Tug-O-War!

It is an annual event. The elementary school where my youngest son attends holds "Track Day" at the end of the school year. This fun day at the high school track is complete with 100 and 400 meter dashes, relay events, long jump, hurdles (small ones), jump rope competition, and a softball throw. The kids have a blast competing against the students from the other classes in their grade. The highlight of the day is always the tug-of-war! At the end of the track meet the classes divide up and pull against one another to find out who is the strongest class of the year. It is hilarious to watch the kids grunt, strain, and pull with all of their little might. They love it! They scream and dance with every victory and moan with every defeat. The biggest event of the entire meet is when the winning class gets to challenge the parents and teachers. Each year the scene is the same . . . 30 to 40 little kids strain and pull against the 20 adults. Each year the strategy is the same . . . the adults don't really pull so that the kids think they are about to win and then right at the last moment the adults destroy the challengers pulling them with ease across the line! That is how it always goes, until last year. Last year my oldest son was in 5th grade. The 5th graders battled it out until the winning class was selected. Then came the parent challenge. Like always we grabbed the rope. Like always we allowed the students to move the center flag precariously close to the victory line. Like always we then leaned into the rope. Like always . . . wait . . . this time something different happened. We couldn't budge them. In fact, with all of our strength, yells of "1,2,3 . . . pull", and strained back muscles, our eyes filled with horror as the 5th graders worked together and dethroned the adults. We walked away in shame. I walked away with a lesson. Little things add up. One 5th grader would have been no match for us. Forty, on the other hand, were just too much last year (this year the parents reasserted their dominance).

The same thing is true in our spiritual life. How many of us allow the little things to add up and ultimately pull us into defeat? If it had been one little thing we would have smashed it and walked away victorious, but we allow a lot of little things to strategize and pull all at once and we are swept off of our feet and into shame. Scripture says it more eloquently, "It is the little foxes that destroy the vineyard." Little things become big things. Little things become strong things. When we allow them to compound they become mighty. So my question to you today is "What is pulling on you?" Maybe you haven't given it a second thought. Maybe you have brushed it off as trivial and something that you will deal with later. Stop and reexamine that little thing. It may just be a 5th grader on steroids! It may just lead to defeat if you don't put it in its place (under your feet) right now. Pull hard. Pull long. But for your sake, pull smart!

Monday's Muse

1. Had a great weekend. Services yesterday was powerful. The worship team rocked "Change the World!" I love that song. It is so fun plus you get to practice spelling . . . L-O-V-E!

2. Finished our "Sickology" Series yesterday. I enjoyed doing it. The scriptural accounts I based this series on are some of my favorites!

3. Getting ready for One Prayer to kick off in 2 weeks. I think it is going to be really good.

4. It was a great weekend, but very long. I got up at 3:20 on Saturday morning to go hog hunting. Both Tal and I got a hog. His is way bigger than mine. It is the first long day on a Saturday that I have done in awhile because of trying to make sure I am rested on Sunday. I really didn't feel that tired yesterday. I do now though!

5. I went to a graduation dinner last night. It was very fun. Then I stayed up late and watched the movie "Valkyrie". It was really pretty good. It certainly was an appropriate movie to watch in light of it being Memorial Day. It makes you stop and think about the cost of war, the sacrifices that have been made, and how thankful we should be to those who have risked everything for our freedom! Thank you soldiers!!!

6. Just tryin' to chill with the family today.

The Benefit

I have been wondering lately whatever happened to giving people the benefit of the doubt? I realize that it is easier to doubt than believe. I know we have seen leaders, friends, family members, co-workers, neighbors do the worst, say the worst, and act the worst. So it is certainly easier just to believe the worst . . . and you know what . . . most of the time we are probably right. Most people don't do right. Most people don't act right. However, I just remember a time when we believed in the good in people. I am certainly not one of those who beats the "don't judge" drum! I am more convinced than ever that we have become extremely slack in exercising judgement and discernment, but we used to reserve judgement until we knew the facts. Now we just right people off instantly. If a person has been faithful, diligent, conscientious, and honest for years shouldn't that count for something? If a person has done everything in their power to operate above board and with integrity shouldn't they get some credit? I was once told "Don't expect anything from anyone and you won't be disappointed". What a terrible way to live. What a terrible way to be treated. I want you to expect good from me. I want you to expect me to be honest. I want you to expect me to be a hard worker. I want you to expect me to tell the truth! Why? Because that is what I expect from you! Let's give each other the benefit of the doubt again. When you hear a bad report or a rumor, stop, extend grace, derail the gossip train, find out the truth, and then make a judgement. I am sure this is a better way to live. I am sure this is the way I want to live.

How about you? Do you give people the benefit of the doubt? Any thoughts?

Monday's Muse

1. Yesterday was a special day at Passion. We honored our high school and college graduates. We had 20 this year. That is huge. We gave them each a really cool cross, had prayer over them with their families, and then had a reception after service. Some of our ladies did a great job of putting the reception together.

2. Personally I felt like I struggled a little yesterday to communicate in the first service. That happens sometimes, but I hate it every time it does. Felt better about the message delivery in the second service.

3. Our Sound Tech (Danny Nix) told me after the first service that on the last song (Amazed) the vocals were so tight that it sounded like it was coming straight off of a CD. I am so thankful for our worship team and band. They do a great job and it makes our services powerful every week.

4. We had a new record of 34 people who watched our service live online yesterday including 1 pastor from India! The technology floors me and affords us great opportunity to expand the impact of our ministry. I appreciate Danny Nix and Max Barroso for helping us make this experience more inviting and powerful. In the next few months, we are going to make it possible for our folks who come to church to log in to a computer and invite their friends from FaceBook to join our service online.

5. I am looking forward to One Prayer 2009! The theme this year is "God is". I think it is going to be great.

6. On Pastor Appreciation Day, this past October, our congregation gave me a wild hog hunting trip. I have been wanting to try this for years. Well, the day has come. I am scheduled to go on the hunt this Saturday! I can't wait. Hoping for massive amounts of BBQ in my future. Pray church!

Living with the Prophetic

There are many gifts. They are all crucial to the health of the body. All needed. All vital. It just so happens that I test out very high in two areas of gifting: administration and prophetic. I have had to learn to live with the prophetic gift. Living with an administrative gift is pretty easy. Usually an administratively gifted person is liked, welcomed and accepted. That isn't always the case with the prophetic gift. I don't claim to have all the answers about the prophetic gift. However, I have come to some conclusions as I have lived with this gift.

1. The prophetic gift is needed.
It seems that we live in an increasingly gray world. Everyone wants to do what they think is right and there doesn't seem to be any absolutes. In this type of environment, the prophetic voice is a rare treasure. Someone who can see things black and white can become a clear sound in very muddled choir of voices. I think folks are looking for that kind of sound. I know I am.

2. The prophetic gift is a hard gift to have.
Some desire the prophetic gift because they seem to have a bone to pick with folks and presently don't have the guts to confront. So the prophetic gift seems glamorous and cool and avenue to "speak your mind". However, I have discovered that this gift is difficult to live with at times. The reason that is the case is because people with this gift are usually tougher on themselves than they are on others. The tendency is to constantly beat yourself up. The finger pointed at others leaves 4 pointing back at you. No fun at times. The prophetic cuts both ways There have been times I have asked God to just leave me alone! I don't want to be the one who has to say that! A blessing and a curse.

3. The prophetic gift is often judged harshly.
I know folks who think anyone who operates in the prophetic is arrogant, insensitive, cold, politically incorrect, and heartless. Most prophetic people I know are broken in their heart when they are called on to deliver a tough message. Unfortunately, that brokenness just can't always be seen on their face or heard in their voice. Most of the prophetic people I know do their crying in private.

4. The prophetic gift can be frustrating.
When you can see something clearly and others can't, it can be frustrating to say the least. When it is so cut and dry, how can they waffle or fail to decide on a course of action? This gift can make your hair turn gray way too soon!

5. The prophetic gift is not an excuse to be rude.
I think we have often confused a rudeness with the genuine prophetic gift. There is no doubt that the prophetic gift demands bluntness and being straight forward. However, I have seen folks be down right rude in the name of being prophetic. I believe it is absolutely essential to remember that every gift that the Holy Spirit has given us is for the purpose of edification. It may cut away, but it will ultimately build up. There is a huge difference between being prophetic and just being a jerk! I have left services in which a popular "prophet" belittled people, demeaned people, and generally acted like nothing more than a school yard bully. That isn't prophetic, it's pathetic. If you want to know if someone is prophetic or a jerk, then just watch how they treat the sound man or support staff. Declare the Word of the Lord. Do it with power and without backing down, but do it with class and tact! Lack of manners shouldn't be mistaken for authority!

What is your experience with the prophetic?

Monday's Muse

1. We had powerful services yesterday. I never want to try to make something happen in the 2nd service just because it worked in the first service. That was true yesterday. Each service was unique and yet powerful. The first service may have been one of the most impacting times we have ever had at Passion.

2. It was great to honor all the ladies in the house yesterday!

3. Our attendance is doing very well. Believe it or not we have been over 200 for 3 out of 5 weeks!

4. It was cool that someone from India watched our live stream on the net! Proof that you can't live without passion anywhere!

5. Enjoyed softball last night. It makes for a long Sunday and I can always feel it on Monday morning, but the fellowship and exercise is worth it. Not to mention that it is a great witnessing opportunity!

6. Received more baby news yesterday! There must be something in the water at Passion. I will share who is expecting this coming Sunday.

7. Loving the Sickology Series. Just good old fashion Bible truth!

8. Found a small hole in the sanctuary wall yesterday morning. Termites!!!!! Have to meet a bugologist this morning to try to get rid of them. Pray that they are contained in one area.

9. Busy week! Boys have all kinds of end of school activities. Proud of my kids. They are awesome (mainly because they have such an awesome mom)!

Leadership?

I am more convinced than ever that leadership without integrity does more harm than good. In fact, without integrity is it really leadership or dictatorship? If it is still leadership, then would Hitler be a great leader? Could he control folks? Yes. Could he mobilize folks? Yes. Did he destroy, terrorize, and manipulate folks in the process? Judge history! I will take leadership matched with integrity every time.

Any thoughts?