Crazy Love by Francis Chan

I am currently reading a brand new book by Francis Chan called Crazy Love. The idea is that God loves us beyond our own comprehending and we need to understand this. The only way to do that is to go back to Scrpture and really read it. To remind us about how incomprehensable God is to our finite minds.

We have to retrain ourselves. We have to realize that maybe we are wrong in some of our thinking and come back to a fresh reading of God's Word, God's love letter to us, will reveal we need to change...

Francis Chan has a video on his website, http://www.crazylovebook.com/. Click on the link, click the videos link on the left, and then click on the "Just Stop and Think" video. It will challenge you, so at least take some time to stop and think about it...

YouVersion

I have been spending the last few hours learning a new and FREE online Bible program...or should I say...community. It really is a revolutionary way to read the Bible. You can add commentary, sermon ideas, video, and links.

YouVersion is a great new innovative way to enjoy Scripture in a whole new way. It also helps those that are driven by the internet to interact with the Bible in a way they feel most comfortable and relevant. This new program is a creative way to connect a living Christ to our internet-driven culture.

I have addded a link oto YouVersion on the right side of my blog. All you have to do is scroll down and click on the YouVersion icon. You can take a tour and check out the the features without signing up. It is at least worth a curious peak...or at the very least think about it...

Letting Your Hair Down

The phrase, "letting your hair down", simply means to lighten up, have fun, you know...live a little. So that is what we did at theMIX tonight.

theMIX is a community of college and twentysomethings that is trying to find God, friends, and purpose in a choatic world. So all of us live life at the speed of blur and then we all show up every Thursday in search of finding our place. Tonight was great. We just hung out with each other. We caught up with the low down on whats going on with each others lives. Most of the time, it is hard to do that with the traditional church service setting.

So here we are playing football, throwing frisbees, ripping sticking, skateboarding, video game playing, and well...it was one crazy night. A crazy night where we all conneted in a relational way. Jesus loved connecting relationally with his disciples. He also enjoyed connecting with those who didn't know his daddy yet. We call them the unchurhed; Scripture calls them sinners. No matter if they were a sinner or a saint, Jesus loved eating with people. We see him going over to houses and spending his time laughing, eating, and playing. I see him bellowing over in laughter at the joke that was just told. I see him saying a deep and heartfelt prayer over the meal. I see him share his heart with people..and people are changed...forever.

When was the last time you let your hair down and allowed Jesus to work through you in a relaxed, maybe dinner party, environement. Who was the one who said that people are only saved, changed, or transformed at church services. So live a little. Spend time with friends, neighbors, and family. Let your relationship and exampe lead them to Jesus. Scripture explains that the world will know us by the love we demonstrate to those around us...no matter the place or time.

Think about it...

A Word from My Friend Will

After reading my friend's Facebook note, I thought that it was only fair to share that as today's post. His passion for God is undeniable.

Pursuing the Persuer
by Will Lee 4-22-2008

"When was the last time you pursued someone? When was the last time you were pursued? I am talking with regards to love. The thrill of pursuit and of being pursued seems to make all time stand still and everything else fade away. It consumes our every action and becomes our purpose. The thought of being wanted to such a degree by someone gives us life. And it is only equally matched when we, in turn, pursue the one that pursues us. This is the story of love and the desire of every heart. That is because it is what we were created for. We were meant to pursue and be pursued from the day this world began. But this pursuit was not intended to be had strictly between humans. In fact, when humans share this experience it is only a shadow of the true design. We were created by the Great Lover to be pursued for eternity. And in turn, He waits for us to pursue Him.

He is chasing you already. He is waiting to unleash the full fury of His love for you. Some of you may already know of His pursuit for you. And you may have accepted His hand many times in love. But when was the last time you pursued Him? He wants to be pursued by you. When is the last time you gave a gift to your Lover? Or sang a song for Him? Or spent time reading His letters to you? Or admired His creation?

These are all things we would do for the person we loved aren't they? We delight in expressing ourselves through song, art, poetry, a simple letter, or by even showing interest in our lover's interests. How much more does God desire that we do these things for Him? He will pursue you regardless of what You may do for Him. That is His nature. But He is waiting for you to make Him smile.

He is waiting for you to pursue Him."

All have to add is, Think about it...

Knowing your place

Tonight I had the oppertunity to meet and hear one of the former pastors, Aaron Cole, of the church where I am on staff. His ability to relate deep spiritual issues to ordinary life situations was phenominal. And as he spoke a truth I often tell other people became even more real to me.

The Assembly at Broken Arrow is a church that has a 90 year history. What that means is that the church was going long before I was born and will probably be going years after I am gone. So I find my identity there is built on two things.

First, my identity is built on those that went before me. Just as Aaron had built upon those that ministered before him, we are building on his ministry. He paved a way for us. Through his hard work, sweat, and tears we have many of the things we have today. His role was paramount. So I benefit today for the battles fought, won, and lost during Aaron's time. Although, I didn't really know him, I was in essence living in a legacy he left. Those who go before us should never be forgotten.

Secondly, my identity is built on those that will go after me. As I minister, I am not in a vacuum. What I do today doesn't just affect me...it affects all those that follow me. So I must plan my ministry around the idea that I am making a path for the next generation of leaders to walk. Although I have no idea who will follow me one day, I am preparing something for them. What I do today creates the context in which they will minister in the future.

So my questions are: What are you doing today to celebrate those that have blazed the trail before you? What are you doing to remember the shoulders upon which you stand? And finally, what are you doing today to provide a great future for the one who will follow you?

Think about it...

Watching Seinfeld...

Almost every night I find myself rocking my baby to sleep as I watch reruns of Seinfeld, the show about nothing. Sometimes I still find myself laughing out loud at Kramer's stupidity, George's laziness, and Jerry's shallow, sarcastic observations about life. Of course this makes it hard for my baby to fall asleep, so maybe Seinfeld and rocking are a bad combination...

But why is Seinfeld such a popular and frequently quoted show, years after FOX aired its last episode? I personally think it is because it was and continues to be a reflection of contemporary life. I mean life often feels like a series of random and unconnected events. The only thing that connects these events are the relationships and stories that surround them.

We can identify with the characters as they relate to each other, both in normalcy and disfunction. We can relate to the randomness, even craziness, of modern Western living. And at the end of the day we can laugh, cry, and live life because we understand living a little better because of a show about nothing.

In the end, I think that Seinfeld was not just a show about nothing, but a show about life. Life is random, life is hectic, life is ironic, life is unpredictable, and life is full of surprises. But through it all our stories and friendships are vital to our understanding and even making sense of the world around us. Think about it...

Tim Steven's Blog and Book

Each week I try to talk about a great blog I come across or read regularly. Tim Steven's is a pastor at Granger Community Church. His blog Leading Smart is one I read almost daily.


On top of that, he has just published a book, Pop Goes the Church: Should the Church Engage Culture? I am almost done wth the entire book and I have to say that I have enjoyed it. Not only does Tim give great background and examples of how his and other churches are effectively engaging culture, he also spends time explaining the theological and biblical ideas that drive him to do and believe what he does.


Kudos to Tim and Granger Community Church for loving God enough to take some risks and reach people who have never been reached before.

So my though for the day is not only to urge you to check out Tim Stevens blog and book, but to ask yourself, "When was the last time you effectively engaged culture for God's glory?" Think about it...

Great Monday!

Mondays are awesome after great Sundays at church. We are currently in a series called Coach: Inspiration from the top. Check out our trailer above.

To add some crazy energy to the normal flow of a service, me and two other pastors competed in a Slam Dunk Contest with each other. Let's just say, God did not create me to play sports. I mean, I choose Baylor to go all the way in the college championship. Hhhhmmmm...

So here we are in front of thousands of screaming fans...well maybe more like about 6 or 700 hundred people in each of our Sunday morning services. As pumped as I was, I choked. I end up in the first servcie almost hitting the pole of the goal head on, and in the second service, I try to do this massive long air Jordan dunk. Not only as it ungraceful, I came down sideways on my ankle. I spent the rest of the aternoon taking meds and icing my injury. My wife looks at me and says, "Just one more reason you don't need to play sports."

She is so right. God has gifted me with a mind that is always seeking knowledge and a passion to study culture. I was not created to excel at sports. That is why I try to excel at what God HAS gifted me to do. Where are you spending your energies? Are you spending time focusing on what you are not gifted at or are you spending time focusing on enhancing the gifts that come natural. Think about it...

God is in theMIX

Something amazing happened last night. This guy named David decided to remake the leap of faith and follow Jesus Christ for real. Last night, he began his faith journey anew. His friend that brought him was estatic about what God was up to in his friend's life.

Another crazy thing happened. I asked all the students at theMIX last night to text a friend of theirs that didn't know Jesus Christ. I asked them to simply ask, "Who do you say Jesus is?" The asnwers were revealing. Some said he was a prophet. Others said he was a historical figure or teacher. And yet others said he was an example of personhood that all mankind should look up to. All of those are good answers, but one answer dominated them all. One of them read that Jesus was "her Father, Friend, Savior, Healer...should I keep going?"

I loved that answer. Jesus was a great historical figure. Jesus was a prophet. But today Jesus is the Lord that reigns over all the earth. He is the healer of broken hearts and lives. He opens up our eyes that could not see and he empowers us with strenght that we just don't have. He is more that we can ever imagine...should I go on! So here are a few questions to ponder for the weekend:

1. Who do you say that Jesus is? 2. Where are you at in your spiritual journey? 3. What gynormous thing do you need Jesus to accomplish in your life?

Think about it...

Deadly Vipers Blog

If you are like me...meaning you lead college age or twentysomething young adults...then I highly recommend Mike Foster and Jud Wilhite's Deadly Viper Blog. These guys use humor, a dash of sarcasm, and tons of stories that relate to the ups and downs, the victories and defeats that next generation leaders face daily.

Their challenge to stay strong, run the rat race with intergrity, and call to our generation to be innovative has inspired me time and time again.

Check out their blog...I think it speaks for itself. http://www.deadlyviper.org/blog/

One of the things they repeat over and over is Accountability. When was the last time you were accountable to someone...and I mean tell-them-all-the-junk-that-drags-you-down accountable. Think about it...

Perceptions, Part 3

A friend of mine sent this quote from comedian Mitch Hedberg:

"I like an escalator because an escalator can never break, it can only become stairs. There would never be an escalator temporarily out of order sign, only an escalator temporarily stairs. Sorry for the convenience."

Although when I read the quote for the first time, I almost fell out of my chair lauging, I realized a major truth in his sarcastic humor. Even thought the escalator may not be running, the fact that it is still a usable set stairs is true.

It makes me wonder about many of the set backs we face on a daily basis. When something goes wrong, when we don't get our way, when our world seems to be falling apart...totally out of control...we usually quit! But why? There are alwasy two sides to our human nature. Only one of them is prone to quit. The other is prone to do what it takes to survive...to thrive...to achieve!

So don't quit so easy next time adversity stairs you in the face. Instead, look at the escalator that doesn't work and see a set of stairs. View your trial as something that can be turned around for your own benefit, or maybe the benefit of those around you; for those you work with, live with, or even lead. Think about it...

My Ladies...

Tonight I have been spending time with my wife and baby girl. We have been making some good memories having tummy time, eating, rocking, talking about colors and names and objects.

The web site my wife and I access to get info on baby development explains that she is at the time in her development when she starts recognizing her familiar faces, network of people, and particular voices. The site explains that we should talk to her about what is going on around her, describe colors and objects, and read to her as often as we can. This may sound silly to do for a 3 month old, but this early training helps her develop faster and fuller.

I want my baby to have every benefit and give her every advantage I can for her to fully develop. Just as I am a loving father to her, God is a loving fatherto us. He wants us to have every benefit and every advantage to develop in life and purpose. When was the last time you thought of God like that. Has it been way to long? Think about it...

Needing Clarity?

Today was a great day at our church. We started a new series called COACH: Inspiration from the Top. During each service, I prayed for people of all ages as they asked God for clarity and direction in a world that is complex, confusing, and saturated by compeating media-driven messages.

I also had oppertunity to pray for many of the college and twentysomethings I am called by God to lead. How awesome a responsibility it is to play a role in the development of the next generation of leaders. Andy Stanley wrote a book called The Next Generation Leader. He explains that one of the five big things a next generation leader needs is clarity.

As I prayed with my friends, I found them seeking clarity from God. Clarity of purpose. Clarity for their careers. Clarity for family, friends, etc. Ephesians 2:10 explains that we are God's masterpiece, created anew in Jesus for good works before hand that we might walk in them.

God has already created a great future for those who seek Him with all their heart. All you need to do is walk in that future. Walking is something all of us can do. God has simplified the process. We may be to blame for complicating the process....

Maybe we should spend more time focusing on the first part of Ephesians 2:10. Maybe instead of the majorty of our time being spent focused only on finding our prupose can be rearranged to focus on being the masterpiece God has made us to be.

Maybe, just maybe, we will realize that who we are in Jesus Christ is more important than what we do...think about it!

You just never know...

Sorry I missed the blog yesterday. I had the honor of running Aaron Shust, Brandon Heath, and Meredith Andrews around T-Town. They held a concert at The Assembly at Broken Arrow. It was a great night. But this leads me into the statment that you never know why something happens the way it does until all the pieces fall into place in the end. Here is what I mean...

Meredith is new to the touring scene and I found out that we had something in common. She is the worship leader for James McDonald, pastor of Harvest Bible Chapel in Rolling Meadows, IL. While living outside of Shy Town and doing innercity-style youth ministry about four years ago, I heard James McDonald on Moody Radio. He has a program called Walk in the Word. Since then I have listened to the broadcast or podcast on a weekly basis. Even more than that, years ago I began pattering my preaching and teaching style around the ways and manners I have heard Pastor James speak. Meredith told me how cool it was to work with him and the church...I just thought it was cool to meet someone on staff of a church that has influenced me and doesn't even know it. Pastor James, keep on doing your thing and Meredith, thanks for making conversation with me...my God continue to increase your territory!

Although it makes for a long day running people around where they need to go, it was worth it in the end. I made a new friend, God reminded me of my call to be a servant, and I met a staffer of Harvest Bible Fellowship. What a rockin' cool day it was. Oh, and Meredith. If you happen to read this blog, thanks for signing the CD for my niece's birthday. You are going to make her day special!

So, who has God put in your path lately? Maybe it is not someone as famous as Aaron Shust or Meredith Andrews, but God put them in your path for a purpose. Don't miss that purpose for anything. You never know what God is doing until all the pieces fall together in the end. Think about it...

Perceptions, Part 2

Wow...today got away from me. I only have about 3o minutes to write this post before the clock strikes midnight. Anyway, I just came from a college/twentysomethings style church service. The talk was on SIN and how it can "FLiP!" your life out of control. It was amazing watching God take what was once broken and making it whole again.

You see distorted perception is the way most people live their lives. The idea can relate to juggling balls. First, I form one habit or destructive life behavior. Not so bad. This is easy to handle. No one has to know. Then I develop another one...because they usually come in pairs and packs. Then another. And another. Most people can barely juggle three balls...but four, five, six...things get out of control. That's when it all comes crashing down on us.

We see it everyday in the life of pop culture icons. Brittney Spears. Paris Hilton. Tim Allen. And the list could go on and on. In rehab one day and out the next only to be back the next week. But why? Sin, destructve lifestyle behaviors, spin our lives out of control.

So what do we do when it comes crashing down. We either wear a mask and fool those around us, or we turn to someone for help. Who will you turn to when you need healing for your broken heart? Who will you call on when you need to be freed from an addictive habit? Who can come and fix you broken life?

If you ask me, I will tell you Jesus Christ! His whole purpose in life was to come and fix the broken, feed the hungry, cloth the naked, give sight to the blind, heal the sick, and declare that there is a God in heaven who desires to be celebrated by those He has created. (When you see someone who is a Christian that isn't living out these same purposes and principles, gently remind them of the example we are called to follow.)

My challenge: Don't hide behind a false perception. Don't live a lie so other will think you have it all together. If perception is as real as truth to people in our current culture, make sure the perception they have of you IS the truth. Be free from the mask you wear and be who you are...who God has called and purposed you to be. Think about it...

Perception, Part I

Anais Nin, avant-garde novelist, explained once, "It is the function of art to renew our perception. What we are familiar with we cease to see. The writer shakes up the familiar scene, and, as if by magic, we see a new meaning in it."


I remember reading that for the first time. The power of perception is undeniable. Perception anymore is truth...more so than reality itself. Yet, Nin is correct in that we cease to see the familiar. We drive down the same roads. We eat at the same restuarants. We watch the same shows. And sooner than later they all become old hat. We either live in the old or begin searching for something new, which in the end only resembles the old that we thought we left behind.


But what if the old, the ordinary, has more to offer and we simply do not see it. When looking out of a Chicago hotel window, D.L. Moody asked his minister companions what they saw. Most of them said cars, buildings, people scurring around obsorbed in their own busy lives. Moody said when he looks out that window he see losts souls in need of a Savior. Perception makes all the difference, seeing new and powerful meanings in the ordinary.


Paul explains in 2 Corinthians 5:17 that those who are in Jesus are made into something altogether new. However, when I came to a crisis moment in my life and was confronted with the scandelous message of Jesus, I made the descision to give my life to Him, follow Him, live for Him, nevertheless I found that I was still the same David. I had no actual physical change, nothing that could be seen with the eyes. So what was this new transformation that Paul was speaking of?


I believe it has to do with perception. Jesus Christ comes to make the ordinary extraordinary. When we are in Christ, our eyes are opened to the world for the first time. Like Morpheous's answer to Neo's question, "Why do my eyes hurt," after he is dramatically rescued from the virutal world he was trapped in; "Beacuse you have never used them before." Jesus changed my perception. He opened my eyes to Truth. For the first time in my life, I was truly "seeing."


For those who are yet to be in Jesus Chirst (Romans 10:9), I challenge you to seriously think about the transfomational power He alone holds.

Want to see for the first time? Want a new perception of what is real? Think about it...

On Life in General...

Today I attended the funeral of a man who was one of the backbones of the church I currently work for. My wife and I visit him and his wife on Fridays. Well, that was until last Friday. Instead of bringing my wife, me and another pastor made a visit that no one wants to make. They called us to let us know that Elmer was dying. Elmer was just a few months away from being 90. Just a few hours after we visited with Elmer he left this world for the next.

At the funeral, you knew without a doubt that Elmer was a family man. He enjoyed life. He loved his wife, Mary, of 62 years. He loved his kids, grandkids and great-grandkids. He was an inspiration to many.

As I looked into Mary's eyes, I could tell that I would never understand her pain. The pain of not remembering what it was like to live alone. For 62 years of her life, all she knew was her and Elmer. All I could say was that I would still come by with my wife and our baby on Fridays. Maybe that would help...who knows?

With all that going on, another thought popped into my mind. The same aged crowd that came to wish their friend farewell and console the widow he left behind was going to be back at the church only hours later to celebrate a senior adult pot luck dinner. The theme is Circus Circus. I found myslef saying, "How odd. In the morning we grieve together in loss and in the evening we celebrate together life."

And that is life in general. We have ups and downs, many times they fall right on the heels of each other. Still I find myself proclaiming that this is a great life. I only have one. Elmer made sure his life counted. I think to best remember him, I will too!

Paul said it best in Philippians 2:17. Rejoice. Make your life count. If you don't live for something, then you will die for nothing. Think about it...