The hairs on the back of my neck stand up anytime someone says they will not help with a ministry at the Church because “they need to be fed.” The statement is derived from the concept that to keep growing spiritually, you need to set quietly in a worship program. I find this type of thinking so troubling because as a Church leader I rarely ever just sit in a worship program at my Church.

I believe that spiritual growth is a lot like physical growth. The older you get, the more you should be able to feed yourself. In fact, a sign of maturity is that you can take care of yourself. Then having someone else feeds you becomes a special treat and not a place of dependence.

So how does a person, like me, keep themselves growing spiritually? Let me give you a few thoughts.

1. Personal Daily Quiet Time. I have a simple plan to read 3-5 chapters out of the Bible 5 days a week. The length varies depending on the length and topic of the chapters. Right now, I am in the Psalms, and usually, I can read 5 of them in 15 minutes or less. This one practice has allowed me to read the Bible 3 full times in the last 5 years. I couple that Bible reading with 10-15 minutes of prayer time. Again, the time varies with the seasons and needs at the moment. Each day I start off with doing these two simple practices.

2. Read Blogs. I have a blog reader called “Feedly.” (There are several other versions). After my quiet time is done, I sit and read through about 125 blogs. Some of them get the immediate delete button. My list of blogs I read is greatly varied from Christian writers so an article on “Things a mother needs to know about daughters” gets deleted since I am not a mother and have no daughters. Other articles get skimmed for big ideas. Still, others get read deeply. Finally, others get saved for future reference. Many of these I share on here each Saturday. These little one page articles challenge me as a pastor, man, father, and Christian. One post just today challenged me to trust God’s providence over myself. Good stuff to help grow.

3. Read books. I admit that I used to read more books than I do today. A number of modern books disappoint me. I prefer to read books that have been around a while and still have an impact. These are timeless treasures of spiritual growth.

4. Podcasts. A substantial number of Churches post their sermons online. With iTunes, I can pick a favorite Church or speaker and hear their sermons every week. For me, they are automatically set up to be downloaded and then listened to at my convenience. Every week I can listen to the best preachers from the biggest Churches or from Bible college chapels with ease.

5. Attend Elsewhere. There are two things that help me to grow outside of my normal routine. One is going to conferences. I try to do this at least once a year. Last year I went to a men’s conference with my son. This year I am looking at one by Andy Stanley. The other source I use might surprise you. I like to occasionally take a Saturday night and attend a larger Church somewhere. At Easter this year I was feeling in need of some added growth time, so my wife and I went to a nearby Church and sat and enjoyed the worship without the stress of leading. This helped me to stay fresh going into the service at our own Church.

The wonderful part of being a believer today is that there are so many resources. We have study Bibles, books, blogs, podcasts, magazines, conferences and a dozen other things to help us grow spiritually. The resources are out there for you. With a little effort, you can keep yourself growing while still be able to help feed a few other people who are new to the faith.

What works for you? What would you add to my list?

Let’s be honest. Some sermons are either not very well prepared or presented. I have heard them, and I have preached them. Even the best preachers in the world have some weeks that just fall flat. I thought an idea was good. I put together a sermon I found interesting, but something was wrong. Eyes glossed over, and people started the head nod that comes not from approval but from their battle with sleep. I have repeatedly said that it is difficult to come up with 52 educational, engaging and challenging sermons each year. All of us preachers are bound to have some boring ones sooner or later.

If that is the truth, what do you do during a boring sermon? Even if it is not boring, it might be on a topic of which you have little interest. What do you do when the sermon is not connecting? How do you get something spiritual out of the time you have invested? Here are some tips for your future.

1. Read the Scripture. Many sermons are based off one passage of scripture. I focus my attention on that passage and read it. I read the passage ahead of it and behind it. Maybe God wants me to hear something from these stories, and I want to make sure I am fully listening.

2. Take Notes. I always have a pen and paper with me when I hear someone speak. I write down the speaker’s main points and scripture references. I try to totally engage in the sermon even when the preacher is losing me.

3. Write Down Any Random Ideas that Come to Mind. Sometimes a statement in a sermon will spark something else in my mind. I recently heard a boring sermon, but he said one line that made it all worthwhile. I have gotten several sermon and blog ideas while listening to a boring sermon – including this one.

4. Pray for the Preacher. When all else fails, I begin to pray for the preacher, the rest of the sermon and the other people listening. What is being said may not hold interest for me, but I pray someone is being blessed by the preacher’s words. I ask God to do a miracle in the auditorium. Honestly, I have even prayed that prayer in my mind when one of my sermons was going poorly. “Please God, let someone get something out of this” is a valid prayer.

5. Do an Internal Inventory. Ask yourself, “Is the reason I am not engaged the preacher’s issue or mine?” Are you distracted from the things of God? Maybe the problem is not the preacher, maybe it is me. Do I need more rest? Are there sins that need to be addressed? Do I have the right attitude toward God and his word? Sometimes the best thing I can do it think through my own spiritual life.

Let’s be honest. It can be hard to sit still and stay awake through a long and boring sermon. We have all been there, even people in my congregation. Since you have set aside time to be at Church or listen to a sermon you might as well make it productive for yourself spiritually.

What do you do when the sermon gets boring? (Be gentle with me:-)

Here is a thought for today –

Here is the best stuff I have read this week.

The Dark Theme in ‘Beauty and the Beast’ That Shouldn’t Be Ignored (It’s Not What You Think) – A thought provoking article on a tale as old as time.

1 Thing To Never Say To Your Kids – I do not totally agree with this article, but I found it thought provoking.

TEN COMMON SENTIMENTS PASTORS WISH THEY COULD EXPRESS

I generally do not use my blog for personal or Church purposes. I primarily write for myself, and I want it to be a little devotional each day. Today is the exception. If you live in anywhere near the Adrian Missouri area, I would like to invite you to a new sermon series starting this week.

The series is called True Confessions.

Here are the sermon and dates –

April 23 “I Have My Doubts About God.”
April 30 “I Am Hurting Inside.”
May 7 “I Don’t Like a Lot of Christians.”
May 14 “I Feel Like I am Failing as a Parent.” (Mother’s Day)
May 21 “I Don’t Feel Good Enough to Get Into Heaven.”

I hope you will join us at 9:30 am for worship.

If you live outside of Adrian you can hear the sermons by Monday morning on the Church website – www.adriancc.org – just click on the “Sermon” link at the top and then scroll to the sermon you would like to hear.

One other thing to note –

This Sunday and next Sunday (April 23 & 30) – Adrian Christian Church will be offering its membership class during our Sunday School hour. It will start after worship and last 1 hour each week. We will meet in the auditorium. Both sessions are required. There is no other Sunday school.

*This is an excellent opportunity to learn more about faith and the Church. You are not required to become a member after taking the class, but the class is required to become a member. The leadership is encouraging everyone to take the course, even if you already consider yourself a member.

*Childcare is provided. Please let us know if you need it so that we can plan accordingly.

**You do not need to sign up, but it is helpful if you can.

Contact me if you have questions or make a comment and I it will come to my email.

Thanks everyone and have a great weekend.

This year my second son will head out into the world. He graduates in 3 weeks and leaves for college in 3 months. I continually worry about him and his older brother out there in this big world all alone. Then I remind myself that God did not send them out all alone. He has put faith communities in every city and town in America. As a result, I pray that they will plug into a Church during their college years and for the rest of their lives.

My children have always had their dad as their minister. I know many pastors do not talk about Church issues in front of their kids, but we chose the opposite path. We have openly talked about the ugly side of Church with them while also sharing the joys. Today I want to distil down my biggest thoughts about the Church for them and for you.

1. The Church does more good than you will ever know. Some of the things a Church does makes headlines, but most do not. Through my life, I have seen the people in Churches rebuild homes, help victims of tragedies and donate supplies to those hurting. The fix meals for the sick and elderly. They give money to the less fortunate. They help, serve, give, work, share and love more than any other group of people I know. Much of what the Church does will not be seen on social media. Sometimes that makes people think it is not happening because other groups publicize their goodwill. Church people do it for God’s glory and not personal gain and it happens on a scale you cannot imagine.

2. Someone will hurt you. The old expression is that “hurt people, hurt people.” The truth is that the Church is full of hurting people. Marriages are falling apart, children have become prodigals, guilt and shame abound, and there is the constant attack of evil on people in the Church. As a result, someone will say something without thinking. They will act in a way that is inappropriate for believers. Ugliness will one day touch your life in a way that hurts. Know that those people generally don’t mean it. They are lost in a big scary world, and the easiest thing to do is lash out when threatened or as a plea for attention. Ignore the hurt and love them with grace. That is what they need … and you do too.

3. One day the Church will shock you with love and support. One day tragedy will strike your family. As a father, I hate that thought for my children, but it is true. Someone you love will die or get sick. There will be some sort of accident that will derail you. In those dark moments, someone from the Church will show up to love you. They will pray with you. They will sit with you. They will bring more food than you could ever eat. You will be overwhelmed with cards, emails, and texts. Quite often you will not know the depth of people’s love until a dark night, and it will fill you with awe.

4. People grow spiritually in Church. A Church community pushes you toward spiritual growth. They will ask you to serve and to lead. The Church will force you to deal with ugly and beautiful situations. They will attempt to teach you the Bible over and over again in a number of ways. Every Pastor I know wants to see an increase in the faith of the people he leads. Without the Church, you will get stuck in one place. No one will call you out on immoral behavior. You will be allowed to live with unforgiveness and a hard heart. The Church is the place I see people grow for the Lord, don’t let anyone or anything convince you otherwise.

5. You never know when God will show up. One day you will drag yourself to Church half asleep and God will touch you through a song, a video, a testimony, a sermon or a combination of all those things. You literally never know when you will encounter a God moment in your life. You may hope for it or expect it, but God does his own thing in his own time. One Sunday morning you may walk out of Church as a new person. If not you, then it will be your spouse or your children or a friend. Your views and attitudes will be altered for the rest of your life. One reason I tell people to be at a Church meeting every week is that at one of those God will show up and you will never be the same.

I write these things to my children, but also for you. The Church gets a lot of bad press in the world. Christians are often treated as dumb, shallow or misguided. None of those things are true. The Church is the greatest organization in the world. It has existed for 2000 years through every situation imaginable. God knew what he was doing and to truly experience a life of faith to the fullest you need to be a part of a local community of believers.

I am not a fan of Church hoppers and shoppers. I grow weary of people who change Churches over and over through their lives without ever actually connecting to one Church body.

With that said, let me tell you a story. When I was 5 years old, my parents changed Churches. Because of my age, I do not know all the details. I do know that my family had attended the local body of believers in our small town since they first moved there. My dad was saved in that little Church and took his first steps of Christian leadership in that building. Then when I was 5 years old, we attended a different Church. I distinctly remember the first day in the new Church because they had a group of children who were my age. They had special worship for me, and everyone was so glad I was in attendance. I told my parents how much I loved it. After that day, I never remember attending another Church. We connected to Woodland Heights, and my mom still attends today.

My life was significantly affected by a Church hop after my parents had done some Church shopping. I am thankful they moved so let me offer some thoughts from a person who has seen both sides of this issues.

1. Feel Free to Leave a Church When They Reject Biblical Teaching. This can take several forms. I have seen Churches openly embrace sin. I have seen other Churches deny clear Biblical teaching. Some have chased after a certain cultic teaching or cultic personality. I do not mean you are free to leave whenever they teach something with which you don’t completely agree. I have found no Church where everyone completely agrees on everything, in fact, if you found that type of unified thinking on everything it might just be a cult. Test all teaching against the Bible and ask for an explanation if you are unsure.

2. Don’t Leave If the Church Gets a New Minister. Honestly, preachers come and go. Connect to the people of the Church first and foremost. Quite often the people who don’t like the new minister are still healing from the old one leaving. They felt deeply connected and now that bond is broken. I have found that people who love the old minister eventually love the new one too. Sure, with each new leader there will be changes within the local Church setting, but the Bible is still true, God is still on his throne, and his people will move forward.

3. Never Leave if There Was a Conflict. Seek to heal. Pursue forgiveness. Fix what is broken. Christians do not run every time things get a little tough. Families have issues and so do Church families. In the book of Acts, whenever there is a conflict of any kind it is handled directly and gracefully. The statement that always follows is that the Lord added to their number. Working through our problems grows our faith and increases the work of the Lord as people see us working together through anything.

4. Consider Issues Involving Sin with Extreme Care. I have seen two sides of this issue. On one side is when someone in the Church, especially a leader, commits a continual sin and no one addresses it. There are numerous questions to answer in this situation. Who knew? When did they know? How was it handled? Was it handled? In many cases, you may need to consider leaving if sin and holiness are not being prioritized. The other side is when we have sinned. This is when I see people run and I think they should stay. One time a guy sinned and confessed it all to his wife and the Church leadership. Their lives were open at a level they had never experienced. Feeling vulnerable they left for another Church. I really thought they should have stayed and let us love them as Christ called us to do. When sin is exposed in the Church, it may require a move, or it might be best to stay. Choose wisely.

I will never know all the situations surrounding my parents moved in 1977, but it was a good move for my family. I do not think that is always true. Most of the people I encounter as a leader are running from something more than they are moving to something. Your Church experience will be best if you spend a lifetime in one faith community. I am not saying it will all be pleasant. I am saying that like in a long marriage you will never know the benefits of staying together until many years have passed. Then one day you will look back and see all the ways God has blessed your life.

The whole week had felt like the forces of evil were working against me. I didn’t sleep much the night before. I was tired and emotional already. My heart was racing, my stomach was churning, my head was pounding, and I could not sit still. The next two hours were going to go against every fiber of my being. I am introvert by nature. I am not a people person in any way. It was too late to call in sick. There were no other options. I knew it was not going to be fun, but this is what God has apparently called me to do.

This is how my Easter Sunday morning went.

On Easter, we had the highest attendance at any one service I have ever preached. I have always felt called to preach and lead smaller congregations and try to help them turn around. I am now charting new waters, and it is challenging. There are so many people and every week I want to run and hide. I know that sounds so unpastoral, but it is true. I do not find leading a growing Church fun. It is difficult work that takes every ounce of faith for me to survive.

Everyone tells me that I look so natural up there on the stage preaching. For me, it is anything but natural. There are moments I want to scream and shout. There are times I want to hide and watch the program on a screen. Each week is a battle of my will versus God’s plans for me. What I do each week is not fun for me, it is what I feel God wants me to do.

Please don’t misunderstand me. I am not asking for sympathy or pity. I just want you to know two important things. First, whatever goes right in Church is not because of me, but because of God. Second, if God can use me, I know he can use you.

Be warned up front. Following God’s plan for your life and using your giftedness will not necessarily be fun. In fact, it may go against all of your natural inclinations. The last time I checked though, I did not find that Jesus promised anywhere that following him would be fun. He spoke of taking up your cross and dying to yourself. He talked about a narrow way. Jesus indicated that his kingdom would be built on self-sacrifice rather than self-satisfaction.

Sunday afternoon I was exhausted. I felt like I had run a marathon emotionally. It was a good day for Christ’s kingdom. No matter how I felt about it, God did his work in spite of me. I know he can do the same thing with you.

Yesterday was a great day. We had 254 people in the front of our Church for worship. It was packed. We also had 61 children and workers in the back. It was an all-time high for me at Adrian Christian Church in every way. It was exciting to see everyone and experience a wonderful day of worship.

This morning I feel a little blue. I know months of work are behind me. I know the Christian calendar turns toward Mother’s Day and then a summer slump in attendance until VBS. On days like this, I fight the darkness in the only way I know how: I pray. Here are some of the things I am praying for today.

1. I Pray a Prayer of Thanksgiving for All Those Who Helped in Some Way. I am so thankful for the people who cleaned, decorated, prepared, cooked, served, lead, taught, sang, greeted, prayed, invited, and did one of the thousand things to make yesterday happen.

2. I Pray We Made a Good Impression. First impressions can shape a person’s thinking for a lifetime. I pray we made a good impression on our visitors. By we, I mean that all Christians made a good impression on others as individuals. I also mean we as a Church. I pray our Church did all it could to shine the light of Jesus into people’s lives.

3. I Pray Joy Was Felt by All. I hope that everyone who came to worship with us yesterday was blessed in some way. Maybe it was a song by some sweet little girls or a kind word from a greeter or a song the congregation sang together. I hope something helped each person feel the presence of God in their life and the joy of the Lord.

4. I Pray Seeds of the Gospel were Planted. One of my biggest hopes and dreams is that people begin to take those fledgling steps of faith because of being here on Easter. Maybe an idea was shared that starts them thinking more about God. Maybe the sermon helped someone to understand the Christian message a little better. I pray God used yesterday to move someone far from him closer to home.

5. I Pray People Made Connections that Will Lead Them to Return. It was great to have a full house this week. What would be greater? Having a full house again next week. I know we had several out-of-town guests, but if a few of the locals were able to connect with other Christians in a positive way, that would be wonderful. The bottom line is that it doesn’t matter how many people were here yesterday. What matters is how many lives were changed by being here.

All Mondays can be hard on preachers and Church staff, but Easter can be particularly challenging. We have been planning and praying for this since Christmas. Now it is over. That does not mean the praying for yesterday has to cease. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if yesterday was the start of something great and not the end of it?

May God bless you this Easter.