upward & inward

On Tuesday last, Sherry and I had the privilege of spending an evening with a small group from our church. Outside of their group time, they also serve together in the church. As we visited with them, we continued to experience a great model for what a small group should be. There was structure and focus on what was important. We studied the Scriptures (this week’s focus was giving thanks to God), prayed, shared announcements, and broke bread (and other yummy stuff) together. One family was missing a husband and a dad because he’s been deployed overseas. I could tell that it wasn’t just his wife and kids who missed him – the whole group recognized his absence and expressed their desire to have him back while also providing strong support for his wife and kids. Other concerns were shared. Encouragement and prayers were offered. God was glorified. Wow. In a previous post, I asked the question “When is the Church, the Church?” A better question might be, "Who is the Chur...

Last week, we interviewed our first Student Ministries Pastor. He’s a great guy whom we hope to bring back for a second set of conversations along with his bride. It was good to hear his heart for students and growing them into fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. This encouraged the team and me to see how God might use this young man’s experiences, gifts, and skills to change the lives of our students – becoming fully devoted followers of Christ. Keep praying with us as we bring in additional candidates to ensure we're doing all we can to bring the one that God has prepared in advance to serve Him here at Central.

I had a heart-wrenching conversation with a youth pastor yesterday. He had called because he was interested in the open position we have at our church and wanted more detail on the opportunity. When I asked why he was leaving...well, that's where the discussion took a completely different turn than either of us expected. Frankly, the situation in which he has found himself is grim. As he described the scenario, it was clear that he was very much afraid. And, from a human perspective, there are many reasons to be afraid: uncertain finances, doubtful leadership, and swirling rumors that threaten to undermine the stability and unity of the body of believers of which he and his young family is a part. Looking at this as one would look at any other job, it makes no sense to remain at the church. But! This is no ordinary job and he is no ordinary man. He is God's man! He is God's chosen instrument for such a time as this. When we as Christ followers strike out in faith a...

In a previous post , I wrote from an excerpt of Craig Groeschel's book "it". "It", of course, is from God - His glory, His Spirit, His Son, Himself. This book challenged me and clearly made me uncomfortable. Why? Because there are times where I focus my time on that which doesn't contribute to, in fact distracts from, what God has called me to do - namely, to carry out the mission and vision of His church. Mission and vision: what am I doing to accomplish the mission towards the vision of God for this church? What have I allowed to get in the way of it? Camaraderie: by whom am I surrounded who I am allowing to distract me from His divine focus? Also, by whom am I surrounded who gets "it" and wants "it" as much as or even more so than I do? Sharing: how often do I share the Lord with others who simply don't know Him or don't care to? Risk: what am I willing to risk in order to prepare a place (in my heart, in my office...

What's driving my decisions in this year's election? A strong and effective military to make peace for this nation and the world. Compassion for the innocent and downtrodden - this includes the unborn, the poor, the hurting, the disadvantaged, et al. A balanced checkbook - federal, state, local. Reverence and honor for the constitution of the United States . This document was and remains an agreement developed from leaders who were steeped in the Word of God and who bathed it in prayer. Any and all Supreme Court justices selected must be passionate about protecting the original integrity of this historic document. Fair individual and corporate taxation . This encourages and rewards the hard work of every American while discouraging reliance on govermental largess. Solid economic policies which encourage businesses to stay in the US while promoting stability in the marketplace. Energy initiatives which create renewable alternatives and eliminate reliance on foreign ener...