I will admit that it is hard to pray for people I do not know and situations of which I have no clue.  A prayer request pops up as an email on my computer screen or social media, and I set there for a minute thinking about it.  The temptation is to do one of a few things in this situation.  One, delete the message and let someone closer to this concern pray for them.  Two, type a response of “praying,” and then go back to work.  Three, go before God and ask him to work in this mystery situation with this unknown person. 

At moments like this, I notice a tension in prayer that exists, at least for me.  Are my prayers born out of a love for the person or a belief in the power of God? 

Sure, it is easier to lift up the requests of others to God when we know the details.  This is especially true if we are close to those involved.  When my mom needs prayer, I will pour out my heart in intimate moments with God.  I love her, and I want the best for her in every way.  But I must ask myself, “Does God’s power change when I know the person?”

I believe sincere prayer is born out of a belief in an Almighty God.  He is the creator, sustainer, healer and will work with power and grace for his people.

This morning several requests from the weekend at flowing across my screen, and here I sit.  These are the moments when it is revealed if I am a person of faith or just kindhearted toward the people I know. 

Here are some of the most interesting articles I have read over the past few weeks. I hope you enjoy them too.

I Couldn’t Live the Lie of My Sexuality – an excellent story and article

I am a False Prophet – great article about worry.

18 Texts That Say “I’m Sorry” – keep these for when you need them.

Five Things We Now Know the Online World Is Doing to Us That Has Never Been Done to Us Before – none of these are really surprising, but a nice reminder.

An Elevator Pitch for Church Membership – some stuff I have been saying for years.

Make a habit/break a habit – more good stuff from Seth Godin

Last Sunday, I finished a sermon series on how we use our mouths for the glory of God. My final message was that we need to be telling other people about Jesus and inviting them into a relationship with him. This can happen directly as we teach and preach personally, or it can happen indirectly as we ask people to Church where someone else can explain the gospel.

Upon reflection after the sermon, I thought there was more I should have said at this point. I believe most people are waiting for an invitation to attend Church. Every survey that I read says that people are willing attend but only if they are invited.

At first, this sounds unbelievable, but there is a truth that we must not miss. As our culture becomes less and less Christian in its foundation, the less people know about Church. Often, we assume they know that our doors are open and everyone is welcome, and that is merely enough. The truth is that people who have no Christian background have no idea that they could come to Church at any time they desire. Additionally, they want to know someone who already attends before they would venture a visit.

I picture it like this, many years ago I was a part of a civic group called Sertoma (short for Service to Mankind). A man in our Church invited me, and I said I would be there if he were going to be in attendance too. I showed up a couple minutes late, and he was waiting for me out in front of our meeting room. He showed me in and introduced me, and it immediately felt like home. I joined the group and attended almost every week for the next seven years. It all started with an invitation because I knew nothing about Sertoma.

What was interesting about the group was that we were open to anyone. We ran an ad in the paper. We put a sign out in front of our meeting room. Literally any person under the sun could come, and they would have been welcomed with open arms, but no one went without a special invitation. Like me, we had no idea what went on inside those meetings, and we wanted a friendly face to help guide us.

The same is true for Church in today’s culture. People are interested in what we do but have no idea that they can attend on their own. Even if they do, they are still waiting for someone they know to make a special request to join them.

Right now, we are a few days away from Sunday. At my Church I am starting a new sermon series and beginning a fall kickoff. I am not the only one, unofficially this Sunday and next are the two days most people go back to Church after a long summer. All Churches start new programs, sermon series, and other exciting things. They want people to come, at least I know I do as a Church leader. Ironically, people who do not attend Church are interested in coming also. The only thing missing is an invitation from you.

The Biblical book of Acts has a six-verse story about a man named Joseph who was also called Barsabbas (meaning son of Sabbas), and some referred to him as Justus (Acts 1:20-26). This three-named man is mentioned in only one verse of the account, and so we know very little about him. Apparently, he had followed Jesus since the beginning of his ministry. He witnessed the work of John the Baptizer and followed Jesus for three years. He was sent out by Jesus as one of his seventy followers to proclaim the kingdom of God. This man was present at the cross and the resurrection, and now he stands with a handful of believers awaiting the next step in faith.

At this point, Peter stands up and quotes some Old Testament scripture from the Psalms. The Church needed someone to replace Judas after his betrayal and suicide. Two names are put forth. One is Matthias, and the other is Joseph. They cast lots and Matthias is chosen to be one of the twelve apostles.

I always wondered what happened to this lone figure of faithfulness to Jesus and failure in a big selection. There was no sin in his life that we are told existed in him. His only shortcoming was that God had not allowed his name to appear on the lot that was cast. Did he go home that night and cry? Did he live with a sense of failure?

The best research I could find tells me some of the rest of the story. According to tradition, this Joseph went on to become the Bishop of Eleutheropolis. This is a village located about 13 miles northwest of the city of Hebron. It was relatively small and surrounded by farmland, but during the days of Jewish king Herod the town became a thriving Roman colony and was known as the administrative center for the district of Idumea.

The town was renamed over the centuries. Its original Aramaic name Beth Gabra translates as the “house of the mighty one.” The Romans gave it the Greek name, Eleutheropolis, meaning “City of the Free,” because the Roman Emperor exempted its citizens from taxes. The city flourished under the Romans, who built public buildings, military installations, aqueducts, and an amphitheater. Seven routes met at Eleutheropolis indicating the town as a central point from which the distance from other cities was measured.

Joseph Barsabbas Justus went on to become a Church leader in the city of the free. This story of his non-selection to be one of the twelve Apostles was not the end of his story. He did not hang his head in defeat but instead used this incident to propel his life another direction. Some have suggested that he was not chosen by God so that his life would be free to serve him in another location. Because of the importance of Eleutheropolis and its strategic location, Joseph served God in a powerful way that may have never happened if his name had been called that day.

Joseph serves as an example of faithfulness despite setbacks. He may not have been chosen to a position that he was more than qualified to fill, but that was not the end of his story. He made an impact in a different way for the kingdom of God. I don’t know what has happened in your life, but maybe today, Joseph can inspire you to stand faithful to God after coming in second.

When my family moved to Alaska, one of the shows that we regularly watched on the Food Network was Chopped. If you have not seen it, four contestants come into a kitchen to prepare a meal. In each round they are given a basket of mystery items that they are required to put into a plate of food for a panel of judges. Often the mystery items are a real challenge to incorporate into fine dining. The show is fun to watch, and while I rarely see it anymore, I have noticed a host of other shows built on similar concepts.

The reason I share information about that show is that it serves as a great analogy. I read it somewhere, so it is not original to me, that Church leadership is much like a Chopped kitchen. When I graduated from Bible College, I imagined my ministry would be like working in a fine restaurant. Conditions would be perfect with every person knowing their role, and meals would be flawlessly served. Then when I arrived at my first Church, I found a Chopped basket of mystery items. I had to work to make a great meal with often nontraditional ingredients. One part of the challenge was to get every component to work together in a harmonious finished product.

After reading this analogy, I have talked to several people about it, and I have heard the same response. That is what running a small business is like, or coaching a youth sport, or being a teacher, or some form of administration. Numerous jobs require the leader to work with unexpected ingredients to make a quality product.

When it comes to the Church, I find this analogy particularly fitting and vital. God called me as a leader to help build his kingdom with whatever he gives me. There are seasons where the meals are refined and seem very professional and other times when it is more like a mother of three little ones just trying to get something on the plate. The important thing is that every person plays a part in the kingdom of God here in my Church.

One of the things I hate about the modern Church is how most people picture themselves as judges. They want to give the meal their approval or disapproval and rate the performance of those composing the meal. The heart of a true believer is to figure out how to make the best meal for the ultimate judge in heaven and nothing less. The question for everyone who is part of a Church is, “How is my life glorifying God through its presence in this Church?” Your piece may be large or small, and at times it might not seem to fit, but there is always a place for you.

Yesterday I wrote about working hard and doing whatever it takes to be successful. Today I want to flip that over and encourage you to rest. Here in the United States, we are at the beginning of Labor Day weekend. For several people that will mean they have next Monday off from work. This will give us a more extended weekend and additional time to rest.

The temptation for many people will be to fill this weekend with more activity. They will head to the lake or a park so that they can spend their day hiking, fishing, picnicking and a host of other activities. They will cram every hour to its maximum limit and end the weekend exhausted.

I find it fascinating that one of the ten commandments is to have a Sabbath day of rest. The purpose of this day was two-fold. One, it was to keep people focused on God above our work. The people had to trust that God would provide enough in six days to last for seven. The people ceased to work as an act of faith. The day was holy or set apart for God to recognize his power in the world and our lives.

The other reason God gave us a Sabbath was to rest. This is modeled by God himself in the creation story. He works for six days and rests on the seventh. Every worker, including God, needs downtime. The story is told of a pastor who worked seven days a week with little rest. A wiser older pastor asked him why he never took a day off. He responded by saying, “Satan never takes a day off, and so neither do I.” The older pastor smiled and said, “Son, you need a better role model.”

All of us need rest and a time to refocus on God. If you get an extended weekend over the next few days, have you built these essential elements into your plan?

Maybe your greatest need is not to push more activities into your weekend, but rather to rest safely in the arms in God.

I think there is one key ingredient to be successful in any arena of life. It is the willingness to do whatever it takes to bring success. Obviously, a Christian would not indulge in any behavior that is ungodly, unlawful, or immoral. Beyond that boundary is a world of hard work, inconvenience, and self-motivation.

When I meet with other ministers, they ask me what I am doing to help our Church to grow more disciples. I respond with a short and direct answer. First, growth is the result of the work of God and the power of the Holy Spirit. We have people who pray for us, serve in the Lord’s name, and are united in Jesus. Second, we are willing to do whatever it takes to be successful. If I need to collect trash to make the building look cleaner, then I collect garbage. If it takes twelve hours a week minimum to prep for the sermon, then that is what I do. I am willing to work, clean, call, confront, think, plan, read, and put in long hours.

This principle is in no way limited to ministry. It works in almost every area of life. Do you want great kids? Are you willing to work with them night after night, giving up free time and helping them succeed? Do you want a marriage with a deep connection and unconditional love? What are you doing every day to produce that result?

Whenever I meet people, and they tell me about some perceived problem in their life, I usually can dissect the information and find a lack of willingness to do whatever it takes. They want the school to make their kids great with minimal effort on their part. They want their spouse to do the work it takes to make a great marriage. They want all of the rewards with little work. Unfortunately, life doesn’t work that way. Success is inconvenient and difficult to obtain.

What about you? Have you made boundaries that make success impossible? You want the blessing but have said, “But I won’t do that.” I believe that God is ultimately the one who blesses our lives, but I have never seen him deliver it without an honest effort on our part. My key to a happy life is simple, “Work as if everything depends on you and trust as if everything depends on God.”

I was reading an article on the future of preaching. One of the author’s points was that it is no longer sufficient for the Church to provide “Easy Answers” to life’s difficult questions. While it was not directly stated, I am assuming he means it is no longer enough to tell people to do things like reading their Bible, praying, and loving one another.

In part, I understand what he is saying. Quoting a Bible verse or offering a quick prayer when someone is hurting seem like shallow answers to enormous problems. My issue with this argument is that it demonstrates a lack of experience.

Reading the Bible seems like an easy answer until you begin actually to do it. There you confront evil and grace in equal measure. The reader is faced with good people hiding their sin and bad people who prosper in their ungodliness. It stretches you to expand the boundaries of your compassion and the enlarge your view of God. Spending time in the word of God is not easy on your mind or heart. It does not always offer simple solutions but a complex narrative that pushes and pulls us in ways we never expected.

Praying sounds like a trite answer offered to any of life’s problems and can mean very little practically speaking. It seems that way until you actually spend time praying. It is tough to hit your knees day after day pleading with God in a situation you cannot control. It breaks your heart, molds your soul, and transforms you into a person of real faith. Until you have sat with a weeping mother holding her hand and asking God to intercede in these darkest hours, you have no idea of the truth about prayer.

Telling people to love one another also appears like a simple solution until you try to do it consistently. In an effort to extend love to others, you will have to face issues you hate. It will make you do good things for people who will never return the favor and often will not appreciate it. Love gets your hands dirty, breaks your heart, and causes you to do things you never imagined. Real love offered in the name of Jesus is the most challenging task on the planet.

The author has good intentions in his article. He wants to see the Church be more practical and offer advice that is both Biblical and relevant. Too often the Church has provided seemingly easy answers to those outside of the faith. The reality is that these easy answers are not really easy. They push us to grow our faith in elemental ways. I know people might find them unsuitable for life’s most significant issues, that is only because they have not tried them. These answers have an easy appearance, but they are the path to spiritual growth.

Those people who know me the most understand my introvert nature. I am not a “people person,” even though I lead a Church. That is not to say that I don’t care about people. I do very much, and I spend my days trying to help them in any way I am able. For me, God has gifted me to speak his truth, and that is the best thing I can do. Ministry is about more than preaching and trying to help people; it is about connecting to them in a profound and meaningful way.

Unfortunately, there are times where I have had my fill of people. I get on edge and respond angrily to those I encounter. My patience is thin, and my words are sharp. So what actions do I take when I am getting sick and tired of people?

1. Pray. I specifically ask God to help my heart and my attitude. Through the years, I have felt his hand of guidance and mercy in ways that are complicated to explain. I simply know God has helped me in my struggle with people.
2. Read Specific Scripture. For me, this is about rereading those “one another” passages found in the Bible. I need to be continually reminded that God wants me to be a part of loving one another, encouraging one another and serving one another.
3. Time Away. Sometimes I need to move away from people for a period. This may be a weeklong vacation or a couple of hours on the lake. These occasions away give me time to refresh and relax.
4. Find Specific People. While a crowd drains me, there are specific people who fill my tank. Some of these people have no idea how much their words, spirit, and companionship mean to me.
5. Focus on the Good. The more people frustrate me, the more I must continually focus my attention on the good that they bring to my world. The glass truly is half full, and even difficult people are teaching me to be more like Jesus.

These are the primary ways that I recharge my battery when people are slowly draining it. If I do not pay attention to my attitude and work to improve it, I can hurt my witness for Jesus.

Is there anything you would add to my list? What helps you be a better people person? I know it is a struggle for me, but by the grace of God, my life continues to be blessed by people. I hope yours is today too.

I went to my friend Rusty’s ordination many years ago. What he said left an impact on me, and I borrowed it to use for my ordination speech. He took Hebrews chapter 11 and spoke about faith and this list of people who lived great lives mentioned in that chapter. Then he said, the problem is that this passage was written too early. It was put together long before I lived, so I want to add some names to that list.

This list of names in that chapter are some of the greatest names in history, but they are also a little impersonal. I never spoke with them or asked them questions or looked at the expression on their faces. Their faith was a powerful testimony to the world, but I know some people who have a similar story on a slightly smaller scale. These are the people that I admire, and one of them might be you.

I see people who hold onto their faith in spite of incredible odds. Life seems stacked against them, and yet they grab their trust in God with both hands.

I watch people give selflessly week after week to other people. Often they are used and abused, and yet they keep right on serving. Each day they chose to touch the lives of others in the name of Jesus, and they show no signs of stopping.

I know people who have endured a seemingly impossible situation with grace and love. The doctor isn’t going to control their life. No diagnosis is stopping their prayers.

I observe the gentleness of parents with disabled children. They are finding love and joy in fleeting moments as a gift from God.

I notice people who speak words of love and grace when I know they are hurting inside.

I catch glimpses of people whose faith has seen more years than my life and yet are still humbling learning for people like me.

I embrace the hands of people who are kind, compassionate and loving to the degree that I cannot imagine.

The list could go on and on. I suppose that is why Hebrews 11 has no new names added to it because if you didn’t stop somewhere, the chapter would never end. In a dark and often scary world, there are heroes of the faith who walk among us. Some of you are my hero, and you have no idea. You keep faithfully serving, loving, and living in the name of Jesus.

Today, I hope you know that your faith is not in vain. I am inspired, encouraged, and blessed because of you.