Obsession with My Inabilities

Lea Clower August 30 2010 - No Comment

So called “humility” in the Christian community is really a mask for “pitiful me” pride. The “self deprecating personality” is often an artificiality of the worst kind. “Oh, it wasn’t me, it was God” is often used as an opportunity for the speaker to compliment me again.

An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which she carried across her neck. One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the long walks from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. For a full two years this went on daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water.

Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do. After two years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream.

“I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house.”

The old woman smiled. “Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side?”

“That’s because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house.”

Each of us has our own unique flaw. But it’s the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding. You’ve just got to embrace who God made you to be and how He wants to use you, warts and all.

So, to all of my “crack pot” friends, have a great day and remember to smell the flowers on your side of the path!

Self loathing, Satan, and critical Christians often attack especially pastors with similar feelings, thoughts, and accusations of “I’m a failure.” That just isn’t true, and as our friend Steve says, “That’s from the pit of hell and smells like smoke.” You and your weaknesses/inabilities are part of your wonderful uniqueness so that Christ will be revealed in and through you. And, get this, you are filling a place in the universe and history that only you were designed to fill. Go with the peace, grace, and new “obsession” that you are “fearfully and wonderfully made.”

Fall Kick-Off

Zach Van Dyke August 10 2010 - 2 Comments

• I won’t be able to see what God is doing through me.
• I will feel alone in ministry. No one will have my back.
• I will be overworked.
• I will feel like I don’t work hard enough or good enough or don’t know how to design a ministry that reaches enough students.
• I will feel guilty about any successes.
• I will be kept from being me to the fullest and being used to the fullest for the Kingdom.
• I will be tired.
• I will resent my family.
• I will begin looking for an outlet to escape feeling bad.
• I won’t be noticed.

Most youth pastors probably make a list of goals at the start of each new ministry year. Some of my previous year’s goals have included but aren’t limited to…

• I will capitalize on middle school boys’ desire to be noticed by middle school girls by providing more extreme opportunities for them to eat things which ought not be eaten.
• I will mask my real age with skinny jeans, a way too tight Louie Giglio inspired T-shirt, and a faux-hawk. Maybe even get a wrist tattoo that says something like “Christ’s Warrior” in a hip foreign language like Chinese or Greek or Spanish.
• I will concoct outrageous events with 1,000 hot wings and a chocolate slip-&-slide (if you can get away with the total inappropriateness of that one…it is a sure way to attract teenage boys to your ministry).
• I will be the coolest adult any teenager has ever met…ever.
• I will lead 10 teenagers to Jesus…at the very first youth group meeting.

This ministry year I instead decided to make a list of all my anxieties and fears. And as I look over these two seemingly different lists, I can’t help but notice the idolatry of my heart equally exposed.

Rebecca Pippert observes in her book Out of the Saltshaker and into the World:

Whatever controls us is our lord. The person who seeks power is controlled by power. The person who seeks acceptance is controlled by the people he or she wants to please. We do not control ourselves. We are controlled by the lord of our life.

At the start of this ministry year, let me encourage you, my brothers and sisters in Christ, expose your worst nightmares regarding your ministry to Jesus. Take them to the cross.

• Jesus will work through me and He will reveal to me how He is working.
• Jesus is my ministry and He has my back.
• Jesus is my rest.
• Jesus is designing a specific ministry through me that is reaching His students.
• Jesus has already succeeded on my behalf.
• Jesus called me uniquely for His Kingdom purposes.
• Jesus is my rest.
• Jesus loves my family more then I do and has given me to them for my sake and theirs.
• Jesus is my rest.
• Jesus chose me.

So glad it’s all about grace.
Zach

Drink This Not That

Steve McKinney August 09 2010 - No Comment

Changing what you drink just may be the magic weight loss bullet you’ve been looking for.

David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding sure think so. But then they did write the book on it: Drink This Not That. They’ve even gone so far as to claim that you could lose up to 32 pounds in a year just by changing what you drink.

What most people don’t know is that it’s a lot easier to drink extra calories than to eat it. So you really need to pay attention to what you’re sipping on.

Here is a sampling of what their book has to offer. The following are 5 of the worst things to drink, followed by 5 slimming alternatives. (more…)

“It wasn’t your best.”

Mike Khandjian July 29 2010 - 3 Comments

If Sunday is what it is all about, preaching is the ‘thing.’ It is what we are all about as pastors. We spend a lot of time – sometimes too much – in all kinds of meetings, deliberations, confrontations and endeavors – but when it all comes down to it, if we have been ‘called’ (that’s the word we use to describe the inner sense that God wants us to enter into the ministry – it is very real, I can tell you) to lead churches, then we are about preaching.

Preaching is a thrill. As painfully tedious, heart-rending and mind stretching the process of preparation can be, the delivery is equally or more exhilarating and fun – it is a thrill to let loose in the pulpit – to throw all inhibition to the wind and freely proclaim the Good News – a ‘religious experience’ of its own kind. From the pulpit (whether an ornate piece of furniture or a music stand), and following the service, we are privileged to see lives that have been touched and affected by the message. This can be quite sobering actually. But for a preacher, preaching is the thing. I’ve talked with professional athletes who will tell you that ‘game day’ is the thing – that all the pain and sweat and sacrifice of getting into shape, and of long, hard practices, melt away when the umpire says, ‘Play ball!’ and the crowd begins to cheer. Okay, I know we aren’t professional athletes (though most of us want to be), but there is something about that moment when the singing is done and the prayers have been prayed and the scriptures have been read – and it is time to let it go and preach.

Preaching is also exhausting. (more…)

“My Top Ten Mistakes In Ministry (That I Can Share Publicly)” #6

Steve Childers July 27 2010 - No Comment

“If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.” 2 Corinthians 11:30 (ESV)

This is the sixth in a series of blog posts called, “My Top Ten Mistakes in Ministry (That I Can Share Publicly.)” After many years of ministry experience as a church planter, pastor and seminary professor, I think I’ve finally learned that one of the best kept secrets to surviving well in the ministry is to stop making the same old mistakes that others (like me) have been making for decades. Instead, let’s all start making some brand new, bold, innovative and creative mistakes!

We began this series with an introduction called, “Ladies First” in which veteran church planter wife, Shari Thomas, addressed the tough topic, What I Wish I Had Known About Church Planting from the perspective of the church planter’s/pastor’s spouse. We then took a look at:

• Mistake #1 (these are in no intentional order), “Failing to Understand the Importance of How I Define Ministry Success.”
• Mistake #2 Managing My Time and Not Managing My Life
• Mistake #3: Not Understanding the Difference Between my Goals and Desires.
• Mistake #4: Not Understanding the Difference Between Pursuing the Grace of God and the God of Grace.
• Mistake #5: Not Understanding the Way Up is the Way Down

Mistake #6: Not Understanding the Priority of People Over Programs

It’s been thought by all of us in Christian ministry (both clergy and laity) at one time or another: “I love God, and I love the ministry, but it’s just people that I really don’t like!” (more…)

Stout Monk Society – Pt 4

Tom Wood July 20 2010 - No Comment

It’s been awhile since my last blog, so to remind you, I’ve been talking about the Stout Monk Society. A few have said they have started one or are going to try and get into one. I’m hoping that they will. I think it is imperative for not just surviving, but thriving in ministry life. I thought I would tell you some of what happened in our SMS this May.

My Stout Monk Society was so good. We all connected in a house in Canada. Here are some notes I jotted to myself from our four days. We each took turns leading our brothers in a brief ‘word’. One ‘word’ was from 2 Cor. 1:8,9, on the hardships we suffer….

“This happened that we might not rely on ourselves, but on God, who raises the dead”.

We were asked to recognize our sufferings. What are the hardships in my life? Confess where I am relying on myself/my own strategies—what does self-reliance look like to me? Next, to rejoice in Jesus, our resurrected Hope! (more…)

A State of Mediocrity?

Steve Brown July 15 2010 - No Comment

This morning, I read and graded “integration” papers from a course for Doctor of Ministry students at the seminary. The course was titled: Thriving & Surviving Pastoral Ministry.

I just finished reading the paper of one of my pastor students who wrote (referring to me):

The class helped me think about surviving and thriving. I like Steve. I like his attitude about the ministry. He has survived well. And he has thrived, it would seem. He has served churches, written books, had a radio ministry. He is celebrated in some circles as an authority. He seems comfortable in his skin as a pastor. He is the right guy to teach the class on surviving and thriving in this complex field. However, at the end of the day (and at the end of the class) I’m not Steve Brown. I’m a guy who finds himself settling into a sad mediocrity. I actually do sometimes go to bed at night grateful for another day of survival.

My first thought was, What a wise and insightful student! He’s going to get an “A” for this class. (more…)

“Jesus is always Jesus, but…”

Lea Clower July 05 2010 - 6 Comments

Jesus is always Jesus, but He relates to each one of us uniquely. Each of us has an individual perspective/perception of Him. I must not try to have the same relationship with Jesus that you do, even though it is with the same Lord, savior, brother, and friend.

Years ago, I was in Orlando staying with Steve and Anna…”behind every great man is an even greater woman!” Steve married “way up!” If you haven’t met Anna, you need to. Anyway, I asked Steve if I could go to the office with him the next morning and just be with him, watch him, get a feel for his time with the Lord. The kind, compassionate, gentle friend said with such mercy, “NO, you can’t go with me. I don’t share that time with anyone!” You always love a friend even when they tick you off, so I was gracious, forgave him, and left town…not because I was mad, but because it was time to go home. Now that I’m a lot older and a little wiser, Steve (as much as I hate to admit it publicly) was right.
 
Let me illustrate. (more…)

The End of Food Temptation

Steve McKinney June 14 2010 - No Comment

You start each morning with the promise to be “good” today.

You’ll refuse the baked goods at the office. You’ll speed past that fast food place at lunch. You’ll turn a blind eye to the vending machine in the mid-afternoon. And you’ll pass on the ice cream after dinner.

But… you hadn’t counted on the fact that a box of your favorite donuts would be sitting in the break room. Or that co-workers would invite you to join them for fast food place at lunch. Or that Girl Scouts would come through the office after school with boxes of thin mints. Or that your special someone would come home with a pint of Coffee Heath Bar Crunch.

And as you get into bed each night you tell yourself that tomorrow will be different.

Tomorrow you will conquer temptation.

But tomorrow comes with its own set of special circumstances and temptation gets the best of you once again.

Why Does (more…)

I might go UFC on your a**!

Zach Van Dyke June 10 2010 - 2 Comments

Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.
Before you were born, I set you apart.
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.
Jeremiah 1:5

If you’re a pastor (or especially a youth pastor), do these words make you want to vomit?

Really, God?! You appointed me for this? You intended for this to be my life? This is what it means to be set apart? Really?!

Someone recently told me, “You get paid to do your devotions. You get paid to pursue deep relationships. You get paid to be at church on Sunday morning.”

And then with a chuckle that made me miss Janice from Friends, concluded, “Essentially, you’re getting paid to do what I’m asked to do in my spare time.”

I resent my “calling.”

If one more person makes a joke about me only working on Sundays, I might go UFC on his a**! (more…)