Matter for what matters

"I used to be afraid of failing at the things that really mattered to me, now I'm more afraid of succeeding at things that don't matter. " - Bob Goff  Love Does

Losing the state football championship my senior year of high school was one of the most depressing, and at the moment, devastating moments of my life. Not only did I want to win, but I also did not want to be remembered as part of the team that didn't win because that was a big deal in my hometown. A red trophy does not seem to shine the same way a blue trophy does in the display case. As an 18 year old young man, this was a huge issue for me. I soon realized though, that nobody outside of that small southeastern New Mexico town really cared that much about our high school football team, at least not near as much as I had presumed. I apologize for the spoiler alert for those of you who live, breathe, and eat Artesia Bulldog football. 

This was just one of many lessons for me about what matters most in life. I also wanted to secure a nice income and have a career in physical therapy or sports medicine where I could somehow be connected to the sports industry. Now, I bring home an average salary and the closest I get to the field is when I go out and school some teenagers in a game of flag football. But hey, at least I'm playing on Sundays. 

I am guilty, like many others, of having a skewed view of God's plan for me. I want God to want for me what I want for me. I believe that what matters most to me, probably matters most to God. As a result of that, I have spent a lot of time and energy chasing after things only to find out they do not matter as much as I previously thought. My friend Stuart Hall recently said: "It doesn't really matter what you're living for unless what you're living for really matters." The apostle Paul put it this way in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.  No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize." I don't want to come to the end of my days and realize I missed the prize. I don't want to earn the wrong paycheck. I don't want to live in the wrong place. I don't want to achieve the wrong accolade. I don't want to win the wrong trophy. 

Red trophies will not last. Blue trophies will not last. Much of what we long for will not last very long at all. What crown are you chasing that will not last? Live on purpose. Matter for what matters. 

Blurred Lines

I didn't watch the vma's on Sunday night, and honestly I don't think I ever have.  I realize that as a youth pastor that may mean I'm less "relevant" but that's a risk I'm willing to take. I have a two and a four year old that I am far more concerned about. I do watch a lot of news however and the few seconds of footage they have shown are more than enough to depict what was happening on stage that has everyone talking.

I have already read some great commentary from several people far wiser than I, and I can't say that I have anything profound to add to the conversation. I do think something is missing here though. Miley Cyrus has been the recipient of the brunt of the criticism the last couple of days and her actions were the most obvious and outrageous.  And while we can make apologies and excuses for her, at the end of the day those actions were hers and they were disgusting and inappropriate - but they were hers. She has to own what she did and her accountability is to God. This situation is a great reminder, however, that we should not take our cue from celebrities. They are human - they're going to drop the ball, and this is MTV we're talking about here not the Disney Channel.

What is intriguing to me is that Robin Thicke, Miley's co-performer that night has been seemingly left out of the conversation. Thicke's song "Blurred Lines" is one of the most popular songs of the summer. A quick google search of the lyrics to that song give us an idea of what is on this guy's mind. "You the hottest b**** in this place......The way you grab me, must wanna get nasty...." Those are just a small sampling.  This song is objectification of women at its worst. This man is 36, Miley Cyrus is 20. Think about this men, in almost any other arena, a girl sixteen years your junior does to you what Miley did to him in that video and you're probably going straight to jail. Nevermind the fact that Thicke is married with a three year old son. Did he miss the rehearsal for this, or did he just not care? Appropriate or not, Miley was playing out the role of the girl that Thicke is describing in this song - a good girl gone bad.

I'm not advocating that we grab some more stones to throw at Robin Thicke. If we were to pick apart the vma's we would see a large amount of glorification of sin. Taylor Swift apparently dropped the f-bomb when cameras panned to her while One Direction was on stage, and one can safely assume any time Lady Gaga and Katy Perry take the stage they are probably not dressed in a modest manner. None of that is the point. The point is, the lines are blurred for what is and is not acceptable in our society. Should we be concerned about what Miley Cyrus did Sunday night? Absolutely! Should we also be concerned that an artist can lyrically paint a picture of a woman as an animal that must be domesticated, shoot a video about it with scantily clad girls, and do it all in the name of a catchy tune? Why are we not?

In Matthew 12:34 Jesus says "out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks". This is not just a lyrics issue, it's a heart issue. And men, especially young men, if you're reading this I would encourage you to delete every song on your ipod that includes the word b*tch. The more times you hear that, the more numb you become to that idea.  And women, especially young women, I would encourage you to do the same thing. You are not an animal. You do not need to be domesticated. You were not designed to be what that 20 year old girl was on stage at the vma's.  You are a daughter of the King.

The sobering news for all of us is that we are just as jacked up as Miley Cyrus, Robin Thicke, and the MTV executives that gave the go ahead for this fiasco. But God wants to redeem us all. Our past does not have to define us. That's why these artists need our prayer support more than our monetary support. Society may have blurred lines about what is most important, but God has drawn a line in the sand.

Stuff Pastors Can't Say

Last Sunday morning, I told our students we were going to have an ice cream bar on Wednesday night. I caught myself afterward and changed it to "ice cream buffet" just in case some kid went home and told their parents there would be a bar at church. Yesterday I posted an update on facebook about my 2 year old son landing on my crotch on the trampoline. My friend and fellow pastor asked if a pastor was allowed to use the word "crotch" on facebook. And finally just this morning a well known communicator and writer posted a tweet with the phrase "piss you off" in it. All of these incidents, in addition to the fact that I'm in the middle of a sermon series called "Words", got me thinking about what words you can and cannot say if you work at a church.

I'm not a cusser. I used to be. I'm not even much of a closet cusser, although if I injure myself badly enough one or two may sneak out. This isn't a post to judge those of you who do either, it's easy to learn to watch your mouth when there are a lot of other people watching it as well. Besides profanity, there are some other words that may seem harmless that ministers may not be allowed to say. Ministers are expected to put their speech through an extra filter that everyone else is seemingly exempt from. Upon ordination, ministers are gifted with an internal auto correct feature that descends upon them from heaven much like the flaming tongues at Pentecost. I just realized ministers aren't supposed to use the word flaming either, crap. Great, now I'm 0 for 2 on the last two sentences.

The funny thing is, if a preacher uses a word that's not on the pre-approved list (your church has one somewhere), people tend to remember it more than anything else he said. I think this is just as telling about the audience as it is the pastor. Now, by no means am I advocating being able to say whatever the heck you want from the pulpit and not be judged. We must measure our words carefully, especially during those times of preaching. But the fact remains, pastors are human and sometimes the words we use aren't necessarily bad in and of themselves they are just unexpected. So I've developed a short list of words pastors can't say without reservation, and some potential alternatives. This is nowhere near an exhaustive list, but at least it gets us started.

The no-nos:  crap, pissed, sucks, butt, crotch, hell* (unless it's in a verse - but even then proceed with caution), breasts (avoid Song of Solomon), shut up, and if you're reading from the King James try to replace the word 'ass' with donkey (your autocorrect should catch that), gay, and freaking.

The replacements: poop or doo-doo, ticked, stinks, hiney or rear or bottom, groin, hades or heck, chest, be quiet, donkey, dumb, and friggin' (I guess?).

There you go, a short list of things your minister isn't supposed to say. I know there's more - what are some others?

Not. So. With. You.

James and John had been running with Jesus for a while now and things were starting to get serious. If this guy really was who he said he was - and they were starting to think he was, then the future could be very bright for these former fishermen. If Jesus was the king that must mean He would be sitting on a throne ruling a kingdom, and there would be several high ranking positions that He would need to fill. So James and John did the manly thing when approaching Jesus about securing a job in His firm - they called their momma. In Matthew 20, Mrs. Of Zebedee shows up and asks Jesus for a favor. She wants her sons to sit at his right and his left in his kingdom. They were after all part of the inner circle of three that shared some special moments with Jesus. On paper, James and John were indeed two of the most qualified of the twelve. 

When the other ten disciples heard about it, they were ticked. This may or may not have been the first time a "your momma" joke was used. Not only had James and John displayed arrogance in thinking that they deserved the top two spots, the disciples were probably angry because James and John were clever enough to ask Jesus before anyone else could.  As they were arguing amongst themselves Jesus calls them together to teach them an important lesson. In verse 25 Jesus says: "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them." Then He drops a bomb on them. In four words Jesus completely ruins their career plans. "Not so with you." Apparently Jesus' plan for leadership was much different than the world's. He gave them an example of how everyone else was doing it and then said "That's not how it's going to work in my kingdom." Take everything you know about leadership, all the books you've read and seminars you've attended, and flush it down the toilet. 

Jesus was working His way down. James and John were trying to work their way up. Jesus was on His way to the cross, they were trying to get to the throne. They wanted to be first, Jesus told them they should be last. They wanted to be served, Jesus told them to be servants and slaves. 

It's easy to get hooked on the narcotic of success, rewards, compensation, and status in leadership. It's natural to want to move up the ladder the longer you have been on it. Jesus never called the disciples to be in a position, he called them to be a people. They would indeed hold important responsibilities after He was gone, but it wouldn't be glamourous. They were torn between their calling and their ache to be successful. We see one model displayed in the world and everyone follows that model. Work hard, move your way up, get money, get respect, arrive. Jesus flips this model on its head. 

If you want to be great in the kingdom that will last, you have to be last. If you want to climb high, you have to get low. If you want to look different from the rest of the world you have to live different. You have to serve. You have to give. You can't ride your momma's coattails to success. The world has proven if you will do things a certain way, you will get certain results. No so with you. 

Lazy hymn writers

I realize some may read that title, cry blasphemy, and claim that those who penned the beautiful hymns sang in many churches today were anything but lazy. I also realize that the level of grammar being presented in many of the current songs leaves a lot to be desired. I know these things. I work with teenagers, and I fear for the future of the English language. As much as we would like to blame them, I think this problem has been going on for a while. This startling revelation was confirmed to me on my wedding night of all times.  

I had long wondered why hymn authors (in the spirit of poor grammar I'm going to call them "hymnists" henceforth) often took letters out of words in an apparent attempt to change the pronunciation. I thought maybe these were typos that nobody caught and eventually just became tradition in the church. But on that cool December night in a classroom in the basement of my home church, there it was. I literally saw the writing on the wall. I was drawing up a "play" for the groomsmen and myself on how we would make our glamorous entry into the church. Some of the guys obviously hadn't read the playbook, otherwise I would not have had to cover such basic information. Anyway, the room we were in was also used for the choir and on the whiteboard next to my x's and o's were some instructional notes from the music minister. Here is a picture of poor quality of what that looked like:

Turns out heaven is not heaven, but instead it is heav'n. If you have sang very many hymns you have seen this pattern before. Perhaps the most popular is pow'r, as in "there is pow'r in the blood." Other examples include: o'er, 'tis, and one of my favorites sanct'ry. You can write a four verse song but you are too lazy to include that extra 'e' in there? Ok, so they are trying to change the pronunciation and emphasize a word. I say get o'er yourself. There is pow'r in proper spelling and pronunciation believe it or not. Unfortunately, all of those hymnists are probably sitting around in heav'n and could care less about the slang bombs they dropped into your worship service. Are there others that I have missed? Let me know in the comments below. 

Grand Expectations

One week ago today my family and I stood and marveled at one of the greatest wonders in our nation. And by marveled I mean Chelsea and I were amazed, Avery was ready to go to the hotel, and Cason was plotting his escape from the evil umbrella stroller. I have always wanted to visit the Grand Canyon and since we were going to Arizona on vacation this summer it made sense for us to go there. I always envisioned it as a huge hole out in the middle of the desert, but was pleasantly surprised by the amount of trees in the area as we drove up. As I watched the miles decrease on the gps, I kept  thinking I would be able to see the canyon at some point but I never did. I was beginning to wonder if it really existed or if we had missed a turn somewhere. My patience was further tested when we arrived at the visitor center and could not find a parking space. It is in moments like these I often take off my youth pastor hat and put on my "I'm on a rampage so move your stupid car hat." It fits a little tight, but needless to say we lucked out and found a spot. I still could not see the Grand Canyon though.

My anticipation built with every step, we were almost there.....but then one of the kids had to go to the bathroom so I had to wait another ten minutes because everyone else's kid was suffering the same plight. I will never forget the moment we finally walked up to the rails and looked out across the vast beautiful space below us. If you have ever visited the Grand Canyon, you know exactly what I am talking about. Pictures are cool, but they come nowhere near doing it justice. It was such a breathtaking view, you just wanted to stand and stare for a while. The experience was worth the wait. The hole lived up to the hype, and in fact it was so much better than I expected. I look forward to returning someday when the kids are older and national parks are cooler than hotels.

Later that week I heard comedian Michael Jr. say something at the Willow Creek Leadership Summit that really brought my experience into perspective. He was talking about doing stand-up at a prison and not knowing what he was going to say until the moment he stepped up to the microphone. He said "I didn't know what I was going to say, until my feet got where they needed to be." Four days before that I did not know what I was going to see, until my feet got where they needed to be. Once I reached that spot, I experienced something incredible and unforgettable.

I believe God holds great things in store for each of us - a hope and a future as only He has promised. I have a terrible time waiting to see those things come to pass. I want to see it all right now! But at just the right time, when my feet are finally standing where I am supposed to be - I see. Take hope in God's perfect timing and God's perfect provision. You may not be able to see your destination yet, but if you keep going you will. It will be better than you could have ever expected, and will always be worth the wait.

Preach Like a Champion Today

Notre Dame has a sign in their locker room that players touch before going out on the field. It says: "Play like a champion today."I keep waiting for someone to make or buy me a sign like this to slap every time I'm walking on stage to preach:

This is just the start mind you, I'm hoping one day it will become mandatory for churches to build locker rooms adjacent to the sanctuary. Should they also include a trainer to tape ankles before the big game, I mean, sermon? Absolutely - I've seen many pastors suffer both in and out of season ending injuries during a message. Why risk it?  And while we're at it, why not throw in some pre-game introductions with pyrotechnics and a receiving line full of deacons giving high fives. Is it too much to ask to show up on Sunday morning in church issued sweats and be able to change into my uniform or suit that just so happens to be hanging in a locker with my name on it while listening to some inspirational tunes on my beats headphones (someone is going to have to buy those as well). You may ask, is this biblical? And to that I would say, is your holier than thou dream crusher attitude biblical? Alright then. 

What would you add if you could add a locker room to your church? And yes, my birthday is next month so please feel free to buy this sign for me. 

Scoreboard

I recently began reading "The Real Win" by Colt McCoy and Matt Carter. Matt Carter is the founding pastor of Austin Stone Community Church, and Colt McCoy is an NFL quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers.  McCoy was actually born in Hobbs, New Mexico but he grew up in Texas and played football at the University of Texas in Austin. I was there to witness one of his most unforgettable games, albeit for different reasons for the Longhorns. In the book he mentions two of his dreams were to win the national championship and to win the Heisman trophy. He was well on his way to doing both of those things when his team faced Texas Tech in Lubbock on November 1, 2008. Tech led most of the game, but with 89 seconds left to go Texas pulled ahead 33-32. Tech drove the ball down the field quickly, but the game would have been over in one play had Longhorn Blake Gideon not dropped an interception. It's difficult to capture the excitement of what happened next so instead here is what it looked like.

The agony inside of Jones AT&T Stadium turned to ecstasy in one fell swoop. That moment remains the biggest and perhaps the best in Texas Tech football history.  And while thousands of Red Raiders celebrated wildly, one young man stood on the sidelines in disbelief and disappointment. I honestly had never thought about McCoy's reaction much since then until I read this book, but it reminded me that sometimes the most exciting moment for one person can simultaneously be the most devastating for another.  Now don't get me wrong, at the end of the day I am still a Red Raider and I still love that moment, particularly because it was the Longhorns and wins are hard to come by against them. It was the coolest sporting event that I have ever witnessed hands down. One of the ways many people have commemorated this win is with a picture of the scoreboard from that night. 

Up until there was one second left, Tech was on the short end of that scoreboard and it felt as though victory had once again eluded us despite our best efforts. 

I have to be honest, sometimes following Christ feels the same way. There are days when it feels like we are losing. I am pretty sure the scoreboard isn't reading in our favor at this moment in history. There are times when I pray and wonder if God was even paying attention, and who could blame Him if He wasn't because I am a selfish jerk who often refuses to acknowledge Him. I have felt deflated and defeated, and many times that is because of fellow believers in Christ. I think "friendly fire" hurts worse than evil enemy attacks. I believe there are many who feel that church is boring, irrelevant, unnecessary, and a waste of time. Those people make me feel like my job is worthless as well. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1:18 that the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing but to those who are being saved it is the power of God. Following Christ means that you have to be willing to lose for a while. You may not be welcomed with open arms by your friends, family, or coworkers. You may be seen as weak, foolish, or pathetic. You may be a thought of as a boring person. People may treat you different - they may treat you like you are a loser. After all, the scoreboard says so right?

Last year I preached on a verse that keeps coming up in my life. In John 16:33 Jesus says: "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." In other words, the scoreboard will change. Victory will come, and while it may seem like it happens with one second left, we can rest in its certainty because Christ is the one who will deliver it. I will continue to embrace our underdog role as followers of Christ. Are you willing to lose, so that you can win? 

Things you can and cannot do in a Satellite Church

Next weekend several of our staff and a few church members will attend a simulcast of the Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit. It is always an interesting experience for me. The conference itself is always great, but the simulcast environment is intriguing to me. The church that hosts it does an incredible job, but there are some things that feel a bit awkward when you are not part of the live audience. For instance, over the past few years that have been times where several of the people in the simulcast audience gave the speaker a standing ovation. Of course I gave in to peer pressure and stood up alongside them in those moments. After all, I did not want anyone to judge me for my apparent lack of holiness. I did wonder though, why in the world we were standing up applauding a giant screen. This got me thinking about satellite church campuses. Before you think I'm bashing multi-site churches and satellite locations just slow your holy roll. I prefer to poke fun at any and all churches, including my own so sit back, relax, and see if you can relate to any of these thoughts.

There are some things you can do in a satellite location that you would never consider doing if you were at the main campus where the pastor is live. For example, you can make funny faces at the preacher and he will never know. You don't have to go into stealth mode when checking your facebook app or making your next move in Words with Friends. If you walk in late who cares, the pastor did not see you and you still get credit for being there right? Need to sneeze or let one go? No problem, the pastor will preach on without missing a beat. Worried about missing the big game? Bring along your iPad or better yet just set up another screen with a video feed of the football game. This way you kill two birds with one stone - three if your team happens to be playing the Ravens, Falcons, Cardinals, Eagles, or Seahawks.

There are also some things that you can't do if you are via satellite. If you want to talk to the preacher after the service is over, you cannot just walk down front or catch him on the way out the door. If you enjoy shouting "Amen" during the sermon - go for it, just don't expect to get a response. Need the pastor to announce that potluck your small group is having - forget about it. When the pastor asks you to raise your hand he is lying if he says he can see your hands raised. And when he refers to "this place" does he mean "this place" or is he talking about this place? If the techie forgets the wireless password or there is an equipment malfunction you better hope the rapture doesn't happen today. And perhaps the worst, if you are lucky enough to have a pastor who gives away free stuff from the stage I don't care how good his arm is he will never be able to reach your seat.

What are some other pros and cons to attending a church or a conference via satellite feed as opposed to being in the live audience.

Boomerang

In 1982, one of the coolest toys ever made hit store shelves. I'm talking of course about the Nerf Boomerang.

The one we had was green, but it was oh soooo magnificent. I wish I still had it because they no longer make them and the ones you can find online are pricey. Anyway, we played with ours for years and I have many fond memories of climbing on the roof to fetch this thing when one of us threw it too hard or a gust of wind sent it sailing. Our front yard was perfect for the game we called Boomerang Football. The last 15 feet of our yard sloped slightly toward the street so we would stand at the flat edge of the yard and throw the boomerang toward the street and then the game was on. It was a free for all at this point - anyone could catch the boomerang and the object was to get back across the flat edge of the lawn without being tagged. The Nerf Boomerang was perfect because the majority of the time it came back and would float down nicely like a helicopter coming in for a landing. It sounds really simple but this was one of the most epic games known to man in the 1980s.

One of my favorite stories in the bible is the Parable of the Lost (or Prodigal) Son found in the book of Luke. As a parent, I've often wondered why the father willingly gave his son his share of the inheritance while he was still alive and in seemingly good health. Why would the father respond to his son's selfish and arrogant request by granting it? I know the simple answer is that the father in this story represents our Father in heaven who is much more loving and much wiser than I'll ever be. But I think what let him let his son go was the boomerang effect. The father knew that the son had tasted and seen life at home. The father also knew that the life that awaited his son outside of his home could not compare to the life he had been given. The father knew his son would come home once he came to the same realization. By handing a young man a decent chunk of change, the father was throwing a boomerang. Unlike our games in the front yard though, he knew it would come back to him.

The son's return was not graceful. If he were my son, it would not be easy for me to catch him. He was coming in hot. He was out of control and broken. That's exactly how God finds us. We chase after a "better" life and He lets us. It's not that the Father encourages or condones our choice to flee, it's that He loves us so much He wants us to choose Him. He wants us to choose home. When we come to the realization that no is no place like home with our Father, we too come flying back like a boomerang. Thank God that He is there to catch us.

How traditional is your church? A helpful checklist.

The church by nature is traditional. Anything that has been around for over 2,000 years will establish some customs that are not easily removed. But as new church plants are popping up all over the country, many of them are anything but conventional. Churches are meeting in schools, movie theaters, storefronts, and wherever they can find space. As the church transitions into the 21st century, some refuse to let go of the previous 20. Wondering if your church fits that category? Good, here is a checklist to help you find just how traditional is your church.

Sunday School teachers still use flannelgraph in their weekly lessons  +1

You have a deacon of the week pray during the worship service +1

That deacon prays in King James English +4

Churchmembers bring their own seat cushions to save their spot on the pew +2

You can throw a stone and hit the pastor's house +1

Church members have actually proven this point +2

The pastor has a tattoo -3

Your worship leader refers to anything written after 1990 as contemporary +1

There are still hymnals in the back of your pews +2

One of your churchmembers refers to your contemporary service as "Six Flags Over Jesus" +2

Your pastor preaches shoeless -2

Your pastor preaches using an iPad -2

There is a choir modesty rail  on the stage +1

You have "that guy" who shouts "Amen Brother" at least 3x during the sermon +1

You call your pastor "Brother" +1

Your pastor actually is your brother +1

The choir members wear robes +1

The robes don't match +2

The worship band includes an organ +1

Any event that includes food is referred to as "fellowship" +1

Your church has a coffee shop -1

The coffee shop is named "Holy Grounds or Hebrews" -2

Your pastor wears jeans and it is considered "casual Sunday" +1

Your pastor wears skinny jeans on any Sunday  -5

The church business meeting is more violent than a bar room brawl +1

There are more people on the handbell choir than on Twitter +3

25 and above Thou art traditional. Do not, I repeat do not show up in anything less than a collared shirt, and if you're rocking anything less than the New King James you better get your New King Rear End a new bible. 

18-24 Still holding on. You're open to new ideas, as long as those ideas don't include drums or anything that requires the internet.

11-18 Modern, but don't dare call us post modern.  You've removed the pews and installed padded chairs in your worship center, I mean sanctuary. 

0-11 You're up to date. The pastor has more plaid than the local fabric shop and there is a Minister of Pyrotechnics on staff. 

There you go. How did your church do? What are some other signs your church might be on the traditional side? 

Start

One week ago, myself and a couple of thousand others joined NY Best Selling Author and blogger Jon Acuff on a journey called the Start Experiment. Each person is paired with another person to pray for, push, and encourage one another throughout the process. Each pair is also grouped into a group of 24 people, and for 24 days Jon sends an email with a new challenge. Some of the challenges are simple and others require a little more time and effort, but each one is aimed at helping you start something new.

One of things we were asked to do before it all began is to share something we were willing to risk for the next 24 days.  This was difficult for me, because I will not often risk something unless there is a reward involved and the reward better be greater than what I am risking.  That's almost never the way it happens in scripture though.

One of my favorite stories in the bible is found in Nehemiah. He was an incredible visionary and leader who was able to motivate ordinary people to do something extraordinary in rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem. In doing so, Nehemiah took a huge risk. He risked his position to pursue his passion. He went from taking drinks from the King's cup to taking threats on his life from a powerful ruler. And what was the payoff? What was the reward? The wall around Jerusalem would be rebuilt and the people would enjoy protection and the opportunity to thrive. Nehemiah didn't get paid for this job and it definitely wasn't a promotion, but he took the risk, and it paid off - maybe not as much as what we think it should have but indeed it paid off.

So I find myself asking these questions: "Is risk my response? Am I willing to do this, even if I don't receive a reward? What if I fail?" The fear of failure tends to make risk look it has been hitting the weight room to me.  But you can avoid failure if you never attempt to do anything great. Mediocrity is fueled by fear. I don't want to be mediocre. We weren't made to be average. I want to be a risk taker.  Failure may not be an option, but it is a possibility. I want to be able to take that step anyway, trusting that there is value in my response.  I want to Start, and starting requires facing your fears and taking risks, regardless of the outcome.

That won't preach

I recently posted a status on facebook that said "that won't preach" is one of the most underused phrases in the church today. We've all probably heard someone share an idea or something that communicates a biblical truth and then heard the phrase "that'll preach!" I thought it would be funny to talk about some of the things that won't preach, and since then it has become an ongoing joke between some friends and I about what will and what won't preach. 

Here are some examples of what I mean:

"Wives submit to your husbands......so get in the kitchen and make him a sandwich." That won't preach.  

"If God brought you to it, He will bring you through it......unless it's constipation, bankruptcy, or a felony charge those are all probably your fault."  That won't preach.

"Where two are more are gathered in the bathroom, there I am also." That won't preach. 

Some of these can obviously be humorous and are ideas you'd never have to worry about hearing in a church. But I think there are also things that we don't want to hear the preacher say - things that may or may not happen but are not necessarily promised in scripture. We often live our live our lives in a "best case scenario" vacuum and don't want to believe God may not bless us with all we feel like we deserve. 

"For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to give you hope and a future where you will not make six figures." That won't preach. 

"I can do all things through Christ.......including losing the biggest game of my career, getting laid off from work, or making minimum wage. That won't preach.

"Therefore go into all the nations and make disciples, take lots of pictures and tell everyone about all the great things that happened, and continue to ignore your neighbor who needs to hear of your hope." That won't preach.

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, unless of course you think they're worthless then don't worry about it." 

What is it that you hope the pastor won't preach? 

Seeds are slow

I love the place where we now live. I love the mountains, the cool fall evenings, and most importantly my church and the people. One of the things I do not like is the fact that where we live just happens to be in the desert - maybe not officially but the landscape and lack of rain would suggest otherwise. This is frustrating if you are trying to have a lawn where your kids can play in the grass. Last year I tilled in topsoil, manure, and compost and laid some fresh sod on top of it. It looked beautiful, green, and plush. As the temperatures and our water bill rose, some of the sod began to die off. I tried desperately to save it but nothing seemed to help. Long story short, the majority of it failed to grow back this spring so our already small yard was mostly dirt with a few surviving patches of grass. I was quite frustrated and purchased a bag of seed just to see if it would fare any better. Sure enough the small amount of seed I planted in ground that I turned over has sprouted and is thriving even better than the remaining sod.

I'm sure there is a horticultural explanation for this, and I'm also sure if I wanted to fork over a few hundred bucks a month for water I could have had better results. The truth is I don't have a green thumb and we don't have a lot of extra green to throw at the problem.  Over the last few months I've felt God challenging me to do more. To become a better leader. To dig deeper and reach higher. For me, it's easy to become energized the moment I first believe God is stirring within me. I feel refreshed and focused and ready for something new. But honestly, after a few months if I don't see any major accomplishments or changes taking place I begin to stall out.

I realize that all too often in my life, God wants me to be more like a seed and less like sod. I didn't plant, water, or grow the sod - I drove to the home improvement store and loaded it into the back of my pickup and then laid it in my backyard. The seeds I planted are different. They weren't even green when they fell to the ground, they were blue. It took over a week for them to even break the surface, and even then they looked small and fragile. I don't want to appear weak or fragile. I don't want God to change me for the sake of growth. I resist that process. Seeds are slow, I want fast. We live in a world that thrives on the instant, and the appearance of success - regardless of who earned it - is so important. At the end of the day though, I am much prouder and more concerned about the growth of those seeds that I have planted than the sod I purchased. Don't buy someone else's success and try to sell it as your own. I believe God wants to plant something within me that may take a while to grow, but in the end will be so much more valuable to me. This isn't an easy process, and it's definitely not a speedy one. Seeds are slow. Seeds have to die to live. In John 12:24 Jesus says: " Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds." Choose to be a seed over someone else's sod. 

SL Camp 2013 Day 4

Today is our last full day of camp. It has been an incredible week here in Estes Park. We have had 5 students place their faith in Christ and step into the Kingdom of God. Last night Afshin spoke out of Matthew 6 and John 17. A couple of the things he said really stuck out to me from his message: "If the reward of heaven is Jesus, and we chase after anything else we are denying that truth" And one of the things that hit us hardest was a reminder: "The greatest gift we've ever received (salvation) came because God denied the prayer of His son in the Garden of Gethsemane." What great perspective for us as we often pray and lose hope when God doesn't answer our prayers the way we want Him to.

This morning, Afshin spent time in Matthew 5 talking about the Beatitudes and what life in the Kingdom of God should look like. We're anticipating great things today as we finish up camp. Tomorrow morning after our final worship session we'll load the bus and head to Denver for lunch followed by an afternoon at Water World. We will then eat dinner and travel to Colorado Springs to spend the night at Discovery Christian Church and will return to Rio Rancho on Saturday morning. Thank you to all who have prayed and or supported our students this week. This isn't just a fun week - some of our students crossed over from death to life! We cannot put a price tag on that! I'm so blessed to be the youth pastor of such a wonderful group of students

SL Camp 2013 Day 3

It's Wednesday and we are flying through an incredible week here at Estes Park. We were reminded of the reality of the region we live in yesterday afternoon as a fire burning about 13 miles west of the YMCA campus grew to over 400 acres in size due to strong winds. It was quite a sight and there was a lot of smoke in the air last evening, but the skies are clear so far today, and the fire poses no threat to us or any structures here in Colorado. We had a powerful time of worship last night. Afshin connected the kingdom to its beginnings on the cross. He laid out what our king went through for us to become part of His kingdom. Two of our students responded to the invitation and placed their faith in Christ last night! If nothing else were to happen this week, that alone is worth the price of admission!

I am so amazed by our students, and so very proud to be their youth pastor. They have responded with positive attitudes and avoided dramatic situations that teenagers often dive headfirst into. There has been freedom for the Holy Spirit to move in our midst and I believe that's why our students are able to respond to what God is doing this week. This morning Afshin spoke briefly and then a young woman named Sudi from India shared her story with us. She is with Compassion International and began being sponsored 14 years ago. Our students were then given the opportunity to grab a packet to sponsor a child in poverty through Compassion. This is a great organization, Chelsea and I sponsor a child in Africa and it has been a huge blessing to us.

Our students submitted a huge poster of me that they all signed to Student Life and I was awarded youth pastor of the day this morning. Those crazy kids! We are truly blessed by FBCRR and continually amazed at how great our God is. I can't wait to see what happens next!

SL Camp 2013 Day 2

It's Tuesday morning here in Estes Park and things are off to a great start. Last night, our camp speaker Afshin Ziafat laid some groundwork for our theme this week. He spoke out of Matthew 4 and 16 and said we are called to leave the kingdom of this world and become a part of the kingdom of God.  The problem is, most of us try to live with one foot in each, holding on to what the world has to offer while trying to chase God. Afshin is a former Muslim whose family is from Iran and he shared his testimony with us last night. It's always refreshing to hear someone share their journey of faith, especially when they faced so many odds.

I'm pretty sure everyone in our group slept quite well after a long day yesterday and they are excited about the first full day of camp. This morning, Afshin spoke out of 1 Samuel how Israel rejected God as their king and chose to become like everyone else. He talked about how God then rejected Saul as king and instead chose David. David was set apart by his humility, service, and faithfulness. Our students are now in their small group bible study time and will go to lunch when they finish. This afternoon, we have prepared a photo scavenger hunt contest for them so that will keep them occupied for a while. We're expecting great things this week because we serve a great God. Thanks for all who are praying!

SL Camp 2013 Day 1

We left Rio Rancho around 12:20am Monday morning and arrived in Estes Park Colorado around 9:30am. The trip went smoothly and our students are actually great travelers. As I write this we are about to eat dinner (yeah, 4:30 it's like we're senior adults). The kids are tired from a long trip and little sleep but they have had great attitudes thus far and are excited about what the week holds. 

The theme for this week is Kingdom. Starting tonight after dinner they will dive into that topic in their small group bible studies followed by a corporate time of worship with hundreds of other students (mostly from Texas....haha!) Estes Park is still as beautiful as ever, and what a great backdrop for us this week as we experience God's Kingdom here on earth - here in us. Pray for us! 

10 Things to Remember before leaving for Student Life Camp

Student Life Camp is upon us, and Monday morning around 12:30am we will load onto a charter bus bound for Estes Park, Colorado. We had a meeting a few weeks ago, but just in case you missed it or completely ignored me here are some helpful tips for students to help make the trip go smoothly.

1.  Don't forget your motion sickness medication. We'll be in a bus, for over nine hours. The smell of vomit actually worsens over time, but just to be safe let's not test that theory.

2. Pack your toiletries. Believe it or not jr high boys, no amount of Axe body spray can substitute for this thing called a shower. You'll never meet your future wife smelling like that either.

3. It will be 15-20 degrees colder in Estes Park, so you may want to throw in a light jacket or sweater.

4. Get some rest before we leave. You probably won't sleep much on the bus, and we'll start early on Tuesday morning so do yourself a favor and buy yourself some sleep hours ahead of time.

5. Spending money for meals. Even though youth pastors are notoriously loaded with cash, you’ll still want to have enough for yourself just in case.

6. Leave the messy snacks and non- bottled drinks behind. Corn nuts, vienna sausages (yeah, I've had kids bring that), sunflower seeds, and canned drinks don't need to make an appearance on the bus.

7. It’s about a nine hour trip, so instead of asking Nolan how much longer it is, try this simple formula: Total time it takes to get there (9) minus how long we been traveling = the answer to your annoying question.

8. Something to keep yourself entertained. Books are fun - you read them,  ipods, handheld videogames, cards, whatever.

9. Bring your bible! You will be using it - probably more during this week than any other week throughout the year.

10. Pray! Specifically for safe travel but also for God to remove any potential distractions that would keep us from having the best week possible.

There you go! Now go pack your bags and get some rest - we're going to have an incredible week!

For the Kingdom!

Nolan

 

Hello my name is...

Last month, Chelsea and I attended Catalyst Dallas and I had the opportunity to meet one of my favorite author/communicators Andy Stanley. I have read several of his books and watched or listened to numerous messages and talks he has given the past few years. It was a cool moment for me, but also quite humbling. Andy didn't drop a truth grenade on me during our 15 second conversation, but he did do something unintentionally that reminded me of a lesson I'm in constant need of learning: my name doesn't matter as much as I think it does. I walked up, shook his hand, told him my name, he asked if it was spelled with an i or an a, signed my book, and I walked away with the giddyness of a middle school girl. Here is what that moment looked like, you can even see Andy pronouncing my name to make sure he got it right:

It wasn't until later when I opened the book that I realized what Andy had done in that moment:

Who the heck is NOLON? The moment wasn't any less cool, but I have to admit my ego took a little bit of a hit when I read that. The reason why is because I'm often guilty of pride and self promotion. I want to be known. I want to be liked. I want people to know and remember my name, because I often believe so much of my identity is attached to it. I want to leave a legacy and not be forgotten when I'm gone. Isn't that what I'm here for?  Wouldn't God honor that? But then I read Isaiah 42:8, which says: "I am the Lord that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols." 

It turns out my name isn't as important as I thought. I still want to be known and liked, but the glory I often chase after belongs to God. And as it turns out, He's not going to share it with anything less than Himself. Thankfully, I am known - maybe not by Andy Stanley and maybe not by a lot of people but by the one whose name is the Lord. His name is higher. My name is not important. His name is I Am. My name is I Am Not.