I recently read an article that made sense to me as a church leader. The author of the article is a Church consultant who helps Churches make moves toward growth and outreach. He stated that one problem many Churches can have on Easter is to celebrate the crowd and ignore the connections.

This Sunday will be one of the 2 or 3 largest attendance Sundays of the year. Currently a Christmas program, especially with children, will surpass Easter. For our Church we have our closing program for Vacation Bible School which surpasses every other Sunday in total attendance. With that said, Easter Sunday is still one of the biggest days of the year for the Church in its celebration but also in the number of people attending.

It is an exciting time for the Church as we see old friends and so many new faces. As a result the first question I am asked by our regular Church attendees is, “How many people did we have?” We want to celebrate the fact the we had so many at Church this one day.

The sad thing for most Church leaders is that we know what is coming the next Sunday. Attendance will drop back to the average and sometimes it will actually drop even lower. The large group will disappear and few people will return.

This author suggested that maybe Churches are focused on the wrong thing. We get excited about all these new people being there that one Sunday instead of focusing on getting connected to these new people.

Which is better? 100 new people who boost the Church to its highest Sunday attendance ever but only 5 return in the next month. 50 new people in attendance and we set no records but 25 people return the next month.

Clearly I would think the second is better in the long run. How about you?

If this is true, how about we spend more time this Sunday talking to strangers instead of about them? How about we invite people into our lives and maybe for a meal instead of running out with family and forgetting our guests at the door? How about we invite people to come back instead of just thanking them for attending? How about we make a connection with someone instead of celebrating the crowd?

This Sunday let’s celebrate every connection we make far above how many people are in attendance. I think the Church will have a greater impact when we focus on individuals instead of the group.

The song is actually titled “When Upon Life’s Billows,” but you probably know it by the common name of “Count Your Blessings.” The song is a simple encouragement to count the good things in your life when everything feels like a difficult sea of emotions. When pain and struggle hits someone it is a good time to think about all the blessings you have received to counter our negative thoughts. Counting blessings is always good advice.

Recently while driving down the road the Service Engine Soon light came on in my vehicle. My old Pathfinder has just shy of 180,000 miles and it still runs well. In fact, this is the first time the service engine light has ever come on for me. I can’t really tell you why it keeps running. You could say that it was well-built or well maintained. You might even say that I am lucky. What if it was just a simple blessing from God?

There are so many things in my life I have come to take for granted. Lately I have been thinking of them as “uncounted blessings.” The way I see it, God has given me all of these daily blessings that I often overlook because they seem so ordinary. Maybe there is some simple logical explanation of why these things happen but maybe it goes just a little beyond logic into the realm of the supernatural. Maybe God stands behind all of these daily blessings.

So today I am trying to me more thankful for all God has given me. To open my eyes to the thousands of blessings I have in my life. It might be a vehicle that keeps running. It might be a refrigerator full of food. It might be a TV that allows me to watch the game. It might be that I found a good deal on that item and then it exceeded my expectations. It might be a friend who just happened to stop by for a visit. It might be a day off when many people are working. I could go on and on and on.

Your life may be full of a thousand little blessings that you have never noticed before. How would your perspective on life be different if you took the time to count the blessings you usually take for granted?

Here are some of the best articles I have read over the last month. Enjoy.

5 Easy Ways to Be Generous Without Using Money

9 People Who Definitely Went to Your Childhood Church

9 Things I Love to See When I Visit a Church

12 “SURPRISINGLY” FRIENDLY EXPERIENCES OF CHURCH SECRET SHOPPERS

In Case Your Parents Haven’t Told You This Yet…

This Is the Number One Predictor of Divorce

I have frequently quoted 1 Timothy 1:15, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners–of whom I am the worst.”

It is one of the places that Paul says “Here is a trustworthy statement.” That serves as a sort of highlighting of the words Paul is about to write so that we know their importance. Paul saw himself as the worst of sinners and that is exactly who Jesus came to save. I usually mention that God came to save each one of us no matter how bad we think we have become.

It was not until recently that I noticed the words that follow this verse. 1 Timothy 1:16 reads, “But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.”

In essence Paul says that God showed him mercy so that he could show everyone he encountered how wonderful the grace of God is to those who believe. Paul was a living example of the power of the gospel. He clearly saw God’s unlimited patience at work through every mistake he made.

Almost daily I hear someone confirm that we are all sinners. Each one of us openly acknowledges our lack of perfection when it comes to our relationship with God. Most people might not classify themselves as the worst of sinners publicly, but we all know our failures quite well. We sin and fall short of all that God desires for our lives.

Instead of trying to hide that truth Paul embraces it. He says that his life is an example of God’s mercy and patience to everyone. That does not mean he wallowed in his sin and never attempted to change. He simply used those moments of failure to point others to the grace of God.

Our lives may be full of sin but those times we fail are opportunities not only to receive grace but also to share mercy and grace. Christians need to be very clear that we are not perfect, in fact, that is why we are Christians. And the grace that fills our lives is available to everyone in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Through the years I have had several people tell me that they are praying for me as their preacher. I always appreciate their kind thoughts and especially those prayers. I know that the prayers of God’s people encourage me, strengthen me and empower me everyday.

So if you are the kind of person who is willing to pray for their preacher, then let me share with you a few of my prayer needs. I think most of these apply to every pastor I know.

1. Pray for Them as a Person. Pray for your preacher like you would a family member. Pray that God will bless them. Pray that He will shower them with grace and mercy. Pray that God will lead and direct them in their home and their work. Pray for their safety and their health. Pray for them.

2. Pray Against Temptation. Every person, including pastors, have a weak point in their lives. That may be pride, anger, lust, greed, gossip or a variety of sins. I believe that evil one will find that weak point and try to exploit it. Pray that you preacher will stand strong against the forces of evil at work in his life.

3. Pray Concerning Their Family. Trouble at home makes ministry even harder to do effectively. Think about how your family struggles affect your work life. Well, for a pastor Sunday is always coming and no family issue can stop it from coming. Even on difficult weeks a sermon still needs prepared and preached. I would also encourage you to say a special prayer for the pastor’s wife. She needs it too.

4. Pray for a Clear Voice. Most preachers speak at least twice a week. Some of them do it even more. There is a constant cycle of ideas, study, learning, writing and speaking going on each week. Pray that the pastor will say the right things to the people who need to hear it.

5. Pray About Their Leadership. Honestly, I have no idea what I am doing. I know what I have been taught, what I have read and what I have experienced. But I really never know what God is doing in the lives of His people or this Church. Most pastors are not really qualified to lead a congregation. We were taught how to study the Bible and then to preach and teach it. There was not even an internet when I went to college and now I am suppose to use it for ministry. How do I do that? I have no idea exactly how to do anything, but I ask God to lead me. A pastor needs others to do the same thing for him.

I am sure there are other things I could add to the list, but these are the big ones for me. These are the things I pray for everyday concerning myself. I would ask you to pray for the same things for me or for any pastor you know.

I am not a youth ministry expert. In fact I never wanted to lead a youth group or teach a teenage class. And yet, after 23 years of ministry I have managed to do just that for all 23 years. I have taught and worked with teenagers year after year in both a class setting and a youth group setting.

I am also not a teen expert. And yet, I have four boys who are all teenagers. One is on the top side at 18 and one is on the bottom side at 13. I live and breathe teenagers at my house everyday.

With that said, let me share a couple of insights or keys I have about reaching the next generation with the message of Jesus.

1. Your Commitment is King. Teenagers recognize if you are one person on Sunday and another through the week. They recognize when you skip church, don’t serve and disregard other people. The flip side is also true. They recognize when you are sold out on what you believe and try to live it out everyday.

2. Attention is a Drug. All children are desperately seeking attention. They will find it in negative or positive ways. Once they find it they are addicted to it. Giving a child attention will make them connected to you in a deep way. This can be a double-edged sword. You will love it and hate it.

3. Friends are Foundational. Young people fill their lives with relationships. They may be in person or in some digital format. They will be highly influenced by this group of people. They will need positive role models of all ages but especially in their group of friends.

4. Fun is Not Optional. This is one I am learning. The next generation is serious about their sports, their video games and doing anything they enjoy. I have been wrestling with this. How does the church leverage this truth for outreach? How do parents use this truth to influence their children for Christ? I think one big key is to learn their likes and step into their world. It will create a trust that will let you speak into other areas.

5. Discussion Opens Doors. Because of the enormous amount of information available to today teenagers they want to discuss what they are hearing. I believe Christians need to teach the truth but then take time to discuss it. I am not great at this, but I see the need and I am trying to get better. Teach but then listen and talk. When you respect their thoughts and views it opens up their minds to learning.

Like I said, I am not an expert but I do play one at Church:-) I am trying to constantly learn how to reach the next generation with the gospel. God has been teaching me a few things that you might find helpful too. They need Jesus and we need to help them find him. I think these are some of the keys. Do you have anything to add to my list?

I have loved to collect arrowheads since I was a boy. They fascinated me then and they still do today. In fact, for years I walked fields looking to find these little jewels. As a result of our searching my dad and I were able to find hundreds of these Native American weapons. I have a display case full of them in my living room that is quite impressive.

If you are not familiar with arrowheads then you need to know a few things. First, the oldest arrowheads are very primitive. I have a collection that my dad calls “willow points.” They are basically an oval shape with a point on each end. Indians would shove a shaft on one end and they had an arrow. Second, over time the designs became more complex. I have all types of different shapes and sizes that are all very unique. Finally, you need to know that every design was unique to the rock they were using. A good builder would use the natural breaks to form a unique design with every new arrowhead.

Well, I could go on and on about arrowheads. Like I wrote earlier, I am fascinated by them. But this weekend I was looking over my arrowhead case and a new thought hit me. In my mind I clearly thought, “these are just rocks.” In reality these unique little creations are just plain old rocks. There are billions on the planet. They are basically everywhere you go. Then a second thought hit me. “Yes, these are ordinary rocks but they are different because they were touched by a master builder.”

The difference between an ordinary thing and an extraordinary thing is who has touched it. A plain old ordinary rock is transformed into a beautiful collectors item with the touch of a master’s hand.

This truth applies not only to rocks, but also to people. You and I may be ordinary in every way. We may be just like the other billions of people on the planet. But what makes a believer unique is we have allowed ourselves to molded by the Master. Our lives have value not because of our ordinary features. Our lives have value because they are shaped by God.

For years VH1 (a TV music channel) ran the show “Behind the Music” to tell the full story of certain bands and the songs they created. Well, today I want to take you for a few minutes behind the sermon.

Each week of the year I create a new 25-30 minute piece of material to share about God’s word. I have been doing this for over 23 years now. Only two of those 23 years have I preached less than 48 times in a calendar year. One year I took a sabbatical and one year I was moving to Alaska and the transition took longer than expected.

I tell you that because I have developed a simple plan for making sermons. Just to be clear I write all my own sermons. Yes, I have borrowed titles, topics, illustrations and even texts but I make the final product myself. In fact, each year I try to preach at least 30 sermons on topics or texts I have never spoke on before. This Sunday, for example, I will preach on the parable of the 10 bridesmaids in Matthew chapter 25. To the best of my recollection I have never spoke on this story, rather I have usually preached on the parable Jesus spoke after that one about sheep and goats.

As for my sermon preparation plan: First I plan the sermon out roughly months in advance. I come up with a topic, a title and often a text. Then the week of the sermon comes. On Monday I read the text and start gathering ideas. I hope to have a very rough outline by the end of the day. On Tuesday I try to spend all day on the sermon. My goal is to have 6 typed pages of an extended outline. On Wed. I review and add the final page. This day I spend the least amount of time on my sermon as I prepare for other things. On Thursday I finish the sermon in the morning. By this point I have read through my sermon at least 3 times. I have edited it at least 2 times.

Here comes the part that surprises people. I preach through the sermon from beginning to end every Thursday. Sometimes I preach it twice if it doesn’t go real well. I am simply trying to hear the flow of the sermon and take a mental picture of every page. Friday is my day off and Saturday is hit and miss with work. If it is a big sermon coming up like Easter I will preach through the sermon again at my house on Saturday night before bed. Saturday nights are always the same for me. I wake up every 2-3 hours and review what I am going to say in my mind.

Finally I wake up early on Sunday morning and drive to the Church building. One more time I preach through the sermon out loud in my office from beginning to end. I try to do it without notes and just occasionally check to make sure to see if I am missing anything.

That means by Sunday morning and I stand up to preach I have read through my sermon 5-6 times. I have preached through it 2-3 times. Often I am editing the sermon in my mind right up to the point it comes out of my mouth.

Why do all this? Mainly, I believe it honors God. If I am going to speak for Him I want to do my best. If a couple of hundred people are going to give me their time then I want to use it wisely. Practice is a drag but it is free. You can work hard, practice and then evaluate without any special skill. Through the years I have taken my limited skill and maximized it for God. My ultimate goal is NOT for anyone to say that I am a great preacher. My ultimate goal is that God will use my efforts to speak into someone’s life. If you want to know my simple secret to good preaching my answer is always, “Practice, practice, practice.” It makes you better and I think it honors God.

My oldest son is 6575 days old today. That is 939 weeks or 216 months. You could also say he is 18 years old and has seen 5 leap years including this one.

He was born on a Monday evening at 7:16 pm after 22 hours of labor. Most of the delivery was coached by me as there were very few nurses because of a snow and ice storm. He was not breathing when he was born and I was terrified. Since the moment the doctor got you breathing again I have been scared for 18 years.

As a young child you wanted to be like daddy. As a middle school boy you wanted to be a sports star. But you turned out to be a wonderful, kind young man. You may not be a big name star but your smile and your great heart will impact everyone you come in contact with in your life. Your brothers will be great men because they have you to look up to.

I want you to know that I have prayed for you almost everyday of those 18 years. I have asked God to keep you safe. I have asked Him to lead you in paths of righteousness and forgive you when you fall short. I have pleaded with God for a spouse who is a follower of Jesus.

Today I thank God for you and I ask Him to bless you beyond measure.

The seal of the United States of America contains the words “E Pluribis Unum.” I know nothing about Latin, but I am told those words mean “Out of many, one” (alternatively translated as “One out of many” or “One from many”). The idea is simple to understand. This country is a diverse groups of states with numerous cities that all make up one unified country. In order for this country to be great we must learn to work together.

I must admit that every time I read those words I do not think of the United States but rather the Church. The church is a diverse collection of individuals who are united by the salvation Jesus offers us through the cross. We are a group of people with different ages, skin colors, backgrounds, genders and a dozen other different things. One thing that I have found to be true through the years is that each person has their own unique set of beliefs too. While we may all agree on the big stuff of faith there is a vast array of beliefs on other things. Each person is a conglomeration of what they learned at Church, from their parents, in their experiences and any other source that taught them about faith.

I believe that each person in the Church has a decision to make about how we view other people in our community:

1. We can choose to focus on our differences. We can spend our time trying to correct other people’s views so that they align exactly with ours. We can serve as a watchdog on faith in our community of believers.

2. We can choose to focus on our similarities. We can spend our time focusing our attention on those beliefs of which we can all agree. We can open our arms to diversity and try to learn from each other in our community of believers.

Please hear me clearly, I am not saying that doctrine is not important and that we should not all strive to learn exactly what the Bible is teaching. I am saying we can set our minds on trying to learn from one another. We can help each other on this journey of faith. We can study together, pray together and serve together without total agreement on everything. That way the next time you encounter someone who views something different from you is an opportunity for discussion and growth rather than criticism and division.

My hope is that the Church will be a place where people can think, learn and grow and that we can do it together. My prayer is that our diversity will not keep us from unity.

The founders of our country were correct in their thinking. This country needs to come together in our diversity to form one great nation. I also believe the founder of the Church had the same idea first.