Labor Day weekend of 1993 I was invited to speak at a small Church in Urich Missouri. It was my third year of college, and I felt God leading me to become a preacher. I went into the administration building at Ozark Christian College, and they said this Church was looking for a preacher. I could go there, and if they liked me then I might be invited back for another sermon, and it could potentially be a student ministry. On Sunday morning I loaded up my car for the day and drove one hour and forty-five minutes from my dorm to Christ’s Christian Church. I was more than a half hour early for the program and was surprised to find a couple of older people there preparing for worship. The time came for the service to start and seven people were sitting in the back two rows on the left, and one older gentleman was on the right side. I asked if we should wait for everyone else to arrive and they looked around and responded by saying they were all present. We sang hymns, prayed, shared communion, and I preached. The exact text and topic of the sermon have long been forgotten, but the memory of that day remains.

By the grace of God that little Church asked me to return the next Sunday. Away from the holiday weekend and there were a few more people the second week. Again they listened to what I am sure was a sermon composed of the best stuff I had heard in chapel at college. Once more they invited me back to speak. Finally, the first week in October after worship a couple of people grabbed me and asked if I would like to come back every week. Elated and scared I said that I would be more than happy to preach for them.

Most weeks were the same for me. I woke up and drove the hour and forty-five minutes to Church arriving before anyone else. They trusted me enough to give me a key. I would go early to preach through the sermon, make sure everything was ready, then meet with people before Sunday school, help lead a lesson, and finally, we would all worship together where I would preach. The following year I would learn to plan worship and lead when needed. I taught Sunday school for adults and then teenagers. When everything was done on Sunday morning, they gave me $75, and I felt like the most blessed student in the world.

The sermons were nothing special, but they were my fledgling steps into preaching. Much of what I said was shallow, short-sighted and immature. I was 21 years old, and I spoke to people two and three times my age. During my time in that ministry, God was good. The Church added people, and soon 40 or more were coming on Sunday. We had 70 on Easter, and there was little space for any more people. By the end of my time with the Church, I was blessed to lead two young people to the Lord and baptize them into his name.

Since those days, twenty-five years have come and gone. I have served five other Churches in four states. I have preached well over a thousand sermons, taught countless lessons, and baptized around 200 people. God has been good to me every step of the way. I have made my share of mistakes, failed repeatedly, embarrassed myself and others, along with doing a few things right. God took that child I used to be and transformed me into a committed follower of Jesus who leads his people. For that, today I am thankful.

We live in a time when it is easy to rely on the opinions of others. When my wife and I visit a new town and the time comes to look for a place to eat, we check out the reviews of local sites online. Then comes the time to make a purchase. I search for the ratings given by commenters who already own the product. Quite often the restaurant or the product I choose is swayed by the opinions shared on the internet.

The side effect of this practice is that it can influence us beyond the things on which we spend our money. The words of others can shape our thinking about everything.

If we listen long enough to other people, it can affect the way we see what is important. It can shape our view of God and what it means to be a believer. Their frustrations can be our frustrations. Their views become our views. Quite often our thoughts about ourselves are shaped by what other people say above all else.

One struggle for a person as they follow Jesus is to have their thinking shaped more for God’s word than by the words of others. You may be carrying a burden you were never meant to carry that was laid on your shoulders by other people. Your view of God may be steered more by the comments made online than by the Bible. How much of what you believe about your heavenly Father and yourself are shaped by the opinions of the people?

As our reliance on ratings and reviews grows with each year, we must be careful with the value we put on the opinions of others beyond those helpful comments. Trusting someone who recommends the best blender is one thing. Believing their views about God and the value of human life is quite another.

Yesterday it happened again. The first song of our worship time on Sunday I did not know. Honestly, I had not even heard it on Christian radio. My very first exposure to this song was in our time of worship. The leaders were asking me to sing a song I did know in my praise of God.

For many people, their reaction to this event would be less than favorable. There would be anger at the song or sadness over the newness of the situation. For me, moments like this are an opportunity for growth.

1. It forces me to focus on the lyrics. When you know a song by heart, it is easy to sing the songs from memory rather than focus on the content. As you sing a new song, you are given a chance to listen closely to the lyrics because of their unfamiliarity. Yesterday I heard in a fresh way that God “frees every captive and breaks every chain.”

2. It gives me a new way to express my praise. I believe the praise of our God cannot be captured with one image or phrase. It is not limited to even 10-20 songs that resonate with me. His praise is limitless. I love thinking about our God in new ways or from new perspectives. One of the songs the band is introducing is called Reckless Love. It has been around for a few months and has been greeted with some resistance to the phrasing. Is God reckless? Well, no … and yes. As the song says, only the reckless love of God would leave the 99 sheep to seek after the lost one. I love the image of God who cares about every individual, especially those who are lost.

3. I learn to appreciate the old songs. Another song from the worship set was an updated version of “It is Well with My Soul.” It amazes me that the original song was written in 1876 and it still touches lives today. When I hear new songs, I usually think about how long they will last. Honestly, most of the songs we sing today will not last for over a hundred years. Some of the hymn writers penned hundreds of songs to have only one that lasted. Those songs that endure from generation to generation are extraordinary.

4. It reminds me what it is like to be new to the Church. Every week someone new walks into our Church to worship with us. Some of them have never heard a worship song in their life outside of a funeral. They have no idea about lyrics or tempo or song styles. Each new song gives me a chance to stand in their shoes to feel what is new and unfamiliar. We are all just pilgrims on a journey with God and moments like these help me identify with people who are just joining the journey.

I will be honest; I love singing my favorites. I love taking a line and belting it out with all my heart. But I am learning to enjoy new songs as well. They push me and force me to see our worship as something bigger than just my preferences. Our worship is an opportunity to connect with one another as we sing our heartfelt praises to God. And so, I sing no matter what song is chosen for the group.

Here are some of the best articles I have read over the last several weeks. Some really good stuff. Enjoy

What the Church taught me about being fat.

4 ways to undermine your Christian witness on social media

20 NEW Politically Incorrect Thoughts on Church in America – Great thoughts for anyone in Church, especially leadership.

10 Signs the Christian Authors You’re Following are (Subtly) Teaching Unbiblical Ideas – Great stuff. Longer article but worth thinking through.

8 Predictions about the future of sex, gender, and marriage in American – Some interesting things to think about.

Confessions of a Reluctant Complementarian

More good stuff from business guru Seth Godin. Short and profound.

Today is the best day

We learn as we go

Our Church community is getting bigger. It is a great blessing from the Lord to see so many people coming to our weekly gatherings. The hard side of this reality is that the bigger a Church becomes, the more focused the pastor must be in his job. I find myself asking questions like, “What are the primary activities I am gifted to do?”

This week I have been thinking about this very specifically as I plan for 2019. Here are what I see as the primary motivations in my ministry.

1. I want all people to know Jesus as their Savior.
By far my greatest motivation is for people to come to a saving relationship with Jesus. I preach the message of the cross. I explain the grace of Jesus. I do everything I can to bring people to Jesus.

2. I want people to become spiritually mature.
Once you make Jesus your Savior, the journey is just beginning. God calls us to live with Jesus as the Lord of our lives. We are to grow in our faith until we become Christlike in our behavior. I encourage people to read their Bible, learn what it means and apply it to their life in every way. I want to help people grow in their faith.

3. I want people to connect with other believers.
Faith is a journey, and we are not to travel alone. God wants us to be surrounded by people who will encourage us, challenge us, and teach us. The Church is not a place where we come to worship God; it is a group of people who worship God coming together for connection in the name of Jesus. I want to facilitate ways for people to bond on a deeper level.

4. I want people to find a second chance in Jesus.
The people who accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior and come together as a Church are bound to make mistakes and fall short of the faith they proclaim. Christians are a bunch of hypocritical sinners. That fact can push us away from faith or draw us closer to him as our only hope. I want people to know the grace that saves us again and again.

These are not an exhaustive list of the motivations for ministry. These are just the ones I feel called to in my work for Jesus. Other pastors focus their attention in other areas ranging from social justice to working with the needy to prison ministry to defending our faith. Those are also noble causes, but those are not the areas God has gifted me to serve. These are my areas of ministry. I pray he brings people around me who can help us to be a complete body of Christ.

Now, let me ask you some questions, “What are your specific areas of ministry, in what ways has God gifted you to serve his kingdom, and what moves and motivates you as you serve him?”

Knowing the answers to those questions will help you to say “no” to things that are a distraction and “yes” to things that will make an impact for eternity.

The post was finished. The idea was good. The lines of text almost wrote themselves. Then I went back and read what I had written. I sat for a few minutes reflecting on the words before I posted my blog. Finally, I did it. I took my mouse and dragged the cursor over the text and hit the delete button.

At first, there was sadness that swept over me. I had spent over a half hour typing and pouring my emotions into every line. The words were true, and the concept was clear. All of that was gone.

The single problem with my words was glaringly obvious. It was written out of anger and frustration. My emotions had overtaken me, and instead of making a phone call or having a private conversation, I was going to use my blog as a weapon. People would know I was justified by my self-righteous tone of condemnation.

Even though I am sure I was right, this was not the format to address it. The Bible encourages us to confront the people who oppose us face to face. Jesus said if you know someone has something against you then you should go to that person.

We live in an age when social media in all its forms allows us to shout our disapproval of others on every corner of the internet. Frequently I find myself typing things and then pausing to hit delete. If you are at odds with someone else, the Christian thing to do it confront that person in a kind and loving way. I hope that before you post that negative comment or send that angry email, take the time to use the delete button.

The look on their face told me what they were thinking. I had seen that look dozens of times before while I was preaching. Some people have been bold enough to confront me about it. They thought I was preaching at them or about them.

The sermon hit home in a way they hadn’t planned when they headed out to Church that morning. It was on a topic in which they were struggling or knew they needed to change. It seemed too personal to have happened any way other than deliberate planning.

At this point, I usually need to explain my sermon methodology to them. Over a year ago I spent time in prayer and discussion and came up with my annual sermon plan. Right now, most sermons have a title, topic and possibly a text until December 2019. That is almost a year and a half into the future. This helps me to touch on a wide variety of topics and prohibits me from giving stump speeches on hot topics every week.

Next, as each series approaches, I begin to fill in additional scriptures, articles, and illustrations. For example, the whole series I am working on now has a text, a general topic, and specific application. Then my next series in about one-third planned before I ever set down to write a single sermon. Most of the primary material is put together a month or more before the speaking date.

Third, I take Sunday night through Tuesday morning to write the final draft of the sermon. I then let it “rest” until Sunday morning when I preach through it and make any last-minute adjustments that I feel God leading me to make. Sometimes I will add in current events, immediate illustrations and application for relevance. Most of the sermon to this point has been guided by two questions. One, what does the Bible say about this text or topic? Two, what do all Christians need to hear about this concept? How can I apply it to this place and time to people who want to follow Jesus? At this point, I rarely have thought much about the people in my congregations specifically.

The final part of my sermon is prayer. This is where things begin to happen. I ask God to do two things every week. First, I want my words to be clear. God use me despite my sins and shortcomings. I implore him to take my words and fill them with his Spirit as I deliver them on Sunday. My second prayer is very specific. I ask God to bring in the people who need to hear this message. I plead with God to fill this building with people whose heart he can touch through my words.

I have no idea who will show up on Sunday. Nowadays many people only come once or twice a month and some it is far less frequent than that. I had no clue that you would be here on Sunday, but God did. He showed up and used my words to encourage, confront, challenge or do whatever he needed to do in your life. I do not believe it is a random chance that you came the Sunday I spoke that sermon. I believe God brought you here this day to instruct you in some way. Don’t be mad at me, God is the one who is putting all this together.

Jesus frequently pushes our actions up against the final judgment of all of humanity. His parables are full of this type of thinking. He talks about wheat and weeds growing together that will be separated at the harvest, along with sheep and goats, good fish and bad fish, and those who bear good fruit and bad fruit.

Jesus lives and teaches with eternity in sight. He continually pushes us up against the judgment of God and forces us to ask ourselves, “Will my decisions and actions today make a difference on that day?”

All of us tend to live with only the road ahead of us in mind. We see only through the front glass of our lives the things that lie immediately ahead. Jesus wants us to think about destinations. Where is our life headed? What will be the ultimate end of our actions?

How would our life, both yours and mine, be different if we lived like heaven were a real place? What should we change to be ready for the judgment of God?

I want to live this week as if every moment were preparing for the day I stand before the throne of God. Because, that is what is happening, whether you are conscious of it or not.

Recently I have conversed with three different individuals about something they needed or wanted to accomplish. Each one reminded me of a benefit that is found in being a part of a community of faith.

1. In a community, you can fulfill a mission.
One person feels called to a foreign mission field. It is a great and God-glorifying call. The issue is that it takes resources to make the work happen. It requires more time, money and talent than one person has alone. They needed a community to support them, encourage them, pray for them, and help fund the mission. If you want to make a global impact, then you need a community bigger than yourself to help accomplish it.

2. In a community, you can use your gifts.
Another person came to me to tell me about a gift they possess that they would like to use for God. They truly want to help other believers live a life for Jesus in every area of their life. Without being very connected to the Church, they wanted me to promote their idea. It was a sad moment as they realized they could not use their special gifts to help other believers without any connection to people of like faith. When you are a part of a group of Christians, you have a place where you can use how God has gifted you.

3. In a community, you can help more people.
The final person had this great dream to help people who are struggling in life. They recognized it was a bigger project that they could do alone. They wanted me to ask out leadership to help them in any way possible make this good work a reality. If you are going to dream bigger than yourself, you will need other people to help you fulfill your dreams. Whether it is feeding twenty people or helping a whole city, the more people involved will make the work seem possible.

All these people are loosely connected to our Church, and I am trying to help them in several ways. But the conversations with these people reminded me of numerous other ones I have had through the years. People will talk about how the Church is of no use to them, and then they show up in my office asking for our community to help. I believe that God desires for each one to be a significant part of his body so that more can be accomplished than we could ever do alone.

I am a creature of habit. Lately, my life has been turned upside down. My wife took a new job in June, and her schedule is different every week. She is working days and night and overnight. She is working mornings, afternoons and evenings. There is no rhyme or reason to it. With her days continually changing I am trying to flex my schedule to optimize time with her, with my children and get my 40-50 hours of work done each week. This has put me in the office some mornings by 6:00 and other days at noon. I have stayed up till 2:00 am and worked for twelve-hour stretches at a time. I believe God is using this season of my life to teach me a few things.

1. Every minute is valuable. Some days I am only able to squeeze in a few minutes with my wife. I am learning to treasure our time together as it is more limited. When you have little time, you need to make every moment count.

2. You can probably do more than you think. I have been amazed at the amount I can get done in less time. The old rule is that a job will increase to the size of time you give it. This is true in my case. If I know I only have two hours at the office; it is amazing all that I can get done.

3. Technology is a great blessing. Living in 2018 allows me to work from anywhere at any time. I can search and read scripture on my phone. I can take notes on any device I have in my possession, and it shares it with all other devices. I can access the internet from literally anywhere so that I can email 24/7. It is a great time to be alive.

4. Days off are valuable but difficult. Since my wife started working these weird shifts my time at the office has been limited, but my amount of work has increased. I find myself reading and taking notes at midnight when I am all alone. When you can take your work with you anywhere through technology, you must establish boundaries, or you will be working all the time.

5. I’m thankful for my job. Ministry has a few downsides, but what job doesn’t? I frequently hear pastors complain about the workload and the stress. I believe I have one of the greatest jobs in the world. My leadership understands that this season of my ministry is a little different and it will soon pass. They have given me the freedom to flex my time if everything still gets done well. I am glad to have this freedom while serving a God I love.

If you come by the Church building and I am not present, don’t worry, I am still working. You need to contact me ahead of time to schedule a meeting. I am sorry for the inconvenience, but I am thankful for your understanding. Otherwise, I will see you Sunday morning ready to preach the best sermon I possibly can for the glory of God.