Reflecting A Year Later

Sitting here and drifting back. Drifting back to a year ago. This drifting back is best summarized by a post from then. So…here is the then drifting into the now…from March 11, 2009. Hope you enjoy.

——-

Blog? What blog? Man…it has been weeks since any post which has completely derailed all nurtured and constructed momentum. What happened? I’m unsure how to answer this question or if an answer even exists.

God has remained faithful…a promise that will thankfully never change. Cool news – I changed careers. Not just a lateral transition…but, a whole new venue. Not just additional opportunities…but, a melding of the passions God has placed upon my life. Not just happenstances…but, truly molded and prepared by the hand of God. Blessed does not even begin to express my gratitude to my Lord and Savior. I’m amazed and stand in awe…honored and humbled.

I’ve basically felt like a sponge the past week or so. I’m saturated and need a good ringing to continue absorbing. Praise God!

The timing although questioned by me throughout the past few years was perfect down to the day…down to the hour. And I chuckle as if this timing was ironic. God was closing and wrapping one chapter while another was and is being paved. I’d love to share the specifics with any and all. Just get in touch with me as the story truly is a cool one.

More than anything, the essence of the ordinary seems to ring loud. I’m a pretty ordinary guy and that’s ok. There are others with the same gifts and talents. Others with similar issues, praises, and questions. Others with similar stories. There are simply others. God makes me unique. An extraordinary God.

Lay aside the preconceived notions of self. Stop looking inward. Remember…there are simply others. Others looking, seeking, and searching for truth. On a global scale…we as followers of Christ need to transform from inward to outward. While programs for self may be noteworthy, they likely miss these others. If we miss…let’s not travel down this if as the corresponding then is quite sad.

Button those shirts. Lace those shoes. Cloth the ordinary and let loose. The extraordinary God from within will overflow and use the ordinary to do the extraordinary. What an honor to be a child and friend of God. All to His glory. Until next time. Jed.

Expected Or Shocked

During college, a group of guys gathered each night for prayer. A great group which I deeply miss. One night we prayed for God to bring people to us for prayer. Guess we weren’t very missional with the whole come to us versus us to them mentality. Regardless…here’s what happened.

——-

Been praying for and with each other. Now, wrapping it up.

Us: “God please bring people to us for prayer…amen.”

Instantly, there was a knock at the door. I got up and answered. My neighbor, who was far from God, was standing within the hall…rocking back and forth.

Neighbor: “Hey…I think you all meet and pray. If so, may I come in and could you please pray with me? I need help.”

After my slight stroke, we did just that.

——-

We all were shocked. Not only did God answer our prayer…but, He answered it instantly and without delay.

Are we shocked when God answers? Or, are these answers expected?

Nothing profound within this post…other than praying with expectance as we serve a God who loves to answer.

So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

Which of your fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!

Luke 11:9-13. Until next time. Jed.

Why I Love My Life Group

Let me tell you about my life group. All ages from twenties to fifties. All walks of life from babies to teenagers and from blue collars to white collars. None better than the other. Simply doing life together as fellow friends of God.

Here’s what we’re up too…

Friday night we’re hanging out. Games and homemade pizzas. Mmm.

Sunday morning we’re serving together. The smiling faces for all who come through the doors of Harvest Chapel.

Monday night we’re digging into Scripture. Applying love and tackling life.

Let’s not forget the constants. Friends to count on. Laughter. Minds to pull from. Really really good food. Shoulders to lean on.

So…why do I love my life group? Seems like a silly question after noting the above. Doesn’t it? Which only begs the real question. Why struggle and stumble alone? Get plugged in. Do life together. Build support walls.

When the time comes…you’ll be glad you did as we’re designed to be actively engaged within community. And…we all know life happens and the time always comes sooner or later. Until next time. Jed.

Where Are The Leaders

I love a good game of ping pong. Unfortunately, I suck and usually lose. That’s right…I lack mad ping pong skills. But, I love a good game of ping pong nonetheless. I trust you do as well.

Now…imagine the ball hitting the net and bouncing away and off. Away and off into some corner or crevice. Some corner or crevice which simply seems impossible. Oh boy! But…away and off it goes with you chasing behind. Crawling around like a fool with your friends laughing and mocking. We’ve all been there. Right?

We pursue. We pursue despite this laughing and mocking. A relentless pursuit. Why? Well…without this ball the game is useless. Without this ball the game is over.

——-

Ever sit and wonder. Wonder where are the leaders. The shepherds. After all, people sit and listen week in and week out to sermon after sermon. Sit and listen to small group after small group. Shouldn’t they simply emerge? Kind of appear as a basic byproduct?

However, we often forgo the one in pursuit of the many. Creating many sheep without reproducing any shepherds.

Don’t get me wrong. Sheep rock! But, sheep without shepherds quickly fall pray to roaring lions.

The remedy? Some good old fashioned one on one mentoring.

——-

Back to ping pong. Pursue the ball and what do you get? Bumped heads, bruised egos, and brushed cobwebs. Still, we pursue the ball. The one. And…we pursue with intention. See the similarities?

——–

Back to reproducing shepherds. You guessed it. More bumped heads, bruised egos, and brushed cobwebs. But, forget the game. The stakes are greater and higher. You see, without these shepherds, ministry is useless. Without these shepherds, ministry is over.

So, here’s the summary…

– Pursue the one for the sake of the many. The shepherd for the sheep. The leader.
– Pursue the one through one on one mentoring. Who are you mentoring? Better yer, who’s mentoring you?
– Ignore the bumps, bruises, and brushes. They come with the territory.
– Be intentional or it’s useless and over.

Reminds me of a quote from my previous post. We impress people from afar, but impact them from up close. Dave Gibbons. Until next time. Jed.

The Rest Of Random Takeaways

Well…Church Planters is a wrap. Although my left ear is totally plugged from the flight, I’m grateful for the opportunities. Here are my remaining takeaways…

The sins you find most appalling to God are the ones you don’t struggle with. Pete Wilson.

It’s the church’s job to create an environment where we help people discover their new name. Pete Wilson.

Are you equipping the saints or are you just building numbers? Dave Gibbons.

We impress people from afar, but impact them from up close. Dave Gibbons.

If you treated your wife like your iPhone, you’d have a great marriage. Dave Gibbons. (Ha…now that’s a good one.)

What’s the big deal if you only love people who are like you. Dave Gibbons.

Don’t take early loses seriously. Ignore them! Rick Warren.

God grows a mushroom in six hours and an oak in sixty years. Which one are you? Rick Warren.

Determine the health of your church not on seating but on sending. Rick Warren.

Never confuse your value with your valuables. Rick Warren.

Learn humility. Remember the whales. When they get to the top and are about to blow, then they get harpooned. Rick Warren.

Stop building church and build people as when you build people God will build the church. Rick Warren.

The six phases of faith. Rick Warren.
1. Dream
2. Decision
3. Delay
4. Difficulty
5. Dead End
6. Deliverance

That’s all folks. Until next time. Jed.

Random Takeaways

Day one of Church Planters is a wrap and I’m wiped. Here are my random takeaways from the past twelve hours.

Church is driven by God and fueled by volunteers.

If you don’t need the Gospel more than the people you’re sharing it with, you ought not be sharing it with them.

You must learn to develop leaders or the mission will die or kill you and your team.

Systems aren’t sexy but they produce success.

On church systems, you can learn them every week or you can learn them once.

You must be bold and fear God…not man.

What’s the most important next step?
1. The ability to sense where God is leading.
2. The courage or insanity to actually do it.
3. The leadership to convince a few to come along.

Excuse the sporadic order as I type just moments from sleep with Seinfeld keeping me company. Until next time. Jed.

What’s Your Theology

This past week, I attended a lunch where Neil Cole spoke of Organic Church. I admit…I was skeptical as my exposure to Neil was minimal. But, I loved every minute. Here’s what stuck with me more than anything else…one simple quote.

“The greatest sin of the American Church is self preservation,” Neil Cole.

Wow. That one calls for a good gut check. Neil took it a step further and outlined two differing theologies.

The theology of SAFE:

– Self preservation is the mission.
– Avoidance of risk and/or world is also mission.
– Financial security equates to responsible faith.
– Education equates to maturity.

The theology of DEATH:

– Die daily to who we are.
– Empowerment of others is our life.
– Acceptance of risk is normative.
– Theology is not just knowledge it’s practice.
– Hold on to Christ with open hands to all else.

Which one are you living out? How about your church?

Are we trusting in self through safe or trusting in Christ through death?

I simply love these thoughts and will let them stand alone without much comment. Take them to heart, be honest, and pursue Christ!

Thanks Neil for the challenge. Feel free to visit his blog here. Until next time. Jed.

Lacking Simple Answers

Crack open the tail end of Genesis and what will you find. My man Joseph. Sold into slavery by his own kin. Locked up within the dungeons of Pharaoh. Forgotten by friends. Reason after reason for despair, discouragement, and doubt.

Funny thing though. Joseph reflects back with thankfulness instead of bitterness.

And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. Genesis 45:5

Lately, I find myself questioning Scripture. Joseph couldn’t have possibly meant that…could he? But, crossing from the Old to New Testaments, we stumble upon more. More of the same.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds. James 1:2. Why? For the development of perseverance. Don’t get me wrong. Perseverance is good. But…pure joy? You’re kidding. Right?

Almost adding insult to injury…Paul pushes the envelope within Romans. Trials to develop perseverance to develop character to develop hope. Hope? Now that seems like a stretch…

Ya. I’m being a little honest and open tonight. No worries though. There’s good news as I’m sure of two things.

1. There’s a God.
2. I’m not Him.

So, despite my questions, I stand encouraged. Encouraged by lives such as Joseph. With all his tears and trails and how these tears and trails ultimately saved many from famine…including his own family.

The lesson? Even though we may only see today…God sees the relationship of today with tomorrow. And, for that, I stand encouraged. Until next time. Jed.

Get After It My Friend

Better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting for that is the end of all men and the living will take it to heart. Ecclesiates 7:2

Met a funeral procession this morning and this verse immediately flashed through my mind. Huh. Some somber thoughts from the wise counsel of King Solomon. Wouldn’t you agree? I mean…what in the world. Better to mourn than to rejoice? Nuts I say!

Truthfully though…this reminder is priceless as today comes and today goes. One very short day. 24 hours or 1,440 minutes. The kicker…we’re not promised a single one. This day will never be lived again or, who knows, may never be lived at all. Rather, this day will quietly fade into a forgotten yesterday.

After all, days quickly multiply into weeks, into months, and into years. Not just quickly but very quickly. Revealing your life as but a blip on the radar of history. Here and then gone. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. James 4:14.

What a reminder. A reminder to run and run with endurance. Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Hebrews 12:1. Run in such a way that you may obtain the prize. 1 Corinthians 9:24.

Remember our last post? Let’s not forget the who or the why…to seek and save the lost. So, get after it my friend. Together, we hold a miraculous miracle.

Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your sting? O hell, where is your victory. 1 Corinthians 15:54&55.

This is why we, as believers, rejoice in mourning. And…the only way those outside our walls will ever rejoice with us is by living it out and speaking it up. So, once again, get after it my friend! Run and run with endurance. Until next time. Jed.

Permission To Pull The Plug

Why do we do what we do? Lately, this question has lodged and rattled within my mind…specifically in relation with my church. So, why do we do what we do?

Let’s first start with yet another question – who do we exist for? After all, once we define the who we can then define the why. Luckily, we don’t need to look far as Jesus already answered both of these questions.

For the Son of Man came to seek and save that which was lost. Luke 19:20.

Who – the lost. Why – seek and save.

Funny how questions we often complicate are really pretty simple. As such, the core question quickly becomes – does any given ministry bear the fruit of seeking and saving? A simple yes or no question. Flat out easy to assess with the one caveat of honesty. And sometimes honesty stings. But, if the answer is no, why continue on?

Don’t get me wrong. It’s not easy pulling the plug…although, sometimes necessary. And let’s not forget…Jesus already gave permission. That’s right! Your permission slip is already signed.

You may think this post is a tad harsh. After all, aren’t we called to care for the orphans and widows? Sure we are…but, why do we assume these orphans and widows are already believers?

More to follow along these lines at a later date. Until next time. Jed.