Sunday and will again this Sunday. We did four weeks of co-talks during July's Just the FAQs series where we answered tough questions submitted by attendees. So, that will make six out of the past seven weeks that I've been preparing messages.

Problem is, I don't feel particularly gifted to do them. It's definitely uncomfortable for me because I'm more of a writer than an orator. I like to chew on my thoughts before they have to leave my lips. I'm constantly trying to find the balance between finding my "main thing" and focusing on it with laser-beam precision and doing all the general things that are required of me right now. Sometimes, I even question what my "main thing" is...

The messages I've prepared the past two weeks have been about personal vision. They have been spawned largely from Craig Groeschel's book Chazown and his Life Development Plan message series. They have really challenged me to examine my own life, which was my prayer as I sought what God wanted me to teach on. I'm glad because I'm being forced to wrestle with my own personal vision God has for me.

For example, I'm a horrible steward of time. Yeah, I get a lot done, but it's usually under pressure and not all it could be. I'm good at a lot of things, but...

Good is the enemy of great. We often think "bad" is, but greatness is usually thwarted by our tendency to settle for average, mediocre, simply good. I'm realizing that many areas of my life are good, but not all that God intends them to be.

1. I'm a good follower of Christ, but not a great one.
2. I'm a good husband and father, but not a great one.
3. I'm a good pastor, but not a great one.
4. I'm a good money manager, but not a great one.
5. I'm in good shape, but not great shape.

What are you settling for good at in your life like me? Are you all God wants you to be? Are you willing to endure the pain and discomfort of striving for God's best for your life, that personal vision?

Father, I pray that you would continue breathing Your vision into my life. Help me be receptive to how You guide me. Empower me to make tough choices and trim the fat, lazy, empty things from my life. Help me to honor You as Your child, Your servant, a husband, a father, a minister, and a friend. Order my steps and call me to submission. For Your glory...Amen.

Ministry is about...

So, yesterday was a wild day. We had our final preview service for the new campus. After church in Salisbury, there were some major storms and steady rain most of the day (which we haven't had in months). Just as we dropped the gate of the trailer to unload in Pocomoke, it started pouring again. It seemed to set a tone for the evening.

We slammed the stuff into the building and began setting up. The four preview services before this one saw increased attendance each time, culminating with about 115 in June. Granted, a good portion were supporters from Salisbury, but there were a lot of Pocomokers that were coming, too. Last night, there were only about 14 visitors that weren't Salisbury folk, and even they were carrying embroidered Bible covers, indicating they were very churched people (maybe I shouldn't judge, but I do!). We set up for KidMo for the third time, but there were no children other than our own.

So discouraging. But why?

I think we get impatient with our expectations and easily lose sight of the fact that churches just don't sprout overnight. Whether or not the Pocomoke campus makes it, God is still about revealing more of who He is to us. And, as Reid preached, God is about pursuing and redeeming people.

I've always said two things: 1. I didn't go into ministry to be rich or popular, and 2. Ministry is about people. Yesterday, I learned that regardless of our perceived successes or failures, ministry is about people...again. But, didn't I just say that's one of things I've always said? Yes, but I never claimed to always live by it.

You see, we need constant reminding of even the things that we have always known. Just like we need to give our lives to Christ on a daily basis, dying to self and carrying His blood-soaked cross. Just like I need to commit each day to being a loving husband and father. Just like I need to remember that, amongst the mechanics of "doing church," ministry is about people. I know these things, but that doesn't mean I automatically live these things.

Father, burn onto my heart that ministry is about people because You are about people. Let Your heart beat in mine. Help me see the opportunities you place before me this week to be the hands and feet of Jesus.

"Weight" on God...

Day 2 of my "blogsperiment." I haven't given up yet!

Today has been a challenging day. I am being challenged in my faith. Sometimes I wonder if faith isn't being challenged, is it faith at all? Hmmm...

I'm learning that faith is stepping with your full weight into the unknown. That's not a profound statement by any measure, and it's one that I learned--at least in head knowledge--when I was quite young. Learning and experiencing, however, are two vastly different things.

So, how exactly am I being challenged? Our four-year-old church is planting a south campus, and it's scaring the heck out of me. Not from a physical standpoint, but from an emotional and spiritual one. Being a mobile church, this proposition means we will be loading in at our main campus at 8 a.m., having church, packing up, driving 30 miles south, grab a quick bite to eat, start setting up again at 3:30, have church again, pack up, drive 30 miles north, and get home around 9:30 p.m. Every Sunday. If you do the math, that's at least a 15-hour day from wake-up to head-down.

The vision is that God raises indigenous leaders to take the ball and run with it, but so far after four preview services, that has been an elusive thing. It's causing me to question my leadership and our leadership as a staff. But at the same time, it could be exactly what God has sovereignly ordained...at least for now. I'm reluctant to step with my full weight, and that bothers me tremendously. I want to be all in or all out, none of this in between stuff.

The Good Book says, "Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" (Hebrews 11). In this situation, I know what I hope for and I know what I can't see. I guess that's right where God wants me--to trust only in Him...rather than strategies, technology, relevance, etc. Those are all important things, but how often do we make idols of them? God calls us to walk by faith in a dark, dying world. Sometimes, that just really stinks! But at the end of the day, what choice do we have but to follow Him? Our new campus could belly up and "fail," but whatever happens I'll bet my bottom dollar God has a plan for it all. Sink or swim, God is on His throne and He will be glorified.

Where is God asking you to step with your full weight?

Father, help me to step with my full weight (minus a few trips to Krispy Kreme and Taco Bell) into whatever it is you call me to. Help me to cast off my unbelief, abandon my preconceived notions, and trust Your divine hand to do YOUR work. Redefine success to me. Thank you for the privilege of being a part of this amazing thing called "the Church." Jesus, lead on.

Always a Little Late...

So, this is my first foray into blog-land. I've always noticed of myself that I tend to be a little (or a lot!) late with fads, fashions, trends, etc. So, it's no surprise that I'm a few years late to the blogging phenomenon.

Pardon me while I take off my K-Swiss tennis shoes and change my parachute pants into something a little more comfortable...

There. That's better! I must say, I've been inspired to take this step by my wife. She has been such an inspiration to me since she started blogging a few months ago. I joke with her that it's the best way for me to really know what's going on in her life. While that statement could be perceived as a sad commentary on our marriage, it's not. In fact, I think blogging will be an avenue for me to journal, which is something I've always had the desire to do. Yet, I've always lacked the will to back it up. Hopefully, this is the beginning of a new season for me.

As much as I want for myself the spiritual benefit of journaling, I also it to be an encouragement to you, whoever you are! I look forward to this journey and pray God's blessing on it...

More tomorrow...hopefully.