Are You That Man? Woman?

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In his book, The Making of a Christian Leader, Ted Engstrom shares the following, powerful statement about what the world needs to see in Christian leaders:

The world needs men (and I might add women) who cannot be bought; whose word is their bond; who put character above wealth; who possess opinions and a will; who are larger than their vocations; who do not hesitate to take chances; who will not lose their individuality in a crowd; who will be as honest in small things as in great things; who will make no compromise with wrong; whose ambitions are not confined to their own selfish desires; who will not say they do it “because everybody else does it”; who are true to their friends through good report and evil report, in adversity as well as in prosperity; who do not believe that shrewdness, cunning, and hard-headedness are the best qualities for winning success; who are not ashamed or afraid to stand for the truth when it is unpopular; who say “no” with emphasis, although the rest of the world says “yes.”

Are you that man?  Are you that woman?

Third Day – Winter Jam 2010

Posted in Church Chat3 Comments

Last night Laura and I enjoyed meeting the members of Third Day after the final stop of Winter Jam 2010 in Louisville, Kentucky.  Some of our close friends had a couple of extra passes to a private meet-and-greet with the band, so we went along for the fun of it.

We found the guys to be very genuine and down to earth.  We busted Mac Powell on a comment he made during the concert about Hazard, Kentucky.  We heard that he always picks a random town in the state where he’s performing and introduces the keyboard player as being from that town.  Last night he said that he was from Hazard, Kentucky.  It just so happens that I taught school in Hazard, Kentucky, so we asked him about it.  He laughed and said it’s just a standing joke that he plays on the keyboard player at each concert.  He said that he never picks a town in advance–he just says whatever pops in his mind at the moment.

Laura and I told him that we saw him at Catalyst this year and enjoyed seeing his new son that he adopted.  He told us that he and his wife just adopted a little girl.  He showed us some neat family pictures on his iPhone.  She’s a beautiful little girl.

Thank God for authentic Christian artists who are living out their faith.  I’ve always enjoyed Third Day, but I will view them differently in the future.  We didn’t ask for an autograph or anything like that–that’s just not us, but we did enjoy seeing the guys in that setting.

“And You Call Yourself A Church”

Posted in Church Chat, Ministry4 Comments

Today we had a man stop by the church and demand we take care of him.  His demeanor was intimidating and somewhat frightening.  We tried to be gracious and tried to help him, but nothing we did seemed to be enough.  He kept saying things like “you mean you call yourself a church and you’re not going to do this for me?”

Eventually we offered to provide him a hotel room for the night and a meal or two for the evening.  Understandably, the hotel would not assign him a room because he had no personal identification at all.  He called me from the hotel lobby to express more anger towards me because the hotel would not rent a room to him without identification.  He refused my offer to take him to the men’s shelter.  After trying to explain the circumstances to him again on the telephone, he spewed out another “you call yourself a church” and hung up the phone!  Somehow he failed to thank me for the financial  help I had already given him.

I wanted to be angry at him, but I felt sympathy for him.  If it were not for God’s rich grace toward me, I could be in that same position.  When you read this, say a little prayer for God’s blessings toward this man.

The “3-Minute Rule”

Posted in Church Chat, Ministry, Worship2 Comments

Have you ever heard of the 3-Minute Rule?  I believe every church could benefit greatly from practicing the rule after each worship service.  Here’s how the 3-Minute Rule works.  After the morning worship service ends, all the regular attenders spend the first 3 minutes talking with guests, newcomers, or simply people they do not know, before they begin talking with their friends.  If possible, they introduce those they meet during the 3-Minute time to their friends with the hope of including them in the group.  We should always keep in mind that . . . .

We are a culture craving relationship. In the midst of our crowded existence, many of us are living lonely lives. We live and work in a sea of humanity, but we end up missing out on the benefits of regular, meaningful relationships.  (Andy Stanley)

I think we should practice a similar rule before the service as well. We could call it the 2-Person Rule. Strive to meet at least two new people before the service begins. Imagine how many people you would meet after a few weeks. Remember . . . .

People are not merely looking for a friendly church; they are looking to make friends at church.

What do you think?  When’s the last time you met someone new at church and were genuinely interested in getting to know them?  Make a genuine effort this Sunday to connect with others–it will be a blessing to them as well as to you.

Sermon Series on Heaven

Posted in Preaching5 Comments

I’m thinking and praying about preaching a sermon series on Heaven.  If I do, I’ll probably kick it off on Easter Sunday.  In all of my years as a pastor, I have never preached an entire series on the eternal home of the believer. 

Does the topic of Heaven interest you?  Do you think others will be interested in the topic?  Do you personally have questions about Heaven?

I need your help with the series.  What are some questions you think I should address?  Thank you in advance for your help.