tony myles

woo-hoo!

Pretty stoked about this - just found out fifteen minutes ago that this is now live on Amazon.com and is being shipped to stores today.

The Miracles Of Jesus: A 30-Day Devotional for Students by Tony Myles and Seth McCoy

Ah...

to be clever, or to be humble;
to be right, or to get right;
to win the day, or remember the battle;
to be served, or to serve.

And once I decide, to in the next moment wonder,
"to be clever, or to be humble;
to be right, or to get right;
to win the day, or remember the battle;
to be served, or to serve."

a friday quote: rich mullins on hypocrisy

"I remember, you know, you go to these parties on Saturday night and people would say, about 8:00 on Sunday morning 'Whoa, I have to go - I gotta get to church!'

People would say, 'Why do you want to go to church, all those hypocrites?'

And I say, 'Look, why do I want to stay here with all you hypocrites?'

I never knew why going to church made you a hypocrite. They'd say because you go to church and you're all 'Holy, Holy, Holy' for two or three hours, and then you go home and sin. I'd say 'exactly!' For two or three hours you're doing pretty good!

Maybe the problem isn't that you go to church, maybe the problem is that you go home!

I never understood why going to church made you a hypocrite either, because nobody goes to church because they're perfect. If you've got it all together, you don't need to go. You can go jogging with all the other perfect people on Sunday morning

Every time you go to church, you're confessing again to yourself, to your family, to the people you pass on the way there, to the people who will greet you there, that you don't have it all together. And that you need their support. You need their direction. You need some accountability, you need some help."

- Rich Mullins

Chicago loses, Chicago wins

The loss: A football game creates a bad taste in the mouth of Chicago, prompting a man to get fired from his job as a car salesman for wearing a Green Bay Packers tie.

The win: A second-cousin of mine feels a conviction within that tells him, "That's not right." He steps up and offers the man a job.

I really encourage you to read the story via these links:

Look, I understand how business works... I know you don't intentionally want to work against advertising money your business has spent.

This story is about more than that, though.

What I'd offer you is the same challenge - is the greatest thing we can have an allegiance to really a football team? Or perhaps in your life, is it a school district, political party, or entertainment choice?

When do we stop trying to prove that we're in the right, and simply do what's right?

It can be a big news-making story like it was for this man and my cousin Guy, or it can be a quiet consistency you resolve to live your life by. This past week I resolved to stop watching yet another TV show that has content I simply can't affirm as a Christian. Granted, it's right in the middle of a story arc, and I'd really like to know how it turns out. But... and pardon me for saying this... so freaking what?
Disagree if you'd like, but consider this - there's a reason both headlines made the news... which one will you be a part of?

Is your conviction to the fiction?
Or is your ideal about something Real?

‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ - Jesus, Matthew 22:39

a friday quote: extraordinary words from an ordinary guy

I sometimes quote famous people to consider their thoughts on life and random things, but today I'm quoting a friend.

"I used to feel there is a heavenly realm, and an earthly realm. And I never really put the two together. But it's clear that my understanding now is that God puts everything in this world into place. That everything that we experience, every act we do, every conversation we have is because of Him and by Him and He's working through us and we're working with Him.

And that's caused me to sort of examine how I act in the workplace, and how I interact with other people. I truly hope and pray that I've become a beacon of my faith for other people."

- Chris Jones, via a night of "Pizza and Prayer"

our daily (Panera) bread

Did you catch this news by Panera Bread? They have it a new stride by creating new locations where customers can't find any prices on the menu, but simply pay what they want and think is "fair."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37213165/ns/business-consumer_news/

A buddy of mine in town does this everyday via CUPS Cafe - they've been doing it for three years and haven't missed a rent payment yet, relying upon the collective vision of others who want to feed those in our area a dignified and delicious meal who otherwise couldn't afford one. Our church is one of its supporters, as we believe in this concept Jesus put forth to take care of each other.

Imagine that.

"And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased." (Hebrews 13:16)

How can you apply this principle in your field of leadership?

hey YOU - five quick thoughts on how you may be driving/living

Consider:

Living life in the fast lane only leads to quicker crashes.
Staying neutral will cause you to roll wherever the wind blows the strongest.
Staring at your rear-view mirror will cause your focus on your past to kill your future.
Blowing off the warnings of others who see something you don't see begs for an accident.
Ignoring the law to live life as you want will endanger others and threaten your true freedom.

These are more than good thoughts on driving - they are metaphors for how you may be living.

So...

slow down (Psalm 46:10)
get into a proactive gear (Matthew 16:24),
look around at what's in front of you (Philippians 3:14-15),
allow others to check your blind spots (James 5:16),
and quit ignoring the Laws that God has put forth... not because He wants to kill your ride, but to offer you true freedom instead of a jail cell of your own making (Jeremiah 29:11).

Funny how we understand this on the road, but rebel against it in life.

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools. (Romans 1:19-22)

starry-eyed changes

It's the latest news on Zodiac signs... that the latest news on Zodiac signs has been, well... wrong. For a long time, actually.

According to an article in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the earth's wobble hasn't been appropriately accounted for when it comes to the means by which people figured out an astrological sign they think they should follow.

Oops.

Astrology is seen by some as harmless fun, while others truly base their decisions on it - some going so far as to tattoo their astrological sign onto themselves as a permanent sense of identity. Astronomers have criticized astrology from the get-go, and God warns against it (even though some Christians try to mash it into their belief system).

Perhaps that's why this news can be quite confusing.

A friend of mine who worked for a major newspaper once told me about a time that they didn't pay their subscription to a horoscope service. For an extended period of time, the staff made up the horoscopes on the fly and put them into the paper. Perhaps this is just another example, but I think it underscores an interesting question.

Is what you take your cue from in life man-made or God-made... and do you think it's God-made, even though it's man-made?

Astrology has had two differing ideas within itself about how astrology works, so right there is something to consider - you can pick the one that sounds appealing (a potential sign of a man-made option). It reminds me of when people find a religious denomination they like and click into autopilot mode on it, proclaiming, "I grew up _________ and I'll be a __________ until the day I die."

(insert Catholic, Protestant, Southern Baptist, Methodist, Wesleyan, Nazarene, and so on)

So what does it mean when you've thought yourself to be a Libra all this time, only to find out you're a Virgo? Does it rock your world even a little bit and make you wonder, "Have I ever really been on a spiritual journey that I didn't take for granted but really took hold of?" When there is a major hole in a man-made idea you've based a part of your identity or decision-making on, maybe it's time to kick at the tires of it again.

Or... we can keep on using the Facebook astrology application. That is, after it's updated to reflect the incorrect structure it's been based on. Perhaps we can go for the non-electronic option and follow the version in the paper that my newspaper buddy and his co-workers invented as a gag.

Or... we can really begin a journey that is deeper than religion or things that appear supernatural. One that takes us to a place where God defines Himself, and we respond to His definition.

Maybe it's time to stop looking to the stars, and instead start looking solely at the One who made the stars.

a glimpse at hope via the next generation

I really, really, really, really like it when the Church lives up to its name and makes a real difference in the world.

If you have ever felt that sense of "Yeah, this is right, and I don't know I know it, but I know it" when you give of yourself, check out this post and see what a bunch of Ramen-noodle eating young adults sacrificed and gave in just a few days this past weekend:

http://268generation.com/blog/2011/01/together-we-are-a-force-for-good-2/

By the way, you may want to know this isn't just a good deed. It came about as a response to several sessions of biblical teaching and worship that they couldn't help but respond to. This is a part of what Jesus teaches us to do... take care of those who are unable to take care of themselves.

So if you're a Christian, don't just nod your head and smile when you read this. Bring your own version of this into the world through your local church.

And if you aren't yet a Christian, find a local church who "gets it" and join on in.

because you just never know

I apologize for how this initially sounds (because I hate how this sounds), but I always enjoy reading both affirming and constructive feedback on my weekly newspaper column.

There, I said it - and again, I know how that sounds... like I'm some fancy "writer" who likes to talk about his latest "work" or fancy "column." I understand that, because it bugs me to no end when people promote themselves over and over and over.

But it's not why I'm writing it.

Today I received an email that was simply amazing. Apparently today's article literally helped change someone's life... and the reason I'm sharing it is because it tracks back to a highly frustrating moment in my life that perhaps you know all too well - the choice to stop short... or pursue something to completion.

A few nights ago, I was struggling with little sleep and a bad headache. Throw in some stomach cramps, and I was ready for bed.

Only - I needed to write my weekly article.

So I started writing... but the headache took over. I even fell asleep at the keyboard once.

Writing can be torturous - waiting for an idea to come. Sometimes those ideas come right off of my human robot heat. Most times, it flows out of a place within my soul. There are also the moments when it has to be sought after like water in the desert.

Then there's the mental dance. Writing requires knowing or discovering something that you will explain, which means advance time having an experience, doing some reading or receiving a revelation out of nowhere. You're constantly dipping into places in life that you may not normally tread - not to merely find something you can talk about, but to become someone who has something to say.

Within this you run hard, then you procrastinate; you read a lot of news, and then you play an online game; you page through a great magazine full of intriguing thought, then you look at YouTube videos full of nothingness; you read some of the most amazing biblical truths ever written down, then you go get a handful of Doritos from the cupboard; you get mad at how corrupt government is, then you watch an old episode of The Twilight Zone... or Everybody Loves Raymond... or ten minutes of Celebrity Rehab, until you realize you've just watched ten minutes of Celebrity Rehab.

Keep in mind, that's not including the other things you do in life. Like being a human, or a loved one, or a parent, or a friend, or a pastor... which involves, you know... a lot of quality time.

So sometimes when I feel like I have nothing left to give, I begin to feel entitled with the thought, "You've done enough. Just give this next one less than your full effort. Besides, you'll have next week to put something better out there."

This is the moment.

The choice.

The choice to stop short...

or pursue something to completion.

The other night I chose to tap into a Source that is deeper than my own - God Himself.. That sounds incredibly spiritual or perhaps even bumper sticker-esque, and sure... it is both.

But that doesn't deny how incredibly true and practical it is, too.

Once your trust your life - not just your eternity, but your life to Jesus Christ - His strength becomes as accessible as your next breath of oxygen.

Some days I don't remember this as well as others.

But a few nights ago, I woke up from drooling on my keyboard and decided the "half-article" in front of me that could pass for a "full article" to most readers wasn't "good enough." Not because I'm a perfectionist, but because I refuse to settle when I know there is more in me than "me."

Don't misread this - there are times when my "50%" is my "100%" and I know that I can't give any more than I have given. I'm fine with that... it's about wholeheartedness, and not perfection.

There are other times, though, when my "50%" is "50%" and I am about to settle if I stop. I am not fine with that... that's about having the appearance of effort without the commitment.

It's taken me a lot of bumps and bruises over the years to realize the difference.

So today I received a rather amazing email from a woman who said what was in my weekly column changed her life. I don't need to share the details, because it was personal information I'm not at liberty to share.

But as I read it, I was reminded of that moment a few nights ago that I made a choice. It's the same choice you will make about something today or tomorrow.

I want to encourage you to opt for the Narrow Way... the road less traveled... the Way of the Master. I'm so glad Jesus didn't say, "I'm good after the whipping. Maybe they don't really need the cross."

Because... you just never know.

"Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men." (Ephesians 6:7)

"In everything that he undertook in the service of God’s temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered." (2 Chronicles 31:21)

parachuting with your kids in matters of faith

My friend Matthew McNutt had a great post in response to the topic of different approaches churches take it their services around Christmas. He had this gem of a quote toward the end that I want to highlight:

Children ultimately emulate the faith of their parents. As a youth pastor, it’s always tragic to me when a parent voices the frustration that their child, now in college, doesn’t seem interested in church.

I have to bite my tongue because often times I want to ask how they can be surprised. For eighteen years they taught them that church is at the bottom of the priority list; skipping for vacation, bad weather, good weather, sports, concerts, work… everything comes ahead of it. When a teen is allowed to miss church for a job that is for spending money… they’ve learned that the pursuit of possessions, entertainment, social activities – all of those are more important than church.

There are different schools of thought among all of us on the "best way" to bring kids up in the faith, but many are often rooted in negative reactions. Here are top ones I've heard:

"I don't want to shove God down my kids throat, so I'll let them bring it up."
"I don't make my kids go to church like I was forced to and bored out of their minds."
"I don't think you need to go to church to be a Christian, so it's just not big on the family priority list."
"I don't want to miss out on the time I have with them, so we do other things on Sunday."

Obviously, we can debate these... but instead, let's look at how each sentence begins. Notice the phrase, "I don't..." - which simply reveals something you may be overlooking... a large part of what you may presume in your kids is more an issue of yours than theirs.

Think about it - how much of your presumably neutral offense is more of a defense that is rooted in your past?

We all know that no church is perfect, even though God is. You may have been hurt by a congregation or clergy member in the past, or pushed out instead of pulled in. Trust me, I have as well... so much so that I have the emotional scars to prove it.

But I'd like to offer you that you may not be as objective on this as you think. And you may, in fact, be rejecting an experience of church that you've applied to all churches. Perhaps what you grew up with actually was quite "shoved down your throat" or "boring." Maybe this has made you more argumentative against church being "necessary" or "something that competes with other fun things you want to do."

Again, I'm not debating your experience... I'm attempting to point out that you may be letting your past impact your kid's present, future, and possibly their eternity.

I'd also offer you that there are people like myself who understand this and are working hard to help the churches we're a part of get back to the heart of what God wants for our lives. Religion is an empty human exercise to find a connection with God; Christianity, on the other hand, is a passionate endeavor by God to develop a connection with us. It's a big difference, and even within my own family we spend a lot of time thinking through more than the concept of "Just believe," but "Is there credibility to what we put our lives into?"

What if this was the year that you owned up to the journey you're on and the way it may be affecting your family? If you don't have a church home, find one... go on that journey. And do it with your family - I'll even help you if you want.

You won't find a church that has all the answers, but you can find many who will more effectively reveal the Answer to you in ways you've never dreamed.

But you have to do more than put it off until next week, or Easter, or Christmas. If and when your kids bring up the big questions about God, will you only want them to taste your bitterness or will you give them a fresh opportunity to be consistently around teaching and a community that can complement your efforts?

After all, saying you have a belief in God is like saying that you believe a parachute works. It's a whole other thing to jump out of a plane and pull the ripcord, isn't it?

"These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children." (Deuteronomy 6:6-7)

an openness to brokenness

An openness to brokenness.

It feels near impossible at times, whether it's the honesty required when trying to lose weight or the denial of your dominant urges when the alarm goes off and you need to get out of bed. It's no wonder why soul care is often neglected, for while we can see the effects of neglecting our bodies we don't always catch how overlooking our spiritual life affects everything else.

But it does.

To clarify, when I say "spiritual life" I don't mean the times you decide to go to a church service or read your Bible... I mean that everything is spiritual, because God is everywhere and a part of everything, whether we recognize in Him or not. This means that folding your laundry or going for a walk in nature can be as spiritual an activity as popping in a praise CD or praying.

If you don't understand this, then take a moment to think about it before you move on a read the rest of what I've written here... otherwise, you'll miss out on the core point. (Here's a hint - what is the difference between a businessman sitting in a church service merely to get clients versus another sitting right next to them who wants to connect with God through what is about to happen? And is the same thing possible when you're cooking in the kitchen or watching a movie?)

I'm writing what follows at the request of a couple of friends who have asked me, "How do I get from 'here' to 'there' when it comes to lasting life change?" For example, this past Sunday the speaker in our church services invited people to respond to God by letting Him break them on the inside - from pride, religiosity, sin, and everything else. There is something amazing that can happen in this moment, but we need to fan that flame to be sure the moment becomes a "movement" versus a "monument." Here are a few thoughts on the factors that need to be in place for this:

1) New Jesus. To follow the real Jesus, you need to trade in the "Jesus" in your head. After all, everyone likes to dress up Jesus in their favorite ways. "Your Jesus kicks people down who ________? Cool! Oh, my Jesus is the 'Judge not, lest ye be judged' Jesus. He doesn't know any other Bible verses, but that one works just fine. My friend was just showing me his Jesus who doesn't require him to do take part in church services to be a Christian. We might trade next month."

Quit dorking around on this - if you call yourself a Christ-follower, then follow Christ... don't ask Him to follow you. Honestly, that's what we do when we step forward a foot to "say a salvation prayer," and then slow down our growth to millimeters (if that) afterward. Growth is going to look differently for everyone... but it does boil down to you looking to take another step with God versus defend the steps you've already taken.

2) New community. Surround yourself with people who aren't just nodding their head at Jesus, but who are making sacrificial steps forward with Him. Let's face it, if you want to keep doing what you're doing without anyone passing judgment on whatever it is, you can find other people in any church who want the same. We'll sort of not say anything to one another, and keep on doing what we all like doing... and we'll write it off as just "another version of Christianity - you have yours, and I have mine." We'll even feel good about how we're doing a few things for God, like helping out or showing up.

When that happens, no one grows... even though we think we are. So find brothers and sisters in the faith who will sharpen you as you sharpen them. Tell them, "I want Jesus to be my number one priority in life... can you kick my tail on this?"

3) New habits. What in life do you need to say "no" to that you've said "yes" to in order to propel further down the road with God? What about the reverse - what do you need to say "yes" to Him on that you've been otherwise resistant to? Confess these in all truthfulness - in fact, use that "community" from step 2 to be a part of that. Make sure another spiritually-mature Christian knows 100% (beyond a pastor, that is - we are easy to confess to, even though we're not easy to confess to, if you catch my drift). And then share your idea to start a 1-3 new habits into your life, asking him or her to fan this flame in you.

4) New food. Don't wait until the next upcoming church service or Bible study to get fed... feed yourself spiritually, or read up on how to feed yourself spiritually - like this article: http://www.christians.org/grow/grow01.html Find a Bible plan that you will be consistent with, and dig in.

Why? Because if you don't eat you won't be healthy... and you will have zero strength when something or someone in the world strikes at you.

----

The bottom line? You need to have an openness to brokenness - what God has broken up inside of you now must be rebuilt into something new. And He has given you a large part of the responsibility in this.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. (Galatians 5:22-26)

This "fruit" of the Spirit is the product of spending time with God - not the predecessor or the point.

Which means if you want to want what God offers, you have to want God - not what He offers.

And to gain Him and that, you must till the soil of your heart, do some digging, plant the right seeds, water it, and expose it to the Son... and as it grows, you will be able to feed yourself and others around you.

The change you want to see in the world begins in you.

four reasons I didn't preach yesterday

Yesterday was a Sunday within one of the "anchor" weekends for churches - the one closest to Christmas. Some congregations put a lot of eggs into this basket, while other churches close down and bank on a Christmas Eve celebration or an emphasis the week before (and face some constructive thoughts for doing so).

We had services, but I didn't preach yesterday... and I don't mean for this post to come across as a criticism of others who did. There's enough criticism over style between churches, and I genuinely celebrate the different ways my peers stepped up for Christmas in some way and "brought it" in however it honored God and the people they are ministering to.

So whether or not this affects you, I'd like to share these thoughts and hope they speak into your slice of life... whatever that may be.

Four Reasons I didn't preach yesterday:

A conversation I had a month ago: Without going into too many details, I was around someone recently who has been under justifiable fire for his choices in life and ministry. I won't comment on that, but I will share about a conversation we had as I walked him from one place to another. I received a text was from a congregation member, and it read: "Hey Tony. Hope you're having a good trip. Wanted to let you know Joanie knocked it out of the park this morn. No kidding. Grand slam world series! Rob"

"That's awesome," I involuntarily said out loud.

"What's that?" asked the man I was walking with.

"Oh," I said, "it's just this cool text I got. I'm obviously away from my church, and the person who taught today did a great job. This is a text from one of the church members who really was blessed by it."

He smiled, yet shook his head. "Trust me on this, you're not going to want to hear that as you mature into ministry. If you get a text like that ten years from now, you'll feel much differently about it. You don't want other people in your church to be a better teacher than you."

My jaw wanted to drop, but I held it back - honestly, because I wasn't sure I heard what I'd just heard.

"Seriously?" I asked.

"Seriously," he answered.

I mean this with all of my heart... if that is what "maturity" looks like, I hope I never grow up. This was God's way of affirming my firm belief that that a church cannot be built around me, let alone the Christmas season. I immediately called up our speaker that day and affirmed her gifts, and since she wasn't available to teach during Christmas weekend I began looking for someone else who could.
Three services + three weeks = potential fumes: To make space for guests during the Christmas season, our church added an extra service for the first three weeks of the month. While I felt fresh each Sunday, the cumulative effect of those extra services created the potential for Christmas fumes. Meaning, when you become so familiar with something so precious, you can forget how precious it is and speak/think on auto-pilot. I wasn't about to do another service where I'd be potentially talking mechanically versus from a fresh place. This is one of the reasons why I won't preach for more than six weeks in a row without taking a break - the "six-on/one-off" principle of Sabbath should be built into all areas of life.
Volunteer opportunity: Our Kids Connection ministry is simply amazing, but not everyone "gets it" which means we often are challenged to staff our classrooms during non-holiday weekends. Throw in some Christmas travel, though, and even some of our amazing regular volunteers may not be around. So I volunteered to fill in some gaps in our Pre-K/Kindergarten schedule... and it was a blast!

Prophesy Dorsey "brings it."

The God factor: As I said earlier, God is bigger than me and needs to be the anchor of the church I serve. While it's easy to build a church around a pastor's charisma and personality, it's healthier and biblical to build it on the Lord. Otherwise, a congregation will unconsciously follow the "man of God" versus God... and if that pastor leaves the people leave as well.

I knew that our speaker yesterday, Prophesy Dorsey (yes, that's his real name), would be a great conduit for whatever God wanted to stir up. Turns out, I was right - and several people took some great strides forward with Jesus because of it. I'm so thankful for the way the Holy Spirit works through all kinds of people, including my friend.

Look - I know I'm not Rick Warren Hybels Stanley Driscoll MacArthur Bell, so this post may not have the same weight as if they would have written this. No matter - I'm not writing this to impress, but to confess.

As I said, I hope this applies to you in some area of life... so think about it. Some people find their security in their achievements, resume, or skill set - and I have that temptation just as you do. I've seen pastors gauge their success based on the number of baptisms they do, just as I've seen parents track their worth through their children, business people define themselves through their quotas, singles look for security through marriage, and adults feel like their high school achievements were the defining moments of their life.

We all look for ways to feel like we're making a difference in life, but when we can't be content stepping back from those things and not being the center of attention things may be a bit unhealthy. It's why I don't track the amount of people who visit my blog or how many people come to our church services. This is also why I "like" every post on Facebook where someone else is applauded for their gifts/abilities by someone else... not because I'm completely healthy in this area, but because I recognize my unhealthy temptations.

It's also, by the way, why I saved that text from the congregation member and locked it from ever being deleted.

Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain. (Psalm 127:1)

can you finish either of these stories?

A man on the side of the road has a sign that says he and his family need help. I stop by to talk with him, and ask what his story is - "Perhaps I can bring some food by wherever you're living?" I ask.

"I live in Parma," he says, blowing the smoke from his cigarette in my face.

Parma? That's at least a half hour away toward Cleveland.

"What's your family situation?"

He takes another drag of his cigarette. "A wife and four kids. The police won't let me ask for help there. You can put the food in my car, though. I mean, my friend's car. He loaned it to me and told me I should come down here to ask for help."

---

A single mom is working around the clock to make ends meet, let alone figure out where they begin. She receives no child support, but has chosen to not let that embitter her toward the world.

She knows she needs help, but doesn't want to be a burden to anyone. So she's pouring herself into her job, picking up extra shifts, and trying to walk through this season with seasoning.

This Christmas is going to be tighter than the rest.

Tighter? Try non-existent when it comes to giving any tangible gifts to her kids.

That is, until...

---

Both of these stories are true, and I know the ending.

The bigger question is... do you?

Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” (Luke 14:12-14)

If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. (1 Corinthians 13:3)

why truth will tick you off

The Truth will set you free.

But first... it will tick you off.

Let's face it...

we'd rather live a "don't rock the boat" life where we call the shots.

It's a nice boat.

Comfortable seats.

Full of the latest toys.

We've spent a lot of time filling it with things that soothe us.

Then again, while that boat may seem expertly built and secure...

that boat has a hole in it.

Sometimes we see it, and sometimes we don't.

Even weirder, sometimes we see it and pretend we didn't.

You know what I mean, especially about that last part?

So will we stay on the sinking Titanic where we are the "King of the World?"

Or...

will we accept the ladder that just dropped from the rescue offered above?

You know, out of all the courageous changes we must make in life...

this shift is the hardest.

For it involves confessing we are not God...

and He is.

We confess this not just with a head nod...

or the occasional appearance at a church service...

but with life change that we allow Him to power up in our lives.

Life change that affects everything.

Yeah, everything.

That's why truth will tick you off.

The upside, though?

It's momentum can tick you off of the sinking boat... if you let it.

"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (Jesus, John 8:32)

do you have dimples?

I can't golf... at all.

Unless it involves a putter and a windmill. Or a mechanical alligator.

Ironically, I remember when I was asked to give a demonstration about how to hold and swing a golf club. It was in junior high, and I nailed the whole presentation. That is, except for the part where I forgot to actually show the class how to hold and swing a golf club. I did everything but that part because I got nervous.

Some days I still feel like I'm forgetting something important when I speak in front of people, such as in a Sunday morning church service or in a seminar I may be teaching. I keep thinking, "Who am I to speak? I'm flawed and foolish... what good could God possibly do through me?

I have learned one thing about golf, though, which is that what looks useless may actually have a purpose.

Case in point, those silly looking dimples that cover the surface of a golf ball minimize the air resistance it faces while traveling. In most cases, the ball will actually travel twice as far and as fast because of these bumps.

In other words, something that appears useless is more important than we realize.

As you look at your life, what bumps appears "useless" and "unnecessary?" I'm not speaking about sin, but rather odd aspects of your life that actually are of more importance than you realize. Do you feel "dimpled" in some way that actually is God's gift to you to use for his purposes and glory?

And if you do... what's it going to take for you to start using that as an asset for your Creator?

"But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong." (1 Corinthians 1:27)

your title or your influence?

I once worked in a job where I feared for my job... everyday. And I wasn't alone.

It wasn't because of the economy, and it wasn't because we were all bad employees.

It was because our boss was insecure and came across like a lion to everyone. He was someone who only cared about the idea of success than in creating the environment for it.

I've been in the exact opposite situation, though. I've served in church staff teams where we were so inspired by the character and direction of our main leader that we climbed over ourselves to be a part of what he was up to.

It's the difference between transactional relationships versus transformational relationships:

Transactional relationships:

You focus on what needs to happen.
You're concerned with the appearance of non-failure.
You spend your time one-upping each other.

Transformational relationships:

You focus on who each person is becoming.
You're concerned with the health of people.
You spend your time sacrificing for each other.

Every relationship, organization, classroom and work environment tends to run with one of these two models dominating. You can influence that, whether you're at the top or bottom of the totem pole.

T: Take the initiative in your own life first - become the person you want others to be.
R: Raise your eyes - set your focus on things above versus things of the earth (Col 3:1-4)
A: Ask others questions - find out who they are and what they're most concerned about in life.
N: Nurture conversation - set up regular lunch times where everyone gets together to chat.
S: Say the mission - don't just nod your head at what's on the wall, but use it in conversation.
F: Face people - don't multitask during conversations (close the laptop and turn off your phone).
O: Own mistakes - if you know you did something wrong, apologize right away.
R: Raise standards - stop using the phrase "That was good enough."
M: Mind your mind - introduce people to new thoughts and ideas that can lead to change.

In the end, you will influence others either out of your:

Title: Parent, spouse, employer, employee, customer, teacher, student, pastor, tither, guest, regular, etc
Influence: Your integrity, your passion, your relationship with God, etc

So... what is your next step to create healthy people instead of yet another power play?

The most important [commandment],” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:29-31)

is it on purpose or on accident?

Admit it - you like giving others a hard time (even though you know you shouldn't). Other times you may do it without realizing how others are receiving it. For example:

Maybe you enjoy giving little kids a hard time (Kid: "I'm hungry." You: "Hi, Hungry! Glad to meet you." Kid: "STOPPPPPPP!")
Perhaps you bring up old conversations whenever you see people ("Hey! It's 'Scary Toes!' Hey everyone, this one time Sheila was wearing flip flops and her toes were all dirty. Scary!")
Quite possibly you take shortcuts with names that other people haven't asked you to (Person: "Hi, I'm Nicholas." You: "Hey Nick! How are you, Nick?")
It could be that you're the "Yeah, but..." person in every conversation, email or online post. (Person: "...which is why that's why I feel as strongly about that as I do." You: "Yeah, but how about this...?")

Most of this has less to do with a conscious effort to anger others and more our own way of blowing off steam or processing life. Still, even though we'd claim "That's just who I am" that doesn't mean it's who you should be.

Just a question - how is your attempt to not feel annoyed by life actually annoying others?

"Stone is heavy and sand a burden, but provocation by a fool is heavier than both." (Proverbs 27:3)

feeling happy?

San Francisco has banned the Happy Meal, on the day of the return of the McRib no less.

The city is prohibiting fast food restaurants from including toys in children's meals if they don't meat nutritional guidelines. The city's board voted 8-3, which means the city's mayor can't veto it.

No toy is allowed if the meal crosses any of these lines:

If the meal has trans-fat.
If the meal is over 600 calories.
If the meal has 35% fat calories.

The rules go into effect in December of 2011.

Of course, this is a controversial story. We can debate whether or not it's wise to no end.

What intrigues me most, though, is that the city recognizes the impact of subtle things that create bad habits or ideologies for the long haul.

I wonder... where else does this principle apply?

What else makes us feel happy... even when it isn't good for us?

one or the other isn't a choice

Every person seeking to honor God deals with the tension of seeking to honor people instead. Pastors are no exception, especially since each week we step up to bat and attempt to share truth in a world full of opinions.

One way I deal with this is to pretend that every Sunday is the last sermon I'll ever preach. It helps me remember that one day this will be the case (as morbid as that sounds), but also that in the meantime I can't put on the mask of doing what sounds politically correct at the expense of being biblically sound. If I truly care about Jesus Christ and other people, then I need to make the most of that opportunity (and every other opportunity in every day, for that matter) to share what's important with the people I love.

Preachers must always try to feel what it is like to live inside the skins of the people they preach to, to hear the truth as they hear it. That is not as hard as it sounds because, of course, they are themselves hearers of truth as well as tellers of truth, and listen out of the same emptiness as the people do for a truth to fill them and make them true. - Frederick Buechner

It's not easy... but easy is deceptive. The very presence of tension, conflict, and trouble could be a sign that you’re right where you need to be doing exactly what you need to be doing. Yesterday was no exception for me, especially since I exhaled some uncomfortable truth.

And so I wanted to write a word out there to my peers who wonder sometimes if the "Monday blues" (the potential to feel down after feedback or insecurities pop up) are worth it.

This is from Rob Bell and his talk "Poets, Prophets and Teachers"

When you bring the fresh Word...

when you stand up in the midst of your community after prayer, study...

in community you've discussed this...

and you bring a new word and you've got others around you that are resonating...

there is a chance that you won't be understood.

There is a chance that you are speaking something that some can't see.

When you give a sermon you open yourself up to...

misinterpretation and confusion and anger and ignorance and blogging and fear and jealousy and opinions and evaluation and critique and agenda and baggage and convictions and projections (and this is way more about them than about you)

and at the exact same moment you are also opening yourself up to the possibility of....

truth and light and hope and repentance and desire and compassion and longing and revolution and confession and inspiration and comfort and solidarity and salvation and resurrection.

And when you do this...

you don't get to pick one or the other.

You want the one?

Then you've got to be willing to take the other.

presence for africa

Starting this morning, I'm on a five day meal plan of rice and beans only.

No... it's not a new fad diet. It's something sacrificial I'm doing for some orphans and friends in Africa. I want to invite you to join on in, or at the very least read about it. My church family is all over this, and we'd love your support so we can make a huge impact on the other side of the globe.

Click here to find out more: http://connectionchurch.org/africa/

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