Living in Community

The Sunday Rules

2012-02-10T12:03:00.000-08:00

We had some serious rules on Sundays, growing up. The TV was always off (unless it was sports). We never competed in an organized sporting event (unless it was in our backyard). We couldn’t go swimming even on the hottest summer days (we could run through the sprinkler). We never did any household chores (those needed to be done on Saturday). We never ate out or did any shopping (that would require others to work on Sunday to serve us). I’m sure there were many more things on the “we don’t do that on Sunday” list that I’ve since forgotten.

But, there was a long list of things that we did on Sunday that we didn’t do on other days of the week. We went to church for three to four hours: Sunday school, worship service, youth group, and Sunday night service. We usually ate a wonderful meal—typically pot roast with baked potatoes and mom’s “seven layer salad.” We often had company for Sunday lunch where mom got out her good dishes and we kids were on “be polite” alert. We played a lot of board games as a family with Christian programs on the radio in the background. Basically, on Sundays we were home and we were together. It was a special day of the week in our family. My parents called it the Lord’s Day and if we questioned the plan of the day, we were reminded of the fourth commandment, “Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.” They would explain that God had set apart one day a week for the nation of Israel to rest and focus their hearts and attention on him. They did Sabbath on Saturday, we do it on Sunday.

As I look back at my childhood Sundays, my memories are mixed. On one end, I loved Sundays. We had great food, time for a nap and lot of family time together. On the other end, there were just so many rules that didn’t make sense to me. And some of the rules seemed based on what other people would think if we would violate those rules. At times it felt we were protecting the perception of the Sabbath rather than the principle behind the commandment. To be honest, when I became an adult I rebelled against the traditional view of Sabbath rest. I tossed aside the rules of the Lord’s Day and claimed freedom. I didn’t care if my neighbor saw me mowing my grass and I refused to feel guilty if we decided to go to the baseball game or the movies on Sunday afternoon. But over time, I began to see some flaws in my new found philosophy. Sunday was beginning to look like every other day. Other than church, there was nothing holy or set apart in what we were doing. At times, Sundays got so busy that it felt like I needed to go back to work on Monday to get some rest.

Life, at times, is much like a swinging pendulum, isn’t it? We often respond to things in our past so strongly that we swing the pendulum too far and, again, miss the point that God was originally trying to make. That certainly happened to me in regards to my view of Sundays, Sabbath and rest. So, here are some Sabbath Rest principles that I’m now striving to find balance in.

1. After God created, he rested (Genesis 1). He didn’t rest because he was tired. He rested to step back and enjoy the outcome of his work. We need rest because we get tired, but we also need to model God’s character by slowing or stopping our activity to simply enjoy his goodness in our world and work.

2.We are commanded to set apart time to rest and connect with God (Exodus 20). If you had a friend that was involved in adultery, lying, coveting, dishonoring his parents, or worshipping idols, you may point them right back to the Ten Commandments. But for some reason, we look at the fourth commandment as just a good suggestion. I need to see it as God does, so important that he put it with nine other critical rules for living well. It’s in the Big Ten!

3.“Keeping it holy” simply means to set apart a day to make it unique from the other six. The objective is to find rest, reflection, and connection with God during this time. In that, there’s incredible freedom. We live within God’s principles but not under man’s rules for the Sabbath. Jesus said, “The Sabbath was created for man and not man for the Sabbath.” (Mark 2.27) Sabbath rest is a gift to you from God.

4.Sabbath rest principles can be enjoyed every day. It’s good for us to take a Sabbath 30-Minutes during a busy day to rest, reflect, and connect with God. The benefits of Sabbath can be claimed anytime.

We are busy people, aren’t we? We have so many options in how we can use our time. Perhaps less is more when it comes to how we fill our calendar. This week schedule your Sabbath time. When will you slow down to rest, to reflect on God’s goodness and to quietly connect with him? Rest in his goodness as you slow down. Enjoy the break as you connect with God.

Delivering Packages Matters to God

2012-02-03T13:37:00.000-08:00

As I write this week, I’m sitting in a warm coffee shop doing things that I love to do as a pastor of ABC. This morning, I led a men’s Bible study, met with a fellow staff member to plan ministry and now I get to write some thoughts that I hope encourage someone. I just looked up to see a UPS truck drive by my window and I’m reminded of a past life I had in a brown uniform and a journey that God has brought me on in my work over the years.

I always counted myself fortunate to have a good job that paid the bills and gave me enough money to raise a family in a decent home, while having a little extra to have some fun once in awhile. For 16 years, United Parcel Service provided that for me. Every day it was hard work with constant pressure to produce in sometimes adverse conditions. “The tightest ship in the shipping business” was no exaggeration. I knew and accepted that as part of being employed by this company, so I dedicated myself to working as hard as I could each day. I knew that the harder I worked, the sooner I could get home. And, the sooner I got home, the sooner I got to do the things I really loved: family, fun, and ministry. I honestly didn’t enjoy the work much and there were times I really hated it. I remember days as a delivery driver having an overloaded truck, snowy roads, wet feet, demanding bosses, cranky customers, biting dogs, and mechanical breakdowns. But I stayed with it for 16 years because of what it afforded me to do. I often said, “Life begins when I get home.” My job was a means to a paycheck.

About ten years into my time at UPS, I began to grow discontented with my philosophy of life and work. Why was I spending so some much time and energy doing something I really didn’t enjoy? Why did I feel shackled to the golden handcuffs of this job? I was learning a ton about myself and was beginning to realize that I was a highly relational person who gains life from significant interactions with people. Delivering packages seemed like a disconnect with how God had wired me. Sure, I was having a ton of interactions with people during my day, but they were all in 30 second increments. “Good morning. How are doing today? I have five packages for you. Please sign here. Have a great day.” I must have said that a million times. I so longed to have a greater impact in people’s lives. I longed to use more of my day doing the things that God had uniquely designed me to do. For three years, I prayed daily for God to give me a new opportunity.

Eleven years ago this past Christmas, I began working at Ada Bible Church leading the charge for small groups. It was such an easy decision to leave UPS to pursue this as I had been attending ABC since college, and I was heavily invested in the small groups ministry. Finally, I found my calling. Finally, my work mattered for something significant.

Because I was offered the job in November, I decided to give UPS a one month notice. They were coming into “peak season” during the holidays and it didn’t seem right to leave them a man short. This gave me a full month to tell my co-workers and the customers I saw everyday that I was moving on to another job. Honestly, I didn’t expect much response when I shared the news. These people really didn’t know me. I was just another dude in a brown uniform. But, what happened over that month surprised me. I was blessed with notes, gifts, tears, hugs, and some very warm “well-wishes.” People thanked me for my service, my consistency and even my friendship. Friendship? Really? In some sort of weird way, those 30 second conversations with people made a small but important impact on their day. Perhaps the way I worked and conducted myself mattered to people. Just maybe, for 16 years, my work at UPS mattered to God. There was something missing in my perspective of work. I had missed something important with my “life begins after work” philosophy.
I remain thankful for the opportunity that God gave me to serve in the context of a church, but I’m humbled and sobered to think I may have missed opportunities because my thinking about work was slightly skewed. Perhaps I could have paid more attention to this passage during those days:

Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Colossians 3:22-24

What’s interesting to me is that Paul doesn’t differentiate between good work and bad work, high-impact work and low-impact work. He says, “Whatever you do, work with all your heart.” God is your boss and he cares about our attitude, our quality, our joy, and our ability. And as any good boss does, he’ll reward us for doing good work (any good work) with a good spirit.

Genuine and Well-Timed Encouragement

2012-01-30T07:23:00.000-08:00

At a recent ABC staff Christmas party, an envelope with my name on it was placed in front of me. I knew what it was—it was the outcome of a project that most of our staff had participated in. Weeks before, we were e-mailed a document with all the staff names on it. We were asked to write a word of encouragement or gratitude next to people’s names. One of our admin staff sorted through all these remarks and made each person a compiled list of comments unique to that person. It had been a joy to write notes for others, but now in front of me was an envelope that contained others’ thoughts about me.

In a private moment, I nervously opened the envelope. It’s amazing the anxiety that goes into reading things written about you. Illogical fears teased my mind. What if the comments are superficial and written out of obligation? What if I see backhanded compliments like: “You’re not as a big jerk as you used to be”? Even worse, what if the page is empty? What if these “encouragement sheets” leave me more discouraged about myself? Illogical, I know.

As I slowly read each comment (on multiple pages), I savored every word like they were bites of a steak dinner chewed by a homeless man. Tears ran down my eyes as I read kind notes that affirmed my work, my character, and my friendships. Some comments were short but very sweet from anonymous sources while others were short paragraphs from people who left their names. At the end of the reading, I felt affirmed, appreciated, encouraged, and loved. It struck me again at that moment, how powerful genuine, well-timed encouragement is in our lives. You see, in the weeks prior, I had come to realize that I had grown disillusioned and discouraged in my work. Instead of feeling affirmed, I experienced doubts. Instead of working from a heart of joy, I had grown cynical. Instead of feeling appreciated, I felt pushed aside. Genuine, well-timed encouragement was a powerful medicine for the sickness of discouragement I had allowed into my soul.

So what’s the mystery behind genuine, well-timed encouragement? Why is it so critical and impactful in our lives? First, it’s rare in our world today. I don’t know that I have ever met anyone who said, “I’m feeling over-encouraged.” We hunger for value and words of encouragement to fill our hearts with worth and purpose. Secondly, we’re overwhelmed with negative expressions of words. Our music can be angry. The news is often bad. Our conversations can be filled with complaint, sarcasm, and criticism. That’s why this proverb is so true:

Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.
Proverbs 16:24 NIV

There’s not a person on this planet who hasn’t experienced the personal damage of misused words. We all bear the wounds of others’ words. And, we also know the damage we have caused others with our poorly expressed words. We are people who have the power to create, but to also destroy, with our words. James writes about the conundrum of the mouth:

People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!
James 3.7-10 NLT

We use 10,000 to 20,000 words per day. Every word you use has an audience. What does that audience need to hear from you today? Remember, they have probably received enough correction, criticism, and banter for the day. How can you build up, create new, encourage, affirm, and value that person? Let your words be a sweet treat and an agent of healing today.

The Family Garden

2012-01-20T13:56:00.000-08:00

Growing up, my family always had a huge garden, and every August there was a flurry of excitement and activity in our household. Bushels of produce— tomatoes, beans, sweet corn, potatoes, and even rhubarb—was gathered as it completed its ripening. The canning jars arrived on the counter as the pressure cooker heated up. Soon the cupboards and freezer were full of veggies that would feed us throughout the next year. There was always a sense of fulfillment and gratification as you got to see, feel, and finally eat the product of our garden. Picking the garden was actually fun, as so much work had gone into that garden during the months prior. To be honest, during those growing months, I wasn’t very fond of that garden. Tilling, planting, weeding, and watering were all part on my summer chores. It was tedious, painful, tiring, and boring work. But in a weird way, I think that played a huge part in experiencing the joy of the harvest.

As an adult, I don’t have a garden. The produce we consume comes from the grocery store. It’s always there, whenever we want it. It’s convenient and easy and I like that. I don’t till, weed, or water in order to eat a carrot. Somebody’s done that for me. In a sense, it’s a nice relief… but it’s also too bad. The joy of the harvest has eluded my life a bit. We live in a culture of convenience and ease. I carry a phone with a data plan that gives me access to anything and anyone anytime. But, I still want it to be faster. We have microwave ovens and fast food restaurants that make our meals quick and easy. Yet, I find myself impatiently tapping my foot as I wait for the timer on the microwave to tick down. If the line is too long or the service is slow at the local burger joint, I can become enormously tense and disgusted that my time has been wasted. Ironically, in a culture of convenience and speed, we are growing more and more impatient. We want fast data plans, better fast food service and microwaves that can cook a turkey dinner in two minutes. Perhaps we need a backyard garden as a reminder of the beauty that can result from toil.

Paul understood the image of harvesting crops to illustrate our personal growth and journey with others.

…You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith. Galatians 6.7-10 NLT

I wonder sometimes if we project our impatience into our spiritual journey. What if God looks at us as a garden to be planted, watered, weeded, and harvested… over a long period of time? We want instant maturity in our lives and in the lives of people we are relationally investing in. But often our investment is the tedious stage of tilling, planting, and weeding with hope the harvest will come later.

Recently, a friend shared with me two passages of Scripture. The first was Jesus’ first words to his disciples. He said, “Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” In a sense, Jesus was planting seed. The second passage was Jesus’ final words to his disciples. He said, “Go make disciples…” He was sending them because they were mature and ready. But, between those two statements, Jesus spent three years side by side with the Twelve. At times their growth in these three years was tedious, painful, and tiring. But in the end, it produced a great crop of disciple makers who would change the world.

Order to Disorder

2012-01-14T06:42:00.000-08:00

Several years ago, I had the opportunity to help an old friend move. His house had been foreclosed on and he was moving into a rental. As we moved his boxes and pieces of furniture, my mind kept drifting to the day we moved his family into this house. The house was brand new and they were on top of the world to be moving into a home they had designed and planned. Now there were holes in the wall, stains in the carpet, and the musty smell from a water leak somewhere. The house was in remarkable disrepair. It made me sad that day because I knew the design and plan for the house was not to become dilapidated. But, I knew why this had happened. A once successful business was now bankrupt and a once beautiful marriage was now over. A once newly built dream home was a repairman’s nightmare.

My days of studying physics has longed past, but I believe there’s a universal law of science that states that without energy, any system will move from a state of order to increasing disorder. That’s why metal things rust and wooden things rot when they’re not cared for. But, this principle seems to apply to things less physical in nature. It also applies to finances, marriages, friendships, families, businesses, spirituality and other important things. If I fail to apply positive energy to my relationship with my wife, I should expect drift or conflict. If I don’t invest into my relationship with my kids when they 5 and 15, I may not have a relationship with them when they are 25 or 35.

Well before the laws the thermodynamics were penned, the author of Proverbs wrote this,

I went past the field of a sluggard, past the vineyard of someone who has no sense; thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins. I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw: A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest— and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man. Proverbs 24:30-34

In contrast, something very simple reminded me recently of the importance of attending to things in our life. During the holidays, my sister invited us for Christmas dinner. On the table that afternoon were several dishes that had belonged to my mother who had passed away almost five years ago. One in particular was a glass water pitcher. That water pitcher is older than me and there’s a good chance that it’s over 60 years old. I won’t be surprised if this was the first and only glass water pitcher my mom ever owned. Now, I doubt it has any value outside our family. I’m sure American Pickers and the Antique Road Show would let it pass. But to me, it’s a symbol of the values of simplicity and care that my parents forged in their lives. Mom and dad had very little. But what they had, they took very good care of. That’s why a simple glass water pitcher is still pouring water for our family. That’s why my parents passed away having been faithful to each other for almost 60 years. That’s why my dad, on a rural pastor’s income, saved enough money to care for himself in his elderly days and still left some for his kids and grand kids. They attended to their field diligently… for a long time.

Without energy, attention, and commitment virtually everything in life will erode or decay. In this sermon series, we’ll look at a short list of commitments that really matter to our lives. The bad news is that if we neglect these commitments, we risk having to deal with fields filled with worthless weeds. But the good news is, if we apply ourselves to these commitments, God may bring a wonderful crop of goodness.

We Lost the Messiah!

2012-01-06T14:22:00.000-08:00

Losing track of your kids can be a horrifying experience for a parent. My wife experienced that when our oldest daughter was 8 or 9 years old. Janice needed to make a quick stop at a grocery store near our home and Kari, disgruntled with this added stop on the way home, didn’t want to go in the store. So, she convinced her mom to let her stay in the car. Mom agreed, telling her to keep the doors locked and reminding her that she’d only be a minute or two. However, when Janice returned to the car, Kari was gone. Panic immediately set in. Janice began to work through the logical answers. Perhaps Kari had gotten bored and wandered in the store to find her. So, she ran back in, grabbed a store clerk and they began to search the store. They searched every aisle—no Kari. Then, on a whim, Janice decided to go home, which was only a couple blocks away. Janice entered the house and went immediately to Kari’s room. There she was, sitting peacefully watching videos. When asked why she decided to wander home on her own, she simply said something to the affect of, “I have things to do.” When Janice told me the story that night, I was horrified… but for only a minute. I remembered a time when I decided to wander off from my parents because I had better things to do.

As a kid, I hated shopping. Probably because the stores my parents and sisters dragged me were far from my interests in life. Clothes, fabric, groceries, home appliances—I had no interest in them. So, when my family made plans to hit some sidewalk sales, I needed to find a better plan for me. Our family was up in Sault Ste. Marie near where my oldest sister lives. She was newly married and I was just an 11 or 12 year old kid. As my mom and sisters began to pick through clothes racks, I asked if I could go check out a “fudgy” shop across the street— you know, one of those tourist fudge shops with all the cool overpriced souvenirs. I think because they were so tired of my whining, they relented and off I went. As it turned out, Sault Ste. Marie has a bunch of these little shops and I proceeded to work my way through most of them. I loved the freedom from the clothes racks and stacks of women’s shoes. I wasn’t going back anytime soon. Then I realized that the Soo was the home of the Soo Locks where the boats and barges pass from St. Mary’s River to Lake Michigan. Before the boats can pass, they have sit in the locks where the water rises or lowers to the level of the body of water they are going to. I needed to find the Soo Locks. So off I wandered, losing track of time.
I’m not sure how long I was gone but when I finally wandered back to the stores, I was greeted with fury. “Where have you been? We’ve been looking all over for you! You’ve been gone for hours and we were worried!” Frankly, I was a bit surprised as I had a wonderful afternoon of exploring. They got to shop and I got to explore, what’s the problem? I was oblivious to the worry and inconvenience I had caused.
I think there’s a quest in every child to explore their own independence.

Unfortunately, kids typically do this before they fully understand the dangers and difficulties that surround them as they wander away. But it does my heart good to know that Kari and I were not the first kids to wander from their parents. Jesus, the 12-year-old incarnate Son of God and Messiah, wandered from Mary and Joseph and clan. It’s kind of refreshing to know that, isn’t it? For three days, Mary and Joseph journeyed to find their “special” son who got separated from the family. Can you imagine their conversations? “I thought he was with you. When did you see him last? Where did he say he was going? I can’t believe we lost the Messiah!” As a parent, I can relate to their horror.

But there’s something I really love about this story from Jesus’ perspective. Remember, this is the Son of God, the second member of the Trinity in 12-year-old human skin. As God, he’s given up his divine attributes of knowing everything and being all powerful. He’s vulnerable and needs to grow in knowledge and understanding. But as human, he has a childlike innocence that allows him to wander and explore. He pursues independence and discovery as he grows to understand who he really is and what his mission and purpose are all about. I love the fact that God chose to reveal himself, and rescue us from our sin, by becoming human. It tells me that he relates to the human stuff that happens to me.

Read Luke 2.41-52 today and see the common humanity in this family story. But, look deeper for signs of Jesus’ deity. He’s beginning to grow into his mission.

I Hit Santa Claus

2011-12-16T10:20:00.000-08:00

This week’s post is a story I wrote last Christmas. I hope you enjoy the repeat; it’s one that means a ton to me. God bless and Merry Christmas!

Before my small group pastor days, I worked for a little company called United Parcel Service. I was a delivery driver with the brown truck and the brown uniform. Now, UPS is a wonderful company and I’m very grateful for the 16 years I had employment there. But, there was a certain time of year that I dreaded—it was Christmas. From Thanksgiving until the day before Christmas, UPS was a tough place to work because certain difficult elements collided all at once, making a perfect storm of misery for me. First, the work load jumped dramatically because of holiday shopping. Second, the time changed, making daylight hours shorter. And third, snow began to fall. Lots of packages and long, cold, snowy, dark days combined for enormous pressure. My cynicism grew every December and to be totally honest, I grew to hate Christmas.

On one of those cold, dark evenings, my cynicism busted open. It had been a long day. It had snowed all day and I was way behind. I knew I was going to be working deep into the evening. The streets were dark and house numbers were hard to read. My feet were wet and my soul was dark as I approached yet another house with package in hand. I placed it on the dry porch, rang the door bell and began to return to my truck, all the while smelling someone’s supper cooking. All I could think about was why I wasn’t home enjoying a warm dinner with my wife and kids. But as I stepped off the porch, a bright object caught the corner of my eye. It was a Santa Claus lawn ornament—you know, the Santa with a big grin, waving at all who pass by. It was as if this particular Santa was laughing at me that night and I realized at that moment—that stupid Santa represented my misery. Then, in a weak moment, something in me caused me to act on my distain. So...I cuffed Santa. Yeah, I hit him. The back of my hand smacked Santa so hard that he toppled face first into the snow. For a half second, I felt bad and almost went to pick him up… but I didn’t. I left his stupid grin, face down in the cold snow.

For years, I wrestled with the whole concept of Christmas. What’s the point? Why celebrate the birth of Jesus? It just gets twisted and out of hand anyway. And, other than Easter, we don’t celebrate other things that Jesus did. We don’t have Transfiguration parties. We don’t rejoice on the day that Jesus was baptized. We don’t have Miracle Mondays. Why Christmas? Why all the big commotion for his birth?

Oh, I knew all the right answers, but each year I had to find a time to slow myself down and let the real significance of Christmas resonate deeply in my soul. If I didn’t, I’d get caught up in the trappings and cynicism of the season. For many years, a chapter from Max Lucado’s book, God Came Near helped me. Each time I read it, I was reminded of the greatest thing that God ever did for human beings—he became man. God incarnate. God in human skin. God dwelling with us. God dying for us. As I type some words from this chapter, tears still flow from my eyes as I reflect on how God came near for me. I hope they encourage you as well.

It all happened in a moment, a most remarkable moment. As moments go, that one appeared no different than any other... It was one of the countless moments that have marked time since eternity became measurable.

But in reality, that particular moment was like none other. For through that segment of time a spectacular thing occurred. God became a man. While the creatures of earth walked unaware, Divinity arrived. Heaven opened herself and placed her most precious one in a human womb.

The Omnipotent, in one instant, made himself breakable. He who had been spirit became pierceable. He who was larger than the universe became an embryo. And he who sustains the world with a word chose to be dependent upon the nourishment of a young girl.

God as a fetus. Holiness sleeping in a womb. The creator of life being created… God had come near.

It all happened in a moment. In one moment…a most remarkable moment. The Word became flesh.

There will be another. The world will see another instantaneous transformation. You see, in becoming man, God made it possible for man to see God. When Jesus went home he left the back door open. As a result, “we will all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.”

The first moment of transformation went unnoticed by the world. But you can bet your sweet September that the second one won’t. The next time you use the phrase “just a moment,” …remember that’s all the time it will take to change this world.

Excerpts from “Just a Moment” by Max Lucado, 1987 (Multnomah Press) To read the entire chapter online, go to http://www.maxlucado.com/articles/topical/it_began_in_a_manger.

Ordinary... Extraordinary

2011-12-09T07:21:00.000-08:00

As is the custom, when someone new comes to our small group, we go around the room and introduce ourselves and tell a piece of our story. On a particular night this fall when a new couple joined us for their first night, I asked the group to share who had been the three most significant people in their lives. I love listening to people answer this question because it brings out some great stories and it shows who people value most.

When the time came for my wife to answer the question, I knew who one of her choices would be—me! Well, I hoped for that but I knew there was someone else who had a huge impact on who she become as a person. It was her Grandma Lottie. Janice had grown up on one of those country roads where family farms and farm houses scattered the landscape. Her grandparents lived just a short walk from her home. Lottie was a quiet woman, yet was very emotionally strong and stable. Her husband, a former farmer and carpenter, had a massive stroke when he was in his sixties that left him physically debilitated. Though he was unable to walk and struggled to communicate, Lottie remained his primary caregiver in their home. She served his needs for several years without ever a word of complaint until he peacefully passed away in their home.

If you were to have met Lottie, you probably wouldn’t have been overly impressed at your first meeting. She was quiet, simple, and very ordinary. She would not stand out in a crowd and would be a wallflower at a social gathering. But, her impact on people was profound. You could say it was extraordinary. Lottie’s home was an open refuge to her grandkids. She would always stop what she was doing to make a relational connection with someone who walked in her door. This was especially important to Janice during a tumultuous time in her high school years. When Janice was 14, her mom was involved in a head-on collision which left her hospitalized for several months. During that year of her life, Janice’s mom went through a ton of adjustments dealing with the aftereffects of her accident. As you can imagine, this had a tremendous impact on Janice’s world as a teenage girl. She needed a safe place and her grandma’s house was always that for her. A few years before Lottie’s death, Janice wrote her a beautiful poem of gratitude. The poem now hangs framed in our bedroom as an intimate reminder of Janice’s wonderful heritage. Now eight years after Lottie’s death, Janice can’t read that poem without a tear coming to her eye. She knows that her grandmother had much to do with the person she has become.

As I read scripture, I’m always impressed with how God chose to use very ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Just look at the characters in the Christmas story. There are the lowly shepherds, a simple carpenter, and teenager girl. These regular people are living very regular lives. Even God enters the story as something ordinary to any family—a baby. Mary would intimately carry the baby through pregnancy. She would nurse and care and love this child. Joseph would protect and guide this young, vulnerable family. And the sheep watchers, they got to be the first witnesses and guests of Jesus. This is a personal and ordinary setting with some very simple and ordinary people. Yet, God chooses this intimate place to do something as grand and cosmic as he has ever done in history.

So how does God do the extraordinary with those of us who are pretty ordinary folk? Well, as you read through Mary’s story this week in Luke 1, you may find one key answer. A message is delivered to this girl through an angel that she’ll become divinely pregnant with God’s Son. This Son will be the long awaited Messiah who will sacrifice himself to take away the sins of the world. Though Mary is overwhelmed with this news, and I’m sure filled with a lot of questions about her role, her response is beautiful:

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Luke 1.38

What a profound statement from an ordinary girl! “God, I’m yours. I’ll do what you ask. I want your plan to work out.” Perhaps being used by God in an extraordinary fashion begins with humble statements driven by a willing and submissive heart.
Lottie and Mary were probably a lot alike; humble and ordinary women whom God used extraordinarily to impact future generations. Today, start with Mary’s humble statement as a prayer for this day and this season. Then ask for something extraordinary.

More Than Imagined

2011-12-02T18:47:00.000-08:00

Haiti is a hard place in which to sleep. On a mission trip this summer, I learned this in a profound way. It was still 90 degrees when we went to bed. The small fans we shared gave minimal relief. The bed felt more like a summer camp bunk than my comfortable bed at home. The excitement of the day swirled in my brain as I closed my eyes each night. The sounds of the street—car horns, goats, chickens, barking dogs—were constant disruptions. But then there was one more thing—a 17 year old American kid named Zac in the bunk next to me. Every night, he’d sit on his bunk and journal page after page about his experiences of the day. He wasn’t noisy at all, he just needed the light on.

I thought about asking him to find a time earlier in the evening to do this, but it seemed that this was an important time for him. I learned later that journaling was not something he did at home, but rather this was special to his week in Haiti. It was evident that something very personal was happening to him. I sure didn’t want to disrupt that. So, I would pop in my headphones, close my eyes and listen to some music as I reflected on my experiences that day. The light would eventually go off and sleep would come to everyone.

Last week, I got to sit with Zac and talk about the trip. It has been four months since we were in Haiti. Zac was preparing for a presentation he will make to his high school about his trip. He asked me for some help in preparing for his talk. We brainstormed outlines, outcomes, and stories. At the end of our conversation, he went to his car and came back with his journal. He asked me to read it to see if there were any stories I thought needed to be highlighted. He had so much to tell and needed some help narrowing things down a bit.

As I read his journal, I was impressed with the words that had been penned in the bunk next to mine. I was intrigued by how a high school senior was processing the sights, smells, sounds, and experiences of such an intense place as Haiti. As I read, I could tell that something very personal and profound had happened in this young man’s soul. I could even sense that something bigger was happening with this experience; and that through Zac’s experience, others would become engaged in God’s work in Haiti. He wanted this experience to impact others.

For many people who go on mission trips, the impact of the experience is short lived. Life’s routines tend to choke out the potential changes in people’s lives shortly after they return. There are great stories to tell but their life doesn’t change much. But Zac was determined to have his Haiti experience live on through his senior year. His presentation to the student body will be to ask their help in aiding the people of Haiti. He is committed to creating awareness to the needs of Haiti and the work that God is doing there. He also made a great big goal of raising $5,000 to send to the ministry we served on our trip. This goal will engage him his entire senior year.

The Bible is filled with stories of God doing something personal with someone; but as read the story you sense that there’s something bigger going on. The story of Zechariah and Elizabeth is a perfect illustration. Here’s an elderly couple who has never had children—a disgrace in most ancient societies. God comes to Zechariah to announce that he’ll be a father. Zechariah has some reasonable doubts and God gives him nine months of not being able to speak. We learn that his baby is not only a special gift to this deeply devoted but disgraced old couple, but he will be a gift to the people of Israel. This baby, named John, will be the messenger and forerunner to the Messiah, Jesus, the incarnate Son of God. The planet will be spiritually changed because of what God set in motion through John. Four hundred years of silence from God will end through this old couple and their baby.

There are times in life when we sense God giving us a very personal and intimate gift. But, he has a way of linking these personal gifts with something more grand, cosmic, and bigger than we could imagine. We are blessed to become a blessing. We are given gifts to become good givers. We are given life-giving truth to pass it on. We are encouraged to become an encouragement to others.

As you step into the Christmas season, take inventory of the beautiful personal gifts God has given you. Don’t just settle for having a sense of gratitude, look for something bigger. Could God be doing something more than you ever imagined with the gift he’s given you? Zac, who had a cool mission experience in Haiti, would tell you that God may be up to something bigger. Maybe we need to think bigger. Maybe we need pray bigger—this week!

Give Thanks With a Grateful Heart

2011-11-18T08:29:00.000-08:00

After every baseball practice, Adam would do the same thing; he’d wander up to me with a shy look on his face, reach out his hand to shake mine and say, “Thanks, coach.” He’d then turn and walk off with his dad who was usually nearby insuring his son would follow through on this daily ritual. I always suspected that Adam did this because his dad asked him to. It just didn’t feel like this was Adam’s idea. But I always appreciated what this dad was teaching his son: he was teaching him to be grateful and to express his gratitude. Adam was learning that there are a bunch of things in life to be grateful for such as the health, ability, time, resources and the coaching available to him so he can enjoy baseball. But he was learning that he needs to express his gratitude. Though I know Adam struggled to muster the courage to do this, I grew to really appreciate his effort. Of all the kids I’ve coached over the years, he expressed his thankfulness more than any other.

Recently, I heard an old chorus that I grew up hearing in church. The key lyrics were, “Give thanks with a grateful heart.” This old song had become somewhat of a cliché to me but it’s truly a profound thought. True thanksgiving is first a condition and then an expression of the heart. They work beautifully together but often we don’t join the condition of our heart with the expression of our mouth. For instance, we may have the habit of saying, “Thank you,” many times a day. It’s called being polite—which is a good thing. But being polite doesn’t mean I’m grateful. This morning, the gal who toasted my bagel at Panera Bread said “thank you” when I gave her my money. Was her heart overwhelmed with thanksgiving because I actually had the funds to buy my breakfast? Was she experiencing a heartfelt moment of gratitude for me, who in some small way was helping her have money to live her life? Maybe. Maybe not. But, I doubt it. Most likely, she was just being polite; perhaps as she was trained by her parents or by her boss. Though words of gratitude can be used, it doesn’t always mean we are grateful.

There are times when we are truly grateful, but we fail to express it. This morning, I spoke with a friend who is mentoring a young man struggling in his marriage. He had been encouraging this young man to write his wife a note thanking her for the good things she does for him and his kids. He was confident that it would mean a ton to this young wife to hear some real words of appreciation. But as this man was telling me this story, my friend stopped in mid-sentence as he realized how long it had been since he had given his wife a tangible expression of his gratitude. Gratitude without expression just seems incomplete, doesn’t it?

But when we join a grateful heart with a grateful expression, we bring joy to our Father. Gratitude also unleashes other virtues in our life. I can’t be truly humble without having an appreciation of all that God has given me that I could not earn on my own. It’s tough to be content when my thoughts and words are riddled with ungrateful complaints. Everything in life works best, not when I want more, but when I have gratitude for what God has already given. Marriage works best when I love my wife because I’m grateful God has given her to me. I’m more patient, kind, and caring when my heart is filled with thanksgiving. And then there’s perseverance… I’m more apt to endure hardship well when I draw from stories of God’s provision with gratitude. Thanksgiving brings hope.

Give thanks with a grateful heart.

Humbled or Humilitated

2011-11-11T12:23:00.000-08:00

I couldn’t ask for a better opportunity to impress the beautiful blonde on whom I had a growing crush. She was on a floating raft, enjoying her break from her job in a camp kitchen and I was getting the catamaran ready for sail. I was a 19-year-old camp counselor assigned to take a group of 8-year-old girls sailing on Pine Lake. It was a perfect day and the perfect setup to impress her with both my strong, manly sailing skills, and my tender, entertaining way with the fine young ladies on the sailboat.

There was a nice breeze that day, but not too strong to make the ride challenging or rough. The girls climbed on the boat all bundled in their life vests. They were excited about the ride and I pushed off with great confidence that they’d be telling fun stories around the camp about their ride. The boat was a big, heavy, homemade catamaran-style sailboat. It was kind of clunky to maneuver, but it was stable and virtually impossible to turn over. The breeze grabbed the sail immediately, but it pushed me in the wrong direction—toward the neighbor’s beach. I brought the sail down, hopped off the boat and pushed it out it again; climbed back on and pulled up the sail. The same thing happened again, this time blowing me into a marshy, weedy area of the lake. The excitement had worn off the girls’ faces and I began to hear words such as “boring” and “you don’t know what you’re doing, do you?”

Growing in frustration, I jumped off the boat again; except this time I didn’t make it completely into the water. My swim shorts had caught on an I-hook that was used to tie off the ropes when the boat was docked. My shorts hooked just above the bottom seam on one of my legs and tore all the way up to the waistband. When the hook hit my waistband, the tearing stopped and so did I. There I was… hanging by my torn shorts from the side of a rickety boat in the middle of cattails. I tried to shake myself free hoping the band would just break but it didn’t. I dangled awkwardly with more and more of my bare butt pointing upward at the girls. It’s safe to say that the girls were no longer bored… they were horrified. Awkwardly, I lifted myself up on the boat enough to untangle myself from the hook. Just as I was getting free from my mess, my buddy Bruce, sitting on his lifeguard perch, noticed my plight. Instead of sending help, he called out on his megaphone for all to hear, “Hey, Phil, everything okay?” With bare butt showing and girls crying, I looked up to see if one particular person on a certain raft was looking. And… she was.

With shredded but free shorts, I jumped back into the water and slowly walked the boat back along the shore toward the camp dock. When I was close enough, I pushed it to the dock and a friendly staff member helped the girls off the boat. There in the water I sat, hiding my ripped shorts while I convinced another counselor to run to my cabin to get me another pair. There was no way I was going to walk out of that water! The entire time, the jokes didn’t stop.

Some would say that circumstance was humbling. I would call it humiliating. There’s a big difference between humility and humiliation, isn’t there? Humiliation is associated with ridicule, shame, embarrassment, and failure. But humility is a virtue; something to cultivate in our lives. It’s something Jesus modeled for us. Look for the words or phrases that describe humility in the verses below.

Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn't claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion. Philippians 2.5-8 (Message)

Humility is having an accurate view of yourself, and being willing to be honest with yourself. It’s living authentically—dropping any mask that protects your image. It’s releasing the demand to be honored, and releasing the power given to you toward the service and wellbeing of others. Through the virtue of humility, we grow and we look like our Savior God, Jesus.

By the way… the beautiful blonde on the raft…she eventually married me. That’s humbling!

Camera Snob

2011-11-06T12:13:00.000-08:00

I’ll admit it, I’m a self-proclaimed camera snob. Just ask my friends or family members who have traveled with me. As soon as they pull out their camera phone or pocket-point-and-shoot thingy, I scoff at their feeble attempts to a capture a beautiful scene with such inferior technology. As they awkwardly hold their cell phone out in front of their face, they’ll hear me say in a condescending tone, “Are you really trying to capture that gorgeous sunset with that piece of junk?” You see, I have some really nice camera equipment that I’ve purchased over the years. In recent years, photography has grown past being just a hobby to being a second source of income.

So, there I am at the University of Michigan Big House, one of my favorite places on the planet, with my favorite camera and lens set-ups. I have solid hopes of capturing great action shots of my favorite football team. With incredible envy, I watch the pros move to their places on the sidelines. But as I watch the other photography “hacks” around me with their phone and pocket cameras, I’m feeling pretty good about my situation. I have the Canon 7D with a 70-200 mm 2.8/f lens that I’ve paid a bunch of money for with my photography earnings. I’m not on the sidelines with the pros (yet), but I’m certain people will be impressed with the shots I get in this great venue.

From the front row of the end zone, I began shooting warm-ups. My lens is zoning in tight on my favorite players. The shutter is firing off in rapid bursts. I’m in “the zone” as I scan the field through the camera eye piece looking for candid moments to capture. But, when I stop to check to make sure my settings are rights, I realize something is wrong. None of the images I shot were being captured. On the screen on the back of my camera was this horrifying message, “No CF card.” There was no memory card in my camera?! Panicked, I throw open the memory card door to be sure. This couldn’t be. How could there not be a memory card? But in fact, it was gone. With a sick feeling in my stomach, I remembered putting in my camera bag and planning to pop it into the camera later. But, at that critical moment, my camera bag and memory card were a mile away in the trunk of my car. It would take over an hour to retrieve it. So for the next three hours, that camera, valued over several thousands of dollars was worthless. With great irony, a kid carrying a $10 disposable camera stepped in front of me and snapped off a couple shots. My top end, expensive camera was a paperweight hanging from my neck, while his Wal-Mart special was capturing images of memories he’d enjoy later. Who would be the better photographer that day?

On the final stop on our tour of the seven churches of Revelation, we come to Laodicea. This city was known for its great wealth and independence. In 60 AD, the people faced a devastating earthquake but because of their wealth, they refused aid from Rome to rebuild. Their wealth staved off dependence on the Roman world power. But Jesus had something interesting to say to the church of Laodicea. He told them that though they seemed rich, they were not. As a matter of fact, they were spiritually poor. He called them lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—worthless water. Not hot enough to clean and not cold enough to refresh. They were lukewarm to the point where Jesus said he wanted to spit them out of his mouth. Strong words for people who had become enamored with themselves and their prosperity to the point where their spiritual hearts had grown dead and worthless. Laodicea had lots of bling but no spiritual value.

Does Ada Bible Church, an American church located in an affluent community, need to pay attention to Jesus’ words to Laodicea? Absolutely, because there’s incredible danger in success. What begins as God’s wonderful blessing can slowly turn to a curse when we become self-focused and distracted with our stuff and our programs. “ABC” could take on a new meaning: Attendance, Buildings, and Cash. How unfortunate would it be if we lose our heart for Christ and our love for people and become an expensive ornate paperweight hanging around God’s neck? I love how Jesus closes his letter to Laodicea: he invites them to dinner—one of the greatest gestures of friendship and community of that day. He invites them back into intimate community with him.

Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. Revelation 3.19-20

Churches can grow lukewarm, distracted, and worthless over time but so can Christ-followers. We look at our wealth and prosperity and lose our humble approach to serving God and people. If this is you, hear Jesus’ invitation.

26.2

2011-10-29T11:14:00.000-07:00

‎”26.2 club ....checked it off the bucket list.” This was my daughter’s Facebook post just a couple Sundays ago after she completed her first marathon. It’s always interesting to me what people put on their bucket list (the list of things they want to do before they die). Bucket list entries usually fall into one of three categories: places to travel (“I want to spend two weeks on a Hawaiian beach”), something adventurous (“I want to skydive”), or a significant accomplishment (“I want to complete a marathon”). I don’t know what else is on Kari’s bucket list, but I know that she just knocked off a huge accomplishment as an athlete. Less than 1% of the population has completed a marathon—which is interesting because most marathon experts believe that just about anyone can do it . . . if they submit and stay committed to a tested training regimen. . . if they stay injury free. . .and they adapt their nutritional habits to build muscles and stamina. The simple reason why 99% of us have never run 26.2 miles is because we are just unwilling to endure the training.

Our whole family gathered near the finish line to cheer Kari on at the end. We all hoped to see her healthy and strong after four hours of running. But as she approached, I found her in my camera lens. As I zoomed in, I could tell immediately that she was struggling. Her face was an eerie gray color, her shoulders were drooped, and her legs, though carrying her forward, were struggling with every step. As she passed by, we called her name, cheering her to the finish. She didn’t seem to acknowledge us as she passed with a very glassy look in her eyes. Later, she told us that she heard us but didn’t have an ounce of energy to turn her head. We caught up to her after she crossed the finish line. I yelled again to her, “Way to go, Kari!” I was hoping for a big smile, a thumbs up, or a victor’s hand raise; but instead, she just shook her head with a look that I interpreted as disappointment. I thought, “She looks like she’s regretting this whole thing.”

Once she got warmer clothes and some nutrition in her system, she started to talk about the race. She talked about hitting “the wall” at mile 18 and how “the wall” lasted for over 5 miles. Her pace had slowed dramatically as fatigue was doing a number on her physically and emotionally. At mile 23, she broke down in tears as she was completely spent. But in the final three miles, she was able to push through and pick up her pace at the end. I waited a few minutes to ask her about her time. I knew she had some time goals and was curious if she had met them. I said, “So, through all of this, are you happy with your time?” She looked down at her watch and with the first smile I had seen she said, “Dad, I killed it!” She had beaten her goal by over 15 minutes. A few days later, her aunt asked her on Facebook, “So would you do it again?” Her reply, “Initially, I say no… but the idea is slowly growing.”

Perseverance is a virtue that God loves to see displayed in us when life gets long and hard. As a matter of fact, Jesus commended the church in Philadelphia for obeying his commandment to persevere. Did you know that God commands us to patiently endure? The church in Philadelphia had gone through some incredible trials: their city had been devastated numerous times with earthquakes, and their people had been persecuted over and over because of their commitment to God. Jesus says, “You have little strength, yet you obeyed my word and didn’t deny me.” You stayed on course. You kept your feet moving. “Hold on to what you have, so no one can take away your crown.” Hold on! Run with hope for something good at the end. It will be worth it all.

When Kari left the starting line for her marathon, she knew with certainty how long the race was and how her training had prepared her for this endeavor. Unfortunately, life’s marathons (relationship, financial, health and depression marathons) don’t always come with clear training logs or a finish time. We’re just asked to patiently endure with hope. Those who finish a marathon of any sort, finish because of hope. They are able to look past the pain and strive toward the day when they will find rest, encouragement, nourishment, relief, and joy again. People with hope have a conviction that when they patiently endure, somehow it is worth it all and there is something good to be found at the end.

Wake Up

2011-10-24T10:57:00.000-07:00

When they were younger, two of my three kids were mild sleepwalkers. On any given night, Janice and I would be sitting in the living room watching TV or reading, and we’d hear a bedroom door open. Normally, one of our kids would walk down the hallway rubbing their eyes, and we’d hear a request for a drink of water or comfort from a bad dream. We’d give them whatever they needed and walk them back to bed. But on those few sleepwalking nights, their demeanor was much different and very strange to watch. We would hear their door open but instead of hearing them walk down the hall to us, we just hear them walking around. So, one of us would get up to see what was happening and we would find our child walking aimlessly or standing in some part of the house. We’d ask, “Hey, what are you doing up?” Often they would answer, but it would be a bit off topic and somewhat incoherent. Because they looked awake, it would take a minute for us to realize that our child was sleepwalking. Their eyes would be open, their legs and feet were moving their bodies, their hands were opening doors and picking up things, and they would communicate. But when we watched carefully, we would notice their eyes were unfocused and glassy, they were walking without purpose, and their communication was not clear or helpful. Gently, we’d lead them back to bed.

Have you ever wondered what happens in the brain of a sleepwalker? Here’s an explanation I pulled off the internet.

There is a 'sleep center' present in the brain which controls the sleeping and the waking of the body. When you sleep, the sleep center blocks off a part of the brain so that it goes to sleep and does not perform any action and it also blocks off certain nerves that brings in the messages to the brain thereby allowing your body to go to sleep. Generally, the sleep center and the body are connected but at times they can separate. Under such conditions, while the brain goes to sleep, the body remains awake. The people suffering from this condition sit up in their sleep or stand near the bed. Some even go about for a stroll but do not remember this incident later. (buzzle.com)

As common as sleepwalking is to kids, I think there may be a more common adult condition that can be called “spiritual sleepwalking.” Like the “sleep center” in the brain, we have a “worship center” in our soul. Its purpose is to connect the heart, the mind, and the body to engage God. Too often the heart is disconnected from the mind and body. Here are some possible symptoms of spiritual sleepwalking:

1. You mouth the words of songs and prayers in church without your heart engaging the meaning of the words.

2. Your mind drifts to other thoughts and plans when a friend is sharing something significant, heartfelt, or vulnerable. Your ears hear the words, your head nods politely, but your heart doesn’t connect or respond.

3. You eat your food, drive your car, and enjoy the safety and comfort of your home without speaking words of gratitude.

4. Your relationship with your spouse seems more like that of a roommate than a passionate companion.

5. Your Bible needs a good dusting.

If you’ve experienced any of these symptoms in the past, know that you’re not the first to spiritually sleepwalk.

To the church in Sardis, Jesus wrote,
…I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up!

Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. Revelation 3.1b-3a

Questions to ponder:
1. Is there anything growing stale in your spiritual life that needs a breath of fresh air?
2. Do your relationships feel vibrant and alive or dry and routine?
3. What’s your delight factor in Scripture?
4. When you pray, do you truly believe that God is listening and cares?

Let today be the day you allow something sleepy in you to wake up!

Three Guys

2011-10-16T16:42:00.000-07:00

Here are three stories of guys tempted to stray and how they’ve responded to the wayward pull.

Guy #1
I’ll call him Jim to protect the guilty. I had not met Jim until we had lunch together. His small group leader had connected us because, as Jim’s leader said, “He really needs to talk to a pastor about the decisions he’s making.” Jim agreed to meet with me. Honestly, it was an awkward conversation but once I asked a few direct questions, Jim became very honest about his situation. As we started into our sandwiches, he said, “So… there’s this woman.” Jim was a married man; I could tell “this woman” was not his wife. I probed for more details and he was remarkably forth coming. He had met her at an on-going social activity. She was very attractive and gave him lots of attention. She was married as well and they had found their struggling marriages to be something in common. When I asked him if his new relationship had become physical, he confessed to being involved in a full-blown affair. I confronted him with the biblical truth about adultery. Without excuse, he acknowledged this was against God’s way of living. But it was clearly evident that he was unwilling to end the affair and pursue his wife. He had finally found what he always really wanted and he was willing to face the pain and consequences to pursue his new found passion. He left our lunch together early.

Guy #2
We’ll call him Joe to protect the innocent. Joe called me and asked to have lunch. I got the sense from our phone conversation that he wanted to talk about something significant. I was right. As we started into our sandwiches, he said, “So… there’s this woman.” When I probed for details, he was remarkably forthcoming. He met this other woman at an ongoing social activity for his kids. Her kids did the same activities as his and they, as parents, were deeply involved in this venture. She was very attractive and gave him a lot of attention. He wasn’t looking for an affair but her presence and affirming words were making him feel things he hadn’t felt in a long time. His marriage was struggling and he suspected hers was as well. “What should I do?” he asked. “I’m afraid if I pursue this, it won’t end well. But, I’m so drawn to her.” We spent our time talking about practical ways to create distance with this woman. We then chatted about new ways he could pursue his wife. Our friendship continues today and his marriage is improving.

Guy #3
A year ago this week, I got a call that my dad had passed way. He was a man of faithfulness, integrity and principle who had served as a pastor for 56 years. He was also a man who loved to share his faith with anyone who would listen. God had taken him quickly and peacefully.

A couple of years previous to his passing, a woman living in his assisted living facility asked to speak with him. She was in the mid-stages of Alzheimer’s and her days were a combination of mental sharpness and debilitating confusion. She was struggling to remember some important tenants of her faith that she had believed all her life. She wanted dad’s help to understand who God was in her life as her mental capacity was slipping away from her. Dad agreed to meet with her in his room but told her that she needed to bring a friend because he couldn’t meet with a woman alone. It was a principle that dad had lived by for over 60 years. When I heard that, I thought, “Really, dad? You’re 93 years old. What do you think could happen?” That didn’t matter to dad. He had chosen principles of protection years ago and he refused to stray from them.

In our discussion of the seven churches in Revelation, we come to the fourth church: Thyatira. Thyatira seems to be a church whose people are split in how they will live out their faith. There are people who had once been known for their deeds of love, service, and perseverance but had been seduced into an “anything goes” theology of living. Some had given into a lifestyle of sexual immorality, thinking they could have their faith in Christ and still engage in immoral relationships. To them he says to repent or grave consequences will follow. Jesus points out those who had been faithful; to them he says, “only hold onto what you have until I come.” Stay on track! Keep doing what is good and right! Nothing new—just keep being faithful.

Questions to ponder:
1. Are you rationalizing sinful behaviors, patterns, or habits? Do you have a foot in both worlds?
2. Do you believe the biblical warning that consequences will follow sin?
3. Do you long for God’s smile and approval in your life? Will you pursue a heart of faithfulness?

The Art of Deception

2011-10-08T07:00:00.001-07:00

I’m a big Detroit Tigers fan—have been since I was 10 years old. This is only the fourth time in my lifetime that the Tigers are playing the post-season; so I’m enjoying every moment, whether they win or lose. I’m not only a big fan of baseball but I’m also a high school coach. So when I watch the best players in the world play on the big stage, I tend to study their approach, their strategy, and how they handle given situations. Though baseball is played on a fairly large field, much of the game centers near a 60 foot, 6 inch stretch between the pitcher and batter. Anything that happens on the field is determined by what happens when the ball is thrown to the plate. Over the years, I’ve bumped into people who really hate watching this aspect of the game. They call it slow and boring because players have the tendency to do things to cause the fans to wait. Both hitters and pitchers do a lot of thinking, tugging, and scratching before they step on to the pitching rubber or into the batter’s box.

Over the years, I’ve come to appreciate what’s happening in these slow moments of the game. In these tedious moments a plot of deception is being crafted. The pitcher is scheming how he’ll use his arsenal of pitches to fool the hitter to fail. One of the Tigers pitchers, Justin Verlander (the best in baseball this year), has three effective pitches. His fastball often travels over 100 mph, the fastest in the game. He also throws a big bending curveball that looks like it’s coming high and inside but it ends low and outside. His other “money pitch” is a change-up. This pitch is the ultimate deceiver because it looks like a fastball coming out of his hand but it can be 10-15 mph slower. The hitter, fooled into thinking the ball is traveling 100 mph, will swing early, missing or hitting a weak ground ball. Good pitchers are good liars.

The hitter, on the other hand, is trying to predict or plan for the deception. Good hitters are able to hit any pitch… if they know what’s coming. But since this is not the case, good hitters have to understand how good pitchers deceive. So they study pitching patterns and they look for tendencies that could reveal what type of pitch is coming. That’s what’s happening in those nervous moments between every pitch. The pitcher is planning his deception and the hitter is trying to anticipate what’s coming.

In baseball, the art of deception is fun to see in action. In the series between the Tigers and the Yankees, crowds of over 40,000 people hang on every pitch. But in life, navigating through the art of deception can be tough and the outcome can be devastating. Each day, whether we realize it or not, someone, Satan, is attempting to deceive us. He uses powerful things that look like a 100 mph fastball. But, he can also throw a nasty change-up to knock us off balance.

This week in the sermon series, The Seven Churches of Revelation, we’ll look at a church called Pergamum. Jesus describes the city as being Satan’s city, inferring that this is the town he lives in. I think this is his way of saying, “Satan runs this place. He owns it.” The way Satan got such a deep foothold in this community is through deception. In the church in Pergamum, he’s deceived many of the people into ways of idolatry and immorality. Idolatry is placing anything above God. Satan has convinced them that the One True God is not enough and that there are other gods that need their attention and their allegiance. And in their idolatry, they became immoral, engaging sexually beyond what God had intended. In essence, they’ve believed the lies of Satan that God is not enough and that he is holding back.

Not everyone in the church was fooled by the big bending curveballs of Satan. Jesus commends them, “I know that you live in the city where Satan has his throne, yet you remain true to me. You refused to deny me…” Revelation 2.13 NLT

The art of deception is making something false appear to be true. It’s making something bad look good. If Satan were to play baseball, he’d be a Hall of Fame pitcher. He’s a master deceiver. He has a way of making ugly, destructive things look attractive, beautiful, and life-giving. But, there’s good news. We have the Holy Spirit in us to help us distinguish between a fastball and a curveball— between truth and a lie. When we a walk in step with the Spirit, we can see a lie coming and knock it out of the park.

Some questions to ponder today:

1. Are you recognizing the lies that Satan is spewing in our culture?

2. Where are your weak or vulnerable points? Where are you susceptible to being deceived?

3. Jesus closes his note by saying, “Anyone who has ears to hear must listen to the Spirit…” How are you listening to the Holy Spirit? Are you quiet enough to hear him? Remember, Satan’s lies scream loudly, but the Spirit whispers.

But You Are Rich

2011-09-30T19:44:00.000-07:00

You can tell a lot about a church just by watching how people function during their Sunday routine. Being the church-geek that I am, I have the tendency, when visiting a church, to quietly sit back and watch people as they go about their church business. How do they interact with each other as they come and go? How do they engage in worship? What’s the emotional tone of their gathering? How do they respond when the pastor is teaching? How do they dress and what does this say about them?

This summer I visited a church where all I could do was watch people. I really couldn’t participate because nothing was in English. The church was called Bois Neuf and was located several miles outside of St. Marc, Haiti. Because they speak Creole, I had no idea what was being sung, prayed, or taught. So I just watched… and this is what I observed:

• I saw over 150 people gather in a room better suited for less than 100 for a two hour service –and, it was hot in there!

• I saw men wearing clean white shirts with ties and women in beautifully colored dresses—a sharp contrast to their dirty, unkempt surroundings.

• I saw people physically, emotionally, and spiritually engaging with the worship music.

• I heard people audibly respond to the words of their pastor as he taught from his Bible.

• I saw beautiful children being lovingly taught. It was much later in the day that I learned many of the kids were from a local orphanage.

• I saw people who, I suspected, had very little put money in the collection baskets.

• I witnessed genuine expressions of love as people lingered an hour or more after the service.

As I watched this beautiful community of Haitian believers engage in their weekly gathering, tears flowed from my eyes. This was my fifth day in Haiti and by this time, I had soaked in so many troubling sights and had heard enough uncomfortable and disturbing stories for one week. I had never seen such poverty nor have heard such heartbreak. Just take a minute to think about what this church has endured in the last eighteen months: Four hurricanes and many more tropical storms have hit their region since the devastating earthquake in January, 2010. Though St. Marc was north of the earthquake devastation, they’ve had to aid their friends and family who were impacted in Port-a-Prince. Refugees have migrated into their community, swelling their already overpopulated city. A cholera outbreak recently started in their city and swept north into neighboring communities. Additionally, there is the constant threat of civil unrest from the daily impact of having a corrupt government that’s treated its citizens poorly for 200 hundred years. Oh… and then there’s Voodoo, which is an overt expression of the worship of ancient spirits. Christians there believe this is outright Satan-worship. The contrast between Bois Neuf Church and their surroundings was stunning.

As we continue our journey through the Seven Churches of Revelation, we come to the church of Smyrna. This town was a hotbed for persecution of Christians, and Jesus commends them for their endurance. This is one of two churches that do not receive correction from Jesus. Instead, Jesus encourages them in their hardship. I would bet that the people of Bois Neuf experience something very profound and encouraging when they read Jesus’ letter to the church in Smyrna. With Bois Neuf in mind, reflect on the words to Smyrna:

To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death. Revelation 2.8-11

The American church today may not be facing the troubles of Smyrna or Bois Neuf, but churches all around the globe are facing enormous hardship because of their faith in Jesus. Spend some time today praying for these churches. They have a great task ahead of them and are called to accomplish the same mission we have, but in the midst of difficult circumstances. God cares deeply for them. And, so shall we!

Lost Love

2011-09-23T17:59:00.000-07:00

When I was in college, I picked up a part-time job at United Parcel Service to help pay my expenses. There was one period of time during my tenure at UPS where I found myself on the “sort aisle”—the place where packages are unloaded from semi-trucks and sent down a conveyor belt to be sorted to their next destination. Brett was a guy on the sort aisle that I remember very well. He and I spent a lot of time talking about God, religion, and life while we moved packages. Jesus, the Bible and church were fairly new concepts to him but he knew how to ask really good questions. We would talk about God as often as he wanted and as often as the sort aisle would allow. There were a couple other Christian guys on the sort aisle, so Brett would go back and forth and pick our brains about what we knew and believed. As time went by, his questions got more and more specific about Jesus, his sin, grace, forgiveness, and being right with God.

I’ll never forget the night when Brett came up to me on the aisle and said, “I gave my life to Jesus last night. I believe! It’s pretty cool to know that Jesus died for my sins and I’m forgiven. Phil, what’s next?” Brett’s new found faith became his greatest passion in life. He began to read his Bible, he found a church and he told anyone who would listen about his new relationship with Jesus. He was a passionate man with a passionate faith! Over time, our work at UPS caused us to part ways. I took a driving job and, though we tried to stay in contact, our drastically different schedules wouldn’t allow it.

A few years later, I found myself in a conversation with one of the Christian guys from the days on the sort aisle. I asked if he had stayed in contact with Brett and he said that ironically, they had just reconnected. But his face dropped as he said, “I’m not sure that Brett’s doing very well.” I wondered if Brett had stumbled into some bad habits or had walked away from his faith. But Joe assured me that Brett’s lifestyle was clean and his faith in Jesus was still intact. “It seems that Brett has become rigid with his beliefs and he sounds harsh and almost angry when he talks about people and the church. I think he’s isolating himself with other very rigid people. He still reads his Bible a lot, but it seems he’s lost his passion for Jesus and for sharing his relationship with others. His joy in serving God and people is gone.” A feeling of deep sadness came over me as I tried to imagine Brett’s faith lacking joy and passion.

Brett’s story is not uncommon to believers. Many start their walk with God excited and passionate about serving and reaching out to others. But, over time, their bright light grows dim. A quest for knowledge replaces love, and following rules replaces relationships. This not only happens to individuals, it happens to churches. Jesus saw this trend in a church that had an incredible reputation and track record for impacting their region for Christ. It was the church of Ephesus who had worked hard and had persevered through difficult times. They were diligent in identifying and stamping out false teaching that would corrupt the message of Jesus. Once a hub for the expansion of the Good News of Jesus, the church of Ephesus was on the edge of having their light snuffed out. What was the reason for their shift? It was love, or the lack of it. They had lost their ability to love God and to love people the way they did when they were young, fresh, and new.
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Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. Revelation 2.4-5

Spiritual drift can occur when the things of this world pull us from what is good and right. But spiritual drift can also happen when good things replace the best thing. We become more focused on our family, our work, and our fun rather than on our relationship with God. We serve our church without a heart of service toward God. We do good things out of obligation or routine, but without love and passion for the people involved. We read books to know about God, but never truly fall in love with God.

Jesus’ call is for us to repent. To go back where we started as passion-filled followers of Jesus whose every thought and action stems from a love for God and people. In a selfish world this is a hard road to walk, but Jesus promises that this is where we’ll find the greatest impact as a church and as followers of Jesus.

The Job Review

2011-09-15T17:47:00.000-07:00

Over the past 10 years, I’ve become fairly acquainted with annual job reviews. For much of the last decade, I’ve been someone’s boss here at Ada Bible Church. No one looks forward to their review; I have yet to meet anyone excited about this process. Some are downright afraid. Others approach them with a touch of cynical humor. But, no one has ever expressed that they’ve looked forward to their annual review. Even the ones who know that they’ve been doing exceptional work, tend to want to avoid them. Job reviews come with fear and anxiety. People fear correction, evaluation, criticism, and even compliments. But, I think most people fear that they will be asked to change something after a job review.

I’m not a boss any more at ABC. I’ve left my management position and have taken more of a pastoral role. And, ironically, I just endured my first job review in almost four years. To add irony to irony, my new boss, Dan, is someone I hired a handful years ago and was my employee until just a few months ago. I did his last job review. Now he did mine. I think both of us carried some significant anxiety into our meeting. He had the terrible task of reviewing his old boss. I was walking through the anxious steps of transitioning into a new boss, a new role, and new responsibilities with new people at a new campus.

I won’t bore you with the details of our discussion, but you need to know that I left our meeting feeling very affirmed in my role and in my relationship with Dan; and I felt challenged to engage in my job in a passionate manner. Because Dan knew me, he was able to genuinely affirm my strengths and to bring out the areas in which he felt I had been successful. Because Dan cared about me, he was also able to draw out areas were we both knew I may struggle. It was an authentic and honest conversation that was based on relationship. I knew that Dan was for me, that he cared for me, that he appreciated my effort and that he wanted to help me work through the challenges I was going to face in my new role. If our relationship lacked respect and trust, my review would have been hollow, inauthentic, and kind of awkward.

Being reviewed is tough, but it can be necessary and helpful. Most of us are not able to accurately self-evaluate. We tend to wear selfish-tinted glasses that make us feel better than we are; or we wear blinders that prohibit us from seeing ourselves and our work completely. We need help to see ourselves for who we truly are—the good and the bad. But it’s hard to hear someone talk about us whether in an affirming tone or a corrective manner. We feel vulnerable because the person reviewing us has the authority to alter our work. What if they don’t see us accurately? What if they do, and I need to change?

Over the next eight weeks, we get to sit at the conference table as Jesus does a job review with seven ancient churches. These seven churches all had the same job: to carry out the mission and message of Jesus to the world. Though they all have the same task, they are all very different. They all had unique sets of circumstances, people, cultural contexts, and challenges that threatened their effectiveness. But, they all had a “boss” who cared enough for them to tell them the truth—the good and the bad.

Throughout this series, notice how Christ relates to his church. Look for how he affirms them. Listen for words of warning. Pay close attention to how he corrects them. Experience the love he has for his church. But, don’t forget, we are now his church. His words to the seven churches will apply to Ada Bible Church. And because churches are made up of people, they will apply to us. It’s time for a job review from a boss who loves you enough to tell you the truth about yourself.

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Revelation 2.7

I'm a Rock-Climber?

2011-08-25T09:15:00.000-07:00

I heard recently that the perfect physique for a male rock climber is 5’10” and 135 lbs. I haven’t been 5’10” and 135 lbs since middle school. So what was I doing harnessing up to climb a 40 foot rock face? Great question. But there I was off a boon dock road in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan getting prepped for my accent. This wasn’t one of those walls built in a gym with screwed in hand and foot holds; this was a God-made rock face that had been there for thousands of years.

Grant, my son-in-law, is a certified climber and loves to take climbers to their first assent. Grant began our Saturday adventure by lead-climbing the rock, using safety clips pre-set in the rock by other climbers. When he reached the top, he secured a rope and pulley to the clip at the top of the rock face. That was our goal… to get to that clip. He made it look fairly easily, but I wasn’t sure this experience was for me. I grabbed my camera and confidently stated that I would be the event photographer capturing memories made by others.

Through the course of the morning, my son and his three friends enjoyed climbing this rock with various degrees of success. My camera was busy and I was happy with my role until I heard, “Your turn dad.” I’m not sure if I felt pressure or encouragement. In watching the kids climb, I realized that there are three possible outcomes if I were to give this a shot. First, I could climb successfully to the top. Second, I could get tired and/or frustrated and quit. Third, I could fall. But no matter the outcome, at some point I would have to put my trust completely into one person—the person belaying my climb. This person’s job is to remove slack from the line as I climb, to secure me if I fall or to help me repel when I want to come down. They stand at the bottom, fully harnessed with an ATC (belaying device) clipped to their harness. They must know what they are doing and how to work the equipment.

As I began to harness in, Josh (who would belay me) and Grant began to explain some things. Perhaps they saw fear in my eyes. They explained how each piece of equipment was rated to be several thousand pounds more than my falling weight. They also spent time explaining Josh’s role, his experience level and his confidence in making my climb successful and enjoyable. I clipped in and began to climb. I knew that fatigue would be my first enemy, so my plan was to navigate the face as fast as I could. I felt a sense of freedom and confidence as I found places to grab, stand, and move upward. This was going better than I expected. But the higher I climbed, the smaller the holds seemed to be, and my hands and feet began to hurt and tire. I wanted to move through this tough spot but I could feel my weight pulling me off the wall. As I made a quick move to get to a more secure spot a few feet higher, everything slipped off the wall and my entire weight fell into the harness. That uneasy falling sensation rushed through my stomach and throat for just a brief moment until I felt the tension and bounce of the rope. It had been several minutes since I thought about Josh but at that very moment, he became a very important person in my life. I looked down and made instant eye contact with Josh. Both his hands were locked on the rope above the ATC and he smiled confidently up at me and said, “Got ya!”

As I read through the Gospels and see how Jesus interacted with his disciples, it’s clear to me that Jesus was developing three significant qualities in them. First, he wanted them to understand and to believe that he’s the One. He wanted them to see him for who he truly is—the Divine Son of God who has the authority and ability to direct their life. Second, he wanted them to trust him. It was vital for them to be assured he had their best interests in mind. And third, they were not God, they were not self-sufficient, and they had no strength and safety to climb the rocks of life on their own. Perhaps rock climbing and following Christ come down to three important words: belief, trust, and submission.

Do you believe that Jesus is who he says he is? Do you trust that he knows what he’s doing in our world and in your life? Have you submitted fully to him whether in success, fatigue, discouragement or in falling? God won’t climb the rock for you, but he will hold the line. He takes great joy watching you stride and accomplish the route he has planned for you.

Sight to the Blind

2011-08-17T11:07:00.000-07:00

In June 2010, ABC News reported an amazing medical breakthrough that would help people who have been blinded in tragic accidents. The procedure involves harvesting stem cells unaffected by the accident from the patient’s eyes and then using them to re-grow the cornea in a laboratory setting. The new cornea is then placed back into the patient’s eye and in a matter of months the person’s sight is restored. Researchers were finding enormous success in this new procedure. One patient, who had been blinded for over 50 years before the procedure, had his sight restored to 20/20 quality.

Can you imagine being blind for most of your life and then being given the ability to see colors, faces, and nature? I can’t imagine too many things being more exciting. But, what I found interesting about this report was that the story did not interview anyone who had received the procedure. Instead they interviewed doctors and professors who had been involved in this breakthrough. Their excitement was off the charts as well. “If you’ve seen one of those patients (regain their sight), then you have reason to wake up in the morning to start running to do your job. Just one patient is worth it. You have purpose in your life,” said Professor Graziella Pellegrini from Italy.

It’s no coincidence that Jesus paid attention to the blind. Jesus was the Master Healer whose deep compassion led him to use his divine power to heal the sick and afflicted. On several occasions, people whose sight had been lost were helped by Jesus. But, it seems that Jesus had more in mind when he touched the physically blind. Jesus was even more concerned for their spiritual blindness. His compassion was even greater for those that were wandering blindly in a dark world with no spiritual sight. Healing the physically blind was a massive object lesson for his greater mission—giving sight to the spiritually blind.

Last week, I returned from a mission trip to Haiti. That weeklong experience continues to captivate my thoughts. Our purpose in Haiti was to assist with a construction project on a school connected to a local church. We arrived on a Tuesday and for the first five days we did our work while experiencing the sights, sounds and smells of Haiti. Frankly, I saw Haiti as a very sad place. Poverty is stacked on top of poverty. As we traveled back and forth from the work site, there was no relief from the visual displays of the poor and destitute. Other than the natural beauty of the ocean, mountains and jungle, there was nothing “nice” about Haiti. Our host, Marcel, a Haitian pastor, told us of how the people of Haiti had lived for 200 years under a corrupt, inept and selfish government which compounded the extreme poverty over time. The struggle seemed so large. The problems ran so deep. At times, it felt hopeless.

Then Sunday came. That morning, we loaded into Marcel’s truck and began to wind through the dusty streets of St. Marc. Every few minutes, someone wanting to go to church would jump into the back of the truck with us. As we got closer to church, I asked one of our team members who was standing on a bench in back of the truck to get a head count. A minute later, he reported that we had 41 people in the open vehicle including six in the cab.

When we arrived at the church, which was next to the school we had been working on, I noticed something very new and different. There was genuine joy in this place. It was in stark comparison to the images we experienced on the streets of St. Marc. These people had spiritual sight. They saw their world through eyes of joy, love and hope. There was light in their eyes and smiles on their faces as they greeted each other. As I entered church, I noticed a large banner that read, “Hope for Haiti.” As I watched this group of people “do church” together, I became convinced that these wonderful people would change their world. They may never make a dent in the massive poverty or bring political reform to their government but I’m confident they will bring sight to the spiritually blind around them. God had given them a 20/20 vision for their world and they were poised to make a difference one spiritually blind person at a time.

Haitian Hope

2011-08-11T12:10:00.000-07:00

The setting was welcoming and filled with loving hospitality, even though within a stone’s toss was an eight foot wall topped with razor wire and spiked bars. Dust from the road on the other side of the wall billowed from time to time as a truck or motorcycle passed the house. Noises of people, goats, chickens, and truck horns interrupted our conversations. We had just been served a wonderful dinner of Creole rice with fresh fruit. Even though we were outside, fans were blowing to move the still, muggy, hot, tropical air. As we sat on his patio in front of his home, I wanted to know more about what made our host tick. I felt safe and at peace in this new place, but there was so much I wanted to learn.

Our host was a gentle, passionate man named Marcel. His home was in the bustling, crowded city of St. Marc, Haiti. I was there with a group of Ada Bible folk hoping to make a small difference in a broken place in the world. As it turned out, Marcel and his Haitian friends would make a huge difference in the broken places in our hearts. That night we listened to Marcel tell his life story of how he came to be part of helping 11 churches and seven schools grow to be overcrowded, joy–filled places of hope and faith in his community. We also listened to his countless frustrations, struggles, and points of discouragement. He’s an honest man who has worked tirelessly to do what he believes God has asked him to do.

Marcel grew up in a Haitian Voodoo home. After too many dark and evil circumstances, including the death of Marcel’s twin brother, Marcel’s mom left that world and pursued Jesus Christ through the influence of some Christians Marcel’s family knew. Over the years, Marcel fell in love with Jesus, the Bible, and church. He grew to understand that the only lasting change that could ever be brought to his country would come from Jesus through the church. The church would be his hope. Marcel spoke with passion, joy, and a consistent tear in his eye as he described the churches and the people that he’s privileged to serve. It was obvious how much he loved the people of Haiti.

We had been in Haiti for a couple days before we were able to find the time to hear Marcel talk in length about his life in Haiti. We had seen plenty in our first couple of days to realize the extent of brokenness and poverty that has plagued his country. I asked him, “Do you ever struggle with discouragement here? How do you handle the constant struggles of living here?” Marcel didn’t sugar-coat anything. He talked about daily problems with a corrupt and selfish government. He talked about the lack of identity, self-respect, and personal ownership that his fellow citizens have. He talked about the devastation from the earthquake, the hurricanes, and disease. He talked about his life being threatened by people who didn’t want him to succeed. He talked about Satan’s schemes to thwart his efforts. He talked about the pain of being separated from his family so his kids could receive an education in the States. In all this, you could hear the pain in voice. He was visually angry as he talked about all the opportunities for discouragement, failure, and quitting.

The tone in his voice changed as a familiar, gentle smile formed on his face again. He talked about joy being a choice that he makes every day. “Joy is never dependant on your circumstances,” he quipped. Marcel had come to learn the contentedness that the Apostle Paul spoke of in his letter to the Philippians. He had also come to grips with the fact that his personal safety would be found in the smile of God’s will. Joy, contentedness, and safety in God’s will were the lessons we all learned from Marcel’s story. As the week played out, we got to see these virtues in action. We also got to see the fruit of living with this mindset in the people he serves. Joy, contentedness, and safety were displayed beautifully in one of the poorest, most corrupt, broken places on the planet. How does this happen? Marcel realized he was redeemed to bring redemption. He was saved to bring salvation. He was given light to light up his world. He’s a beautiful example of Paul’s works to the Ephesians.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2.8-10

No Matter What

2011-08-05T08:04:00.000-07:00

There are times when you read Scripture and find a story that’s a spectacular display of God’s glory and holiness. God enters the everyday life of a fairly average person and shows himself in an amazing fashion. The person is left changed forever.

Several hundred years before Jesus, the prophet Isaiah was given a vision of God that left him physically and emotionally “ruined.” The image he saw was the Lord seated on his throne in majestic fashion. All around him were angels singing the words, “Holy, holy is the Lord Almighty.” The place filled with smoke and shook with an earthquake. Isaiah declared himself unworthy to see this site. His sin or uncleanness forced him to feel completely out of place. But when an angel touched his unclean lips with a hot coal, he was declared clean and his guilt was removed; a redeemed Isaiah who had encountered a holy God offered himself as a messenger for God’s news to his people.

During Jesus’ ministry, a cosmic battle between God and Satan continued and a glimpse of that battle was seen when Jesus interacted with a demon-possessed man. The story tells of a man who lived in the tombs. The people in that area called him Legion because they believed he was possessed by many demons. When Jesus passed by, Legion came out to greet him, but not to pick a fight. The demons knew that Jesus was the Son of the Most High God. They recognized him and pleaded with Jesus not to be tortured. The demons saw their evilness in light of his holiness and fell in fear. Jesus’ response was to cast the demons out of the man and into pigs which then ran off a cliff to their death. The freed man was forever changed and accepted an invitation to become a messenger for Jesus’ Good News.

As we reflect on these amazing stories, there are times we crave a vision or an encounter like these. As scary as these scenarios must have been to anyone who witnessed them, many of us long to see God in his full glory and holiness. And, if we’re honest, we’d admit that if only we could have an experience like Isaiah or Legion, we’d be better messengers for God. But, is God’s holiness only displayed in the dramatic?

Recently, I attended the funeral of a friend’s 72 year old father. My friend’s dad’s name was Chuck and he passed away due to complications from a brain tumor. I had only met Chuck a couple of times but I knew him from the stories his son had told me. The funeral was a packed house, always an indicator of someone’s impact in life. My friend spoke first, giving touching and personal words of honor to his dad. Chuck’s pastor spoke next and he read fond memories that the grandkids had compiled. But, it was Gary, Chuck’s friend and longtime colleague, who really captured my attention.

Gary and Chuck were school teachers together for many years in a Detroit suburban area school. Gary said that Chuck always wore his Christian faith on his sleeve; and in the early years of their friendship, Gary resented Chuck’s discussions of God, Jesus, and salvation. Gary claims to have tortured Chuck and set out to make him miserable in his attempts to lead Gary to Christ. But after four and a half years, Gary gave in to God’s calling in his life and he received Jesus as his personal Savior. Gary’s life was forever changed. He said that before Christ entered his life, “you wouldn’t have liked me very much and I wouldn’t have given a nickel about you.” Gary has spent the last 32 years being a vibrant messenger for the Good News of Jesus, telling anyone who listens about God’s love and Jesus’ sacrifice so our sins can be forgiven. He thanked Chuck for being a patient, persistent, loving friend but made it very clear in saying, “it wasn’t Chuck, but it was Christ in Chuck that changed me forever.”

Chuck’s pastor had mentioned that after the diagnosis, Chuck stood in front of their little Baptist church and proclaimed, “No matter what, God will be glorified.” He was determined to allow God’s glory and holiness to be clear and evident even in a battle with a killer of a tumor.

There’s a cosmic battle being waged every day around us. It’s a good versus evil, God versus Satan story. In this battle, God can display his glory and holiness in any way he wants. It can be spectacular or subtle, but my job is to see his holiness as he displays it and not to demand it to be as I want to see it. As I write, I’m wearing an inscribed rubber wristband given to me by one of Chuck’s daughters that reminds me today to look for God’s glory. It says “No Matter What.” His holiness can be seen in countless ways today. Just this morning I saw God’s glory through some subtle but valuable things: a tiger lily on the side of the road, the loving smile of my wife, a convicting word found in Scripture, and the reflection on a eulogy from a man’s old friend. These things renew my desire to be a messenger of God’s Good News.

Misplaced Expectations

2011-07-28T12:22:00.000-07:00

What comes to your mind when you hear “summer vacation cottage on Lake Superior”? How about a quaint log cabin nestled in an Upper Peninsula forest with a wraparound porch that overlooks a sandy beachfront? Do you think of warm days of sunshine with cool evenings ripe for a bonfire and a sunset? Yeah… that’s what comes to mind. Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it?

A few years ago, my sister had the great idea of gathering our family members for a weeklong vacation together in the Marquette area of the U.P. She had an acquaintance with access to a “Lake Superior cottage.” I loved the idea as I needed a week of peace, nature, quiet, and rest. So, I allowed my exceptions for this place to climb.

As we drove through the U.P. the day we arrived, my excitement increased more and more. The anticipation of hanging out with my family in this perfect setting was growing with every mile. As we neared our destination, the beautiful blue Lake Superior was in full view. Beautiful cottages sprinkled the roadside and I wondered with each of them, “Will ours be like that one?” But as we turned into the driveway of the “resort” where we’d find our cottage, I realized that my dream and reality were not on the same page. My expectations quickly faded as we explored our home for the week. The resort, as they called it, was a charter fishing resort. Old rickety boats, trailers, and boat parts were scattered over the property. It looked like a place where boats went to die. It looked like a place where seasoned fisherman would bunk up before a fishing excursion. It looked nothing like the place I had envisioned.

As we made our way into our cabin, my hopes continued to decline. The cottage was a refurbished modular home, well out of view of Lake Superior. It was adequate, but not very nice. It smelled musty from old furnishings and a leaky basement. Even the mattresses were disappointing as they were covered with plastic, making for noisy nights of sleep. “How would this place work for helping my family have a memorable and relaxing vacation?” I wondered.

What happens to you when life doesn’t pan out as planned? What happens to you…when the offer for the job you know perfectly fits you, never comes? …when the very best doctors scratch their heads in confusion about your medical situation? …when every home for sale in your neighborhood sells but yours? …when your scholarship athlete busts up his knee before his senior season? …the stupid car breaks down for the third time in a month? Even more, what happens to you when you grow disappointed in God?

Recently I talked to a man who, in a matter of minutes, described his life as “not panning out.” He was a broken man in his 60s living with a continual sense of disappointment. He said, “I have a lot of agonistic in me right now. I just don’t think God gives a ____ about me.” Here’s a man who let life’s disappointments defeat him. Because his expectations in life were not met, he chose to stop following God. He’s a man who is missing the opportunity to grow in his relationship with God.

Back to that stinky little cabin in the U.P. for a moment. As it turned out, that week of vacation has radically shaped the Niekerk family. In that week, my oldest daughter chose to attend Northern Michigan University. She just graduated this spring and she and her husband still live in that area as he finishes his schooling. My second daughter will be starting her third year at NMU this fall. She has fallen in love with school and that area. And, my 17 year old son is making plans to attend NMU as well. Needless to say, we have spent, and will continue to spend, many of our vacation days in that area—though not in that particular cabin. We love every minute we spend in the U.P. It’s a place of joy, family, peace, and rest to us. Ironically, that was my original hope, wasn’t it? God gave us more in that trip than I ever dreamed. Looking back, I now see that my expectations were misplaced and my dreams were too small. God had something much more valuable to give my family that week.

Fear and Phobias

2011-07-22T08:15:00.000-07:00

Just for fun, I did an internet search on the word phobia. What a mistake! I learned all the things that I could possibly be afraid of and one site placed hundreds of phobias in alphabetical order for my convenience. Here’s a sample of some of my favorite phobias that all start with the letter “p.”

Pagophobia- Fear of ice or frost.
Panophobia - Fear of everything.
Papaphobia- Fear of the Pope.
Papyrophobia- Fear of paper.
Paraskavedekatriaphobia- Fear of Friday the 13th.
Pediophobia- Fear of dolls.
Pedophobia- Fear of children.
Peladophobia- Fear of bald people.
Pentheraphobia- Fear of mother-in-law.
Phagophobia- Fear of swallowing or of eating or of being eaten.
Phalacrophobia- Fear of becoming bald. (http://phobialist.com/)

It seems we have a lot to be afraid of, don’t we? Interestingly, almost 80 years ago, President Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed the topic of fear in the midst of one of the darkest times in American history. In his first inaugural address in 1932, FDR needed to comfort a suffering nation deeply entrenched in the Great Depression. Many had lost much, and some had lost all. FDR realized the paralyzing grip of fear on the American people. The nation would not regain its economical foothold if governed by fear. This was the context of his famous quote: “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.” Today we’d call this Phobiaphobia- the fear of fear.

It shouldn’t surprise us to learn that the most common command written in scripture is “Do not be afraid.” This tells us two things: first, we have a propensity toward fear; and second, God cares deeply about how we respond in opportunities of fear. I’m not a psychologist but I’ve made some observations when it comes to fear in people’s lives. Fear is typically brought on by a surprise, a threat, or the possibility of pain. We fear something bad is going to happen to us or to someone we love. Or, we fear it happening again. We fear the unknown and we fear what’s out of our control. So, we go on guard to protect us from what we fear. Sometimes our fears are warranted and our protective actions are reasonable; but other times fear causes us to become paranoid, overly cautious, self-doubting, panicky, and even hurtful in our self-protection. Fear can immobilize and even paralyze us.

In Jesus’ quest to teach his disciples how to follow God with their whole being, he addressed the topic of fear. In Jesus’ mind, fear and lack of trust work nicely together. So Jesus put them in situations where fear could easily take control and their trust would be tested. In Matthew 8, Jesus leads his disciples into a boat after a long day of healing and teaching. Jesus is tired and falls asleep. Matthew tells us that a storm came on very suddenly and began to swamp the boat. Four of the disciples were professional fishermen and had seen many rough storms before—but this was a doozy. They cried out to Jesus, “Lord save us! We’re about to drown!” Jesus’ response to them is interesting. First, he corrects them by calling their fear a lack of trust. Then second, he gives them a demonstration that he is not only God, but he is God worthy of their trust.

He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. Matthew 8.26

Jesus used the fear generated in the critical moments of the storm to develop something spiritually vital in their hearts. In essence, he was asking them these questions: do you know who’s in the boat with you? Do you realize that all of nature bends to my voice? Do you trust me when the winds are strong and the waves are high? When you are losing hope in your own strength, will you rely on me?

We should not be surprised when life brings us storms that are hard to bear and fear and desperation build in us. It’s part of living in a broken world. But storms also provide some of the best opportunities for us to learn to trust the God of the Universe who cares deeply for us. So, if the clouds are beginning to thicken or the waves are crashing over the bow of your life, ask these questions: do I know who’s in the boat with me? Do I believe that all storms bend to his voice? Am I willing to trust that God is teaching in the storm?

Lawn Chair Guy and a Kidney Stone

2011-07-15T09:39:00.000-07:00

It hit me on a Monday afternoon as I came home from work. It started as a dull ache that made me nauseous, but grew to a violent burning sensation deep in my side. I was home alone that afternoon and had no idea what has happening to me. After an hour of trying to find relief in a variety of ways, I came to the conclusion that I needed help. I needed to go to the hospital and I needed help getting there. My wife was on her way home from work, but I couldn’t stand it anymore so I called 911.

When the paramedics arrived, they quickly assessed that I was not in grave danger but was, most likely, struggling with a kidney stone. My blood pressure was high so they were interested in getting the pain under control and decided to transport me to the hospital. I was all for it. I wanted this to stop as soon as possible. Later, I learned that women who have endured both kidney stones and natural childbirth would rather endure labor pain! As much as I wanted relief, I was a bit embarrassed to have so much attention given to a little stone; and sure enough, the ride down my driveway on the ambulance gurney was what I would later call, “The Ride of Shame.” Concerned neighbors had gathered on my yard to see what was happening, wondering if I was having a heart attack or if a home repair project had gone bad… again. As they rolled me down the driveway I could hear my wife reassure them that I would be fine but we needed to get the pain under control.

As they got me to the back of the ambulance, I noticed something across the street that caught my attention and later stuck in my mind. Across from my house, are five baseball fields and it was the time of evening when teams were warming up before their games. What caught my eye was a dad who had planted himself in a lawn chair near a scoreboard for the evening. He had a small cooler next to his chair and an open newspaper in front of him. When I first noticed him, he was reading his paper, facing the baseball field. But when they wheeled me to the ambulance, I watched him stand up, turn his chair to face my driveway, sit back down, grab a beverage from the cooler, and begin talking to who-knows-who on his cell phone. I’ll be honest with you, in the depth of my pain, I had thoughts of using a finger gesture and yelling sarcastically, “Thanks for the help buddy! Glad you could be entertained by my little fiasco! Show’s over!” But, I refrained.

Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve thought about that guy. Why did he bug me in that moment? Did I really expect him to come to my aid? What if I was lying bloodied, alone, on the side of the road? Would he find a way to help me or would he crack another Diet Coke and grab the sports section? Would he serve or would he stay a spectator? It seemed he was comfortable, if not entertained, in the latter.

Several days later, I was still struggling with this stupid kidney stone. Instead of being in pain, I was doped up with narcotics. The good news was the pain was under control. The bad news was I wasn’t able to function much because of the pain meds. When my issues began that Monday, I had just loaded a trailer of books and items from my office at the Cascade Campus to be moved to my new office at the Kentwood Campus; I was not able to unload the trailer that day. All week, my things were in an uncovered trailer in my driveway. So when Kevin, a friend and colleague, called to see how I was doing, he asked if I needed anything done. When I mentioned my books in my driveway and how I was growing concerned about a storm rolling in, without hesitation Kevin rearranged his schedule, drove from the north side of town, picked up my trailer, filled my car with gas, unloaded all my stuff in my new office and returned.

Perhaps God allowed me to notice the “lawn chair guy” just so I could experience the sharp contrast between someone being a spectator and someone being a servant in a time of need. It seems to me that was one of the major points that Jesus was making in the story about the Good Samaritan. I know that too often in my life I walk past people in need, thinking they should be someone else’s problem.

Spectator or servant? Who will you be today when another person’s need crosses your path?

Buried Treasure

2011-07-07T09:54:00.000-07:00

It’s a modern day story from the likes of the Indiana Jones and National Treasure movies. Secret vaults were opened recently in a temple in India. Uncovered were a staggering amount of gold coins and statues of gods and goddesses studded with diamonds and other precious stones. An early and conservative estimate of the value of this discovery is growing beyond $22 billon. Over hundreds and hundreds of years, temple visitors and devoted followers have donated countless number of valuable items to the temple where a royal family has been charged as the temple custodian. A lawyer, who suspected there was a considerable amount of treasure hidden there, and who also was gravely concerned about the security of the temple and the valuables, won a court case ordering the vaults to be found and opened. The amount was far more than anyone guessed. As you can imagine, this discovery has spawned a massive debate regarding the treasure’s true ownership and what to do with the new found wealth.

Politicians, religious leaders, and historians have made a host of suggestions as to the future of the treasure. Of course, everyone has an opinion. Some believe the treasure should be handed over to the national trust, used to help alleviate poverty in India. Others believe that the government should use the funds for developmental purposes. Of course, both suggestions are raising distrust in the government’s motives. Some historians believe that the treasures should be stored and displayed in a museum because of the historical significance of the find.

But there was one more opinion I found very interesting in this story. One of the top elected leaders in that area believes the treasure should be left alone. "The treasures are the property of the temple. We will ensure the utmost security for the temple and its wealth," Chief Minister Chandy told reporters. In essence, his idea is to keep the treasure buried and hidden in the six discovered vaults. He vowed to provide adequate security of the temple if it was left as temple property. In a country riddled with impoverished areas, couldn’t that treasure be used in a productive way, rather than leaving it buried? Is that the best use of $22 billion? (Story adapted from FoxNews.com, July 5,2011.)

Jesus once told a story of hidden treasure as well. In the story, before he leaves on a journey, the master entrusts some of his wealth to three servants. One gets five bags of gold, the second gets two and the last gets one. When the master returns, he gets a report from the servants about what they did with their stash. The first two report that they doubled their money, but the last servant says he just buried the gold in the ground because he was afraid. The first two servants get high praise as well as more responsibility from the master. But the last servant gets scolded and run out of town for being foolish with this opportunity. It seems, in the mind of the master, the very worst thing he could have done with the entrusted treasure was to bury it out of fear and excuses.

So, what treasures have you been entrusted with? Maybe you’re sitting on $22 billion that you need to figure out how to best use. No? Then, perhaps you have more than what’s in the temple in India. You have gifts, talents, and resources that have been uniquely entrusted to you by the God of the Universe. But these aren’t gifts to you, they are gifts to be used through you for others. These are the precious treasures that God uses to build his Kingdom. They are gifts of encouragement, hospitality, service, generosity, leadership, creativity, mercy, empathy, compassion, truth, discernment, and many more. To those who chose to shove their gifts under the ground, his words are harsh and filled with disappointment. The servant who buries his treasure eventually loses his opportunity to serve the Master. But when these gifts are used, the Kingdom looks like the Master. And the Master loves to express his pleasure. “Great job! You are a good and faithful servant! Here’s more!”

The Parable of a Cornstalk

2011-06-24T09:24:00.000-07:00

Last summer, an interesting thing happened in one of our flower gardens. We noticed a cornstalk growing up on the edge of a small area we had surrounded with rocks and mulch. It shot right out of a crowded area between some rocks and plants that we had actually purposed to be there. I was so curious as to why a single cornstalk was growing there. We live in a suburban area where there’s not a cornfield anywhere in sight. The best we came up with for the origin was that a bird had visited a nearby feeder and had dropped a single corn kernel between the plants. Somehow, it got nestled in enough dirt and moisture to germinate and turn into a plant. We chatted about pulling it out but voted to keep it for awhile to see how it would do.

Over the course of the summer, we watched it slowly grow but from the start it appeared to be weak. It was getting the same water, sun, and nutrients that the surrounding, healthy plants were getting; but our little pet cornstalk just didn’t seem to be thriving in this environment. Around July, the top of the cornstalk tasseled right on time but the stalk was only about two feet tall. It was a dwarf of what it should be. But, the biggest problem with the plant was that it had no corn. “What good is a cornstalk that doesn’t have corn?” I asked. The experiment was over and I pull the plant out of the ground and threw it in our yard waste bin. It was obvious that this was a poor place for corn to grow. It needed space. It needed a different type of soil to be a healthy cornstalk. There was too much competition for the needed nutrients to help my cornstalk experiment grow.

Jesus loved to use everyday images to illustrate spiritual truths that shape our lives. These illustrations or stories were called parables. In one of his parables, Jesus compares people’s hearts to different kinds of soil. God, (the farmer), throws seed (his Word) to the ground (people). The soil then determines whether seed will grow. Some seed lands on a hard, packed path and is gobbled up by birds (Satan). Other seed falls on soil that is surrounded by rocks. That seed takes root but the plant dies because of the hot sun (problems and persecution). A third group of seeds falls on soil that is riddled with thorny weeds (the desire for wealth and the worries of life). The weeds are too much competition for the good plant and it dies. But, when the seed finds its way to good soil—it grows and multiplies over and over again.

As in many cases, Jesus would tell a parable to a large crowd of people but would not explain the meaning of the story until he was in private with his disciples. In doing this, he was grooming his disciples for their future job as Apostles—sent ones to share the Good News about Jesus. Here, he’s schooling them on the hearts of people. In other words, Jesus was saying, “Fellas, you’re going to interact with four different types of people. Each will respond differently to your message about me. Look for those who have hearts like good planting soil. You’ll know who they are because they’ll listen, accept, grow, and bear good fruit. They are the ones who will multiply this message. The other three types of people will need to make some significant changes to be my followers who produce meaningful fruit for my Kingdom.”

God has created each of us to produce fruit in our life. That fruit varies from person to person; but what is true of all of us, is that we are called to have the spiritual purpose of multiplying that fruit. The beautiful thing about this is that God plants the seed and he desires us to grow to be healthy, fruit-bearing people who impact our world for the Kingdom. The sobering side of this is that God asks us to cultivate the soil (our heart). We are the ones who are responsible to keep our lives from being hard packed, rocky, and thorny. I don’t know about you, but rocks and thorns appear in my life fairly easily. They don’t need much to bubble to the surface.

How would you describe your heart today? Is it cultivated, soft, and receptive to God’s truth? Are you ready for a season of growth? Any rocks? How about thorns? Anything stealing your time, energy, and passion from following God better?

It may be a good time to do some weeding.

Best Wedding Ever

2011-06-17T06:42:00.001-07:00

When it was all said and done, they said it was a “perfect day.” After a year of planning, all the pieces had come together for the best wedding ever. No, it wasn’t that silly little wedding somewhere in England, but my oldest daughter’s. It was everything the bride and groom had dreamed of. And we, as parents, were thrilled that her big day was as wonderful as it could be for her. Everyone knows that a lot goes into a wedding; but when it is your daughter’s, you get a front row seat into the complexity of a modern wedding. I came to learn quickly that there are two ways to plan: either you pay someone a lot of money to worry about the details for you, or you do it all yourself. We chose the latter.

Kari and Grant’s wedding was in a park. We had reserved one part of the park for the ceremony and another part for the reception. Family and close friends were invited to the ceremony, as this was a small intimate space; but everyone who had a place in our lives was invited to the reception. The wedding was a beautiful, worship-filled ceremony performed in a park pavilion on top of a hill surrounded by wild flowers. Being both dad and pastor, I had the dual privilege of walking my daughter down the aisle and officiating part of the service. As I listened to them read their vows, I felt a deep sense of pride and gratitude for the adults these kids had become. This was one of the most special moments of our lives as parents.

While the ceremony was small, reverent, and intimate, the reception turned out to be a big party. Friends from all avenues of life arrived to share in the joy of the day. We had a simple dessert reception with cake, treats, and beverages—all of which was gobbled up quickly as the crowd was bigger than expected. Grant’s family had offered to take care of the beverages for the evening, so when they began to run out, it was a quick trip to a nearby store to replenish the supply. The band we hired was simply amazing; they played for almost two hours while people danced, laughed, enjoyed each other’s company and the beauty of the park in summer. At the end of the day, we were filled with joy for our kids. We were filled with joy at how many great friends we had to spend this important day with. We were filled with joy that God’s smile was on us.

I’m not surprised that Jesus chose a wedding at which to perform his first miracle. As the father of a bride, I’m fully aware of all the bad things that can happen to ruin your daughter’s wedding day. In Jesus’ day, weddings had just as much social pressure as they do today. So, when something went wrong at a friend’s wedding, Jesus was called to respond. “No more wine!” was the report. This was a social disaster. It didn’t matter the reason, whether it was poor planning or a crowd bigger than expected, the party was crashing and the hosts would be embarrassed. So, Jesus quietly turned pots of ceremonial hand-washing water into wine. And, it was good wine—the best wine. By doing this, Jesus was saying two things: he was sending a signal to the religious establishment that those jars of ceremonial hand-washing water were better filled with wine. Second, Jesus was showing how he deeply cared for his friends.

Often when we think of miracles, we think of extraordinary issues of life like sickness and death. God does show himself in those big circumstances, but how cool is it to know that God is compassionate in the everyday aspects of life as well? He cares about friends, reputations, weddings, and wine. No matter your care or concern today, know that you can “cast your cares on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5.7).

Crowds Gather

2011-06-10T10:13:00.001-07:00

The Grand Rapids Art Festival is one my favorite events of the year. It’s a great summer environment, filled with the sounds of great local bands, the smells of grilled food, and the sights of some very unique people. People of all ages, nationalities, and economic statuses gather to enjoy the music and art displayed at this event. I find myself spending as much time watching eclectic people as I do the bands I came to hear.

This year I experienced something that seemed to connect this diverse crowd even more. As a matter of fact it happened twice, with two different bands on two different stages. It was a song that was a hit in the early eighties. Every person in the audience seemed to know the lyrics (at least the chorus). As soon as the opening guitar riffs were struck, people began to smile, sing, and even dance. The crowd went from being observers to participants. This thirty year old song obviously had a life well beyond the 80s. I watched people in their 50s, 40s, 30s, 20s and teens sing and dance to this song. Street bums and yuppie suburbanites were all singing along. Even a lady in one of those neck halo contraptions bolted to her head found her way to the stage to dance. Of all the music we listened to that weekend, this song got the most crowd participation—by far. See if these lyrics from Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’ get a tune ringing in your head today.

Just a small town girl, livin' in a lonely world
She took the midnight train goin' anywhere
Just a city boy, born and raised in south Detroit
He took the midnight train goin' anywhere
(Chorus)
Don't stop believin'
Hold on to the feelin'
Streetlights people

Crowds intrigue me. I’m always interested to see what sorts of things gather a crowd, what moves a crowd, and what divides a crowd. Minutes after our little Journey sing-a-long, we stumbled into another crowd of people who had gathered for another reason. But this group wasn’t unified and happy, they were divided and angry. Two individuals carrying large signs with messages of sin, wrath, judgment, repentance, and hell were engaging the crowd of people whose curiosity was aroused. The contrast was stunning. Instead of singing and dancing together, this crowd was growing angry, verbally aggressive, brash, and profane. The message, and even more the method of delivering the message, was deeply offending some people. They wanted their opinions to be heard in very clear, demonstrative terms. I stood at a distance intrigued once again with what gathers groups of people. Reflecting on these two scenes, I think that both crowds were reaching for hope. The crowd was celebrating hope through a song that gave the message, “Believe! It’s all going to be good.” The second crowd was fighting for hope. Their hope was threatened by someone’s condemnation.

Crowds are an integral part of the Jesus story. As you read the book of Mark, it’s an interesting exercise to watch the crowds. They gathered because Jesus was announced as the long awaited Messiah, because he healed the sick, and because he spoke with authority. Through some of the ranks, there was a sense of euphoria. Finally, the rescuer had come. The leader and healer would drive the Romans out of their homeland. But, when Jesus’ message became clear, the religious establishment became threatened and the crowd’s allegiance divided. Some went home. Others joined in the stand against Jesus. All were reaching for hope.

Being part of the crowd is easy. It’s much easier to sing and dance when you’re with a large group of people. You blend in and feel freer to let go of your inhibitions. It’s also easier to fight in a crowd. A mob-mentality gives people courage to express their rage at a common enemy. But, those who are called to follow Jesus are called to step out. They are to be distinct, set apart from the world and set apart for something good. Most people who surrounded Jesus remained in the crowd. They were just observers. But, some stepped out and stepped toward Jesus. They were the ones who found true hope.

Where are you today? Are you an observer in the crowd or a passionate follower?

Moving Away

2011-06-03T11:10:00.001-07:00

This year, I hit my 10th anniversary of being a small group pastor at Ada Bible Church. I don’t know about you, but milestones like this tend to make me all sappy and reflective. I’ll find myself thinking back to my old life before ABC and the period of time that God transitioned me from something I knew to something that was new. It became very clear to me during that time of my life that when God calls, I need to be willing to move away from something in order to move toward his desires.

Before ABC offered me the opportunity to work with the small groups ministry, I worked for United Parcel Service. I started part-time at UPS when I was in college and shortly after I got married, a full-time driving position opened up. For 11 years, I delivered packages wearing the brown uniform. It was a good job with great benefits and long-term stability. I knew that if I did my job faithfully, I would be able to retire in my mid-fifties. The work was hard but the pay and benefits kept me interested in staying with UPS long-term.

In the mid-90s, something began to change in me. I became discontented in my job. This wasn’t a bitter discontent or just boredom, but it was something deeply connected to my heart. I was beginning to understand that God may have created me to spend more of my time investing in the spiritual lives of others. I was discovering that God had wired me to be relationally invested in people. However, most of my day was spent alone. Yes, I saw lots of customers every day but the interactions I had with them were in 30 second increments. I spent 50 hours of my week outside of what God designed me to be. I was beginning to understand that my discontent was Divine. He was preparing to move me.

For three years, I wrestled with this discontent. God placed people in my life who affirmed my feeling that UPS was not a good fit for me. One of those people was a college professor named Ken when I had re-entered college to finish up a degree. Ken was the type of instructor who got to know each of his students very well. He taught his classes like a small group: lots of interaction, lots of learning from each other, and lots of relevant discussions. In his final class with my group, Ken took time to speak to each student in front of the group and to share what he thought about each of our futures. Because each person respected Ken so much, we all relished his words of encouragement and blessing on us. This is what I remember him saying to me, “Phil, you’re a people person. You need to spend your days investing into people to bring about spiritual growth and change in them. UPS is not a good fit for you.” He said a few other nice things but this is all I heard. This was all that mattered. God was moving my heart away from the financial security of a stable job to something new. I’ve never regretted that move in the least bit.

I’m growing to learn that following Jesus is a lifetime of changes. Some of these changes may require me to move away from something in my life or world in order to move closer to God and his way. Sometimes, it means moving from dark, sinful elements in life to choose God’s better way of living. Other times, God asks us to move from a point of stability in order for us to move toward a place of greater faith in his care and plan for us. But the one thing I know is that in order to follow Jesus, I need to be willing to move. I can’t follow without leaving, and I can’t remain the same and expect to change.

Sweet Spot

2011-05-20T07:25:00.000-07:00

On a baseball bat there’s a place that hitters call the “sweet spot.” When the ball hits the bat in the sweet spot, the hitter knows it—he feels it. The ball jumps off the bat in an incredible way. Every hitter wants to find that spot on his bat on every swing.

Five o’clock in the morning comes to me like a brick in the head every Tuesday morning. It has for over 10 years. But, every Tuesday morning as I roll out of bed, I remind myself that one of my sweet spots in ministry begins at 6 a.m. A couple dozen guys will be starting their day at a men’s Bible study. There, I get to share the good news of God’s Word with eager men who want to learn. The pain of awaking from a sound sleep quickly dissipates as my mind focuses on the opportunity at hand.

I’ve come to realize that serving in my sweet spot is filled with joy and fulfillment. It’s a wonderful thing to know how God has uniquely designed me to serve his Kingdom. I’ve come to learn that God created me to disciple and encourage others to grow in their relationship with God. I take incredible joy in seeing someone with their Bible open discussing what they are learning about the God of the universe, and how their live is changing because of what they understand. I’m a small group leader and I love it! I’m a “discipler” and I love it! But, I have not always known it. It took time to figure it out.

When my wife and I began attending Ada Bible Church in the late 80s, we quickly jumped in wanting to be involved. Both Janice and I had grown up in solid churches and we understood that churches like ABC need willing and active young couples to be involved and to serve. So, we did. And, we tried a bunch of things. Some of the things I tried actually make me laugh as I think about them today. I led a mid-week kids’ program that grew to ten kids (nine after Jenny broke her arm playing red rover). I awkwardly led singing during a Sunday night service for a time. I ran sound and lights in the sound booth. I served as a deacon doing grounds maintenance, budgets, and benevolence care. All of those things were good… for a time. None were a disaster or a poor experience; they just weren’t my sweet spot.

But in the early 90s, ABC began small groups. They wanted people in the congregation to be able to meet with others during the week for prayer, Bible study, care, and friendship. As soon as I heard that idea, I knew I needed to give small group leadership a try. It didn’t take long for me to realize that God had uniquely wired me to shepherd people in the context of loving community. I learned that one of the best ways for me to use my time, personality, and giftedness was through long-term relational investment centered on Christ and God’s Word. Next year, will be my 20th year of leading a small group at ABC. It’s become my life to help others find their place of meaningful community at ABC. I’m in my sweet spot.

When Paul wrote his final letter, he had his young friend, Timothy, in mind. Before Paul died, he wanted his protégé to be encouraged to pursue the very best. He wanted Timothy in his sweet spot.

In a wealthy home some utensils are made of gold and silver, and some are made of wood and clay. The expensive utensils are used for special occasions, and the cheap ones are for everyday use. If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work. 2 Timothy 2.20-21

What’s your sweet spot in ministry? How has God uniquely designed you to serve his Kingdom? Are you ready for the Master to use you for every good work? Jump in. Find your place and serve with passion.

Defining Moments in a Parking Lot

2011-05-13T11:07:00.000-07:00

For the next two weeks, Pastor Manion will be looking back at some defining moments at Ada Bible Church. This got me thinking about some of the stories that have impacted me since my wife and I began attending as newlyweds in 1987. Our first Sunday was in a building that is now a house on what was then a gravel road. There were probably half a dozen families that attended with a smattering of college students. This last Easter, 9,600 people attended ABC over three campuses and six venues. Much has certainly changed in the last 24 years. It’s been fun to watch and it’s been fulfilling to be a participant in God’s work over the years.

Since early in our history, ABC has had a philosophy to strive to always have open seats and parking spots for anyone who wanted to attend. In the days of meeting in the house, this wasn’t much of a challenge, but in the early 90’s, we began to grow very rapidly. In 1990, we moved to our Ada Drive building. It was, for us, a real church building. Within a couple years, we outgrew our 200 seat auditorium and needed to start a second service. In those days, we began to experience some real issues with our parking lot. It was simply too small and we had no room to expand. In summer, we had to park people on the grass and in the winter we needed to shuttle people from a middle school parking lot a quarter mile from our building. This created a new parking ministry that I and friend, Jon, started to relieve the tension of traffic jams in the lot and on the street. We had fun greeting people as they came, waving them in to some creative places to park. We had walkie-talkies and mini-van shuttle drivers. When the service started and everyone was parked and seated, we felt fulfilled.

But not every week went smoothly. I recall one Sunday morning when the traffic got out of hand. It was a snowy Sunday and we had many guests because of a baby dedication. Virtually everyone was late because of slippery roads. The parking lot packed out fast. As we directed people to the middle school lot, we inadvertently created a traffic jam on Ada Drive. Cars were backed up in both directions. Jon and I were beside ourselves not knowing what to do. So, we simply decided to send everyone up to the middle school and apologize to them that they’d be a little late for the service. That was when my defining moment happened. A lady drove up the driveway, rolled down her window, handed me her offering check and said she’d try again next week. She had a very gracious way of doing this but this was when I realized that we were turning people away. Who knows what this lady needed to hear that morning? How many others “gave up” because they couldn’t find a seat or a parking spot? What did they miss out on in terms of spiritual encouragement because our facility was challenged?

In the weeks that followed, I was asked to share this story with our board of elders. Now, this moment in the parking was not the single reason we decided to sell our building and pursue something larger; but it was a story that I’ve heard told over and over to illustrate to that we hate to turn away people because our facility is too limited. I guess you could call it a bit of Ada Bible Church folklore.

Over the years, I’ve heard people ask, “So, how big will Ada Bible Church get?” The answer is always, “As large as God desires.” It’s seems evident that God wants us to provide a seat and parking spot for anyone who desires to attend. As we continue to grow, as we add new venues and campuses to accommodate that growth, I need to remind myself that each seat and each parking spot represents a soul; a soul that needs to be introduced to Jesus, a soul that needs to be encouraged by God’s love and God’s people, a soul that needs to find genuine purpose in life. It’s amazing what you can learn in a snowy parking lot.

Pray and Love

2011-05-06T08:53:00.000-07:00

I have a couple of people in my life who have this uncanny knack for having meaningful conversations with perfect strangers about God. Some people would call them evangelists. And, that is truly what they are. It’s, what I believe, a spiritual gift that God has commissioned them to use. They are uniquely designed to share their faith with others. Kurt’s a guy who prays before he enters into any room, restaurant or store. He asks God to show him if there’s anyone there who is ready to hear the good news of Jesus. Then he simply starts friendly, tactful conversations with people, asking questions that eventfully lead to sharing words about hope, God’s love, and saving grace. Kurt is a charming guy and is very easy to talk with. It’s remarkable to watch people respond to his kind, but truth-filled, words about God and life.

Dave is another guy I’d call a gifted evangelist, but his approach is dynamically different from Kurt’s. Dave lives in a Forest Hill neighborhood filled with young families. His house is in the back of the neighborhood on a street that ends in a cul-de-sac. He and his wife prayerfully purchased their home with the hopes of having a spiritual impact on their neighbors. I stopped in to see Dave and his wife one summer evening. It seemed as if the entire neighborhood was out and about in their yards or walking the sidewalks. Dave’s yard was crawling with kids and his kitchen was filled with adults just hanging out and chatting. I apologized for interrupting their gathering as I assumed it was something planned. Dave assured me that I was more than welcome to be there and these types of neighborhood gatherings were unplanned and common. He said, “We have an open door policy on nights like tonight. People will just walk in the door, pour a cold beverage and chat for while. We invite it and love it.” Dave then took me outside and began pointing to houses in eye shot of his yard. He told me a small piece of each family’s story and what he and his wife were praying on behalf on them. “That’s Jim and Barb’s house. Barb just found out she has cancer. Over here, is Jack and Jenny’s house. They just moved in from Tennessee and don’t know anyone in Grand Rapids. We’re cooking burgers with them tomorrow. Larry and Sue live across the street. Their son plays hockey with our son. Oh… Larry gave his life to Christ last year. He’s really growing in the neighborhood men’s Bible study we do every Friday morning.” Dave later explained how he and Nancy, his wife, walk the neighborhood several nights a week, praying for each family by name and the specific needs or issues in their lives.

Though Dave and Kurt have dynamically different ways of reaching out to unbelieving people, there are a couple of common threads that have encouraged me in my personal pursuits of sharing my faith with others. First, both pray diligently for people. They both agree that evangelism is getting on board with God’s work in other people’s lives. Evangelism is not a sales tactic but rather it’s joining with God in his pursuit of lost people. Second, both Dave and Kurt love people and they seem to have more concern with the well-being of others, than their agenda or comfort. Kurt would rather chat with a stranger than enjoy a quiet lunch. Dave would rather have his house full of people than veg on the couch alone with the TV remote and a hockey game.

I believe God loves it when we pray for the lost and we open our homes and time to them. I’m convinced that these are things we all can do. Pray and love… then see what God will do.

Faith of a Shortstop

2011-04-28T10:38:00.000-07:00

As I walked to our varsity baseball practice the other day, I noticed that one of our players was absent. Adam, our starting shortstop and one of our team captains, never misses practice. A couple of his teammates reported he was at his senior presentation. Every senior at NorthPointe Christian High School has to do a presentation in the spring of their senior year. It can be about virtually anything, but it needs to be about something personal to their life. Our head coach looked over at me and said, “Coach, you need to go that presentation. Skip out and go. I’ll handle practice.”

Though Adam was a senior and first year to our baseball program, he was not new to me. Adam had played on a couple of youth travel teams I coached when he was much younger. I had always known that he was a special young man. He had poise and maturity which excelled that of his teammates and he was gifted leader. After our travel teams disbanded and the kids moved to high school teams, I lost contact with Adam. I was saddened to hear that he had developed a significant elbow injury and couldn’t throw. I hoped the best for this young man. So when he transferred to the school where I was coaching, I knew it would be wonderful to get reacquainted with him and his family and to hear his story of the past few years.

Adam dedicated his senior presentation to the story of his injury. He spoke of his past, baseball being a high priority in his life, as a tool to build his life around. He talked about all the things he gave up to practice and excel at baseball. It seemed like a good investment of his time and energy, at the time. But then his baseball career hit a major hurdle. His elbow grew sore and doctors said it needed surgery. Two surgeries and many hours of physical therapy later, Adam was back on the field.

But, his injury had radically shaped his life for the good. You see, when Adam couldn’t throw a baseball, he chose to attend his youth group again; to go on mission trips and be mentored by his youth pastor. His injury afforded him time to discover other areas of his life that needed spiritual attention. He was able to grow in other areas rather than hitting and fielding a baseball. He was able to see a broader perspective of his life and God’s design and plan for him.

I left that presentation filled with pride and joy for this young man. As one of his former and present baseball coaches, I was glad that Adam had not given up on baseball. He’s a wonderful player and we are fortunate to have him on our team. But, I was even more moved that an 18 year old young man had learned such a vital life lesson. He learned that God loves to use the difficult hurdles in life to draw us to himself and to teach us invaluable lessons through our struggles. I’m confident that Adam will face challenges tougher than a blown out baseball elbow. But I’m not worried for Adam. I know he’ll face his next serious life challenge with faith that God will do something good in him, and hope that God will craft him into the man God wants him to be.

Testing and trials are constant threads in the stories I read in Scripture. Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Daniel and Peter are a few of my favorite Bible characters in whom God created something good through their testing and trial. I’m so glad my young friend Adam is setting his life in the same direction as these great men of faith. I’m convinced that God will do something special through this young man who is mature beyond his years.

Man Named Red

2011-04-26T06:35:00.000-07:00

A handful of years ago, I stood in a baptism tub with Red, listening to his spiritual story being read. Red’s life was riddled with pain and tragedy, some of which was self-inflicted from frequent abuse of alcohol. He lived a hard life that was drastically far from God and his body and his soul showed the scars. But in the tub that day, he beamed with faith and hope.

Red struggled to get into the tub because his leg was still healing from multiple surgeries. Several months prior, he was broadsided while riding his motorcycle. The painful effects of his broken bones and the surgeries that followed were still evident. Dave, who had been instrumental in Red’s coming to Christ, was assisting me in Red’s baptism. As we began to dip him into the water, Red groaned in pain. Dave and I stopped. Baptism wasn’t supposed to be physically painful and we didn’t want to hurt him more. But Red looked at us and said, “Get it done, boys! I need to be baptized today.” With both pain and joy expressed on his face, Red emerged from the water. As a pastor, I’ve had the privilege to baptize many people, but Red’s is one of my favorites.

Red disappeared from my life for a couple years, but I got a call from him this week. He moved to Florida because he was unable to work due to physical restrictions from his injuries. The last couple of years have been financially difficult for Red and his wife. They moved from town to town in their camper looking for a place to settle. During that time, Red learned he has cancer. His call to me was to tell me that he was choosing not receive the treatment recommended for this type of cancer. As he said, “The treatment is worse than the cancer, Phil. I’m not going to do it.”

It’s not up to me to discern if Red is making the right decision in stopping his treatment; but what I know from my hour with him, he’s again filled with faith and hope. Throughout his history of pain and tragedy, Red has found strength in finding faith in a good God who has loved him and saved him from the horrible life he was living. Now, hope is what keeps Red’s heart alive. Hope is the ability to look beyond your current painful situation to see a day when all this will be made right. He still has hope that he’ll be healed of the cancer; but if not, he has hope that he’ll experience the embrace of Jesus.

Today, I’m tired of stories of death and sickness. Two friends of mine entered the hospital this week with serious physical issues. Yesterday, I listened to another close friend grieve. He had just attended the funeral of his teenage kid’s youth pastor who was tragically killed. Right now, I’m fully aware that this planet is broken. It’s groaning to be cleansed of sickness, pollution, and death. I’m so glad this is Easter week! I need an infusion of faith and hope that God will do what he says he’ll do to make all things right—to make all things new again.

Paul wrote to the church in Corinth about the importance of Jesus’ resurrection, which we celebrate this week. After giving a compelling argument that Jesus’ resurrection from the dead means we have a certain hope in our own resurrection, Paul paints a picture of the day when all will change; all will be new again. If you’re sick of sickness, if you’re weary of sin and death, let these words comfort you this Easter week.

But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies. Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.
O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”
For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless. 1 Corinthians 15.51-58 NLT

Between Two Worlds

2011-04-15T07:50:00.000-07:00

I’ve learned the hard way over the years that photographers can do amazing things in an advertisement to make a mediocre vacation place look exotic. The phrase, “Not as Advertised!” rings through as you try to adjust your expectations downward to make the best of a disappointing vacation situation. Bugs, smells, loud noises, broken furnishings, and trashy surroundings never seem to be depicted in brochure pictures.

But my last vacation, I have to say, was “As Advertised!” As we walked into our rented condo on the Gulf of Mexico, we all said in harmony, “Ahhhh… this is what we need!” Though the brightly decorated and well furnished condo was welcoming and warm, it was what we found in the back of the condo that was most inviting. A huge slider door opened to a sixth floor balcony overlooking the Gulf and its white sand beaches. The brilliant sunshine, the warm salty breeze, and the persistent sound of lapping waves brought a sense of peace and tranquility to our spirits. We knew this would be a place for rest and distraction from our busy and full lives.

But throughout the week, I noticed a stark contrast in our surroundings. While the backside of our condo spoke of ease, rest, and quiet, the front did not. If we needed to go somewhere for dinner, grocery shopping, or even to walk to the beach, we had to use the front door. There, the view was dynamically different. Instead of sand and water, there was the asphalt of parking lots and a five lane road. Instead of birds and boats, there were cars, water towers, a Rite Aid, and a boarded up gas station. Instead of the sounds of waves and kids playing in the sand, there were sounds of traffic and sirens in the distance. Instead of feeling a cool breeze cutting through the warm sun’s rays, there was a humid stench from the exhaust-filled pavement. Even the doors spoke to this contrast. The back door, a huge glass slider, invited a view toward beauty. The front door, made of steel with multiple locks and no windows, spoke to security and isolation. As I stood in the middle of this vacation condo, it felt like I was on the threshold between two distinct worlds.

When Jesus approached the cross, he felt the sharp contrast between two distinct worlds. As he was betrayed, denied, spit on, mocked, unjustly convicted, and then left to die in the most painful way of execution, he was experiencing the full impact of a broken and diseased world. But, what led him to stay on the path to the cross? My goodness, he was God! He didn’t have to endure this. He could have walked away from this ugly mire of humanity and left us in our stench. But, Jesus had a clear vision of a perfect world of rest, peace, rightness, beauty, and goodness. That vision kept him on the threshold, the cross, between two distinct worlds.

When I think of contrasting worlds, this passage moves me deeply. Decades after Jesus’ death, John, one of his disciples, had this vision. This was the “view off the balcony” that Jesus had from the cross.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”

And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children. Revelation 21.1-5 NLT

Unjust Conviction

2011-04-11T07:27:00.000-07:00

On January 18, 1991, Franky Carrillo’s life dramatically changed. The 16 year old from Los Angeles was identified as the gunman in a drive-by shooting, killing 41 year old Don Sharply on the steps of his home. Five witnesses at the scene testified that Franky was seen with the gun in the car at the time of the shooting. The first jury deadlocked, declaring a mistrial. But, the second jury found Franky guilty and a judge sentenced him to two life sentences.

On March 15 of this year, Franky was released from prison. After 20 years, new evidence proved to a judge that Franky had been misidentified. He was innocent. Scott Turner, one of the intended victims of the shooter and one of the five witnesses that testified against Carrillo, recanted his story. He said that he not only misidentified Franky in a photo lineup, but that he had also influenced the other four witnesses to choose Franky. Because there was no physical evidence in connecting Franky to the crime, the prosecution relied heavily on the testimony of Turner and the four others. Turner apologetically took the stand stating that what he had done in testifying against Carrillo was wrong and he was sorry he had “stolen the life of an innocent man.” Two others also admitted to the shooting. The evidence was clear and Franky was set free. (Story taken from KTLA.com.)

Can you imagine being accused of something that you didn’t do? Can you imagine people colluding against you in false testimony that would cost you decades of your life? Could you imagine enduring the penalty of a crime you didn’t commit as the real criminals go free? Stories like this horrify us. We are deeply saddened at an injustice like this.

As we read the story of Jesus’ final days before the cross, we should be horrified by the injustice of the scene that unfolds. Jesus is betrayed by a mole who called himself a follower and friend. Those who were known as spiritual leaders of Israel plotted to seize and kill Jesus under darkness of night so not to rile the interests and anger of the people. When Jesus is arrested, his followers flee his side and are scattered in fear and confusion. One disciple denied he ever knew Jesus. Only one disciple was found near Jesus at his execution. He was tried in a “kangaroo court,” being passed from authority figure to authority figure, none of whom really wanted anything to do with justice. Jesus was convicted for crimes that were trumped up by leaders who felt threatened by Jesus’ claims and teaching. At the end, Jesus was punished, not for his crimes, but for the sins of others.

In church circles today we often hear the words, “Jesus died for our sins.” These words are easily said but can lose their punch when we fail to recognize what happened as Jesus approached the cross with all its humiliation, mockery, spit, false accusations, and—on Jesus’ part— his silence. Could this scene be more “just” than it appears? Several decades after Jesus’ death, Paul writes to a church in Rome.

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood… God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus. Romans 3.23-26

The Power of Hunger

2011-03-31T07:58:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite characters in the Old Testament is a guy named Daniel. What I appreciate so much about Daniel is the way in which he pursued God when he faced something oppressive. When Daniel was being groomed to be a Babylonian leader, he was given the best food and wine from the king’s table—but he refused to eat it. Instead, he committed to consume just vegetables and water to show that God was the one who would sustain him. Later in his life, Daniel gave up rich foods in a time of mourning as he prepared to convey a difficult message to the king. When Daniel pursued God, he often fasted. He gave up something tangible to gain something spiritual.

Today, we call this a Daniel Fast. Fasting is giving up something valuable or routine in your live in order to help you pursue God most earnestly. In March, I gave it a try. I had been wrestling with some issues in my life in which I just couldn’t find peace and clarity. I needed to make some hard decisions that had some deep emotional underpinnings. Peace and clarity were evading these decisions. So, I decided to fast to pursue God in this area. I gave up meat, bread, pop, dairy products, and sugared products for fruit, veggies, grains, and water. Here’s what happened to me.

Week One:
My body resisted this as if fruits and veggies were poison. I got headaches, I was always hungry and was in the bathroom constantly. I was grumpy and I complained a lot. I did pray more but my prayers were self-centered. I was going through a detoxification: detoxing from sugar, caffeine, wheat, dairy, and other things my body craved. I was also detoxing from a bitter and unforgiving heart. I felt frail and weak.

Week Two:
In the second week, something new began to happen. I found rhythm in this fast. Instead of resenting apples, bananas, and spinach, I began to enjoy them. Their flavors burst as I realized that these foods were sustaining me. Instead of fighting in prayer, I submitted, I listened, and I forgave. I prayed for others more than I cried out for myself.

Week Three:
Though my situation had not been resolved, in the third week I rediscovered peace. I was able to function without inner tension over the situation. Then, it ended. I broke the fast. I enjoyed steak, bread, beverages other than water, and brownies with ice cream. I ate them slowly and gratefully. It never tasted better as I celebrated God’s goodness.

So, what does this have to do with the cross? Why write about Daniel when our attention is focused on Jesus’ final days? As I read through Matthew’s account of Jesus’ final days on earth, there seems to be a thread of frailty running through the text. As Jesus enters the garden to pray, he is in emotional turmoil. Blood drips from his skin like sweat as he wrestles with the will of the Father. He knows the pain of crucifixion is coming. He feels the loneliness of impending betrayal, denial, and desertion from his followers. Jesus seems frail in this moment. And, the disciples are weak as well. As Jesus agonizes in prayer, the disciples can’t stay awake. As Jesus is betrayed and arrested, those most committed to him scatter in fear and confusion.

In a sense, everyone in the story is sacrificing. Jesus will give up his will to align with the Father’s plan for mankind. He’ll give up his physical health to be beaten beyond recognition and to be executed in a horrific manner. He’ll give up his holiness and glory to take on the weight of the sin of billions of human beings. Even the disciples, in their frailty, are sacrificing. They are giving up their friend and mentor so Jesus could give himself for others. In their confused state, they are giving up their dream of Jesus being the next Moses to deliver them from the oppressive hand of the Romans. They are frail. They are weak. They are confused. They look helpless in this moment. But, the story doesn’t end there. In a matter of weeks, these frail, confused followers will become bold, confident, God-filled leaders who will change the world with the Good News about Jesus. Confusion turns to clarity. Frailty becomes strength.

One of the points of fasting is to create a hunger or craving. Fasting will demonstrate your frailty as it did mine. But, that seems to be okay with God. In our weakness, he becomes strong. He has a way of turning your frailty into his strength in you. Consider giving up something this Easter season. Create a hunger. Pursue God in your weakness. Expect to experience God in a fresh way.

Betrayed

2011-03-25T07:16:00.000-07:00

“I don’t think we should date anymore,” she said. “We should just be friends.”

This was the first time I heard those horrible words. It didn’t matter that I was 16 years old. It didn’t matter that she was right. It didn’t matter that we didn’t have any business dating each other. It didn’t matter that our little high school romance was only a month old. It didn’t matter how gently she said these words. I had been rejected and it hurt. It was the worst pain possible to endure. Could anything hurt more? Yep!

As I was driving through town a few days after this devastating breakup, I saw something that would fracture my young heart even more. It was just a glimpse of something that horrified me. Approaching me in the oncoming lane of the main street in my small town was a very recognizable car. It belonged to one of the toughest kids in our school. He was a wrestler. He was tough. And, he could be mean. There was not a locker room fight he had lost. He was the type of kid you typically tried to avoid eye contact with. But, as his car past mine, I starred. My jaw dropped to my lap when I saw in the seat next to him… my girlfriend (former girlfriend). And she wasn’t just in the passenger seat; she was snuggled tight in the middle seat. It was amazing what that one glimpse did to me in that moment. My heart raced. My face flushed. I was fortunate to have stayed on the road as my mind became wildly distracted. The pain of the rejection had just descended to the pain of betrayal. The harsh reality hit me—she had broken up with me to be with him.

Why has the memory of the pain of that moment stayed with me for 30 years? It seems like this would be something I’d forget. My life has turned out wonderful. I’ll celebrate 24 years of marriage this May and I hope for at least that many more years of marriage. The joy I have with Janice, my wife, has so out-shadowed the pain of that silly high school romance; but, I still remember how it felt to be betrayed.

One of the most important elements of any relationship is trust. We are built to trust. God created us to trust. However, when trust is broken through betrayal, the heart experiences damage. We either heal from our wounds and begin to trust again, or we work harder to protect ourselves from ever experiencing that kind of pain again. It’s a decision we all have to make after experiencing betrayal. Do we become vulnerable to pain again by trusting, or do we wall ourselves off from others to limit opportunities for getting burned?

As you approach the story of the cross this week, don’t forget that before Jesus endured the pain of the nails in his hands, he endured the pain of the betrayal. Someone he trusted, someone he loved, turned on him. It’s easy to see Judas as a villain in the story but remember, Jesus chose Judas to follow him. Jesus gave him everything he had to offer but Judas chose to sell him out for silver. The emotional pain of betrayal was felt by God’s son.

Have you lost trust in someone? Has someone broken your heart? Have you been betrayed? Let these words comfort you today. Your pain is shared by God, himself.

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4.14-16

Baseball and Baptism

2011-03-11T07:58:00.000-08:00

When Steven left practice that day, the thoughts that occupied his mind where generating very deep emotion. They were thoughts that led him to a heartfelt prayer. They were thoughts that led him to weep in the privacy of his truck. In contrast, as I walked home from baseball practice that evening, I’m sure my thoughts were still on baseball or my hopes for supper.

Steven and I were both coaches in the local youth baseball league. We coached different teams, different age groups, on different fields. But with equipment bags over our shoulders and buckets of baseballs in our hands, our paths crossed. Our friendship had been forged from church and baseball, so these types of interactions were common. We’d chat about our players, our practice routines, or the bad umping we experienced the night before. That night’s chat was no different until the end. As Steven turned to walk to his truck, he said, “Hey, I just want you to know that I signed up to get baptized at church.” “Wow, that’s awesome!” I replied. “What’s leading you to this?” He paused with a deep breath and then said fairly quietly, “I just want to be washed clean.” Caught off guard and probably distracted with hunger pangs and thoughts of baseball drills, I said something in response. Honestly, I have no memory of what I said. Steven nodded, said good night, and wandered to his truck. I crossed the street and walked home not thinking much more about our conversation.

Weeks later, I stood in the back of the auditorium watching Steven’s baptism and as he told his story, I learned something new. Apparently, what I said to him that night triggered a very profound event in his life. As he stood in the baptismal tub, he told the story of our conversation. When he told me he wanted to be clean, I shared with him that if he had given his life to Jesus, that if he had received Jesus’ wonderful gift of salvation, he was already clean. Baptism is the outward expression of the cleansing that has happened inside. Steven continued to share that the truth of that statement rocked him to his core. He climbed in his truck and wept because of this new realization of God’s forgiveness. Steven fully gave his life to Christ in that moment. He, for the first time, experienced himself as spiritually clean.

So, how does this happen? How does a simple conversation turn into something so spiritually profound and life changing? Was it because my evangelistic radar was fully in tune to the situation and needs of my friend? No, not in this moment, I regret. Is it because I have reached such a level of spiritual maturity that wisdom just spews from my lips in a subconscious manner? Not even close! So, what happens in moments like these? Here’s my theory:

God knew Steven’s heart, his desires, his struggles, and his questions. He was pursuing a spiritually whole Steven and loved him enough to fill in the gaps in his heart and mind. The Holy Spirit was working on Steven that night and for some reason, the Spirit wanted me to participate in his pursuit of Steven. The words I used with Steven that night were not my own—they couldn’t have been—they were planted in my mind by God. I believe I have no memory of this so I would not be tempted to take credit for God’s work. Pretty cool how God uses things like baseball, friendships, and simple conversations to lead his people to himself. You see, God didn’t need me in his pursuit of Steven. He wanted to me to experience this with him. His was not only a gift to Steven, but a gift to me. I got to reflect the deep heart of Christ to Steven. How cool is that?

A Remarkable Response

2011-03-04T08:40:00.000-08:00

I saw my dad cry only a handful of times in his life. I was 19 years old when I first saw tears in his eyes. He had just resigned from the country church I had grown up in. For 14 years, he had served this church; and over this time it had more than doubled in size, a new building was built, and it became a positive light in this rural community. Now, his time was done. But it wasn’t by his choice. His resignation was being pressured by a few church leaders. You see, dad was approaching his 70th birthday and there was a movement within the church board to find a younger man to pastor the church. Dad wasn’t ready to go. He wasn’t feeling called to move. He still had life, vision, and something to teach this church. But, the pressure was too much and he resigned. The tears flowed from this emotional rock of a man. He was hurt.

As a college student, I listened to my parents wrestle with their pain and disappointment with their new situation. When I asked for details, they deflected any discussion that would cast a dark cloud over those who caused this transition. Instead, they spoke of trusting God. They spoke of God providing a new calling and new place of ministry for them. And, God did. Dad and mom moved on to a part-time ministry where they could use their gifts and wisdom in the lives of others. They stayed there for 18 years. Dad finally stopped taking a pay check from a church at the age of 88. Some call that retirement.

Five years ago this week, my mom passed away. This was the second time I saw tears in my dad’s eyes. Her funeral was beautiful and a wonderful celebration of her life and ministry. During the visitation, a man entered the room and made his way to my dad. I recognized him and wondered how this conversation was going to go. This man was one of the church elders most aggressive in forcing dad’s resignation. Perhaps he was just expressing his sympathy, but the conversation appeared to be more substantive. The conversation ended and within minutes the man made his way over to me. He and I had a long history. His son was a good friend of mine growing up and he, himself, was one of my youth leaders. I had some incredibly fond memories of him but I knew about the tension he had created in my parents’ lives. His words to me were something like this, “Phil, I want you to know that I’m very sorry for how I treated your dad. I don’t know if you know but I was one of the board members insisting that your dad leave. That was wrong. He was the best pastor I’ve ever had.” Tears filled his worried eyes as I told him that dad had forgiven him years ago and that I had never heard dad speak ill of him. This seemed to be a powerful moment in this man’s spiritual journey. A huge weight that he’d been carrying was taken off his back.

My dad passed away this past year at the age of 95 and I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on his life. Why was his life so successful? Why did he experience such longevity in ministry? Here are a few of my thoughts:

• Dad was able to forgive—sometimes years before an apology came
• He didn’t let mistreatment and disappointment slow his trust in God and pursuit of people
• He fought off bitterness in life like it was a plague

Perhaps, how we handle mistreatment and disappointment is important to God. He loves it when our responses to these types of things are different or counter-cultural.

Pancakes and Church

2011-02-25T05:50:00.000-08:00

On most Sundays in the northern Michigan town of Marquette, a handful of college students gather for church. However, they don’t arrive at a church building. There’s no stage, no hymnals, no pastor, no kids’ program. Instead, they have pancakes. They also have a guitar, a TV, and DVD player. But, most importantly, they have people… people who desire to learn about God and his Word. In Grant and Kari’s one bedroom apartment in a snowy college town, church happens. (By the way, Kari’s my daughter and Grant is my son-in-law!)

Ben likes to arrive first. He makes pancakes for everyone and as people arrive, they enjoy a late breakfast together catching up on the events of the week. Before long, Grant and Ben grab their guitars and the group sings some worship songs together. The group then settles into their seats to hear a sermon they found online from one of several churches around the country they enjoy. (This week, they’re beginning People of the Way from Ada Bible Church). After the sermon, the group shares their thoughts, asks questions, and discusses what all this means to their lives. In a one bedroom apartment in a snowy college town, church happens.

This little house-church is filled because of Kari and Grant’s network of friends and acquaintances. These are all people they’ve cultivated friendships with and are comfortable enough to invite to their breakfast and church gathering. Ben’s a great example of how this works. When Ben met Grant a couple of years ago, he was a bit of a skeptic to Christianity. He had lots of questions and some hang ups about the whole Christian thing. Ben and Grant connect through their college classes. They found some common connections in their lives and a friendship was forged. The friendship grew and real conversations about God, faith, and following Jesus came more frequent. Over time, Ben moved from skeptic to explorer to believer to pancake maker and guitarist for a little house-church.

What’s Kari and Grant’s secret? Why do they seem to be shining in their environment? What’s so special about this young couple (other than they’re my kids)? Let me give you some of my biased observations.

• They have a positive approach to life. They express life with incredible joy. As a result, people are drawn to them.
• Their home is open to friends. Their hearts are filled with hospitality.
• They love to see people grow spiritually. They love to see the lights come on in someone’s spiritual journey.
• They’re wise with the resources they use. They choose good teachers, materials and subject matter that resonate with their group.

So what would the apostle Paul say to Kari and Grant? More of the same, I bet!

Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. Philippians 2.14-16

In a one bedroom apartment in a snowy college town, church happens.

Open Door

2011-02-16T11:30:00.000-08:00

How often do you get a chance to talk with a kid from Kazakhstan about Jesus? Well, last Sunday I was surprised to have that opportunity. After the 11 a.m. service, I was introduced to Laura. She’s a 17 year old exchange student living with a family in my small group. Kazakhstan is a former Soviet block country where two thirds of the country is Islam. This is Laura’s backdrop and worldview.

The host mom introduced me to Laura in the back of the auditorium by saying that Laura had some questions about Christianity. As our conversation began, it was very evident to me that Laura was not shy. She had some wonderful questions and was intent in finding solid answers. She explained that her host family had been taking her to church over the past few weeks which she really enjoyed. Then she said this, “I don’t want to just come to church and just sit. I want to understand what’s being said. I want to explore what this is all about. So… my first question is- who is this Jesus? I’ve heard people say that he saved people when he was on the cross. What does that mean?”

Wow, what great questions! It was as if this girl’s mind and heart was a clean canvas and I and the others around her had the opportunity to paint a new and beautiful picture of God with her. I honestly felt a little pressure in that moment. I wanted my first words to be right. I wanted her to understand. How sad it would be if she walked away confused and disappointed with my answers. Because of the busy environment around us, it felt like we only had a couple of minutes to talk. How could I communicate the story of God, the person of Jesus, the way to salvation and God’s desire to have a personal relationship with her in just a couple of minutes? I gave it my best shot. She seemed to understand and vowed to continue to explore, to ask questions and to have another conversation at another date. She was grateful and I was relieved that it went well. Her host mom seemed grateful and relieved as well.

I drove home from church on Sunday excited about the possibility of beginning a redemptive friendship with this young lady but I was also deeply challenged to do three very important things in the meantime.

• First, I need to be devoted to pray for Laura. It seemed that God was revealing himself to her in a new way. I need to pray that her heart would remain open to experience God’s pursuit of her.

• Second, I need to work to be clearer in how I describe my faith. Can I clearly articulate God’s redemptive work in this world and his work in my life in a compelling, authentic way?

• Third, I need to help the people in my small group grow in both these areas. We all can be clear and helpful to Laura in her pursuit in understanding who God truly is.

Paul, a traveling pastor and evangelist, experienced similar things. Take a look at this passage. Wow, does this nail my situation on Sunday!

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. Colossians 4.2-6

Who are you praying for this week? Who could be behind the door God is opening for you? How are you preparing for the conversations that God may bring your way?

The Allure of an Elephant Ear

2011-02-04T07:23:00.000-08:00

Every 4th of July, the little town I grew up near had a community celebration. Like other small town celebrations, they had the typical parade, tractor pulls, and fireworks. But they also had something that my parents forbid us to attend—it was the carnival. For an entire week, in the center of town, the “carnies,” as my dad called them, set up shop. And, it was a setting that no 12 year old boy could resist. It came with rides, the intoxicating smell of fried elephant ears, and games that offered the biggest stuffed animals the world had ever seen—if you were skilled enough to win.

I was drawn to the lights, the smell, and the challenge like a mouse to a big piece of cheese; but my parents saw the trap the cheese sat on. Every year, I asked to go. Every year, they gave the same answers and explanations. “No! It’s a rip off.” But, the shiny lights and aroma of fried, doughy, sugary treats was all too alluring.

So, I hatched a plan. My parents made the horrible mistake of leaving me home alone and telling me how long they’d be gone. I called my neighbor, Gil, and we discussed our plans. We knew we had six hours to get into town, have our fun, and get back. We’d have to ride our bikes—an hour ride there, an hour ride home, which left four hours of fun. We stuffed our pockets with our lawn mowing money and headed to town.

Our plan worked perfectly! We rode the rides. We feasted on greasy treats. We played the games and, yes, I won a huge panda bear. When the money was gone, we decided to head home. And, that’s when our brilliant plan was altered. It started to rain and it rained hard. Here I was riding my bike home in thunderstorm with a soaking wet Panda bear tied to my back. Needless to say, we arrived home a dirty, soaking mess. Gil peddled on to his house, leaving me to figure out how to cover my tracks. I had a couple of problems that I needed to handle before my parents returned home. What would I do with my wet clothes? What would I do with this Panda bear? Both, if discovered, would raise suspicions. Pressured for time, I chose to throw all my clothes in the dryer. I took the Panda bear, squeezed out as much water as I could, threw it in a garbage bag and stuffed it in a closet. My cover up was working beautifully until the sound of the family car disrupted my plan. They were home early. Way too early! I shut off the dryer, ran to the closet to stuff that stupid Panda deeper, and then raced to my room to get some dry clothes. My cover up would work as long as my mom didn’t need to use the dryer that evening. I could retrieve my wet clothes later.

I remained remarkably cool and calm that evening knowing full well that a look into the dryer or closet would expose my folly. I lied my way through dinner when questions about my day’s activities came up. I withdrew to my room for most of evening, trying to avoid any more conversation that may raise suspicions. I even went to bed early hoping that in the morning I could erase all evidence of my deception. I fell asleep.

A knock on my door woke me. It was my dad and he asked that I get up and come into the living room. There in the room was a basket of dirty, wet clothes and that stupid Panda bear. “Would you like to tell us the truth about what you really did today?” dad asked intently. I broke. The pressure to maintain my rouse was too great. I confessed fully. I was punished (for lying, not for going to the carnival). My parents prayed with me and I went to bed left emotionally exhausted because of my deceitful choices.

As I reflect on this story, I think some important things were spiritually formed in me that day. I think this was the first time I was faced with some universal truths about temptation and sin. Here’s what I learned.

• I am drawn to shiny, sweet smelling things in this world.
• There’s something attractive about things that are forbidden.
• Lying and covering up sin is exhausting and never really works.
• A stuffed Panda bear is not worth $25 of lawn mowing money.

This week, read the story of David and Bathsheba in 2 Samuel 11. Reflect on David’s choices, his cover up and the final outcome. Then, write your own story. Where have you learned these hard truths? Next week, we’ll look at God’s response and David’s restoration.

Lost and Found

2011-01-28T09:52:00.001-08:00

It was a scene that I’m glad was not captured on camera. There I was… lying face down on the floor of our kitchen yelling at my golden retriever not to walk in. I had dropped something. It was a very, very tiny little screw from a camera lens I was attempting to fix. Part of the lens had wiggled loose and the only way to tighten it was to take a small faceplate off the top. Beneath that faceplate was the screw that needed to be tightened. Easy job… except every part I was dealing with was exceptionally small and I happen to have tree stumps for fingers.

But, I had planned ahead. I knew the probability of dropping one of four tiny screws. I knew if I dropped it, I would lose it and these aren’t screws you can get at a hardware store. So, I put the lens in a box thinking that if a screw falls it would be contained and easily found. “Way to think ahead!” I thought smugly to myself. But disaster happened regardless. Three of four screws came out beautifully and were placed in a safe location. The fourth… well let’s say, had a mind of its own. On the final turn, the tip of the screw driver slipped sending the screw sailing into the air bouncing off the edge of box and then onto the counter. Then, as if in slow motion, I watched the tiny flash of metal fall to the floor and out of sight. The sound of the bounce on the floor told me this little screw was under our kitchen island. Muttering something unchristian, I slowly worked my way to the flattest possible position on the floor so I could search through the dust balls and popcorn shells hidden under the island. Gibson, our big hairy dog, interpreted this maneuver as an invitation to play, but his big, floppy feet were not going to be of any help.

I hate losing things. It’s a terrible feeling. My car keys, the remote control, and my wallet are at the top of my list of items that I hate to lose. But, we all know there are much more significant things in life that can be lost. We lose jobs, dreams, health, financial stability, and opportunities. And… we lose people. We lose them when they move away, when we have an unresolved conflict, or when someone dies. But there’s yet another type of loss—it’s when we are lost. We’re the tiny screw lost on a kitchen floor. This is much more than being lost in a strange city, but rather being lost, confused, or directionless in life. Even more, we have all been lost spiritually—separated from God because of our sin. I hate losing things. I hate being lost.

On that floor that day, a thought struck me. What if I could call someone who loved to look for lost things? Wouldn’t it be great if someone would just walk into my kitchen and say, “I’m here to find your lost screw. Move aside. I love finding lost stuff.” A bit ridiculous for my camera lens situation, I know. But, it’s not far-fetched for my spiritually lost condition. Listen to Jesus…

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19.10

Jesus made this comment on the heels of his interaction with Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector who had aggressively sought to see Jesus. The statement that Jesus makes after Zacchaeus makes an incredible turnaround in life seems to be a mission statement. It’s as if Jesus is saying, “If you are experiencing loss and even more, if you are lost, I’m here for you. I love finding and rescuing lost people.” That’s great news for anyone who has felt the pain of loss or being lost.

By the way, I did find that stupid little screw and when it was put back in its proper place, I had a little personal celebration. Did you know that when Jesus finds and rescues someone who is spiritually lost, all of heaven throws a party (Luke 15)? How cool is that?

This week's author- Phil Niekerk, senior small groups pastor

A Conversation on a Fence

2011-01-21T06:38:00.000-08:00

The mood along the baseball fence that day was more serious than most days. Usually, fence-line conversations between coaches are filled with lighthearted stories with an occasional strategy talk for the next game. But this time, Steve and I had more to discuss than baseball. Steve was one of my assistant coaches for the youth travel baseball team our sons were playing on. Until then, our friendship simply revolved around sports we coached and our kids. But that day, Steve had some significant questions about life, God, death, eternity, heaven, and the Bible. This conversation wasn’t random, it was driven by something very serious—the death of his dad. Steve had just returned from his father’s funeral and the experience of witnessing his dad passing away was rocking his world. He was filled with real-life, vitally important questions.

Steve shared that his dad had lived a life of consistent faith in God. Steve said that his dad has died peacefully and that as he passed, he was quoting Scripture with a look of peace in his eyes. The memories Steve had of his dad collided with his death bed experience in that conversation. He longed for answers to a myriad of significant questions of life, death, and eternity. Then the big questions came. “Phil, how can I have peace like my dad had?” he asked in earnest. For the next few minutes, in the clearest words I could muster, I shared with him that we’ve all sinned and every sin brings about death and punishment. I shared with him that Jesus was the Son the God sent to earth in human skin to be the Savior and Redeemer for our sins. I explained to him the beautiful sacrifice that Jesus made through his death to pay the penalty for our sins. I shared that this is a gift from God that we cannot earn but we receive when we believe this wonderful truth. Then, I said… “That’s where true peace comes.”

Steve chewed on my words that day. Over time, our relationship grew deeper as our conversations continued. I know now that Steve is clear and confident in his relationship with Jesus. Our relationship has continued over the years and I lead a small group (that Steve took the initiative to form) with many of Steve’s friends. Now, we both take great joy in sharing our faith and the truth about having a relationship with Jesus with others.

In my heart of hearts, I know this story started much sooner than on that baseball field fence. Steve’s spiritual story, at least my involvement in it, began many months earlier. You see, during that time, I had a friend who was constantly challenging me to pray for people in my life who needed to develop a relationship with Jesus. Kurt would ask me every week, “Phil, who are you praying for to come to God? Who needs to hear the Good News about Jesus? Did you pray for them today?” Kurt knew that evangelism begins with prayer and the best thing he could do was to encourage me to develop a consistent habit of prayer for people in my life who need Jesus. Steve was on my list during that time and I believe God smiled as he answered my prayer. As I look back, I’m convinced that God was pursuing Steve, and God was pursuing me to join him in his work with Steve. How cool is that?

Who are you praying for today?

Ask (pray) the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Matthew 9.38

This week’s author—Phil Niekerk, senior small groups pastor

Friend of Sinners

2011-01-14T07:52:00.000-08:00

When he walked into our little country church, everyone’s head turned. Black leather jacket, hair down to his waist tied in a ponytail, dirty jeans and motorcycle boots. Our church was in farm country, attended by regular ol’ people who faithfully sat in the same pew and talked to the same people each week. His name was John and he came late that Sunday, slipping into the second row behind my dad, the pastor. He sat quietly throughout the service, soaking in everything that was said. Following the sermon, John and my dad had a long conversation in the front row. Mom watched pensively from the back foyer of our church, her heart both worried and filled with prayer for this disheveled, rough looking man. These types of people rarely darkened the doors of our quaint church.

The conversation ended with Dad praying, his hand firmly placed on this man’s shoulder. Dad prayed with a look of authority and earnestness. John shook my dad’s hand, wiped tears from his eyes and left quietly through the doors he entered. Later, Dad shared with us that John had lived a hard life filled with drugs and booze. Someone had recommended that he try going to our little church. He said John prayed for the first time, asking God to enter his life and forgive his sins. Dad was confident John’s heart toward God was authentic and that we’d be seeing John again. God was interested in bringing a dramatic change to his life.

As a preacher’s son, I heard plenty of sermons on how God loves to radically transform people. But this, perhaps, was the first time I had actually seen radical change in someone. Over time, we saw John grow. He cleaned up; inside and out. He read his Bible, came to church faithfully, prayed and did Bible studies. He enrolled in a local Bible institute, studied to become a pastor, moved to Texas and started preaching to anyone who would listen. John, once a dirty, drunk biker, is now a missionary and pastor. And, I got to see my parents dedicate themselves to his growth. This, I believe, was a stretch for my mom and dad. They were wonderful people that I don’t they ever had many people in their lives with such rough of edges as John did. John stretched their ability to love the lost and wandering.

This memory from my childhood flooded my heart the other day when I was sorting through my father’s things. In October, my dad who was in his mid-nineties, passed away marking the end of his days of pastoring and caring for lost people. I was flipping through dad’s last piles of mail, I found in the stack a prayer card from John. Attached was a picture of him and his family. For the past 20 years, John has been a traveling preacher; he calls himself an “evangelist.” His home is in Texas but he travels from town to town, church to church in impoverished areas of the world telling his story. John has shared with thousands the Good News about Jesus’ forgiveness of sins, His love and His desire to give a true, meaningful life. This all began during those nervous, awkward moments in our little church over 30 years ago.

When Jesus walked the earth, he had a habit of hanging out with people who were known for their sin. The nickname Jesus inherited, “friend of sinners” was not meant as a compliment. Jesus put his reputation at risk by who he hung with. But, what was his mission? To seek and save those who were lost. What if John hadn’t been accepted by my dad and our little church? What if he had been ignored, avoided or even worse turned away at the door? What would our world have lost if John remained lost?

This week's author- Phil Niekerk, senior small group pastor

Better Than Fried Rice?

2011-01-07T08:50:00.000-08:00

I’m a sucker for a free lunch, so a few years ago, when a colleague of mine asked me to join him at a local Chinese restaurant, I was all in. The catch was that he was entertaining a couple from Kenya, Africa and he wanted me and a few others to meet them. Meeting new people is always intriguing but honestly… chicken fried rice and an egg roll was the real draw for me.

When we arrived at the table, I noticed that our guests were very quiet. They were pleased with the restaurant choice and the people who gathered to meet them, but they seemed a bit shy. Edward, my colleague at ABC, got the conversation started. “Charles, tell us about your orphanage in Kenya. How did it all start?” Charles began talking quietly and humbly. Passion grew in his voice the more he talked about how God had led him to use his entire wealth to begin an orphanage for street kids abandoned because of AIDS and violence. For the next hour, Charles Mulli told us story after story of God’s incredible provision in the lives of hundreds of abandoned kids. His stories were riveting and were filled with faith, miracles, and joy. About three bites into my egg roll, I got a deep sense that I was in the presence of someone very significant—someone significant to the care and spiritual welfare of many in the Kingdom of God. As I soaked in this opportunity to hear of God’s miraculous work, my egg roll became less and less important. I was being blessed far beyond chicken fried rice.

Have you ever been in the presence of greatness and not realized it until later? Perhaps someone had to point out someone famous to you. “Hey, do you know who’s here?” they ask. You respond, “Really? Here? No kidding!” When I read Psalm 96, I wonder if the songwriter is saying this about God. “Hey, do you know who’s here? It’s God. Did you notice? He’s here!” Throughout the psalm, the writer implores his readers to sing, to declare, to worship, and to ascribe to the Lord. In essence, the songwriter is saying to take note that God is present. He’s here and he wants to be known as the God of the Universe.

Sing to the LORD, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens. Psalm 96.2-5

Did you notice the Psalmist points out a distraction—something much less important? The nations were filled with “nothings” (a Hebrew translation for idols). Nothings. Things of vanity. Idols. Other gods. Fried rice? Distractions from the reality of someone special is present.

Is there anything distracting you this week from fully experiencing God? You know, many of the things that distract us from fully knowing God are usually not bad things. They only become idols when they take a higher importance than our pursuit of God. Remember today, God is here, he wants to be known and wants you to declare his goodness and greatness.

This week's author- Phil Niekerk, senior small groups pastor

Light Appears

2010-12-17T06:13:00.000-08:00

I’m an avid hunter and each fall I spend time preying on the elusive Michigan whitetail. In my younger days, I judged the success of my hunt by the venison I put in my freezer. But more recently, I’m realizing that hunting gives me much more than venison. It gives me a place to be alone, silent, and still. It gives me a greater appreciation for God’s creation and the change of seasons I get to witness with all my senses. So, when that big buck strolls by, it’s like ice cream on a wonderful piece of cake. I get to enjoy both.

But, there’s an aspect of hunting I really don’t like. It’s something no good hunter can avoid. It’s darkness. It’s common knowledge among hunters that deer feed and move, generally, just after dawn and just before dusk. So, to increase your chances of intersecting a deer traveling to or from a feeding area in the morning, you need to be in your stand before dawn. And the guys I hunt with… well, they like to be in their stands an hour before light. Uggh! That means a 5 a.m. wake up call on a Saturday morning. That means a dark, sleepy drive from my house to my friend’s hunting ground. That means a dark walk to the stand and a dark climb up the tree, all while fumbling with a small flashlight. That means a long hour of sitting in a dark tree during the coldest time of the day. I hate that part of hunting. Time drags. It’s the longest hour of the day.

So, why do I go through something I hate so much? Why endure the discomfort and inconvenience on a Saturday morning when I could be enjoying a deep sleep in a warm bed? It’s because I know the light will gradually come. The sun will rise and the things I love so much about hunting will be fully experienced. It’s amazing what light does. It simply lets me see. Instead of straining to see 10 feet in front of me, I can see the entire forest in full color. Light also awakens the forest. Birds begin to appear and sing and other animals begin their daily pursuit of food. And… the hunt begins.

This past year, I worked through a book called The Story with a couple small groups I lead. Using mostly Scripture it tells, in chronological order, the story of God in about 400 pages. A few weeks ago, my men’s group finished the Old Testament portion of the book and as we reviewed the big picture of the OT, many of us commented on how dark that time period seemed to be. God created humans to live in harmony and relationship with him but, time and time again, they chose sin and rebellion instead of an obedient, blessed relationship with God. The OT seems to be filled with cold, dark hours where God’s people struggled to see clearly. Yes, there were torch bearers like Abraham, Moses, David, and Daniel who carried light in darkness; yet as we read the OT we all longed for Light to appear. Mankind needed someone to wake up the world and bring life to a dead and dark world.

Then the Light appeared! Read John’s words, the words that open his Gospel account of the life of Jesus.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1.1-4

Light and Life came just as predicted. Isaiah, a prophet who lived in a dark period of time almost 700 years before Jesus, had a vision of the coming Light. In a time where the nation of Israel was in peril because of their rebellion against God, Isaiah envisioned the Light coming over the horizon.

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned... For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9.2,6

Christmas is upon us. It’s time to celebrate the Wonderful, Mighty, Everlasting Light! Our dark hours have hope!

Call Me "Grinch"

2010-12-09T07:18:00.000-08:00

Before my small group pastor days, I worked for a little company called United Parcel Service. I was a delivery driver with the brown truck and the brown uniform. Now, UPS is a wonderful company and I’m very grateful for the 16 years I had employment there. But, there was a certain time of year that I dreaded. It was Christmas. From Thanksgiving until the day before Christmas, UPS was a tough place to work because certain difficult elements collided all at once, making a perfect storm of misery for me. First, the work load jumped dramatically because of holiday shopping. Second, the time changed, making daylight hours shorter. And third, snow began to fall. Lots of packages and long, cold, snowy, dark days combined for enormous pressure. My cynicism grew every December and to be totally honest, I grew to hate Christmas.

On one of those cold, dark evenings, my cynicism busted open. It had been a long day. It had snowed all day and I was way behind. I knew I was going to be working deep into the evening. The streets were dark and house numbers were hard to read. My feet were cold and wet and my soul was dark. I approached a house with a package in hand. I placed it on the dry porch, rang the door bell and began to return to my truck, all the while smelling someone’s supper cooking. All I could think about was why I wasn’t home enjoying a warm dinner with my wife and kids. Stepping off the porch, a bright object caught the corner of my eye. It a Santa Claus lawn ornament—you know, the Santa with a big grin, waving at all the passersby. It was as if Santa were laughing at me that night and I realized at that moment—that stupid Santa represented my misery. Then, in a weak moment, something in me caused me to act on my distain. I cuffed Santa. Yeah, I hit him. The back of my hand smacked Santa so hard that he toppled face first into the snow. For a half second, I felt bad and almost went to pick him up… but I didn’t. I left his stupid grin, face down in the cold snow.

For years, I wrestled with the whole concept of Christmas. What’s the point? Why celebrate the birth of Jesus? It just gets twisted and out of hand anyway. And, other than Easter, we don’t celebrate other things that Jesus did. We don’t have Transfiguration parties. We don’t rejoice on the day that Jesus was baptized. We don’t have Miracle Mondays. Why Christmas? Why all the big commotion for his birth?

Oh, I knew all the right answers, but each year I had to find a time to slow myself down and let the real significance of Christmas resonate deeply in my soul. If I didn’t, I’d get caught up in the trappings and cynicism of the season. For many years, a chapter from Max Lucado’s book, God Came Near helped me. Each time I read it, I was reminded of the greatest thing that God ever did for human beings—he became man. God incarnate. God in human skin. God dwelling with us, and dying for us. As I type some words from this chapter, tears still flow from my eyes as I reflect on how God came near for me. I hope they encourage you as well.

It all happened in a moment, a most remarkable moment. As moments go, that one appeared no different than any other... It was one of the countless moments that have marked time since eternity became measurable.

But in reality, that particular moment was like none other. For through that segment of time a spectacular thing occurred. God became a man. While the creatures of earth walked unaware, Divinity arrived. Heaven opened herself and placed her most precious one in a human womb.

The Omnipotent, in one instant, made himself breakable. He who had been spirit became pierceable. He who was larger than the universe became an embryo. And he who sustains the world with a word chose to be dependent upon the nourishment of a young girl.

God as a fetus. Holiness sleeping in a womb. The creator of life being created… God had come near.

It all happened in a moment. In one moment…a most remarkable moment. The Word became flesh.

There will be another. The world will see another instantaneous transformation. You see, in becoming man, God made it possible for man to see God. When Jesus went home he left the back door open. As a result, “we will all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.”

The first moment of transformation went unnoticed by the world. But you can bet your sweet September that the second one won’t. The next time you use the phrase “just a moment,” …remember that’s all the time it will take to change this world.

Excerpts from “Just a Moment” by Max Lucado, 1987 (Multnomah Press) To read the entire chapter online, go to http://www.maxlucado.com/articles/topical/it_began_in_a_manger .

This week’s author: Phil Niekerk, senior small groups pastor

Admirer or Follower

2010-12-03T07:45:00.000-08:00

Did you see the Olympics this summer? Michael Phelps was amazing, wasn’t he? Eight gold medals. Question—How many would say you are an admirer of Michael Phelps? (hands raise) Me too. Here’s the deal. Somewhere out there, there’s a kid that when he watched Michael Phelps his heart started pounding, his mind started racing. He said to himself, “What Michael Phelps did, I could do. The way he swam, I could swim. Where he stood on the podium, I could stand.”

Right now, that kid is going to the pool every day. He’s reading articles. He’s watching videos. He’s looking for a coach. He actually wants to become like Michael Phelps. He wants to do want Michael Phelps did. He’s not just an admirer, he’s a follower. Now, I applaud what Michael Phelps did but it will not change my life. I have not been in a pool since the Olympics. I’m an admirer, not a follower. There’s a big difference. An admirer is impressed. A follower is devoted. An admirer applauds. A follower surrenders. An admirer approves. A follower obeys. (John Ortberg, 2008)

I’ve noticed that a new word has popped up that has replaced the word “Christian.” It’s “Jesus-follower.” I like that word. It says a lot about the intentions of someone’s faith in Jesus. What they are saying is that they desire to follow Jesus. That’s great. What’s interesting is that I don’t think I ever heard anyone describe themselves as a Jesus-admirer. But, I wonder if that’s a better description for some people who claim to be a follower of Jesus.

When Jesus walked the earth, three types of people surrounded him: detractors, admirers, and followers. The detractors were typified by the Pharisees. They rejected Jesus’ claims that he was the Messiah, the Son of God. Others became followers. The Twelve gave up everything to follow him. Peter and Andrew dropped their fishing careers to follow Jesus. Levi left his tax collecting business to become a follower. They were devoted, they surrendered, and they obeyed. However, there’s was a middle group that I think Ortberg would call “admirers.” They came to hear his talks, and gathered to see if he would heal the sick. They surrounded Jesus to see if he’d become a military messiah to free them from Roman oppression. But when Jesus asked them to be like him and do what he taught, many turned back and returned home. They seemed impressed, they even applauded Jesus, and some even approved; but admiring Jesus didn’t really change their life.

I wonder… what is the biggest category of people that fills our churches today? As I read Ephesians, I’m sure Paul saw the same issues in the churches he ministered to. I think he was passionate about seeing people move from being a religious admirer to a passionate follower. As we close our time in Ephesians, let’s look at a few phrases from Ephesians 4 and 5 that tell us what it means to be an authentic follower of Jesus.

• I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
• …put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
• …speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.
• Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.
• (You) must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.
• (Speak) only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
• Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
•Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

So, what does your life say about you? Are you an admirer or a follower? Read the entire book of Ephesians again this week and see it through the lens of being a follower of God.

This week's author- Phil Niekerk, senior small groups pastor

The Heart that Forgives

2010-11-23T14:15:00.000-08:00

Carl is a distinguished, gentle man in his 70s who has spent over 30 years in the counseling ministry. Several years ago, I had a chance to hear his story. I’m always interested in hearing a seasoned individual reflect on his life and ministry. You just know there will be some gold nuggets of wisdom from a guy like Carl. Sure enough, his talk was loaded with more nuggets than I can recall, but a couple things stood out that I’ve mused on many times over the past few years.

Carl said (my paraphrase based on memory), “Over the past 30 years, I figure I’ve had over 30,000 counseling appointments with thousands of different people and I’ve come to realize that the vast majority of the people that I’ve worked with all have the same root issues—the inability or unwillingness to forgive someone who has hurt them, or the inability to receive forgiveness when they are the offender. The lack of forgiveness in human relationships is the biggest problem I see. Most of my time has been spent helping people to forgive others or to help them find forgiveness.” I’m not sure I heard anything else Carl said. That comment set me back for few minutes. Really, Carl? With all the mental and emotional disorders out there? With all the bad things that can happen in a person’s life? Forgiveness is the key to spiritual and emotional health? Carl would say, “Absolutely!”

Carl went on to describe a dangerous continuum that people get trapped in—anger, bitterness, hatred, and apathy. Let’s say that something has happened in a relationship that has caused you to feel disappointed or hurt by someone’s actions. Anger can be the first emotion to surface. “I can’t believe she did that. That ticks me off.” Your anger builds and goes unchecked, and as a result it turns to bitterness. “You know, this isn’t the first time she’s hurt me, and it won’t be the last. That’s the way she is!” Hatred can quickly follow bitterness as the emotions fester downward toward vengeance. “I can’t stand her and the first chance I get, I’ll get her back. She’ll pay for the pain she’s caused.” The end of the continuum is apathy when a person feels nothing for the other person. “I’m done with her!” Unfortunately, this continuum is the natural way of things within the human heart. It’s easy for us to slide down that slippery hill.

So, what stops that slide? Forgiveness. Sure, there are other important things that need to happen such as honest conversations and confrontations, as well as remorse and repentance from the offender. But at the end of the day—no matter the outcome of the confrontation, no matter if the offender expresses remorse—forgiveness must happen for us to live in peace. A forgiving heart frees us from the downward slope of anger, bitterness, hatred, and apathy. An unforgiving heart shackles us to destructive emotions that result in a bad outcome. I think the Apostle Paul would agree with Carl’s synopsis of the human heart.

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4.31-32

It all sounds so easy, doesn’t it? Throw off all your anger, bitterness, and fighting and replace it with kindness and forgiveness. Easily said… but harder to do, we all know. What encourages me about this verse is the reminder of how much Jesus has forgiven me… how much he’s forgiven you. Paul seems to be saying, “You can forgive the people who have hurt and disappointed you because I have forgiven all the hurt and disappointment your sins have caused me.” Maybe Carl is right. It all does come down to forgiveness. Remember, you are forgiven to become a forgiver.

This week's author- Phil Niekerk, senior small groups pastor

I've Gotta Big Mouth

2010-11-19T07:44:00.000-08:00

Several years ago, I found myself in a circle of guys at a social gathering. The jokes were flying and laughs were rolling as we bantered with each other. Then, someone asked, “So, what were you like in high school?” That seemed like a fun question to surface some interesting stories. When it was my turn, I talked about the sports I played, my cool car and the pranks my friends and I would pull. My goal in high school was to have fun and to get as many laughs as possible. My short description seemed to get respectful smiles from the guys.

However, there was one guy in the group that didn’t seem to like the question. He was noticeably uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation and he worked hard to avoid answering the question. But finally, he slyly chimed in, “You know, I was kind of a geek. I was small for my age and I didn’t like sports. So I just focused on my school work.” I could tell the he really didn’t like talking about his high school days but something in me didn’t want to let him off the hook. Any ounce of sensitivity or compassion eluded me at that moment. This was prime for a one-line remark that would be remembered throughout the annals of guy banter for all-time. So I said with a gentle laugh in my voice and an evil gleam in my eye, “Dude, guys like me used to stuff guys like you into lockers.” Now, I never did that to anyone in high school as I was a prankster not a bully. But, the one-liner worked. I got some laughs and even a high-five. Even the guy I picked on seemed to enjoy my brilliance in guy humor.

Our huddle got interrupted and we all dispersed into the greater group of people in the room. But that conversation wasn’t over. During a quiet moment, that particular guy pulled me aside and very respectfully, but with strength and boldness said this to me, “Phil, remember what you said about guys like you stuffing guys like me into lockers? Well, that actually happened to me in high school. Stuff like that happened to me a lot. You know, it wasn’t funny then and it’s not funny now.” You know the feeling you get when you cause traffic accident? That’s what I felt at that moment. I had caused a relational accident but didn’t know if it was a fender bender or if the Jaws of Life would be needed to save our friendship. My friend was very gracious with me as I extended a sincere apology.

I wish that were the only story I could tell about how my friendly banter and teasing got out of hand and caused damaged. It seems this is an ugly pattern in my life that I need to continue to monitor daily in my life. So, when I read the verses like this, I hear a reminder from God that I need to clean this ugliness out of my speech.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Ephesians 4.29

Think about these definitions of unwholesome; rotten, putrid, worn out, poor quality, bad, unfit for use, worthless. Paul says to strip these off like a smelly shirt. He says to delete all forms of useless, vial, and harmful speech patterns. But what I love so much about Paul is that he gives us a positive replacement. He gives us a positive standard to measure our words against. The only words that should pass through our lips should be those that help, build up and encourage someone else.

What if we were to get in the habit of asking ourselves one of these simple questions before we speak? Will my words give to that person or take from that person? Will what I’m about to say be helpful to those who hear? If you can’t answer yes, then perhaps silence is your best choice.

This week's author- Phil Niekerk, senior small groups pastor

Integrity With A Cost

2010-11-11T11:31:00.000-08:00

When it comes to professional golfers, Brian Davis isn't the best-known name in the game. He’s not even in the top one hundred. But earlier this summer, he had a huge chance to move up in the PGA rankings. Davis found himself tied for the lead and in a sudden death playoff with Jim Furyk at the Verizon Heritage Open. This was his first and best shot at winning a PGA Tour tournament. The first place prize was over $1 million.

Davis's approach shot on the first hole of the playoff missed the green and rested in the rough. When he tried to punch the ball up onto the green, his club grazed a stray weed on his backswing. So what? Well, there’s this rule: Hitting any material around your ball during your backswing constitutes a violation of the rule against moving loose impediments, and is an immediate two-stroke penalty. If the penalty is called, he loses the playoff.

Silly rule? Maybe. But, that’s the nature of golf and everyone who plays professionally knows that. Davis knew the rule. He saw the weed his ball rested on move on his backswing. So, he called the violation on himself. Immediately after the shot, Davis called over a rules official, who conferred with television replays and confirmed the movement—movement which was only visible on slow-motion. As soon as the replays confirmed the violation, Davis conceded the victory to Furyk.

Every golfer’s dream is to win. So, imagine having the fulfillment of your life's dream within your grasp and you make a small mistake. If you say something, your dream is gone—at least for that day. If you don't say anything, you’ll probably get away with it. Would you own up to the mistake, or would you keep quiet and hope for the best? For Brian Davis the answer was clear. He knew that in golf, honesty is more important than victory.

In Ephesians 4, Paul tells the believers to put off the old and put on the new—like taking off an old, stinky shirt and putting on a new, clean one. I love this metaphor because Paul not only tells us to discard the bad, but he gives us a replacement of something good. Check this one out.

Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. Ephesians 4.25

Put off falsehood. Discard lies. Throw out dishonest gain. Trash exaggerations. Dispose of any misrepresentations. Instead… put on truth. Tell the whole truth. Report things accurately. Present yourself honestly. Value integrity.

The reason Paul gives us for living lives of honesty is that we are members of the body, the Body of Christ. We represent him. We represent each other. This is part of our identity as adopted, redeemed, and sealed children of God. Because we belong, we behave in a distinct way.

Is there any dishonesty, half-truths, white lies, exaggerations, or misrepresentations that you need to throw away or make amends for? As you examine your life this week, think about what Brian Davis valued most. Speaking the truth was more valuable than personal gain. Character was worth more than victory. Acts of integrity put a smile on God’s face and give the Body of Christ credibility.

This week's author- Phil Niekerk, small groups pastor

Lessons From Bees

2010-11-05T07:43:00.000-07:00

Tuesday night at 11 p.m. is a strange time to be running my hand up and down our living room wall, but that’s what I was doing on that August night. I was convinced I had found the source of a strange sound that had been haunting us for at least a month. There had been this purring sound in our living room (we don’t have cats)that we couldn’t figure out. It was a sound that was most evident later in the evening and it had gotten louder over time.

That night, my curiosity got the best of me. My suspicions told me it was a bee hive in the wall or attic. But that crazy sound got me so curious that I felt I needed to mess with it. Next to me was a curtain rod that I was supposed to have installed in our bathroom. Ignorantly, I decided to just gently tap the drywall near the sound hoping to see if the sound would change. To my shock, my gentle tap sent that rod right through the drywall. Apparently, bee hives do incredible damage to drywall and the only thing between me and the bee hive was a thin piece of paper and a layer of paint. The ceiling was quickly invaded by hundreds of yellow jackets. My wife rushed into another room as I hurried into the garage to retrieve a can of wasp spray.

Over the next few minutes, I soaked the ceiling with two cans of wasp spray, working my way to the four inch hole I had created with my curtain rod. Emptying the final can into the hive in the attic, I stepped back to survey the situation. Minutes before, I was contemplating a restful night in bed. Now I had poison dripping from the ceiling and walls, yellow jacket carcasses littering my floor and furniture, a gaping hole in the ceiling, and thousands of angry bees still in the attic trying to make their way through a poison-soaked hole. A small board and four screws secured the hole for the evening; and over the next hour, soap, a couple rolls of paper towels, and a broom took care of the mess.

Days later, I began to muse on some life lessons these bees had taught me. God began to remind me that our culture has an invasion plan for my life and home. Like bees, certain things in our culture invade gradually but with persistence. They slowly erode our protection until there’s very little between us and a dangerous and damaging situation. Then we find ourselves in a mess, asking how this all happened. But inside, we know we’ve allowed it to grow by ignoring it or through toying with and poking at it.

When Paul wrote to the believers in the churches in the Ephesus region, he fully knew the cultural dangers that would continue to invade the lives of the Greek believers. Ephesus was a city saturated with sexuality that was out of control. It was culture that offered a lifestyle of anything and everything— but never truly satisfied—leaving people lusting for more. This was the culture many of these new believers had come from. This was the culture that Paul was asking them to separate from.

Paul told the Ephesians to “put off the old” and “put on the new.” The “old” promises danger and damage. The “new” promises life and satisfaction. As you examine the world around you, where are you being invaded? What dangers are creeping on the other side of the wall, eroding your protection? What do you need to “put off”? Greed? The misuse of sex? Gossip? Lying? Bitterness? And, what can you “put on”? Contentment? Godly sexual desires? Kindness? Truth? Forgiveness? The dangers around us are real, but God always offers a way out— a way to safety and satisfaction.

This week's author- Phil Niekerk, senior small groups pastor

Building the Body

2010-10-28T09:47:00.000-07:00

Over the past few years, I have really enjoyed working out with some friends of mine. We are middle aged guys not trying to regain our athletic youth, but just hoping to slow the natural aging process. A couple times a week, we’ll lift weights in my buddy’s basement, do pushups and ab crunches. It all takes an hour or so each time and we enjoy each other’s company as we exercise. In between weight lifting days, we do some running on our own. A couple of the guys routinely train for the 15 mile River Bank Run but I’m happy to make it through a 5K or two each year.

Exercising the body really helps. It’s helped me get stronger, healthier, and keep my weight under control. But recently, I’ve had to shut it all down. I’m not running and I told the guys I would not be lifting for a few weeks. Why? I have two parts on my body that are refusing to do their job—my middle toe and a little tendon in my elbow. Both are inflamed and scream when I use them to run or lift. My mind, my legs, my shoulders, my back all want to run and lift but those two little things are holding everything back. You may be asking, “How did you hurt your elbow and toe?” The answer—I have no idea. Back in high school, I always had a great story to tell about an injury. Now, at the age of 45, I just seem to wake up injured, swollen, and needing Motrin.

It’s no wonder why Paul compares the church to a human body. In three of his New Testament letters (Romans, 1 Corinthians, and Ephesians), Paul uses the body as an object lesson to teach about the church. He actually calls the church the Body of Christ. In order for the human body to thrive in athletics or in work, all the parts need to function in harmony. In order to do a simple pushup, the brain, the eyes, the shoulders, the feet, the back, the hands, the chest, and the elbows need to work together. One hurting part, like a tendon in the elbow, can slow it all down. But when all the parts are healthy and working in harmony, the whole body gets stronger and more effective as it works out.

Mark is a good friend of mine who I’ve enjoyed watching grow spiritually over the years. I’ve seen Mark grow in a myriad of ways through Bible study, small group discussion, and by walking through difficult circumstances. But, I’ve noticed when Mark serves as a part of the Body of Christ, he grows fast and strong. And when he serves with others in the Body of Christ, it’s a wonderful, effective endeavor. Mark serves every Saturday night as a small group leader for seven-year-old boys in Discovery Village. He also serves in our mentoring ministry helping people one-on-one get through something difficult or get to the next step of their spiritual growth. I’ve watched Mark come alive as he does his job in the Body; and I’ve watched other people come alive as a result.

So, what’s your role? What’s your function? What part of the Body are you? Do you know? Are you functioning in harmony with others? Get busy being part of the Body of Christ and watch God come alive in you and watch others around you grow.

This week's author- Phil Niekerk, senior small groups pastor

The Struggle of Unity

2010-10-21T13:33:00.000-07:00

Part of my job at Ada Bible Church is to help people find their place in a healthy, life giving small group. We believe small groups are places where people can find community, friendship, and spiritual growth. But from time to time, I run into people who are struggling to find their place. I believe they are good hearted people who really want to make solid connections with others, but they don’t ever seem to have their expectations met. I often wonder if they’re trying to force their small group through too narrow of an experience. Here are some things I’ve heard over the years.

“We really want to be in a group with people whose kids are our kid’s age.”

“I’m a single woman but please don’t put me in a group with married people or in a group with just women.”

“I want to be in a small group with people who all have sailboats.”
“I want to be in a small group with young businessmen.”

“My schedule is packed, so I need to be in a group that can meet on Monday evenings after 9 p.m.”

“I want to be in a group with people who attend the venue I attend, so we can see each other at church. Oh… can they be in our stage of life and live in our neighborhood too?”

Mind you, these are not bad requests and we often work hard to accommodate them. We naturally self-sift to people with whom we have things in common. We like to be with people like us. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. However, what if God wants more for our community experience? What if God wants us to make deep and meaningful connections with people who are very different from us? What if an important part of our spiritual formation is finding unity and oneness with people we would not naturally drift toward? What if the bond we have with each other is really not found in our age, our gender, our interests, our schedule, our kids, our marital status, or our neighborhood?

Think about how Jesus formed his small group. These dudes were very diverse. Matthew was a former tax collector from Rome. Simon was a Zealot who probably wanted Rome eradicated through military revolt. Think these two guys wanted to go bowling together? Thomas had a tendency to question and doubt. Peter was confident, impetuous, and had a big mouth. Think these two guys had any opportunities to irritate each other? John was a loyal friend to Jesus. Judas was a… “Judas.” Ever wonder if John was sniffing out the traitor in the group? Jesus chose a diverse group of flawed guys to be his disciples. What was their bond? What brought them unity? It was their commitment to follow Jesus.

Paul said to the churches in the Ephesus region, “Make every effort to keep the bond of peace.” I think that statement infers that they would have plenty of opportunities for the opposite—conflict and relational distance. Paul also knew that two very diverse groups were coming together to form the church. One group was raised in the Jewish tradition. They were disciplined, rules oriented, traditional, bent toward being critical. The other group was raised in the Greek tradition. They were liberal, worshipped multiple gods, highly sensual, free spirited. The bond between these two groups was their pursuit of a relationship with their Savior, Jesus Christ.

As you pursue community at Ada Bible Church, realize that hanging out with people who are like you is okay. But God may be calling you toward much more, as he did with his disciples and the Ephesian church. Break out of the self-sift drift. Look around your small group this week and celebrate the diversity. Then, celebrate the one thing you all have in common. The pursuit of Jesus. Our Savior, wants his followers to be one.

This week's author- Phil Niekerk, senior small groups pastor

Eager For Your Decrees

2010-10-14T10:16:00.000-07:00

Why is it so hard to read the Bible? Why is it that I can pick it up at times and read a few paragraphs and it is literally dripping with relevance and practicalities, and at other times, it may as well be written in German? And why is it that I am drawn into it one day, and the next day I lay it down and don’t think about it again for days or even weeks?

About seven years ago, I began a journey I will never forget. I began to ask God to take me to a deeper place with him. I was bored stiff with my brand of Christianity. But, I had to do my Christian “stuff,” like read the Bible, pray, serve in the church, and, and, and…. What happened next was not what I asked for, what I wanted, or what I ever expected. God began to peel away everything that I was clinging to that wasn’t him. All the “security” I had financially, all the abilities and opportunities I had in business, all the pride I had placed in my own skills…gone. I heard a friend say it this way: “When we ask God to transform (remodel) us, we’re thinking a new coat of paint and some fresh carpet, and He’s pulling into our lives with a wrecking ball and a bulldozer.” He doesn’t even want the soil on which are lives are built to remain. He wants to be our foundation, the bedrock upon which we stand.

Now I’d like to say that I humbly accepted my plight. I can’t. I raged against God. I would grab my Bible and head for the woods to wrestle with him. I would read his promises—strike that—I would scream his promises at him, and dare him to reconcile his promises with my reality. I had a two year tantrum— month after month of going to the woods to have it out with God. The funny thing was, every time I left the woods, I was quiet. Things weren’t fixed, but I was still. I was learning about his peace.

In this time, I discovered something new in Psalm 119. The Psalmist, all throughout the passage, was asking God to give him desire, understanding, knowledge of his Word, his Law, his Precepts. I thought, “I can do that.” So I began to pray to God using Psalm 119.36-37. This became the outline of my prayers that I still often use today to keep me focused. It sounded a lot like this.

Give me an eagerness for your decrees. Do not inflict me with a love for money! Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me life through your word.

God, give me a desire for you. I really want to love your Word, but I confess I don’t. Help me to want to be in your Scriptures, not because I’m supposed to be, but because I love you, and I can’t wait to see what you have to say to me today. Please don’t let a love for money become the driving force behind my actions. Forgive me for seeing you only as a provider of things rather than a person who wants intimacy with me. Oh God, please turn my attention away from things that are worthless to you. I have become fixated on many things that you are not pleased with. Please draw my passion to the things that you are passionate about. Make your desires mine.

Through this, I’ve learned that it isn’t about how much we can know about the Bible that helps us in this life; it’s about how well we know the author. He is the gift. My prayer for you as you ask God for the passion to love his Word is that you will be caught by surprise by your desire for him, that it will consume you and turn you into the Spirit-filled person you were meant to be. Enjoy him.

This week’s author—Doug Bishop, small group area director

Good To Be Loved

2010-10-07T22:09:00.000-07:00

It doesn’t matter where I’ve been or how long I’ve been gone, I know something will always be true when I walk through the door at home—I’ll be greeted with joy, excitement, and love. It happens every time, even when I come in from the backyard this happens: unconditional, passionately expressed love. Honestly, it happens so often that I take it for granted and don’t even notice it anymore. But when I do, it makes me feel a little bit good inside. Yeah, the givers of this love are my two dogs and their expressions are wagging tails and panting, dog-smile mouths…but I know they are happy to see me.

The other day, I bumped into an old friend who was back from Guatemala for a few weeks. His family left a few years ago to start a soccer ministry there. I didn’t know they were home so when he walked into my office, the pleasant surprise led to the strongest guy-hug we could muster up. It was great to see him. We wanted to get caught up on things that had happened in each other’s life. That surprise encounter made my day.

There’s something about knowing you’re loved that can change so much. The older I get the more I recognize those simple gestures that communicate “I love you;” “I’m glad to be with you;” “It’s been good to spend time with you.” Perhaps this is true because as more time passes, the more pain, heartache, disappointment, and relational fatigue piles up on our souls. My wife’s hand in mine, a phone call from my kids in college, an e-mail of thanks or encouragement, a guy-hug from an old friend, a cold dog nose nuzzling my knee on the couch—all say, “I love being in your company. You are important to me.”

If expressions of love from spouses, kids, friends, and pets are so important to us, how much more important is it to receive expressions of love from God, the Creator of the Universe? What if God wants me to know, “I love you, Phil. You are very, very important to me. I hope you know that”? Does that change my day? Does that change my perspective on life? Does that change how I treat others?

A couple of years ago, I went through a time of discouragement and fatigue. I, privately, described myself as lonely and tired. A friend and counselor advised me to dig deep into areas of intimacy with God. He told me to begin to read the Bible as if it were a love letter to me from God. During that time, two passages of scripture rocked my emotional foundation. I had been a Christian for 35 years and had been deeply involved in ministry all my adult life. But I needed to be intimately reminded of the most fundamental spiritual truth in the universe—God loves ME. And he desperately wants me to know, understand, and embrace it. Maybe you need to be reminded of that this week. We can’t hear, “I love you” enough, especially from the God of the Universe. Think about these words from scripture today:

How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me. Psalm 139.17-18 NLT

Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Ephesians 3.17-19 NLT

This week's author- Phil Niekerk, senior small groups pastor

God's ArtPrize

2010-09-30T08:35:00.000-07:00

Downtown Grand Rapids is abuzz for the second straight year, as streets and buildings are riddled with artwork. Even as someone who doesn’t consider himself an “art” person, ArtPrize has been a very enjoyable experience for me. Last fall, I got caught up with the big stuff. Remember “Nessy” in the river? Or, the huge table and chairs on top of the blue bridge? That’s the stuff I liked. Pretty telling of my shallow art appreciation, isn’t it? However, this year other types of art are catching my eye. I’m drawn to the stuff made out of simple, ordinary, throw-away things. My favorites so far…

Cavalry, American Officers, 1921. Local Artist Chris LaPorte drew an entire Cavalry company. His drawing covers a 30 foot space in the Grand Rapids Art Museum. Over 60 hand drawn soldiers are represented in life-size proportion. What amazed me (and my art major daughter) is that he drew this 300 square foot piece with #2 pencils—the same pencils kids get in grade school. I love how Chris describes his piece.

Many marks make up the drawing. Many men make up the regiment. Many lines make up the face. Many wrinkles make up the shirt. Many characters make up the story. Many experiences make up the event. Many minutes make up the hour, day, year.

A Matter of Time. Chris Baliker has a stunning 15 foot wood sculpture that has at least 20 animals carved throughout. The carvings are woven together with a web of wooden pieces that appear to me to be either tree roots or drift wood. When we walked by the piece, there was a huge crowd surrounding it. Many people not only stopped, they sat down in the grass and took their time enjoying each animal scattered through the piece.

Other simple displays have caught my eye this year as well. Horses made out of throw-away kitchen utensils. A person’s face formed by wine corks. A huge penny made from 80,000 pennies that have been discolored from time and wear. An 11 foot dragon with a 16 foot tail made from the metals of old water tanks.

Pencils, kitchen junk, scrap metal, old, virtually worthless coins, tangled wood. In essence, these artists are saying, “Watch this! I’m going to make something exquisite, interesting, beautiful, and powerful out of things that others would throw away.”

“For we are God's workmanship…” Paul, here, is talking about artwork—God’s artwork. You and me! We are God’s artwork created “…to do good works.” That’s great news because Paul started this passage by declaring us junk, “…you were dead in your transgressions and sins.” Because of our sins, we should have been thrown away, discarded, wasted. “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive… for by grace through faith, you have been saved…” You know, God has done some great artwork around us such as the sun, the moon, the planet, the sky, the water, and the mountains. But that’s not his best work—we are!

As you wander ArtPrize over the next couple of weeks, think about yourself as God’s ArtPrize. Let these statements ring through your head and heart as you enjoy the art in our town.

• God made me out of junk! I should have been thrown away!
• God paid a huge price for me to be made alive and be his artwork!
• My good works are on display as an exhibit of his grace!

This week’s author: Phil Niekerk, senior small groups pastor

Chosen

2010-09-24T08:30:00.000-07:00

Have you ever experienced an identity crisis? You know, those moments when your self-esteem disappears because the things you are responsible for seem to be falling short of your expectations. Have you convinced yourself that your identity is directly related to your performance? It is in these moments when we smell failure that we are prone to fall into deep despair because we forget who we belong to. But is there a better way?

I remember being halfway through grad school studying to be a pastor. My wife and I were seven years into our marriage with four children. Needless to say, going to grad school is not the most lucrative option for providing for your family. My wife was working to support our family and put me through school. She believed in me; however, it frequently seemed others did not. I had close friends, family, and mentors questioning my decision making. Most interactions became a futile exercise in explaining my conviction that God was at work and training me. I began to question. I began to wonder. Am I wrong? Did I make a mistake? What have I done? I remember having the wind knocked out of me as I realized I may have harmed my marriage, ignored my kids, and put my will above the will of my Creator. Where do I go now? Then it happened. I was studying a passage in the Book of Joshua and the Scripture described how Joshua was chosen by God to lead the Israelites. CHOSEN…let that sink in. The Creator of the planet, whose sight can capture the always expanding cosmos, can narrow his focus onto one man for one journey. That word captured me. God chose Joshua, he picked him. I was stunned and wondered can God still do that? The passage of Scripture that Jeff is teaching this weekend answers that question with a resounding YES! Read it:

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ in accordance with his pleasure and will. Ephesians 1.4-5

Stop—let those words cascade over your soul and into your heart. You are CHOSEN. You are ADOPTED. God wants you. He planned for you. Before the sky was made blue, before the grass was shaded green, before he filled the planet with water and air, he thought of you. Not only did he think of you, but he planned to know you. He set his rescue mission in motion. Not because he had to, but because he takes pleasure in you. You are his best work. Work worth saving.

I emerged from that season of my life with a deeper conviction that God has indeed chosen me. In fact, I tattooed that word on my left forearm. I needed a close, intimate, and graphic illustration that God is for me and will stop at nothing to make me his. I will let people down. I will learn difficult lessons as I develop into a more faithful husband, loving dad, and skilled servant. Yet, my identity is not there. I am his. Chosen in eternity past so I might know my Creator for eternity future.

This week's author- Dan Wright, Kentwood Campus Minister

Homeless Guy

2010-09-17T07:38:00.000-07:00

Spending a morning in a coffee shop writing and reconnecting with the world through the internet didn’t seem much of a violation of our time of rest and relaxation. My family was in Marquette for the week enjoying a cottage while settling our daughters into college for another year. Grant, my son-in-law, recommended a coffee shop called Babycakes to try. Every masculine bone in my body resisted settling into an establishment called Babycakes, but he assured me this would be a place I’d like. He said they had the best muffins in the world and that this was a place that desired to make a positive impact on the Marquette community. Not sure what he meant about the positive impact part, but I was content with his muffin recommendation.

The place was hopping that morning, so I felt fortunate to find a great window seat looking out on downtown Marquette. The only problem with my seat was that there was a person sitting fairly close to me. Now, I’m a guy who likes his personal space, so sitting in close proximity with a stranger seemed distracting to me. But, there was more to my discomfort with guy. Everything about his appearance said “homeless guy” –long, gray straggly beard; layers of mismatched clothes; worn out stocking cap drooped on his head; overstuffed backpack under his feet. But, I really wanted that window seat, so I pushed through my personal hang-ups and camped next to him giving him a token smile as I put my headphones on (the universal “do not disturb” sign at a coffee shop).

From time to time, I would take a peek at my coffee shop neighbor. For the most part, he just sat quietly; but occasionally he’d do something unusual like carrying on a conversation with the empty chair next to him. Other times, he would grab an ink pen off the table with a sense of urgency and begin to write in a notebook as if something profound had entered his mind that needed immediate recording. Maybe he was an eccentric author or a poet laureate hiding out in Marquette, I thought. Maybe, I was sitting next to greatness. So when I got up to get a refill on my beverage, I couldn’t help but to take a peek at his writing. Hoping to see a masterpiece of literature or art in the making, all I saw was a page filled with scribbles-no words, no drawings- just illegible marks.

I determined to ignore the guy that morning and remain focused on my work so I could get back to our vacation plans. But something happened with the “homeless guy” that got me wondering. It wasn’t something he did, but it was something the employees of Babycakes did. Twice during the time I was there, they brought him food. They didn’t bring me food. I got my food at the counter where I paid. But his food was quietly delivered to his table- first a buttered bagel then a sandwich a couple hours later. No money was exchanged. “What’s going on with this guy?” I wondered. Then I remembered Grant’s statement, “Babycakes wants to make a positive impact on the community.” Then, it hit me. I was seeing a small slice of who Babycakes truly was. They were choosing an identity and this identity was causing them to act in a certain way. It was if they were quietly saying to anyone willing to notice, “We are a place of compassion, therefore, we will be generous to the down-and-out that walk through our doors.”

The book of Ephesians is a letter written by Paul to first century Christians that declares the identity of those who claim to be followers of Jesus. They were known as people of the Way. That beautiful identity should cause them to express themselves in a unique way. Over the next few months, jump into the letter of Ephesians and see the difference in the People of the Way.

This week's author- Phil Niekerk, senior small groups pastor

Exciting Changes this Fall!

2010-09-13T10:19:00.001-07:00

This weekend, Pastor Manion begins a new sermon series call The People of Way. This will be a 12-week journey through the book of Ephesians. While the book of the Ephesians is loaded with great, verses, theology and learnings to consider each week, it can be simply broken down into two sections; how we belong (chapters 1-3) and how we behave (chapters 4-6). It seems that Paul believed that our identity (who we are) should radically shape our behavior (what we do). Discovering or re-discovering our identity in Christ this fall may be catalytic for our spiritual growth as people and as a church.

In the past, the small group staff has produced a booklet to be a companion guide for the fall series. This year, we're trying a new approach to help people and groups connect with the fall series. Starting this week, you will find in your weekly program or bulletin,four studies called Beyond the Weekend. These are designed to help you reconnect with the passage and topic of that week's sermon and to introduce you to some other passages and exercises to take you further.

Though ABCLinks will no longer be published, we will be writing small group discussion guides that will be available online as well through an email subscription each week. Also, if you've been enjoying the articles on the front page of the ABCLinks each week, those will be found in the blog called Living in Community found at http://livingincommunity-adabible.blogspot.com/

To receive the weekly small group discussions, contact the small group department at smallgroups@adabible.org

God bless you this fall. I hope you enjoy the new changes.

Discipline and Growth

2010-09-07T06:57:00.000-07:00

As a sports fan, I have my favorite teams that I always follow but I also have another category in which I put some teams and athletes. It’s what I call the “love-to-hate” category. I’m not a boxing fan but a handful of years ago, there was a boxer that fit nicely on my love-to-hate list; Mike Tyson. “Iron Mike” is known as one of the greatest fighters of all time. During his glory years in the 80’s, Tyson was the only boxer to ever hold three different heavy weight belts at the same time. He was dominant and it made him rich. Tyson’s career earnings crested $400 million in the late 80’s. But, there was something that I just didn’t like about him. He was brash, loud and arrogant and you could just tell that at some point he was going to do something stupid. I couldn’t wait for him to fall.

While the 80’s were good for Tyson, the 90’s were his demise. In February of 1990, Tyson was unexpectedly knocked out in the 10th round by the virtually unknown Buster Douglas. This blow would usher Tyson in a complete downward spiral not only as a boxer but as a person. In 1992, Tyson was convicted of sexually assaulting a beauty queen in Las Vegas, for which he served three years in prison. After being released from prison in 1995, he engaged in a series of comeback fights. In a 1997 rematch with Evander Holyfield, the fight ended when Tyson was disqualified for biting off part of Holyfield’s ear, an incident that he never recovered from in the public eye. In 1999, Tyson was arrested again for assaulting two people at a traffic scene. As a heavy user of cocaine, Tyson filed or bankruptcy in 2003. Iron Mike was gone from the sports scene. Once, one of sports most dominate figures, Tyson became a public outcast.

Last week, I stumbled on a Sports Illustrated article featuring Tyson (August 2-9 issue). Because of my disgust for the way he treated sports and people, I almost just flipped the page to find something more palatable to read. But, a quote jumped off the page. “I’m a joke, I want to count for something- to do nice things so my kids can respect me.” In one statement, Tyson had expressed something I’d never heard from him; humility and kindness. Could Tyson have grown? Could the man have changed? Once known as the Baddest Man on the Planet, Tyson talked in the article of his loving wife Kiki and their beautiful daughter, Milan. “I realized that if I wanted to have a healthy life and if someone was willing to love me, then she deserved the best I had to offer,” Tyson says. “She deserved the best of me physically, emotionally, spiritually. And it wasn’t easy, trust me... I just knew that in order to make this work, all that other stuff in me had to die.”
As a boxer, Tyson knew about personal discipline. For years, he had disciplined his body to be the most feared man in the ring. But, over the past decade, Tyson’s character and person has gone through a significant discipline that has brought about transformational personal growth. A self-centered, arrogant, abuser turned loving husband and father.

God smiles when we allow the pain of discipline to be redemptive toward change. What's your growth story? What pain has God used in your life to bring positive change?

Meltdown and Provision

2010-08-30T11:10:00.001-07:00

To be on vacation and not be able to sleep was troubling. Aren’t vacations are supposed to be times of rest and recharge, I thought. We were settled in a beautiful cottage on a beautiful lake in northern Michigan. The weather was perfect. Our family was together. The setting was bent toward a week of fresh air, relaxation and recreation. Sleepless on vacation, in this environment, was not like me. I was struggling and it was something between God and me.

That summer had been a difficult summer for my wife. She had heard this too statement too many times, “Thanks for interviewing with us, but we’ll be pursuing candidates with more experience.” Five interviews, five rejections and some of these were from people who had given her tremendous hope and affirmation. For eight years, my wife had prepared to be a teacher. When all our kids entered school, my wife felt led to pursue this dream. It was a passion that grew deep in her soul. It was as if God had planted it there. Four years of college classes and four years of working as a substitute teacher led her to this fateful summer of interviews. She had been given wonderful reviews and hopeful feedback. One hiring principle in the school she subbed even helped her fine tune her resume. She was affirmed by her colleagues and filled with hope. But, one interview after another ended with, “We really like you but... there are so many experienced teachers in the hiring pool these days. Sorry.” She was left to believe that her dream was not going to happen. If the schools who knew and loved her can’t hire her, then who would. It appeared, she had become a victim of the Michigan economy.

She grieved deeply, but was able to emotionally moved forward. I, on the other hand, had some things to say to God. I was mad. I wasn’t upset at the schools or principles, I was angry with God. “God, why would do lead my wife down this road just to crush her? Why would you plant a dream in her just to have it shattered? What’s the point of this?” My lament over this situation haunted me during that summer vacation. I hurt for her. Why wasn’t God acting on her behalf? At the end of that week, she got a call for, yet one more interview. This came from a inner-city charter school of which she had never stepped foot in. On a whim, many months previously she had sent a resume to the school administration, never seriously believing she would hear from them. She was an unknown and there was no logical reason for them call. She agonized about whether to even drive three hours from our vacation cottage to interview with a school, thinking another rejection would follow. A week later, she was offered a job, a job that she’s loved now for the last two years.

I marvel at God’s patience and grace with me. God wanted to provide and when he did, he did with joy and creativity, even in the midst of my confused and frustrated lament. Perhaps, when the next opportunity like this arises, I’ll respond with greater trust.

Complaint, Trust and Joy in the Land Between

2010-08-16T06:54:00.000-07:00

Strip me naked and leave me alone in a room and I will still have more than I deserve.

Interesting statement, isn’t it? Makes you wonder who would say something like that. Several years ago, a friend dropped this line on me. We had bumped into each other at a mall. Our wives were at a ladies retreat and each of us was trying to entertain our kids that evening at the mall. I knew that he just received the news that his wife had a slow progressing, debilitating disease that could, over time, drastically affect their lives. They were entering into a time of waiting to see what this disease would truly do to her and their way of life. As we chatted about the details of their new situation, I felt compelled to ask him how he, as dad and husband, was doing personally with this news. Putting myself in his shoes, I could only imagine the thoughts and emotions that invaded his mind and heart. Would he be filled with worry, disappointment, distress, confusion, complaint, denial, or anger? I’m sure that each of these tempted his private moments, but I knew him well enough to know that he would pursue another way to respond.

Strip me naked and leave me alone in a room and I will still have more than I deserve.

That’s all he said about it and his cryptic answer left me hanging. It caught me by surprise and I didn’t have the courage at the time to ask him what he truly meant. But it captivated my thoughts for days. What was he saying to me about his perspective on his new circumstance in life? After reflecting on my friend and his approach to life, I think he was saying these things:

If life takes everything away me, God is still good.
Anything that I have ever enjoyed, including my wonderful wife, I didn’t really deserve.
She’s an undeserved gift.
She’ll continue to be a wonderful gift to me despite her disease.
This is not a setback but an opportunity to experience God and life more fully.
I could choose to complain in this situation but I’m choosing joy instead.
I’d rather encourage you, today, than ask you to commiserate with me.

In the moment that my friends heard that a disease would affect their lives, they entered into the land between; a place of wondering about the future, a place of waiting to learn the outcome of the news, a place of adjusting to their changing reality. But, the land between is a place of choice where two conflicting options of response face off: complaint and joy.

This month, Jeff is teaching on the Land Between that God asked the Israelites to walk through on the way to the promise land. Let's create a discussion on your Land Between. Is complaint sneaking into your heart? Who hears your complaint? Could choosing trust or joy be a remedy for you in this season of life?

God's Tough Love

2010-08-06T06:18:00.000-07:00

Stephen was a small town pastor who had a knack for choosing churches that were unhealthy places of ministry. On several occasions, the pain for pastoring these types of churches put a lot of strain on Stephen’s family. Dan is one of Stephen’s sons, and over time he became disillusioned with his dad’s career choice and began to resent the church. Dan rebelled and when he told me his story, Dan said, “I tried to make my parents’ lives miserable.” After several years of enduring his son’s rebellion, Stephen made a hard choice, he told his son to move out. He had had enough.

With no job and nowhere to go, Dan was in a tough place. Stephen suggested to Dan that he give a relative in Atlanta a call. What Dan didn’t know was that Stephen had a safety net in place for him. Stephen had pulled his cousin in Atlanta into the plan. Stephen purchased a plane ticket and his cousin had an open room and job lined up for Dan. Seeing this as his only option, Dan bitterly packed his things and moved to Atlanta. The next two years are described by both men as being quiet and distant. Dan was angry, filled with resentment for his dad’s decision. Stephen was heartbroken but hopeful his son would turn his life around. During those two years, they rarely spoke. But Dan was changing. He was growing, softening, and finding his way with God. Dan’s relationship with his “aunt” and the death of his grandfather during that time were pivotal in Dan’s turning back to God and his family. Eventually, father and son reconciled. Dan is now on staff at Ada Bible Church and Stephen serves as an elder here as well. Stephen now beams with fatherly pride for his son. Dan often expresses gratitude for having Stephen as his dad.
They say there are two sides to every story. Often, the facts vary between tellers of the same story. That wasn’t the case when I heard this story first from Dan, two years ago and Stephen two weeks ago. Both sides of the story were told with incredible consistency in facts, but the tone of the story was dramatically different. Dan told the story from the perspective of a humbled, remorseful, and grateful son. Stephen told it from a patient, heartbroken father with a strong resolve and sense for right and wrong.

There’s something about a good father and son story that gets me thinking about God and his relationship with me. God is called Father, for a good reason. He’s a good dad who wants the best for his kids. And when our sinful choices cause distance from him, we see his fatherly character traits come alive. We see his patience, allowing us to make choices and to turn back to him on our own. We see his justice when he says, “Enough! You cannot continue this anymore.” He disciplines us with a safety net in place. He doesn’t destroy us, but he corrects us. We see his hopeful plan for our return and reconciliation. He longs for us to come home.

Helpppppp!

2010-07-19T10:50:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been in a situation where you didn’t know what to do? When’s the last time you felt stuck? Consider what this man from China did in a sticky situation.

All Xiao Chen wanted to do was go for a swim. Thinking it’d be fun, the 25-year-old Chinese man headed toward what he thought was the river. As it turns out, it was just silt, and it wasn’t long before he found himself waist-deep in mud, and sinking! Now most people with their life on the line would’ve used their mobile phones to call for help. Chen, despite having a phone, was too embarrassed to call for help.

After struggling to free himself for four hours, Chen finally gave up and asked two passing fishermen for help. They called the fire department, who then spent another SEVEN hours trying to drag the man to safety! The situation would’ve been easier had Chen just taken off his pants, but he was too embarrassed to even do that! Even after firefighters stripped down to their undies, Chen’s modesty prevented him from doing the same, even though it would’ve probably allowed him to escape before 12 hours had passed. (popfi.com)

I want to chuckle at Chen’s stubbornness but I risk hearing from my family that I’m just like him. A few years ago, my son and I got caught in some high waves in Lake Superior. We had been exploring cave formations at Pictured Rocks when the winds shifted and the waves grew larger. For 45 minutes, we fought the waves and winds on flimsy blow-up rafts to work our way around a rock formation and back to shore. Though we were never in real danger, we finished our journey incredibly fatigued and very agitated. You see, our battle didn’t have to be that long. Within eye shot, we there were boats constantly coming near us; kayaks, pontoons and fishing boats. As we paddled furiously through waves, my son would ask me to call out for one of the boats but I insisted that we’d make it. Anyone of them would have helped us… if I would have cried out for help.

One of the hardest things for people to do in a desperate circumstance is to ask for help. Somewhere, we’ve cultivated this notion that it’s better for us just do it on our own. Asking for help requires humility because it’s an admission that we cannot do something without help. We are putting the outcome of our circumstance in the hands of someone else. Humility requires reliance which in turn, requires trust in the person from whom we’ve sought help.

What do you do when you're stuck? Is asking for help something you need to do this week?

Slump

2010-07-12T10:07:00.000-07:00

There’s a word that no baseball player wants to hear in relationship to his name. It’s the word “slump.” A slump in baseball can be defined as when a player’s batting average takes a dive over a significant period of time. He simply can’t get a hit. Even when he hits it hard, the ball is caught. Listen to what former major leaguers said about slumps. Bob Uecker said, “I had slumps that lasted into the winter.” Casey Stengel remarked about a team slump, “We are in such a slump that even the ones that aren’t drinkin’ aren’t hittin’.” Yogi Beara quipped, “Slump? I ain’t in no slump. I just ain’t hitting.”

For the last 10 years, I’ve spent my spring evenings coaching baseball. When I first started coaching, the kids on my teams were 7 year olds. Now, I’m coaching players at the varsity level. Some will be leaving for college next year. One thing I’ve realized is the older a player gets, the more we seem to be coaching the mental and emotional side of the game. Hitting a baseball can be a streaky thing and a slump can really mess with a young man’s mind. Recently, I’ve watched a couple of very talented young men struggle in slumps. The longer the slump goes, the more pressure they feel. The slump begins to affect other things like their fielding and pitching. It even creeps into their school work and social life. I’ve also noticed that slumps often reflect the athlete’s personality. There’s the depressed slumper who withdraws alone in a corner of the dugout after a strike out. There’s the angry slumper who will throw helmets and kick bases. There’s the blaming slumper who accuses the weather, umpires, coaches, and girlfriends for their struggles. And then there’s the joking slumper who uses self-deprecating humor to deal with hitting issues. Slumps can be very emotional and the only way out of one is to keep coming to practice and to simply hit the baseball.

As a pastor, I’ve also seen people go into spiritual slumps. This happens to good people who have passionately followed God with their lives but for some reason they’ve drifted off their game. Their walk with God has run dry and become ineffective. Their spiritual disciplines become hard and mechanical. I’ve had people tell me, “I’m just not experiencing God’s presence in my life right now. God seems distant.” Or, “My Bible reading seems dull and my prayers seem to hit the ceiling.” Others have said, “There’s a sin pattern in my life I just can’t shake and it’s affecting my relationships with God and the people in my life.” We can all go through spiritually dry periods in our lives that are hard to break from. These can be caused by fatigue, stress, sin, lack of discipline, compromise, or just a time of testing. But God wants us to be hitters. He wants us to break out of our slump.

If you are in a spiritual slump, you most likely won't get out of it by ourself. Tell someone you trust today about you struggle. Ask for help and encouragement. Walking with God is a team sport!

Second Half

2010-07-06T06:45:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite authors over the past few years has been Gordon McDonald. McDonald has been a pastor for many years and his insights into life in ministry have been very encouraging to me. Several years ago, I had the chance to attend an all-day seminar taught by McDonald. If I recall, the overall message of the day was, doing your best work in the second half of your life. Gordon was in his mid-60s at the time and he was on quest to finish his life well. He believed that in his 60s, 70s and 80s, he should be well-read, street smart and at the height of wisdom. He believed he had the most to offer in this stage of his life. Unfortunately, he also believed that most people in his demographic didn’t believe this. He told a story that day has stuck with me.

One day, Gordon decided to take out a legal pad and make a list of all the guys he knew that were older than him. As he did this his wife came up behind and asked him what he was up to. Gordon explained, “I’m making a list of all the old guys I know.” “Umm… why, Gordon,” she asked. “I want to know how many older men in my life that I actually like. I want to know who I am becoming.” “So, how's it going?” she inquired. “Terrible,” he said as panned his full page of names, “I don’t like any of these guys. They are all either grumpy, set in their ways or have given up.”

From this exercise, Gordon began his book, “The Resilient Life,” a brilliant writing on the second half of your life being your most productive to the Kingdom of God. Gordon identifies the critical questions people tend to ask in each adult decade of their life. Remarkably, these questions show how hard it is to finish well.

20’s: What kind of man or woman am I becoming? How am I different than my parents?
30’s: How do I prioritize the demands of life? How far can I go in fulfilling my sense of purpose?
40s: Why are others doing better than me? Why are my limitations outweighing my options?
50s: Why is my body becoming unreliable? How do I deal with failures and successes?
60s: Why do I feel ignored by those younger than me? Why am I curious about obituaries?
70’s - 80s: Does anyone realize or care who I once was? Is my story important to anyone? How much of my life can I still control? Can I still contribute?

There so many things that oppose our pursuit of productive second half of life. Failing body, changing culture, a competitive younger generation, failures of the past, discouragement and disillusionment. But, McDonald’s premise remains true to me. I want the last half of my life to show my best work. If I grow in my walk with God, through every decade of life, I should have the more to offer a broken world the older I get, despite the physical limitations and past pain I’ve experienced.

Think about the stage of life you are in? What positive steps are you taking today that will impact who you will become 20 years from now?

Remove and Repair

2010-06-30T05:27:00.000-07:00

While many of my friends were basking in the sun of Florida or Cancun during Spring Break, I camped out in my daughter’s bedroom. She’s still at college, so she didn’t mind. Actually, she was pretty pleased that I’d spend my vacation in her room because it needed to be remodeled. Her room was a mess and had been in need of a makeover for quite awhile.
Remodeling is hard work and really comes in two stages; remove and repair. The remove or destruction phase seems like the most fun but it really wasn’t. It’s messy and painful. Of course, before could do anything to Kati’s room, all the furniture had to be carried to the garage. Then we had sort through all her stuff and decide what was worth keeping what could be thrown away. Walls were then sanded, holes were patched, carpet was ripped out, trim was pulled, garbage cans were filled, and the dust was swept. At this in the project, I’m usually left with the feeling, “Oh, my! What have I done? This place is destroyed! Look at all the work we have to do!” However, that is also the time when the dream of what the room could be like begins to seem possible. Despair over the mess turns to an energy to accomplish making the room new and beautiful. So, the construction or repair begins.
A fresh of coat paint with a new color reshapes the feel of the room. A beautiful wood laminate floor replaces the dingy, dirty, worn, old carpet. New oak trim accents the floor and windows. The furniture, cleaned and painted, is moved back into the room. The bed is covered with a new comforter and pillows. The windows are treated with new blinds. Pictures are hung again. This mess of a room is now a new place. It’s fresh, bright, clean and inviting. It’s been restored. It’s been transformed. It’s made new through a ton of effort, purpose, planning, pain and investment. But, it was worth it!
I recently heard a speaker make this statement about transformation. He said, “Change often comes when the pain of staying the same outweighs the pain of change.” Ouch! But, I had to agree with him. Too often, I wait to change a mess in my life until the pain of remaining with the mess hurts enough for me to move. I think there’s a hope that if I do nothing the mess will go away. One person’s definition of insanity is “Doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result.”
So... are doing the same ol' thing, disappointed with the results over and over?
Which pain is driving you today, the pain of staying the same of the pain of changing? Start a spiritual remodel project today. Get busy with removing and repairing.

When You Have Little to Give

2010-03-23T06:28:00.000-07:00

Think about this question,“When I’m running on empty physically, emotionally, spiritually, or financially, can I still be generous?” My tendency is to push the default button and withdraw from others in need to tend to my own problems and sense of misery. However, I’ve been learning from a couple people in my life that consistently model a life of generosity in the midst of facing serious life issues of their own. They are teaching me a ton. \

Debbie Jo is someone I’ve served in ministry with for over two decades. She’s been faithful for many years in providing beautiful opportunities of spiritual growth for the women at ABC. She works diligently in planning enriching women’s events that touch hundreds of lives. And, she’ll often be found sitting quietly with a woman in life crisis, giving her wisdom and counsel from God’s Word. She’s a very attentive listener and extraordinarily wise. What most people may not know about Debbie Jo is that she has had a slow progressing type of Multiple Sclerosis for over 10 years. This disease often leaves her with incredible fatigue and debilitating pain. However, the way she carries herself, you’d never know it. Recently, I was able to listen to her tell her life story and when she got to the part about MS, she said something that struck a deep cord with me. She said, “I’ve learned to embrace MS. MS has been one of the best things for me. It’s given me a measure of compassion I would have never had without it.” Now... that is not a normal thing to say, I thought.

Doug is a fellow elder and one of our small groups pastors at ABC. Recently, he and I have been working together on a care situation involving some ABC families. This has been a very time consuming and tiring ordeal in which God has shown himself in some incredible ways. However, this situation isn’t the only difficult thing in Doug’s life. He is facing some heavy financial issues stemming from a business that went south in the economic downturn of the recent past. He is also caring for his father with rapidly failing health. While we were working on this care situation, Doug’s dad fell and broke his hip. Doug was needed to lead his family (mom and sisters) to make some difficult decisions on behalf of the care of his dad. These decisions included nursing care, hospice, and the “no heroic measures” discussion. Gut-wrenching stuff for any son. What amazed me most as I journeyed with Doug, was his resolve to stay involved with the care of people at ABC while he faced his personal issues. He could have easily withdrawn from others to focus on his own serious matters. At one point he said, “Phil, this is therapy for me.” What he was saying was, “Helping others gives me strength to face my own issues.” Now... that is not a normal thing to say, I thought.

That must be why Paul calls this the “grace of giving.” Giving when you have little to give is grace, or a gift from God. And he wants us all to experience it.

Have a Conversation

2010-02-05T07:13:00.000-08:00

When I saw Dave with his family across the Atrium, I knew I needed to go talk to him. It had been too long and there was a strong, unspoken tension between us. The sermon that morning about forgiveness and restoration was fresh on my mind, but I fought the conviction in my soul to act on what I had just heard. A list of ways to avoid a conversation with Dave scrolled through my head. I’d deal with this later. Then, there he was, walking my direction with a bead on me. The conversation I was avoiding was going to happen.

Dave and I have been friends for close to a decade. We spent an enormous amount of time together and with each other’s families. Our friendship was filled with joy, laughter, and authentic care for one another. However, a month earlier, we got sideways over a single moment in time and a single issue. Something I expected didn’t happen and I blamed Dave. I was disappointed with him and I expressed it. My typical anger modus operandi is not to explode but to stew and then grow cold and distant. I had said just enough to Dave in that dark moment for him to realize my anger. He knew I would stew for days over this… and he let me do it. That was his way of expressing his disappointment with me. Ten years of joy was halted by our coldhearted-guy-pride. Someone had to break the ice and Dave was the man to end this frigid nonsense. Anger had turned to coldness and coldness had turned to fear. Our friendship was paralyzed and was in jeopardy of drifting away forever. We needed to have a conversation to restore what we had enjoyed for so long.

When Dave initiated the conversation, he did it right. By now, the point of our contention had almost been forgotten. But, there were some things about this conversation that I’ll never forget and be forever grateful for. First, Dave acted on the Spirit’s prompting to obey even when it felt hard, awkward, and risky. I knew that God was doing a work in Dave. Second, before he talked about the pain I caused him, Dave claimed ownership of his part in our broken relationship. Finally, Dave was clear that what he wanted most was for this conflict to end and our friendship to be restored. Dave and I made our peace that day. Apologies were given and forgiveness was offered from both sides. That simple but difficult conversation was critical. Unfortunately, we had more discomfort to walk through in order to pick up our friendship where it left off (but, that’s another story).

There’s a myth about relationships that goes something like this, “good friends don’t have conflicts.” Truth is… no friendship is exempt from tripping into conflict. Conflict happens in the healthiest of relationships. That's why Jesus said what he said in Matthew 18.15-17.

Daily Bread

2010-01-27T06:35:00.000-08:00

The news coming out of Haiti has caused me to think again about the meaning of Jesus’ reference to daily bread. The images of the thousands of people clamoring for food, water and medical attention are stunning. When a Jesus follower in Haiti wakes up in the morning after another night in a make-shift shelter praying, “Give me today my daily bread,” their prayer has much more profound ramifications than when I say that prayer. As I write in a local coffee shop, I’m surrounded by people drinking $4 coffee drinks while I’m trying to decide whether to have a muffin or a bagel. I have lunch plans with colleagues today and my pantry and fridge are filled with at least a week’s provision of food. I have cash in my wallet, money in the bank and countless ways to access it and spend it. Do I have any business praying that portion of the Lord’s Prayer? Do I need God to provide anything for me today?

The answer is yes. I may not need his provision of food, clothing and shelter as he has already graciously provided it for me. But, I do need my daily allotment of grace to be treat people well. I need him to provide me with wisdom to make good decisions with my time and money. I need his protection from the sin that is constantly crouching at my door. I need him to give me the insight to not live selfishly but to look for ways to be encouraging and generous with all the good I have. All of these things are very important to God. He loves to provide the basics of life to his kids. He loves to give good gifts that meet our needs and equip us for life in his Kingdom. But, what if these things are small in the eyes of God compared to something he wants for us that is so much bigger?

In the life of Abraham, we encounter God being attributed names that describes his character or essence. The one that strikes me today is The God Who Provides. It occurs in the story of Abraham when he is asked to sacrifice his son, Isaac. Isaac is the only heir to the promise God had made to Abraham to make him into a great nation. When Isaac asks what the sacrafice will be, Abraham tells him that God will provide. Consider what God provided for Abraham. He needed it desperately. God gave a ram caught in a thicket. The ram was Isaac's subsitute. God’s provision to Abraham paints a beautiful picture of what we so desperately need for our survival, a substitute sufferer. More than our daily needs, which God loves to provide, he's given us his Son as substitute for the suffering I deserve.

How Does Accountability Work?

2009-09-29T16:13:00.001-07:00

My wife's niece emailed me the other day to ask about how she should approach the subject of accountability with a new group she is forming. Accountability in groups is an important but loaded subject. Here are some of my observations of the topic over the years. Accountability is good... but needs to be approached in the right manner.

Accountability doesn't work well with big groups. I will not be vulnerable with 50 people, 20 people, 10 people. I will, however, be open with 2-4 people whom I know and trust.
Openness and vulnerability are crucial for true accountability. Trust is imperative or people will hide. Time builds trust. Trust builds courage, honesty and openness.
Most people believe that you will stop loving them if you see the "real" them. Trusting someone with their junk is counter-intuitive to most people because they want to be seen in the best light. This poses an enemy to accountability.
You need to be clear about what you're asking people to be accountable for. Purity? Bible reading? Giving? Prayer? What is it? Be crystal clear.
Have clear accountability questions so that people know what will be asked of them on a consistent basis. Stay away from yes/no answers where people can hide or lie easy.
Accountability should be measured. The word accountability means you plan to "count" something or measure it. What's the yard stick? For example, someone can want accountability in the area of prayer. Well... what's the goal? Pray 10 minutes each day? Or... learn to engage the heart of God? How can it be measured?
Accountability is not the mechanism for transformation, the Holy Spirit is. Accountability must aid the work of the Spirit or it becomes a form of self-righteous legalism. Remember, the Pharisees had all kinds of forms of accountability to guide them. Jesus had his harshest words for their self-righteous attitudes. They needed to confess the sins of their "obedient"/ disciplined lifestyles.
Accountability is no good without grace and forgiveness. What will you do if I fail? Throw me out? Slap my hand? Apply mercy? "Confess your sins one to another, so that you will find mercy" Another verse uses the word, "healing."
People are loved into obedience not driven. We obey fully when we understand how great God's love is for us. We become disciplined because we want a deeper and truer relationship with the God that gave so much for us.

Long Lasting Impact

2009-09-29T08:56:00.000-07:00

I recently had the opportunity to speak to a group of writers at the Christian Writer's Conference. That particular day was a bit stressful for me with many pending fall ministry obligations and family stuff that was building. The conference was in Muskegon, so I was also dreading the two hours I would have on the road that day. Frankly, I was beginning to regret agreeing to do this talk.

Honestly, I wasn't very confident with my material nor was I sure the audience would be thrilled with what I had planned. I arrived frazzled and late because I had taken two wrong turns on the way. It was a tough day for me to speak. Frazzled, unsure and anxious I gave the evening over to God. I told him as I walked to the podium, "You brought me here for a reason. Here I go. This is yours."

My talk went better than I dreamed. I felt a connection with the group of 80 or so writers that evening. My frazzled heart calmed. My uncertainty morphed to confidence and joy. It was fun even perhaps helpful.

At the end of my talk, God gave me an unexpected gift. I had just sat down after finishing. The conference moderator was making some announcements about the next session when a lady with a very eager posture raised her hand. "Do you have a question?" she was asked. "No, I would like to make a comment," she replied. Speaking loudly and confidently she said, "I want you all to know that I knew Phil Niekerk when he was just a little boy." I jumped to my feet to see who it was. I had not recognized her during the evening. She continued, "Phil's dad led me Christ 30 years ago and his mom discipled me for several years. As I watched Phil speak tonight, I could see his mother, Ruth, in him."

What a gift from God that was to me? This lady had come all the way from Texas and the chances of me ever seeing her were very small. But there she was, recalling the work for God through my parents three decades ago. God wanted me to see a glimpse of the spiritual legacy that my parents had left with people I had begun to forget.

What will my kids see 30 years from now? Will they get to experience stories of how Janice and I invested spiritually into people? What will people say about our life investments? Will the relationships that I'm building today have a lasting impact on who people become in the future? On a hurried frazzled day, God gave me a glimpse of the power of a relational investment that is still paying off 30 years later.

Fiery Arrows

2009-03-31T06:56:00.000-07:00

I want to share a discussion with you today that came from my small group I call the "Tuesday Guys." We're concluding a really rich study through Paul's letter to the Ephesians and in his final remarks to the church in the town of Ephesus, Paul tells them to get dressed for battle. They were in a war and needed to be dressed to fight. They needed armour and it needed to be the very best equipment available. So, Paul tells us what the best soldiers have in their locker and how they gear up for the battle they face. Guess what, we're in the same battle!

It's important to know in all of this who the enemy is and how he fights. Paul says that "our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." I don't know about you but that creeps me out a bit. I'd rather fight against humans. Spiritual forces? Oh, my! Really? But Paul says we have everything at our disposal to stand against these evil forces and in Ephesians 6, he lists them. Check it out.

This morning the Tuesday Guys got stuck on two really cool parts of our armour; our shoes and our shield. For a Roman soldier, good shoes meant that he would be stable and mobile so he could stand and protect his ground. The shield was used to deflect fiery arrows that enemy would launch. So we asked, "What are those arrows that Satan and his forces sends at us?" One conclusion, lies. Lies that mislead and misguide us from our mission and from what is truly important. What lies? What are lies that we hear as men and as warriors for the Gospel?

Here's our Top 10. Would these make your Top 10?

1. You're not good enough
2. You’re not smart enough
3. God’s holding out on you
4. God’s is not good enough to you
5. I can do it myself
6. God is not near to you
7. He’s really not loving
8. Your sin is too big. If He really knew you… He would not even wouldn't like you
9. God would condemn or judge you if you were honest
10. You can earn God’s approval with your behavior. Keep trying harder

These are lies that Satan wants us to believe about God, but I think he also wants us to believe them about the relationships we have with each other. Read the list from both perspectives.

So,which lies do you hear the most? Drop me a comment and let me know. In a future posting, I'll share how the Shield of Faith works to deflect these flaming arrows shot from the pit of hell. Each of these lies has a corollary truth.

Growth is in Leading

2009-03-16T06:43:00.000-07:00

"Growth is in Leading" was the subject title of an email that Rich sent to me last week. I opened the email and it's attachment to find a well thought out small group lesson. Rich had compiled two pages of verses on the Holy Spirit's role in our lives. His notes were clearly pepper through the pages as well as strategically placed highlights. This was an exercise that he was doing to prepare for leading his community group. I think he sent this to me because he simply needed to share his joy of learning. But, his learning was different than before. He was learning as leader. There's something much different about that, isn't it?

Rich is a guy who's also in one of the men's groups for almost a half dozen years. His growth has been fun to watch. Each time he encountered a life-issue, he would wrestle with God's principles of living. It's always a good wrestling, one that fights to understand God's best way of living.

I knew that Rich had the capacity in him to one day lead a group. After a several invitations to lead and one less "no thank you, Phil," Rich is now a leader. His first group, not successful in his mind. His second attempt, golden. God's given him and his wife some wonderful people who have come together "like family" (their words) in short period of time. They are loving each other well and pushing to understand the Truth of God's Word in their lives. I've been privileged to see Rich grow over the years, but this season of Rich's life is something different. He's growing because he's leading others.

What's up with that? What is it about leadership that accelerates our growth? Give me some comments or short stories why "Growth is in Leading."

Relational Fatigue

2009-03-09T12:12:00.001-07:00

I'm a self-proclaimed small group junkie. Yeah, Ada Bible employs me to be that, but I'm confident I would still be involved in multiple small groups even if small groups were not part of my livelyhood.

Currently, I lead three groups. Two are men's groups. Group #1 is twelve guys who are leaders; budding leaders or small group leaders. These guys are tracking and want to know more on how God's Word impacts their relationships. Group #2 is 11 guys who are mostly new to the faith or are re-starting their walk with God. These are guys I coach baseball with, play football and softball with and lift weights with. They are friends who want to learn and grow. Group # 3 is a handfull of couples that have known each other for the past 15 years or so. We are all trying to have solid marriages and raise our kids well.

I love each and every person in those groups. I look forward to seeing them every week. I love to see someone really "get it," for the lights to come on to a biblical principle and for their lives to begin to change. There no better feeling, no better reward to leading a small group in my mind.

But recently, I've begun to feel tired, unmotivated, uninspired. Sin patterns began to creep back into the recesses of my mind and heart. I was coming to group unprepared and with less passion than before. Something was missing in my community. What wasn't working? Small groups were to be the place were my community would be filled with joy, encouragement and life change. Something was broken... at least from my end. I wasn't receiving what I set out to provide for each person in each group. I was leading but not experiencing community. I was holding back.

Friday night, group #1 had what we call "Man Night." This was our 4th one in the last 4 months. Man Night is guy food, beverages, bonfire, games and stories. Just the guys for the whole evening. And, the best part of Man Night... the stories. We have a tradition that in every Man Night someone will tell their life story. This usually takes well over an hour and afterward the other guys have a chance to ask questions, tell what they loved about the story and then bless the socks off the guy on the hot seat. We love to pull out how God has treaded Himself through that person's story. This Friday... another great story.

But it was after the story that were I was most impacted. It was 11 pm. Most the guys had left. Four of us remained contemplating going home ourselves. But, our host, who was the one who shared his story that night, asked us to sit back down around the wood stove and continue our chat. The conversion that ensued was rich, personal and very impactful. I began to emotionally bleed. It almost felt like I was complaining about life but I guess I was being vulnerable and honest about stuff in my life that I was keeping under wraps. I felt safe. I felt heard. I felt care for and challenged. I hadn't done this in a long, long time. The guys heard my weariness, they related and didn't judge.

Okay, I'm a small group junkie. I'm THE Senior Small Groups Pastor of Ada Bible Church, for heaven's sake. Why was this something that hadn't experienced in a while? Why at 11 pm in a buddy's garage when the crowd of guys had left did I feel ready to really share and seek out the care of my brothers? I'm involved in three groups. What had been missing for all this to build up and then spill out on my friend's garage floor?

I'll leave those questions for us to discuss. Tell me what you think!