Adventure Ahead!
Last weekend was a blast—full of activity and ministry! We had Worship Under the Big Top on Saturday evening followed up with Worship services at First Red Oak on Sunday morning. These events were special for a number of reasons. They provided opportunity to simply draw near to GOD and lead folks in worship of the MOST HIGH—always a treat! But also, we were surrounded and embraced by such a wonderful community!
I am so grateful for the community GOD has so blessed us with. A community composed of rich relationships and many deep spirited friends from over the years. And, our community is a continual work in progress. Even as we reconnect with old friends through our ministry opportunities, GOD continues to cultivate fresh new ministry friendships seemingly every day! I love the way GOD is knitting this tapestry of community into our lives.
An Authentic Biblical Community is at the center of the real CHURCH of GOD. People, who are alive in CHRIST, fully surrendered to HIS purposes and plans. Men and women, young and old alike, all surrendered, seeking to become fully developing followers of CHRIST.
ABC is realized when believers embrace the mission JESUS gave HIS CHURCH in Matthew 28. We find our beginnings—our purpose and meaning—in the Great Commission. By GOD’s authority and command, JESUS commissioned HIS CHURCH by saying, “Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: FATHER, SON, and SPIRIT. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you.”
My future is rooted firmly in this commission. This is my mission… my purpose! To be wholly saturated in the work of my MASTER. To train everyone I meet, both far and near, in the way of this life!
Now, to be sure, much of my life has been devoted to these things already. BUT, over the last few months GOD has been revealing a greater sense of this call on my life—a deeper understanding of the things HE has purposed my life to be about. I’m excited to see how GOD continues to shape my life as HE step-by-step reveals HIS plans for the future.
Adventure Awaits
When was the last time you stepped out on a new adventure with GOD? And, I’m talking about a real adventure! The kind where success relies entirely on GOD accomplishing it?! If it’s been a while—or, if never—let me encourage you to prayerfully seek the adventure GOD wants to lead you on! Begin it today by prayerfully embracing the commission JESUS has already given you!
I’ll further invite you to come along and partner with me in this adventure! Together, in community, we’ll face the adversities and celebrate the victories of the adventure GOD has purposed and planned for our lives!
Print This Post
Good Business… or, New god?
Have you ever noticed there are a great many churches "in business" today?! I stress those words in business because for many, the true focus of their collective efforts is on being successful in their church-business enterprise.
What is success anyway? And, how does one go about measuring the success of a church? Success should be measured in the real production of healthy, SPIRIT-led followers of CHRIST. But, to be honest… that’s a pretty difficult thing to tangibly measure.
That’s where many church leaders get tripped up—this idea of tangibly measuring results. Many leaders begin to define success in ways more measureable… like, say… with finances. Once the focus becomes finances, a church leader can justify just about any failure as long as financially the church tithes and offerings received are greater than the weekly budgeted needs.
Success in ministry becomes financial stability. Leadership becomes less concerned about mission, vision, or the leading of the SPIRIT, than they are on achieving success financially.
In this model, the means to achieving success relies on the smarts of the leaders in charge. As a result, you typically find individuals in elder/deacon roles that have proven themselves successful in the market place. They are not necessarily spiritually mature... but, they typically do have lots of money.
These leaders—spiritually blind—turn ministry into little more than a good marketing scheme. The demand for having or acquiring the nicest facilities becomes a high priority. Staff is tasked with providing programs which will attract and keep membership plugged-in and happy. And, the need for a dynamic lead pastor capable of delivering the goods with regards to the financial equation is an absolute necessity.
There is a church like this in every town… and probably more than one! These churches are little more than social clubs. Little ministry of any value is accomplished. And, anything of eternal consequence that does occur often does so in spite of the efforts and programs of “the club.”
Word of warning to the financially driven…
You have chosen a dog and pony show and financial stability over freedom and faith in GOD. Money is your god. And, no doubt, your business of religion will produce the measure of success you so singularly desire. But in exchange for financial gain you have welcomed death and oppression in to your homes.
In short order, you'll come to despise and mourn the decisions you've made. In the same fashion that Judas despised the silver pieces he obtained in exchange for selling JESUS—you’ll despise what you become as the result of your own compromise.
In 1 Timothy 6, Paul says, "If you have leaders who refuse the solid words of our MASTER JESUS, tag them for what they are: ignorant windbags who infect the air with germs of envy, controversy, bad-mouthing, and suspicious rumors. They cause an epidemic of backstabbing. Truth becomes but a distant memory under their leadership. They are out to use religion to make a fast buck.”
What does this sort of leader sound like? They say things like, "...god will get your tithe—either you'll give your money to the church, or you'll get cancer and end up paying the doctors."
These guys are ignorant windbags interested only in twisting truth to manipulate money out of your pocket! If you find yourself here, Paul says, "Run for your life!"
For the church focused on worshipping money, “will cause some to lose their footing in the faith altogether. And, all who make money their god will live to regret it bitterly ever after.”
Run hard and fast in the faith
Be sure, “a devout life does bring wealth; but, it's the rich simplicity of being able to be yourself before GOD! Since we entered the world penniless and will leave it penniless, if we have bread on the table and shoes on our feet, that's enough.”
Avoid the business of religion. "Pursue a righteous life—a life of wonder, faith, love, steadiness, and courtesy. Seize the eternal life, the life you were called to!"
Print This Post
A “BIG” Thank You to Planning Center Online
This last Sunday, May 2nd, marked the beginning of a new ministry opportunity allowing me to partner with the First Baptist Church of Red Oak, Texas. Over the next few months I will be teaching and leading worship and serving in an interim worship pastor capacity. It will be a fun adventure working with the First Red Oak team, shepherding their Church family through worship, and joining the FATHER in the work HE is doing to impact that community!
While at First Red Oak, I will be introducing their worship ministry and staff to a website known as the Planning Center Online (@planningcenter ).
Planning Center Online, PCO, is an invaluable tool for worship teams of all sizes. First Red Oak has only had a couple weeks to get familiar with a few of the benefits of PCO—but, have already in this time become very excited about the ways in which PCO will help improve the flow of ministry communication!
First Red Oak is temporarily using the PCO account I have setup for my Little Worshipboy! Ministry. But, it's a safe bet, they will surely want to setup an account of their own before long!
I am very grateful to the Ministry Centered Technologies team—the folks behind the PCO website. Ministry Centered Technologies has been partnered with Little Worshipboy! Ministry by donating the PCO account we've been using at no cost. This support and the access to PCO free of charge has been such a tremendous blessing to our ministry efforts! I can't thank Ministry Centered Technologies enough for their support!
Our partnership has also extended beyond our own use of PCO. Little Worshipboy! Ministry has been able to share the benefits of PCO with many ministry friends, including churches in Colorado, Florida, Texas, and Virginia! In addition, we've been able to provide these friends help with regards to getting the most out of the PCO experience based on their unique environments. It's been a very beneficial relationship all the way around!
So, as I finished making out the Sunday, May 9th plans for First Red Oak on PCO this morning... I was filled with a sense of gratitude for the work the Ministry Centered Technologies team has done. Their service and heart for ministry is making possible the more efficient spread of the MESSAGE through Church ministries far and wide! And, their support for our ministry personally continues to bless our socks off!
Keep up the good work guys! I pray GOD's richest blessings on the Ministry Centered Technologies team and the work they do to support the local Church!
Print This Post
First Red Oak
Come join me this Sunday, May 2, 2010 at 10:30AM, as I lead worship for the First Baptist Church in Red Oak, Texas!
Sunday will mark the beginning of a ministry opportunity that will allow me to partner with the First Red Oak family, in teaching and leading worship and serving this community as their interim worship pastor.
I am very excited to go to work with the First Red Oak team and shepherd their Church family through worship, and can’t wait to see how GOD uses our lives to impact this community! Our shared mission is to see lives transformed through the work of the SPIRIT into fully developing followers of CHRIST!
If you are free this Sunday, come join us for worship! First Red Oak is South of Dallas, East of Interstate 35E, at 320 E. Ovilla Rd.
Hope to see you there!
Print This Post
Worship w/my Pais friends!
Come join me this Sunday, April 25 at 10AM, as I lead worship for the Pais Collective at the Coffee Haus!
It's going to be a morning full of worship, inspired teaching, unbelievably good coffee, and a don’t-miss-opportunity for warm fellowship with treasured friends!
The Coffee Haus is located in downtown Arlington, Texas, at 208 South Mesquite Street.
Hope to see you there!
Print This Post
“NO AMIGOS” Directive
I recently posted a tweet inspired by 2 John 1:10-11 (msg) ... my tweet was, "If anyone shows up who doesn't hold true to the teachings of CHRIST—don't become their partner by giving them a platform to perpetuate evil."
A dear friend of mine (@wilandlisa) responded to my tweet and asked, "As Christians, how do we really do this while at the same time helping those who struggle with staying true to Christ's teachings by their un-Christ like actions?"
Her question is not a new one with regards to the instructions given here by John in this scripture. It seems people have been debating over the exact meaning of these instructions for as long as the book of 2 John has been in the Canon of Scripture!
So, ok… well, the statement made from 2 John 1:10-11 (msg) is not necessarily directed at the type of person Lisa was inquiring about in her question. There is a BIG difference between the one she described in her question and the one defined by John in this scripture.
The person Lisa describes is an individual who is immature in their faith. Unfortunately, there are lots and lots of these types of folks populating the church. The failure occurs when leaders neglect teaching people the full gospel MESSAGE! To many focus only on leading people to CHRIST for eternal salvation, but then do little to instruct those babies in CHRIST on how to discover freedom through surrendered daily living!
Our mission as leaders is to foster the opportunities where lives can be transformed through the work of the SPIRIT into fully developing followers of CHRIST!
In an environment absent of that sort of atmosphere, many babes in CHRIST end up going to church for the entertainment value—rather than being challenged to continued transformation into CHRIST-likeness. Or, they go to get propped up by a set of man-centered rules by which they can feel better about their inability to live the life (see the Abundant Life post dated March 2).
The end result is that immature believers remain immature and continue to live out of selfish motives.
BUT sometimes… worse still… immature believers and unbelievers alike can be lulled into a comma by the types of “leader” John speaks of in 2 John 1. John defines this type of leader as a charlatan—an anti-Christ!! Yikes!! That’s pretty extreme language used to define this type of person that we (the church) are to be on the lookout for!
Thus, the reason for John's... Uhm... "NO AMIGOS" Directive! Ok, well... I actually came up with the name there... but, pretty clear instructions by John here nonetheless!
Make no mistake, this is not simply one seeking truth, or one stumbling along due to immaturity. Rather, this is one intent on twisting and distorting truth—a deceiver. Sadly, there are many “religious leaders” in the church today who fall into this category! These Charlatans don’t share the whole MESSAGE of the gospel—and worse, they distort the MESSAGE. They lead people astray. Sometimes those led astray are believers—but, sometimes they are not, stumbling through life believing they are Christians.
Followers of CHRIST are called to die to self. Paul said, “for me to live is CHRIST.” Not, for me to live is to be CHRIST-like… or, for me to live is to read my Bible… or, for me to live is to tithe! For me to live IS CHRIST. That means no agenda of our own. That means a total surrender of every area of our lives. The old life—that self-centered, live for myself life—is gone. It was buried in the grave the moment I received CHRIST as my SAVIOR. My new life IS CHRIST—a wholly surrendered, CHRIST-centered life. One that allows JESUS to live HIS life in us, through us, AS US!! That means I’m no longer agenda driven by selfish motive or by a misguided attempt to impress GOD.
My whole life is open for GOD to direct me in whatever way HE chooses to lead.
JESUS was the first to live that life perfectly. HE was not driven by HIS own self-centered motives either! You’ll find over and over in the GOSPEL accounts, JESUS saying, “I’m not doing any of these things of my own accord—I’m doing the will of my FATHER!”
JESUS was totally surrendered—HIS whole life, open for GOD the FATHER to direct in whatever way HE chose to lead HIS SON.
We are to live that same life! Let’s live lives wholly surrendered to the MASTER! AND, be willing as JESUS was to overturn tables, rebuke religious leaders, and wash the feet of doubters… every time HE leads us to do so, no matter how uncomfortable those activities can be to us personally!
Print This Post
TCaB
I’m very excited to announce that I will be teaching and leading worship and serving as the interim worship pastor of the Church at Burleson in the coming weeks/months. This work IS part of the ministry I feel GOD has set before me to do—teaching worship and casting vision for health within worship leaders of the Church.
I’m looking forward to working with TCaB—the worship volunteers, the staff, the elders—and leading this community in worship! I believe FATHER has good in store for us all and I can’t wait to see how HE uses our lives to impact the community and see lives transformed in Burleson!
If you are free on Sunday, come check us out. TCaB is located at 510 SW Wilshire Blvd., in Burleson, Texas.
Print This Post
… see me next
… help support
... twitter feed
- Celebrating 18th birthday party for @elinelson — pool party at the home of @larrymnelson and @gaylanelson! http://twitpic.com/2laxgv
- Anyone tried Atomic Sports Grill at Fielder & Park Row yet? Just curious if it's any good?!
- Well, Colts Homecoming not going so swell—20 to 42, 11 minutes to go in the 4th—can't help but feel they're calling wrong defensive package!
- Incredible day... love the cool temps, overcast skies! :) http://twitpic.com/2kulm1
- What we believe is what leads our hopes... our hearts... our lives.
- Woohoo!! Colts win!! :) Great job Colts!! And Aaron (@aaronelson) looked awesome!! :)
- 4 minutes left, Colts 17, Cowboys 13... Colts are on O!! Let's go boys!
- Oh shoot!! Cowboys are up by 2 now... 10 minutes left in the 4th. We gotta have some offense! Come on let's go Colts!!
- Halftime, Cowboys Stadium, Colts up by 7! Proud of my boy (@aaronelson), he's rocking the center—good snaps, blocks, and opening big holes!
- Birthday breakfast!! http://twitpic.com/2ki5ax