The Church, like almost every other non-profit organization, is dependent upon volunteers to donate their time to its cause. Last week while reading about volunteers I ran across this from Jim Randall who is the Chief Management Officer and Lead Navigator for Auxano. – a group helping new Churches move forward in growth.

For years we have conducted RealTime Surveys in churches around the country–churches of all sizes and denominations. One of our goals is straightforward: to discover obstacles to engagement in the assimilation process of the church. What issues are keeping attendees/members from worshipping, grouping, growing, serving, and responding to God’s call within the local church? From city to city and church to church we keep finding the same issues for volunteer engagement. If you are like me the discovery of some of those obstacles for engagement in volunteer service might shock you. We consistently find that approximately 50% of survey respondents are willing to serve in your church but they:

1. do not know how to get involved
2. have never been asked to serve
3. have expressed interest but no one has followed up with them
4. did not know the church had places to serve

Our Church (and every Church) has a lot of dreams for the future – Ministries we would like to make stronger, new ministries we would like to start and people we would like to see grow as they serve the Lord giving their time to the cause of Christ.

So –
If you do not know how to get involved, be sure and ask me. I hope our Church becomes an easier place to get involved.
If you have never been asked, know that I am asking now. I hope to catch each of you personally and find out what You would like to do for God.
If you have shown interest, I am sorry no one has ever followed up with you. I would like you to let me know and I will try to help out.
If you did not know about volunteering, we could use help in all of our groups that are under the age of 18 (RUSH, DIVE, Nursery); I would love to develop small groups and I need leaders, hosts, an organizer, teachers, and those willing to offer childcare; I have dozens of places to plug people in for ministry.

The simple truth always remains, “Many hands make light work.”
In ministry the truth is expanded to say that, “Many volunteers make a huge impact.”

Years ago when I started the new Church in Iowa we started every week with a Top Ten list. I kept all of them in my computer and sometimes I read back through them just for a smile. Today is one of those days. I thought you might enjoy this one:

TOP TEN SIGNS YOU AREN’T READING YOUR BIBLE ENOUGH

10. You think Abraham, Isaac and Jacob may have had a few hits during the 70’s.

9. You open the gospel of John and a World War 2 savings bond falls out.

8. You call the gospel of Luke “that book by Skywalker”

7. A small family of termites has taken up residence in the Psalms.

6. You become frustrated because Saint Nicholas isn’t listed in the index, concordance or table of contents.

5. You ask, “Who is this Jesus guy?”

4. When asked to look up Genesis 1:1 you have to look in the table on contents

3. Your favorite OT character is Hercules.

2. You keep quoting John 3:16 as “Cleanliness is next to godliness”

1. The kids keep asking you questions about your bedtime story: “Jonah the shepherd and his ark of many colors”

One of the Elders I work with mentioned something in a meeting that I have not been able to forget. He made a reference to the cocklebur and its seed that I just had to look up.

Apparently, according to the Penn State Extension website, the common cocklebur has two sets of seeds.

Each bur contains two brown to black achenes (seeds), one above the other. The lower seed can germinate immediately; the upper seed is dormant and does not germinate until months or often years later.

It is the second set of seeds that is intriguing. This elder said they can remain dormant for 30-40 and sometimes even 50 years before they take root and sprout. Can you imagine a seed remaining in the ground taking 40 years to sprout? Most of us would consider it dead and worthless, but that is simply not the case.

The reason I cannot shake this statement from my mind is because of the connection to faith. Jesus in Matthew 13 makes it very clear that the word of God is like a seed that is planted in the hearts of men. Most of us understand this concept of a tiny seed that takes root and grows throughout our lives. The application is made not only to our lives, but also to those with whom we share the gospel.

Here is the strange comfort to me, I want faith to be like the lower seed and germinate immediately. The reality is that sometimes, maybe most of the time, the seed is like the upper seed. It does not germinate for months or years or even many years. I can go about my life sharing my faith with numerous people and never see the seed take root. The lack of an immediate response does not mean the seed planted was worthless.

So today I am encouraged to just keep planting the seed of faith. The seed may not have taken root yet, but that is not necessarily the end of the story. Ask any farmer here in Missouri about how many cocklebur come up each year.

Recently I had two conversations about the same incident.

One person described a series of actions that lead to a positive outcome. As they told the story to me it sounded like they were very instrumental in this great organizational victory.

Then I talked to another person about the same incident. Their description was a great deal different. They described what happened with the same basic facts, but the story did not include the first person as the hero. In fact, they stated that the first person had tried to stand in the way of this action happening.

Finally, I had another conversation with the first person and I began noticing something. This person was the hero of almost every story they told. Their actions were pure and noble with other people’s best interest at heart. They did the right thing at the right time. They knew the best plan of action and always tried to take it.

After that last discussion I was reminded of something that Edwin Louis Cole use to say frequently, “We judge others by their actions and ourselves by our intentions.” There is a tendency in all of us to view ourselves as better than we actually are.

I believe this is so important because God’s work in your life starts with admitting that I am not a hero.

– To receive salvation, I have to admit that I am a sinner. I must admit that I have done things wrong in my life.
– To walk in the Spirit, I have to admit that I continue to sin and need the Spirits guidance everyday.
– To overcome sin, I have to repent of my behavior and make a change in my actions.
– To live in harmony with other people, I have to work on my failures in relationships.

I once knew a pastor who encouraged me to “lead with weakness.” He would tell me it is okay to admit my failures to people because it will be freeing to me and disarming to them. We believe in a God who gives second chances to villains…and most of the time that is me.

Ron Edmondson had a great post today entitled “25 People You Should Say Thank You To Today.” I thought it fit as a nice follow up to what I have been talking about on my blog lately. Enjoy

Thankfulness is a virtue that we often ignore. Sometimes we get so caught up in our own little world that we forget to thank the people who have helped us the most. Then there are people who just simply need thanking to help them feel better about their own situation. Everyone likes to be appreciated.

I thought I would use my platform to encourage a little thankfulness.

Here are 25 people you could easily thank today:

The person who gave you a start in your career.

Someone who encourages you that you only know online.

A random stranger God lays on your heart.

A teacher who had the greatest impact on you.

A friend who was there when you needed one most.

A pastor who helped shape your understanding of God.

The person you know who prays for you regularly.

The person who waits on you everyday — somewhere — and you don’t even know their name.

A politician you admire for doing the right thing — as best as you can tell.

The unexpected person who was there for you at just the right time in your life.

A person who may not receive encouragement from anyone else.

A leader you admire.

Someone who has invested in you and doesn’t even know it.

The person who has been the most patient with you.

Someone who believed in you when no one else did.

An emergency services professional — police, fire, military, etc.

Your childhood best friend.

The person who introduced you to the person you married.

A college professor who challenged you to think bigger.

Someone who inspires you with something they do well.

Someone who was a good friend to your parents.

A person you think is under appreciated.

Someone who has a smile that encourages you.

A family member who holds the family together.

The parent who paved your way.

A few suggestions.

I’m sure you have many more. Send a card. (Handwritten notes are awesome — and rare.) Write the email. Make the phone call. Plan a personal visit. Say thank you.

By the way, if you can’t thank the person anymore — thank their family. Can you imagine how encouraging that would be?

Twice today I have caught myself talking away to someone without realizing that I was doing all the talking. My wife and kids will tell you this is a common problem for me:-) It may be, but today seemed especially bad. I felt like I wasn’t asking either of these people about themselves and then I felt a little embarrassed. It sure felt good to talk to someone though.

As I was reflecting on this I began to flip my thinking over. Many times people have come in for counseling and during the hour we spend together I talk very little. I ask a few questions and they go on and on about their struggles. Most people are not looking for a real solution they are looking for someone to listen to them.

All of us need times to vent our frustrations or share our joys or even work through our thoughts out loud. When a person comes into our life who is willing to listen they become an enormous blessing from God. Maybe that is why the Bible says in James 1:19 “My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak …” There is a simple act of grace in listening to other people open up to us.

So my thought for today is to simply thank God for all the people who have taken the time to listen to me through the years. But also I am challenged to be a better listener. It might just brighten someone’s day.

One month ago today my family and I came into the city of Adrian to be the pastor of the Christian Church. It is hard to believe it has been a month already. This first month was full of hard work, ministry and fun. It saw some of the basics of ministry continue on for me. I still write sermons every week. I still attend various leadership meetings. I still visit with people and talk about the Lord and His Church. July 2014 did see numerous unique things for us:

1) Setting up a new home. This is the hard work part of our lives with lots of packing and unpacking. I must admit that I think unpacking is easier, but it still takes time and energy. We are basically finished with 90% of it. I am still working to set up my tool shed.

2. Trying to get my feet under me for ministry. For me this is the biggest project. I had to set up my office and get everything in place. I am trying to learn people’s names, how they are related to one another, and the basic overview of the congregation. I would like to get a weekly routine established but it will be hard until the kids are back in school.

3. Helping with Vacation Bible School. This was a new, fun and interesting project for my family. 150 kids under 8th grade – need I say more.

4. Establishing life in Missouri. We had to do everything from setting up a mailbox and bank account to getting utilities and groceries. The biggest projects now are getting a car, finding Michelle a job and personal insurance issues. (Please say a prayer)

5. Doing a complete assessment. Much of the first month is listening to people and watching the Church at work. I am always asking, “How could we improve what we are doing?” and “How can I help others on their journey with God?” A doctor needs to listen to the patient and possibly do tests before any procedures are done. It can be very similar in Church.

It has been a wonderful and challenging month. My boys have made new friends and are starting to plug into football. The family has enjoyed trips to the pool. We have been shopping and exploring the area. All and all the first month was good.

My biggest lesson is simply to continue trusting God. He has provided all we need and I know He will continue to do so. We have food, clothing and shelter and all of our basic needs are being met. I thank the Lord and the church here for all of the blessing of this one month.

He is my brother…

and he was adopted.

Most of the time I forget that. We laugh at many of the same things. We are both losing our hair. We both make fun of my sister. We are more alike than different.

I guess that is what adoption is supposed to be like. You are part of a family together no matter what.

It is interesting to me that the Bible tells us God has adopted those who follow Jesus as part of his family. It has implications for how we view God but also how we view one another.

If you are a believer then you are part of one large family with me. Most of the time I forget that too.

My friend Justin Davis over at Refine Us ministries posted this today. (It sounds very much like my sermon last Sunday)

In December 2013, I set a goal to lose 40 pounds in 2014. (It was the third year in a row that I had set this goal, but don’t judge me.)

My goal seemed well thought out. It was measurable, it was attainable, and it had a timetable.

What I didn’t have was a plan.

I didn’t have a workout strategy or gym schedule. I didn’t have someone lined up to work out with. I had no meal plan or diet. I had great intentions, but no intentional plan to make my goal a reality.

Easter Sunday we had our picture taken as a family. I looked at that picture and realized I was heavier than I’d ever been. Despite my good intentions, I hadn’t lost a pound.

Within a week I came up with a weight loss plan and as of today, I’ve lost 36 of my 40-pound goal.

Most couples I know have great intentions of improving their marriage relationship. They want to communicate better with their spouse. They want to resolve conflict in a healthy way. They want to improve the sexual intimacy aspect of their relationship.

Desire isn’t the problem…

I’m still thinking a great deal about relationships. Today’s thought comes from two totally different stories.

The first story is about a man I knew in Alaska. I would ask him how he was doing and he would respond with, “It’s all good.” He never told me he was doing well or having a good day. For him life was “all good.”

The second story is from a worship program years ago. I was visiting a Church to start a Revival series in a town nearby. I knew the minister well, but did not know anyone in the congregation. At the beginning of the worship program the minister asked if there were any prayer requests. One man stood up with his wife and he said, “Today we are celebrating 55 years of being happily married.” She quickly shoved her elbow into his side and said, “We have been married for 60 years.” He said, “I know, but we have only had 55 years of happiness.”

As I think about all of the relationships in my life I realize that none of them have been ALL good. Don’t get me wrong – I have people I deeply love that I enjoy a wonderful relationship with. But all of them have some rocky patches. There are days when things don’t go well and we do not get along. My life is rarely all good.

In fact, in many of my weddings I tell the couple that the difference between marriages that make it for life and those that don’t is not the number of problems they have. The difference between the two is there willingness to hold on through the difficult times.

The same is true in all your relationships. If you are experiencing a time of difficulty, then work hard to make it better. But also, hold on for the good times. Someday things will be good again.