Talk about boring ...

A few days ago, I came across a quote by Mike Foster that grabbed me. I loved it, because it's a simple sentence that really makes you think.

Here's the quote: "Our guardian angels are bored."

It was a "Wow!" moment for me when I read that, because I thought that simple sentence uniquely captures the weakness of today's church, and the emptiness of too many of today's Christians.

We're living so weakly for Christ, our guardian angels are bored!

What are you doing to shake the world around you for the kingdom of God in such a way that you wear out your guardian angels? Keep them always on the go?

Or could your guardian angel take an extended vacation without any worries?

Scotty

Worship Leader or Lead Musician?

One of the most under-utilized staff positions among churches is that of the Worship Leader.

That's because for many churches, the person serving in that position really isn't a "worship leader," but in reality is more a "lead musician."

If someone is going to serve in a pastoral position of being a congregation's leader of worship, shouldn't that person be the "biblical expert" on the topic of worship? Shouldn't such a position do more than be lead musician and singer for a "worship team," but be devoted to building the purity, quality, and depth of true worship in the lives of church members?

If you had a question about worship, would you ask your Pastor or the Worship Leader? Most would ask the Pastor, but isn't the Worship Leader the spiritual leader responsible for teaching worship?

Or is he a Lead Musician instead?

Why don't Worship Leaders "own" their area of ministry in a fuller way? Imagine how church members could grow if Worship Leaders did more than lead music, but taught the congregation biblical worship!

Teaching could be done bit by bit in church services. The Worship Leader could lead small groups teaching on the topic of worship. He could also build in teaching times and activities in existing groups and settings. He could personally lead short-term discipling groups focused on studying biblical worship. There are a variety of creative ways a Worship Leader can help a congregation mature by learning about worship AND developing a life fuller in biblical worship.

Hiring a musician who is also a gifted singer doesn't mean you've hired a Worship Leader.

Who is teaching biblical worship to your congregation?

Scotty

What I really meant to say was ...

Many fat people don't want to be fat, they're just too lazy to consistently do what it takes to be fit.

Most of us are that way with our words. We use words and terminology that don't quite properly represent what we mean, we're just too lazy to figure out the right words.

For example, we often hear Christians talk about how God wants to "be a part" of our lives.

Nonsense.

God no more wants just a sliver of you than a chocoholic wants a single Hershey's Kiss. God wants your entire life --- every aspect and ounce of it --- surrendered entirely to Him. That way, we get to be a "part" of His life!

God doesn't want us to "take time" for Him. No matter where we are or what we're doing, God is already there. So it's not that 10 minutes with the Bible early in the morning that we call our "God time" that He desires. Instead, He wants to be welcomed into every moment of every hour of every day of your life. God wants you to make life a communing experience with Him, a constancy of journeying through life with Him.

The church isn't a community, but we call it one and treat it like it is one. God says it's His family, Christ says it's His bride and His body. But many keep calling it a community, anyway.

We call the moments we give God our "quiet time" but rarely is it a time when we are actually quiet, listening to Him. Our mind is loud with reading and prayer. That isn't being quiet.

We talk about "inviting Jesus into your heart" or into our lives. Again, Jesus isn't seeking space in a vital body organ. It's all of you, or none of you.

When we're feeling especially holy, we may ask some poor sinner if they have "found God." But we don't find God, He seeks us. He pursues us. He reveals Himself to us. He calls us. He extends Himself to us. Most aren't looking for Him, but He pursues us anyway. Because He loves us.

We say we attend a "Bible-believing church." Really? Because to believe means to apply.

Sometimes we say "I love to worship" but we really mean "I love to sing." We get irritated when the one hour and fifteen minute church service is drawn out to one hour and 30 minutes, but we "love to worship." That's why karaoke is still so popular, and true worship isn't.

You see we say a lot of things, some we mean, some we don't.

Imagine your life with God if your words matched their meaning. What would that look like?

"May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer," Psalm 19:14.

Scotty

Rethinking Church?

Enough already!

Yet another article is out by a 20-something "Christian hipster" making his argument against evangelism and for the need to build relationships within which we can tell stories.

Throughout the decline of the church in America, we have had many such "new leaders" in the church make their pitch against evangelism (the latest one doesn't even want to use the term, finding the word so unappealing) and for relationship building, completely missing the fact that the greatest evangelist ever --- Jesus Christ --- was relational in His evangelism. Now the new focus is on telling your story. Yes, we have numerous preachers preaching the need to tell your own story.

All the while, the church continues to decline.

All of this has come about because "leader" after leader seem to think they need to rethink how to "do church."

There's one reason why church leaders should rethink how to do church: when they aren't following the biblical model for the church.

None of these leaders have come up with a better way to do church than God did when He envisioned it. Then He provided us with the model, complete with methods, in the New Testament. And guess what, when we actually apply and follow scripture, it works.

This recent writer has a particular disdain for Christian tracts. I've never been a user of tracts, but I know many who have. Yet I would wager there have been more people who have come to Christ through a tract that told the Gospel story than there ever will be through you or I telling our own stories.

Our stories don't change lives. God's story does. Sharing it so others can know His story, and have their lives changed, is called "evangelism."

Maybe we need to rethink how we do church: are we doing it God's way, or creating our own culturally-directed models?

Scotty

Why we dont' get wisdom when we ask for it ...

Times are tough. You need more wisdom than you have. What do you do?

It's at times like this good Christian friends brush off a well-known Bible verse and offer you this:

"If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking," James 1:5.

So you ask God --- once again --- to bless you with wisdom. You've asked God for the same thing many times. But in many cases, wisdom doesn't come.

Why?

Because you're asking just for wisdom.

Huh?

The problem is, we want to go from not knowing to having wisdom in one swoop. We don't know what we need to know, so we just want God to drop a dose of wisdom on us so we can best navigate our challenges and get on with life.

What's missing are the developmental steps to wisdom. Sometimes God directly blesses us with wisdom, just as simply as James calls for in the Bible text. But we also see in scripture that it's God's intent that we grow spiritually in such a way that wisdom is more of a natural outflow of our development, rather than more commonly a missing aspect of our lives.

How does that happen?

It's a three step process:

1. Knowledge. Jesus calls us to be His disciples, His students. The first step is to learn Him. Not just about Him, or from Him, but to learn Him. To build a solid foundation of knowledge.

2. As we build our knowledge, we strive to increase our understanding. The value of knowledge is more than simply having a collection of information or facts, but to gain understanding from that source of knowledge.

3. Finally, we strive for the best and highest application of that understanding, which is something we call "wisdom."

Many of us want to go from challenge, directly to God providing wisdom, skipping over the growth steps of learning (building knowledge) and gaining in understanding. James wasn't suggesting this leap frog approach to wisdom. Sometimes, even with the best discipling and understanding, we still struggle for wise insight. God delights in helping us past those difficulties. If we lack wisdom, we should ask God, who is happy to bless us with the wisdom we need ... but often, it's IF we're doing our part.

God isn't going to learn for us. He expects us to be students of Christ, diligent in His Word, yielding to the Holy Spirit who instructs us in all truth. By building our knowledge as children of God, growing in our understanding in Him, we will grow in wisdom.

And when we need an extra dose?

"If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking."

Scotty

Have you head-butted Jesus?

It wasn't a mini ranch, it was just a few acres.

I was in the fifth grade when we moved onto this old property on the outskirts of Phoenix. We had a horse, for a while we had a calf, some chickens and geese, and finally came a couple of sheep.

This was my first experience with sheep. They looked so friendly and fun, I immediately climbed the fence into their pasture.

I didn't stay there long.

Have you ever been head-butted by sheep who take a running aim directly at you?

I was that day.

Then I learned something about those sheep.

They were frightened of me because they didn't know me. They were in a strange place being approached by someone they didn't know. So they ran at me in an attempt to send me running.

And I did!

But I also learned if you're patient and gentle with those sheep, they will follow you around like puppies once they get to know you. They soon loved interacting with me, welcomed the snacks I brought them, and bleated loudly when I scampered over the fence and left them alone.

Sometimes I think we Christians are like those sheep when it comes to interacting with our Great Shepherd. Because many of us don't take the time, or make the effort, to really get to know the Shepherd, we're more likely to try to head-butt Him than embrace Him.

These words of Jesus are recorded in John 10:14, "I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me."

Do you know the Good Shepherd? Or do you run at Him because He's more a stranger to you than a trusted Shepherd? What efforts are you taking to truly get to know Him?

Scotty

Imagine starting your day thinking about this ...

For most of us, from the moment we awake in the morning we have at least one objective we want to accomplish that day, even if it's simply, "Get through the day!"

It might be something important at work.

It might be an activity or event with your children later that evening.

It might be something to do with your spouse.

Perhaps it's a personal project you're working on.

Maybe it's something as simplistic as trying to beat the morning rush hour traffic.

But each day, there's usually something we want to accomplish.

Where does, "Bring glory to God" land on your daily to-do list?

Or does it?

Is it something you even think about?

Considering the fact that we human beings exist for the purpose of bringing glory to God, maybe it's something we need to make as a conscious daily pursuit. Maybe we need to move it up higher on our list of important things to pursue. Maybe it's something we need to be purposeful and mindful about. After all, if we're not actually thinking about it, how do we expect to accomplish it? Accidentally?

Romans 11:36 states, "For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen."

First Corinthians 10:31 exhorts us this way: "So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."

For a long time now, it has been a part of starting my day to make a portion of my morning prayer time asking God to help all that I am and do that day bring glory to Him. It helps me start my day with a desire and intent to live in a way that will glorify Him.

How do you make living for the glory of God a focal point of your daily experience?

Scotty