upward & inward

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. ( Psalm 1:1-3 ) I have had repeated conversations lately regarding the importance of seeking God's power as He calls us to be His own. In a previous post , I wrote of this importance - and its difficulty.  Since then, I read Pastor John Piper's approach to avoiding the besetting sins that trip us up. He writes here of how this approach helps with our approach to lust.  However, Pastor John's later writing rightly applies this to any thinking that leads us beyond the boundaries of God's moral will for us.  Here is a summary from Pastor Piper: "I go on the attac...

Prayer Journal - August 29, 2012 "Effective Meeting tonight with council and the consultant" October 19, 2012 - "Thank You for a complete assessment!" As a transition begins, it is SO helpful to know a few things from the congregation, including: 1) Where do we think we are? 2) Where do we think we're going? As a pastor leaves, especially a long-term pastor, it helps to "look into the mirror" and we sought to accomplish this in two ways.  First, we decided to put a congregational survey in place.  During preparation and delivery, the company we used was thorough and helpful.  The questions covered a wide range of topics but the primary topics about which we were most concerned were:  Evidence of Conflict, Governance, Spiritual vitality, Hospitality, Ministry Readiness, Worship/music, and Morale.  In addition, the assessment offered an opportunity for the congregation to state what their preferences were for the characteristics and strengths o...

As we prepared for baptism last Sunday, I had the privilege of talking with folks about how they came to Christ - how they experienced the Good News that only He has to offer us.  What great encouragement!  These stories remind me of how desperately we need Jesus - every day - and how thankful I am for the grace of God. I found helpful a few Scriptures that bear memorization regarding the Good News of Jesus Christ. Here they are: All have sinned Romans 3:23 Isaiah 53:6 Sin has a penalty Romans 6:23 Hebrews 9:27 Christ paid the penalty Romans 5:8 1 Peter 3:18 Must receive Christ John 1:12-13 Revelation 3:20 Salvation not by works Ephesians 2:8-9 Titus 3:5 Assurance of Salvation 1 John 5:13 John 5:24 Take some time today and prayerfully meditate on what God offers a dying world. And, if you haven't received Christ in your life, today could be the day! (NOTE: One of the blessings (and challenges) I've ha...

Still struggling with an inner ear issue, I have experienced vertigo three times in the last 6 months. The most recent, just this past Sunday.  Previously, others tried to describe this phenomena to me, but I really didn't understand until I went through it myself.  I've come to the conclusion that I wouldn't wish it on anyone. When I experience vertigo, n o matter how hard I try to "push through", I can't stop the room - the world - from spinning. Up is down, down is up, and all sides turn into themselves.   Someone else has to help me.   Depending on how bad it is, I need help to stand or to walk.  I typically require medical attention.  Simply put, I can't solve the problem on my own. Spiritual Vertigo is something similar.  It can describe a situation when what we formerly believed, and even experienced, is challenged somehow and we're left wondering, "what exactly do we believe?" One moment we're sure of what we believe, ...

Since the beginning, the church has struggled with conformity. How are we supposed to behave as Christ-followers? Merriam-Webster defines conformity as: behavior that is the same as the behavior of most other people in a society, group, etc. Conformity can naturally occur in the larger society and smaller groups, like a church.  And, I suppose we can expect that a group of people who claim an affinity for one another (or to a common Person) would think, speak, and act in a similar fashion.  The challenge comes with the motivation (or cause) of the behavior. Is our motivation really to be like each other? To fit in? In societal groups (churches, schools, clubs, sports teams, even gangs), there are expectations of behavior.  (Note: I'm not a sociologist, just an observer!) Just ask a high school student and she will tell you that expectations from fellow students are strong and real.  For a church, these expectations can quickly devolve into " externalism " so tha...

Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, "What do you want?" John 1:38a One of the most important questions we can answer as Christ's disciples is the one He asked His first disciples, "What do you want?" Have you ever thought about the question? Have you ever thought about your answer? Responding spiritually, we might answer that we want heaven. Or, to bear spiritual fruit like peace, joy, or self-control! But if pressed, we might answer that we just want our kids to get along or for the ability to have children.  Or, for our bosses to lighten up a little and extend some grace - maybe even a job that pays the bills.  Or, for a loving wife or husband. Or, to have a friend that will love us no matter what.  Or, for a loved one to be healed from cancer or another debilitating (or fatal) disease. All of these answers, if honest, are real and Christ knows them already for He knows our hearts . So, how did His disciples answer the questio...

Prayer Journal, May 23, 2012 - "Clear thoughts - no self-ambition. Only God-ambition". Early on in the transition, I realized that God was working dramatically, not only in our congregation, but also in His development of me as a leader.  Much was going to change within the church, staff, and leadership - much had to change! - and many of our former roles would not be the same.  Ever. So, I was prompted to pray that my thoughts reflected an ambition for what God had in store for us and not what we were ambitious to accomplish of and for ourselves. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Philippians 2:3 Looking back over the graveyard of destroyed churches, I wonder if "selfish ambition" played a part in most, if not all, of the carnage. Starting innocently enough, as passionate church members authentically and lovingly encourage a leader, it is how the leader receives that encouragement wh...