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.”

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

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.

Breakfast
While a cup of hot coffee or a glass of lowfat milk are both great ways to start your day, beware of the smoothie trap. More often than not smoothies are closer to milkshakes than protein shakes.

Worst beverage: Smoothie King Peanut Power Plus Grape (40oz)

• 1,498 calories / 44g fat / 214g sugar

Drink This Instead: Smoothie King High Protein Banana (20oz)

• 322 calories / 9g fat / 23g sugar

Lunch
A study done at Virginia Polytechnic Institute showed that people who drink 17oz of water before sitting down for a meal ended up eating 9 percent fewer calories. Those calories can really add up over time.

Worst beverage: SoBe Green Tea (20oz)

• 240 calories / 0g fat / 61g sugar

Drink This Instead: Honest Tea Organic Honey Green Tea (16oz)

• 74 calories / 0g fat / 18g sugar

Afternoon
When the afternoon rolls around most of us are ready for a pick-me-up. Too often these caffeinated drinks are loaded with waist-expanding calories.

Worst beverage: Starbucks Venti Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha with whipped cream

• 660 calories / 22g fat / 95g sugar

Drink This Instead: Starbucks Venti Caramel Cappuccino

• 170 calories / 6g fat / 18g sugar

Postworkout
There’s no good reason to follow up a great workout with a sugar-filled beverage, even if it makes claims for quick recovery and muscle growth. After exercise your body is in need of protein, carbohydrates and potassium, so choose a beverage filled with these three.

Worst beverage: Naked Protein Juice Smoothie (15.2oz)

• 418 calories / 4g fat / 53g sugar

Drink This Instead: Horizon Organic Chocolate Reduced Fat Milk (8oz)

• 180 calories / 5g fat / 27g sugar

Alcoholic beverages
There are known benefits to drinking alcohol in moderation (one or two drinks per day) such as raised HDL (good) cholesterol, boost in bloodflow, and improved sugar metabolism. A recent study in the journal BMC Public Health reported that people who have a daily drink were 54 percent less likely to be obese. However, it’s called a beer belly for good reason, since many alcoholic beverages are loaded with calories.

Worst beverage: Red Lobster Traditional Lobsterita

• 890 calories / 183g carbohydrates

Drink This Instead: Red Lobster Classic Martini with Gin

• 140 calories / 0g carbohydrates

Recent studies are reporting that most of us drink 21 percent of our daily calories. That adds up to an average of 460 calories each day. It’s easy to see how these calories quickly add up into unwanted pounds.

Pay extra attention to what you drink throughout each day. Make it a habit to pass on the calorie-packed drinks and to focus on drinking lots of water.

Remember that small changes to your lifestyle over time will make the difference.

I’m always available to help -email me to set up your free consultation.

Recipe of the Week

Easy Chilled Gazpacho

Gazpacho is a cold tomato-based soup that originated in Spain. What better time to enjoy a chilled bowl of gazpacho than on a hot summer day? Use fresh ingredients for the best possible taste.
Servings: 6

Here’s what you need:

• 3 cups tomato juice
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 2 large tomatoes, quartered
• 1 cucumber, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 small onion, peeled and quartered
• 1 sweet green bell pepper, seeded and quartered
• Dash of hot sauce
• Fresh ground salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tomatoes & 2 cucumbers chopped for garnish

1. Place all of the ingredients, except tomato and cucumber garnish, in a high speed blender. Turn on high speed for 40 seconds.
2. Chill the soup for 30-60 minutes.
3. Place chopped cucumber and tomato in each serving dish and fill with soup. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 85 calories, 2.5g fat, 15g carbohydrate, 2.5g fiber, and 3g protein.

Fitness Tip of the Week

Nature’s Perfect Thirst-Quencher

The best drink for both weight loss and health is…water. Here are 4 great reasons to fill your glass to the brim with crystal clear water:

1. Staying hydrated enhances weight loss.
2. Drinking water prevents dehydration.
3. Filling your stomach with water before meals prevents overeating.
4. Quenching your thirst with water hydrates your skin, giving it a more youthful glow.

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. I once heard someone say that a 30-minute sermon causes a pastor to expend the energy of an eight-hour workday. That may be a stretch, but it is draining to ‘leave it all on the field’ each Sunday morning. I have never met a preacher with any reasonable gifting and a healthy sense of call to the pulpit who does not utterly spend himself every time he gets up to preach. Frankly it doesn’t matter where or when – but it is its own kind of grueling experience to preach. It is the most draining emotional moment I know of, and it leaves us quite vulnerable once the message has been delivered – which exposes a whole different set of issues. But for every preacher who is committed to what he has been called to it would not be nearly as meaningful if those few moments on Sundays were any less draining than they are.

But there is a dark side too. We don’t like to admit it but we preachers put a whole lot more weight on any given message than most would ever know. In a sense it is the highpoint of our own practical unbelief in the Gospel because we easily tie much of our own sense of value into how well our messages are received. Maybe a more honest way of putting it is that we put more value into the volume of praise we receive from our messages than we would want to admit.

You can’t know the ego-dissolving effect of one person whose compliments of the day’s message are betrayed by a face that gives the slightest hint of rejection. For us this insecurity pours into the size and popularity of our churches, along with a whole laundry list of external and artificial measuring devices we allow ourselves to be defined by.

I wish it weren’t so because it is embarrassing to admit that we can be so shallow and self-serving.

But fortunately God sends ‘moments,’ I’ll call them, in which we are confronted with the silliness of measuring the value of a life and calling based on a 30 minute message.

For me, one of those ‘moments’ involved our daughter Emily. Actually it was after what we call a ‘Maundy Thursday’ service. The word, ‘Maundy’ comes from the Latin, ‘Mundatum,’ which means, ‘Mandate,’ and it refers to the great command of Jesus found in John 13:34 – “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” So every year, on the Thursday evening before Easter, we celebrate the evening Jesus gave this new command.

On this one particular Maundy Thursday Katherine and I took separate cars to church and Emily decided to go home with me following the service – one I was particularly pleased with, I might add (translation: I felt like the message was a winner). So I felt safe enough to ask Emily what she thought about the service (we preachers tend to go by the same axiom attorneys use in cross examination: ‘Never ask a question you don’t already know the answer to’). In other words I wasn’t asking Emily to tell me something I didn’t already think I knew – I just wanted her to join me in the chorus of my own praise.

As if it wasn’t pathetic enough that I had engaged in this exercise with a thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl, Emily responded, ‘It wasn’t your best.’

With the façade of unaffected calm I replied, ‘Really? Oh well, that happens,’ or some such innocuous comment – but trust me, the damage was done – end of conversation.

‘It wasn’t your best.’

You have to love it. Somehow God had entered our space and through our daughter, He asked, ‘Are you really this shallow, Mike?’ – undoubtedly a rhetorical question because both God and I already knew the answer.

‘It wasn’t your best.’

Then it hit me – Emily offered this with such ease because for her my messages had nothing to do with our relationship – she loved me, and with no suspicion of the slightest sense that I would take offense, she spoke truth – big, humbling, and frankly, liberating truth.

Actually she didn’t say, ‘It wasn’t your best.’ Oh those were her words, but what she really said was, ‘It isn’t a big deal, dad.’

And on the most important level it really isn’t a big deal – even though I want it to be. I want to think that my words are the most important words anyone will ever hear. And there is something to believing that what we say is worth pouring ourselves into, but it is almost disturbing how much we tie our self worth into a message that is intended to be given away and entrusted to God’s Spirit as He works in hearts and lives.

The shameful reality is that without those ‘moments’ (and there have been more than I want to admit), we preachers are often guilty of treating Sunday as though it is all about us, as though every particle of value we have rests with one singular message – that will make or break us, that God has no chance of converting a single sinner if we don’t get it right – how arrogant.

And so we look for the worst kind of praise. I loved the scene in Soapdish, a spoof on the soap opera industry, starring Sally Field and Kevin Kline. Field plays an aging actress who constantly needs her ego stroked by her equally aging public. Whenever she needs a praise ‘fix’ she has her writer (played by Whoopie Goldberg) take her to a mall outside of New York City. At the mall Goldberg walks at a distance behind Field, as though they are not together – and then at an opportune moment she shouts like a starry eyed fan who discovered a star who has disguised herself to avoid the crowd she really is desperate to have notice her – this draws the treasured autograph seekers and temporarily appeases her desperate and pitiful need. For a lot of us preachers that strikes a little too close to home.

As I wrote earlier, on the most basic of levels, we don’t believe the Gospel to the degree that we can actually convince ourselves that a ‘dog’ of a sermon would be enough for a community of people to not desire or love or accept us any more – that our denominations will not recognize us at our national gatherings and that our friends will surpass us in celebrity or speaking engagements – you name it – it’s ugly.

The real issue is not so much about the success of a given message but of the actual value and dignity we receive from Christ. Do we really believe that He fills us with Himself and that we have nothing to bring to the table apart from Him, or do we live in this perpetual nightmare of constant performance – a never-ending struggle to earn the delight God finds most pleasure in freely giving, without condition?

And I think that it is in the pulpit that we preachers wrestle with this more than anywhere else. Sure, we struggle with all those other temptations. But on Sundays we are exposed in every way – within ourselves, before people and before God. At least that is how we feel. And there is something in us that doesn’t want to believe that people would value us simply for who we are – because we don’t. In fact I think we project our own sense of worthlessness on our people – almost to say that since we can’t handle our own imperfections no one can – or should. I told you it is embarrassing.

The sad thing (as though that weren’t enough) is that our wives see all of this. They witness the seeming confidence and security in the pulpit (the thing the general public that really doesn’t know us sees) as we proclaim that Jesus has come to renew all things. But then, if we are not careful to live that out, our wives stay away because they know that we ‘can’t handle the truth.’ It is really something we have to deal with and come to terms with if the most important people in our lives are going to feel we value them above those who don’t know us but who easily stroke and puncture our way-too-fragile egos.

‘It wasn’t your best.’

And I find it interesting that when God addresses what He likes about preachers in the bible, it isn’t what they say, so much (even though we are called to accurately preach the Word), or how they say it, but just that they do it.

In fact, what God praises (if you want to call it that) is not the mouths, but the feet of His messengers:

Isaiah 52:7 – “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’”

I think that what God is saying is that the message is already there – so He isn’t impressed with what we say so much as the fact that we have been called to deliver it. And I suspect that this is at the root of my deepest insecurities as a Christian pastor – almost as though God would somehow divest Himself of His grace when it comes to me – that He would actually measure my worth on a weekly basis by the glibness of my tongue when instead, wisely, and graciously He applauds my feet. And I want to somehow be able to hold on to that.

‘It wasn’t your best.’

So this is what God has been teaching me:

– I can’t possibly live and die on one or two or more messages and enjoy Christ at the same time. There is no question that I wound the heart of God with such egocentric thinking.

– It is sin for me to inflict such insecurity on my family. As much as I can, I am committed to refuse to cause my wife and children to walk on eggshells because I didn’t raise Lazarus from the grave with a given sermon (sadly I’m usually more devastated when people don’t laugh at my jokes). The mantra, ‘It is just one message,’ has become gold for me.

– My commitment is to celebrate others’ preaching – to no longer cheat others and myself from their gifts out of an insecurity that drives the most ugly of critical spirits. Sometimes the worst critics of preachers are preachers. We brilliantly find the most creative ways to spiritualize our jealousy as we assassinate solid messages and heartfelt offerings – of friends.

– Regardless of the effectiveness or power or passion of a given message, I have an ego problem that will never go away, as long as I am in the pulpit. Therefore Repentance has to be a constant companion. As much as I can’t handle a bad sermon, I am even worse with a good one.

‘It wasn’t your best.’

Thanks Emmy.

Mike Khandjian is Sr. Pastor at Chapelgate Presbyterian Church in the Greater Baltimore area.

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!” In his best-selling book, The Master Plan of Evangelism, Robert Coleman writes, “When Jesus’ plan is reflected upon, the basic philosophy is so different from that of the modern church that its implications are nothing less than revolutionary….His concern was not with programs to reach the multitudes but with people whom the multitudes would follow….People were to be His method of winning the world to God. The initial objective of Jesus’ plan was to enlist men who could bear witness to His life and carry on His work after He returned to the Father.”

I had the privilege of having Dr. Coleman as one of my professors when I was in seminary in Chicago (Trinity). I’ll always remember his incessant repetition of this same basic concept over and over again: while in the ministry if we don’t actively, constantly fight against it, we will inevitably become nothing more than mere “ministry program administrators—thereby failing to be like Jesus who always made people (not programs) his highest priority.

In Jesus’ words to Peter, after the resurrection, we learn again that one of the greatest ways we can show our love to Christ is not merely by doing great ministry exploits for him, but by showing sacrificial love to his sheep–to love deeply and well those He loves and those for whom he laid down His life. With these lenses on, take a new look now at these ancient words of the resurrected Christ to Peter:

“So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My lambs.” He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Tend My sheep.

Here we are meant to learn a valuable lesson about life and ministry that is very easily missed if we’re not very careful. The lesson? One of the greatest ways to show our love to Jesus is by showing our love to His sheep—especially when they don’t love us well. It’s relatively easy learning to lead well. But it’s really hard learning to love well.

Hear his voice today asking “Do you love me?” Then hear his answer, “Tend my sheep.” In other words, love those whom He loves–lay down your life to shepherd well especially those sheep who are back-biting, betraying, whining, unappreciative and arrogant. Where in the world can you find the power to do that? It begins by realizing how deeply the Good Shepherd keeps loving you in the face of all your back-biting, betraying, whining, lack of appreciation and arrogance.

Oh, and by the way, since we haven’t addressed it since the introductory message in this series by Shari Thomas, I thought it might be good for all of us to be reminded that one of those people in your church in need of your very special love—is your spouse. I wish someone had told me what it means to understand and love my wife well—especially during our early church planting years.

If you haven’t read Shari Thomas blog entry that addressed the tough topic, What I Wish I Had Known About Church Planting from the perspective of the church planter’s/pastor’s spouse then please do. If you have, then please read it again.

Again, I long for you not to make the same mistakes so many of us have made in the past three decades of ministry. Instead, as Bob Logan says, “Go make new, creative, innovative mistakes!” As our beloved Steve Brown would say, “You think about that.”

Steve Childers is the President & CEO of Global Church Advancement, an inter-denominational ministry that provides church planting training, consultations, and resources for church planters, pastors and missionaries throughout the world. Steve has trained Christian leaders from more than 50 countries (curriculum in five major global languages), representing over 200 denominations and mission agencies in 5 continents (& 5 languages). Steve is also an author, Professor of Practical Theology (since 1995) and the Director of the Doctoral program at Reformed Theological Seminary, in Orlando, Florida, where he teaches church planting, missions, evangelism and spiritual formation. To learn more about GCA:

• Browse the GCA Website: http://www.gca.cc
• Join the GCA Cause: http://bit.ly/X5bZC
• See the GCA Blog: http://www.gca.cc/blog/
• Follow GCA on Twitter: http://twitter.com/_gca
• Follow Steve on Twitter: http://twitter.com/stevechilders
• Check out upcoming GCA Events: http://gca.cc/Seminar_Overview.htm
• Support GCA: http://gca.cc/Support_GCA.htm

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!

One Monk asked us to consider the maladies of people who can discourage us in ministry.

1. People who lack/lose interest in what is happening- remember the disciples fell asleep on Jesus. “Don’t base your love and service to Christ on their commitment.” Invest hard in those who are serving, celebrate them. Careful you do not fall trap to cynicism—you may not know their full story right now.

2. People who betray you- there will be some you have invested in and they end up turning on you. Peter’s betrayal. Be careful not to demonize them, but pray for them. “Working through this experience is one of the most important means of your sanctification”.

3. People who abandon Christianity. Judas types. They drift away, or they love the world more or turn to a scandalous life. Can the gospel give you grace to greet them warmly and not erase them from your life? Will you let yourself grieve?

4. People who assault you, your character or motives.

5. People who are hostile to Christianity. There will be some who have incessant harshness toward Christians. Your kids will be mocked for their values etc. “Cultural Transformation without Spiritual warfare is an impossible exercise in futility”.

Another day we heard about our relationships with other men. We were asked to answer the question, “Are you a relational pygmy …

1. …when it comes to other men?” Isolation of men in our culture is epidemic. We keep our friendships surface level—sports, career, the market, maybe politics. “The more you involve yourself in the life of another man, your selfish bent is de-clawed.” Then he asked the tough one: Who are your pall bearers going to be? Which six people? [This reminded of the story of the guy who asked his small group, suppose you are lying in your casket and your friends are coming up and looking at you. What would you want them to say? One guy said, ‘That I was a good father,” another said, “A good friend.” Last man said, “I would want them to say, “Look, he’s moving!”

2. …in your relationship with your wife?” (I won’t share this one with you readers).

Another, and this is not all of them, but some samplings… How much More passages. We were reminded—How much more we will be saved from God’s anger; How much more we will be reconciled through His life; How much more did God’s grace overflow: How much more will those who receive God’s abundant grace and gift or righteousness reign in life; How much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit!

See why I think meeting with some others will help you now?

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.

Then I had an attack of sanity. My second thought was, He’s insane. If he only knew…

One other student in the class asked his father-who was a successful pastor-about a particular issue in ministry and that led to a discussion about success and ministry. “The ministry is a very brutal profession in many ways,” his father said. “I think just making it through with a bit of sanity means you have succeeded at it.”

You’ve heard the old statement that any airplane flight from which you walk away is a successful flight. That’s true of pastoral ministry, parenting, work, life…

…and the Christian faith.

My student’s comment about settling into a sad state of mediocrity haunts me. It’s a statement filled with pathos…but, if you think about it, it’s maybe not a bad place to be. A friend told me once that, when he was young, he thought he would be great but, since then, he discovered he was a “plodder.” I told him I had never heard anybody say that before. He laughed and said it used to bother him until God told him that “plodding” was a “gift of the Spirit.”

He was, by the way, one of the most secure and joyful Christians I’ve ever met.

So I decided to do something that very few do, to wit, say a good word about mediocrity. Don’t expect much! What I’m going to say will be…uh…well…mediocre.

Let me give you four biblical truths I find helpful, using the imagery of poker. I hope that doesn’t offend you but, if it does, you should know that I don’t play poker anymore. A friend told me that it hurt my witness, so I stopped. I do think, between you and me, that he wasn’t as concerned with my witness as he was with the fact that I was winning all his money.

But with that being said, I really wasn’t that great at poker. It was fun, I enjoyed playing with friends and, while it may have been sin…I still liked it. (That by the way is why we sin, to wit, we like to sin.) But, frankly, nobody would ever ask me to participate in the World Series of Poker. I was a mediocre poker player at best.

First, poker players don’t deal the cards or decide on the cards; they just play poker with the cards they’re dealt. My life’s verse is, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might…” (Ecclesiastes 9:10). That verse is comforting to me in that I remember I’m not the dealer. Sometimes I play the game well, much of the time I don’t, and most of the time the game ends in a draw. All I have to do is keep on playing as best I can.

I often tell seminary students that some of them will serve large and prestigious churches while others small churches, and that is rarely determined by their brilliance, gifts, skills or lack of same. That’s true. It has to do with God who determines the boundaries of our lives and does it with great wisdom and understanding.

Second (and if you’ve been to a Born Free seminar, you already know this), when a dog plays poker (or checkers, if that makes you feel any better), one shouldn’t criticize his game; one should just be pleased and surprised that he is playing at all. Besides that, “power is made perfect in weakness” and God sometimes gives a serious defect in poker playing to keep poker players “from being too elated by the surpassing greatness” of their game (2 Corinthians 12:7-10).

Yesterday, I had lunch with a group of college students who are serving as summer interns at a large Presbyterian church here in Orlando. They wanted to ask “Dr. Brown” some questions and I was flattered that they did. Frankly, I was really impressing them…

…until I spilled a full glass of Coke onto the lap of the woman who directs the intern program at the church. She, of course, was gracious. The college students were kind and thinking, He’s an old guy doing the best he can. And the other people in the restaurant pretended that nothing happened.

God thought it was funny.

Evidently, he wasn’t as impressed as the college students were and decided to let them see what a klutz I am.

Third, the game can be fun if you remember that it’s just a game. If you take the game or yourself as a poker player too seriously, it will drive you nuts. You can’t play poker and enjoy it if you’re too serious about it. In fact, the only poker players who enjoy poker are those who can afford to lose. High expectations about the game, about winning, about the other poker players or about your own poker playing can kill you. Poker is fun if you can afford to lose…or in this case, afford to be mediocre.

Paul said, “For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s” (Romans 14:7-8). In Philippians 4:11-13, he writes, “I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” In other words, I can win or lose through Christ who strengthens me.

And finally, the really incredible thing is that the dealer is your Father and he dotes on you. Not only did God say about Jesus, “This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17), the same God says to you because of Jesus, “This is my beloved son or daughter with whom I am well pleased.”

During the summers when I was growing up, I was a “locker boy” and later, a lifeguard, at the city swimming pool. In the “off times,” we often played poker and more often than not, I was the dealer.

I cheated.

No, no, not for my benefit. It was for theirs. Most people who work at city facilities don’t make much money, are not very good poker players, and really can’t afford to blow too much on a game. I fixed it so they wouldn’t lose too much or win too much. I managed-with my not insignificant skills at dealing-to see that each of the poker players (my friends) came out about even.

To this day, those guys don’t know that I was their benefactor.

You know your Benefactor.

Now go take a nap.

I just read over what I wrote. It sort of sounds like I think excellence is a bad thing that Christians should avoid at all costs. Please don’t misread me. Excellence is a part of our witness and it matters…

…but not as much as you think.

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. Let’s say we all have a friend named “Bill”. Bill is always the same guy. when we all get together we make sure Bill is included, because we all like him, and he likes all of us. He just kind of completes the party. But, each one of us has a unique relationship with the same guy. For me, he’s just plain funny, and likes me even when I tell bad jokes. For you, he’s just plain Bill, what you see is what you get, and he accepts you just the way you are. For another, Bill is a “secret” mentor. That person watches Bill’s life and learns from him. Yet Bill is not a “life coach”, he’s just a friend whose walk speaks louder and clearer than  his talk, and he says he likes to be around me too! That feels good.
 
Jesus…we know about him. We passed our licensure and ordination exams or are preparing for them, so we know all that the Bible says about Him. We know what Calvin said about Him, what the Westminster Divines said, what our denomination tells us about Him, how our “circle” of friends or Book of Church Order tell us to worship him. While that information is helpful, it can be a prison that walls out the person of Jesus. We try to have times of quiet like everyone or someone else does. We hope to have a relationship with Jesus just like they do. Guess what, that’s not what He wants. It would be like everyone telling you about “Bill” but never getting to meet him…to never sit down with him yourself and have a cup of coffee with him. Your heart doesn’t relate to information fully, it must relate to another heart.
 
I was amazed when I realized Jesus wanted me to be me and not someone else. I was amazed that I am the only Lea Clower and you are the only ______(your name) that God has ever made in the history of mankind and He wants me/you…loves me/you…wants to spend time with me/you, and have a unique relationship with me/you. He is the same, but we are all different, and therefore He relates to each of us differently/individually.
 
Steve, is a praying man, and has a wonderful relationship with the Lord, but I don’t want his relationship with the Lord anymore, I want mine. Beware of “following the crowd” into the prayer closet. It gets so crowded with methods and mantras that Jesus gets crowded out. Go into the closet alone. Alone with Jesus. You’ll be amazed at how much He enjoys spending time with you…just you.

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 Temptation Always Win?

We live in society where food temptations are everywhere.

• Walk through a store and you’ll see the unhealthy food items displayed front and center.
• Turn on the TV and you’ll be assaulted with commercials for fattening foods.
• Open a magazine and you’ll notice glossy pin-ups of sugary snacks.
• Go down the street and you’ll have restaurant signs clamoring for your attention.

In addition to the abundance of tempting edibles, you also have deeply ingrained positive associations with indulging.

• You treat tempting food as a reward.
• You turn to tempting food for comfort.
• You rely on tempting food as stress relief.
• You allow tempting food to become a habit.

It’s Your Turn to Win

Temptation doesn’t need to have the upper hand on you anymore. It’s time to fight back using your most powerful asset: your brain.

Your mind is an amazing thing. Once it is made up about something it is nearly impossible to change it.

A Matter of Perspective

Imagine for a moment that you’re peacefully floating down a river in an inner tube. The sun is out, the birds are chirping, and you are having a wonderful time. You feel great about the river because it is making you feel good.

Now imagine that you are in a plane flying over the river. Your eye is immediately drawn to an enormous rocky waterfall. You look up the river and just around the bend is a person floating in an inner tube, having a wonderful time, headed straight for the treacherous falls.

Do you think that after your plane ride you’d be happy to get an inner tube and float down the river? Of course you wouldn’t. You’ve seen that the river spells disaster.

You now have a negative association (watery death) with the river rather than your initial positive association (relaxing fun).

Overcoming temptation is all about building negative associations in place of existing positive ones. Use the 2 steps below to harness the power of your mind to become stronger than any temptation.

Step One: Create a Strong Negative Association with all the BAD STUFF

• If cookies and chips and burgers are put on a pedestal in your mind as your favorite things to eat, then you will always eat unhealthy and will continue to gain weight.
• What do you dislike about tempting food?
  • It makes you unhealthy.
  • It causes weight gain.
  • It drains your energy.
  • It kills your confidence.
  • It degrades your quality of life.
  • It hurts your love life.
• Every time that you encounter tempting food items focus on your list of negatives. It’s time to kick those cookies off the pedestal and to put something healthy in its place.

Step Two: Create a Strong Positive Association with all the GOOD STUFF

• Now that your mental pedestal has been cleared, put healthy food items on it. Juicy fresh fruit, crispy vegetables and savory lean meats are a great place to start.
• What do you love about healthy food?
  • It makes you healthy.
  • It causes weight loss.
  • It boosts your energy.
  • It builds your confidence.
  • It improves your quality of life.
  • It enhances your love life.
• Immerse yourself into the world of healthy food. Browse the aisles of a natural food store. Walk through a farmer’s market. Bring healthy snacks to work. Clear your kitchen of anything unhealthy.

Using the technique above, you will soon find that healthy food is your favorite food.

And temptation will become a thing of your past.

Recipe of the Week

Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

You’ve probably heard of quinoa – it is hailed by some as the new super food. It’s high in protein (12%-18%) and contains a balanced set of essential amino acids – this means it’s a surprisingly complete protein. It’s also high in fiber and iron. And, as if the edible seeds didn’t have enough going for them, NASA is thinking about growing it in space.

Quinoa is quite possibly the perfect thing to have for breakfast to start your day off on the right foot.
Servings: 1

Here’s what you need:

• 1/2 cup quinoa, cooked in water according to instructions on package
• 1 Tablespoon golden raisins
• 1 Tablespoon date pieces, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon pecan pieces, chopped
• Dash of cinnamon
• Dash of nutmeg
• Drizzle of pure maple syrup

1. Top cooked quinoa with raisins, date pieces, pecan pieces, cinnamon, nutmeg and a drizzle of maple syrup.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 344 calories, 5g fat, 59g carbohydrate, 6g fiber, and 12g protein.

Fitness Tip of the Week

The Domino Effect

Regular exercise makes it easier to eat healthy. Just as healthy eating makes you more likely to exercise.

It’s the domino effect. When you begin to make a positive change in one area of your life other areas will soon follow.

Remember, while nutrition is vitally important for weight loss, true results are achieved through a combination of both nutrition and challenging, progressive exercise.

Would you like to get that domino effect started in your life? Email me today for a fitness program that will quickly transform your body.

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**!

(And if another person says it to my wife, I will need to find a good trial attorney because she might go all Aileen Wuornos on his a**!)

I’m done explaining myself. I’m done trying to prove my worth. I’m sick of offering as defense for my week’s work, my tiredness and my kids’ frustration that daddy is never present…even when he is.

No matter how hard I work, I never feel like I am worth what they pay me…which isn’t a lot but still too much because they pay me to do that which we should all be doing anyways.

Why did God call me to this? Why did He set me apart?

I wish He would give me an answer!

So the other day I read Tullian Tchividjian’s new book Surprised by Grace: God’s Relentless Pursuit of Rebels. It was so good. In fact, stop reading this. Go to Amazon and order it. Now. Seriously.

I was just planning on giving the book a cursory scan to prepare for the Steve Brown Etc. interview with Tullian (you should definitely check out the podcast) but three hours later, I had read it in its entirety. Cover to cover. Have you ordered the book yet?

In the book, Tullian demonstrates through the story of Jonah God’s pursuit of rebels. But not simply His pursuit of the rebels of Nineveh or even the rebel sailors who worshiped idols, but the pursuit of the rebel, Jonah.

From page 89…

God is more interested in the worker than He is in the work the worker does. He’s more interested in you than in what you can accomplish. If accomplishing Project Nineveh was all God cared about, He could have discarded Jonah and found a more reliable prophet. He knew Jonah would run; so why did He ask Jonah to go in the first place? It was because Jonah was God’s project. God comesafter Jonah not because He needs Jonah, but because Jonah needs God.

God has given me an amazing wife. Want proof? Go back and read my blog about my first sermon in which I share my wife’s journal from that Sunday. It doesn’t make sense to me that I have a wife like her. But I do!

The other day she told me about an image that came to mind as she was praying for me. It was God and me sitting together on the edge of a dock with our feet dangling in the water and our arms around each other’s shoulders.

That’s sweet, right? But instead of Kelly seeing this somewhat saccharine, Footprints-esque image, what I really need is for Him to answer my question. Why have You called me to this?

Am I missing something?!

So glad it’s all about grace.

Zach

“If any pilgrim monk come from distant parts with wish as a guest to dwell in our monastery and will be content with the customs which he finds in this place, and does not perchance by his lavishness disturb the monastery, but is simply content with what he finds, he shall be received for as long a time as he wishes. If indeed he find fault with anything or expose it reasonably and with humility and charity, the Abbot shall discuss it prudently, lest perchance God has sent him for this very purpose. But if he has been found gossipy or divisive in the time of his sojourn as the guest, not only ought he not be joined in the body of the monastery, but also it shall be said to him honestly that he must depart. If he does not go, let two stout monks, in the name of God, explain the matter to him.”

Benedict coined the term “stout monk” in reference to men able to guard and protect the community from enemies and intruders. He put them to work on tasks and mission requiring strength, courage and integrity (sure they loved beer too). When necessary, they would go and escort the intruder out. Yet they were called to act in pairs, not in isolation. They were together. The protected one another as well as their community.

Do you want or need to start a Stout Monk Society? We say we all need community, but are we practicing community? Now I would suggest that the kind of community you need, at this level, the Stout Monk level, will not be found in your own congregation. Some strongly disagree and believe that elders are elders and the local church ought to be the place where everyone can be real including the pastor. True. But, if one of your leaders opens up and reveals some black area of his life or raging doubts, he isn’t going to lose his paying job. Be careful to whom you give bullets to. Some day they might shoot you with them.

I suspect that because you know that instinctively, instead of looking for real brotherly community, you have bought the lie that it’s not for you…and you have remained a loner. Let’s change course now. I want to help you help others in the same predicament.

In forming a Stout Monk Society, Our objective is to halt the endless loss of great leaders.

Begin with Prayer. Ask God to show you who you would invite into your community. Wait for God to answer.

It works best with 6 men. A good ratio is to have older guys and a couple of younger guys. They should be guys who are ready to get real and quit the bull… admit they are pooped, pissed or whatever… admit their willingness to have others speak into their lives, and also listen to God through them. Willing to watch each other’s back. Find other pastors outside your city. Maybe look for ministry leaders, like guys who lead Young Life or a mission agency. Trust me, they are lonely leaders too! One of my chapters has a man who is a business entrepreneur par excellence and is a donor to Christian ministries. He said he never had anything like this in business.

Next you’ll need a house. Ask someone to donate it to you for a few days to keep cost down. No TV. No ESPN. It’s just for 3-4 days.

So what do you do for the three to four days?

Each one will be responsible to facilitate 3 prayer/ mentor sessions:

1. 75 minutes where you lead/ facilitate prayer on one important thing God has been teaching you in recent months- applying it to the rest and helping all pray this into each other’s lives.
2. 75 minutes facilitated prayer and counsel for your personal and family life. Let others know how things are going personally and have all gather round you to listen/ pray for you and your family
3. 75 minutes facilitated prayer for you/ your ministry. This is getting down to 1 or 2 key areas that you could use listening prayer and counsel from men of wisdom. Come with a few ideas written down for all to think about.
4. Lots and lots of free time and bocce ball etc.

Work in shifts for shopping, cooking and clean up. Plan on doing one night out at a nice eatery. Again, it’s not expensive to do this. And it’s not a boiler plate thing either. Let community take place. You can’t manufacture it anyway. All you are doing is providing a great venue for good things to happen…being intentional. God will show up! Let me hear how it goes. This blog will serve as a great venue to brag about what God is doing through community. “Give it a try. I think you’ll be glad you did!”

Ministry takes place within a spiritual economy of personal sacrifice that is relationally, physically and emotionally demanding. Burnout is always directly related to the larger work environment and is always in response to relationships and stressors. There is no single cause of burnout. The research has found that burnout is related to a multitude of work dynamics such as work load & time demands; relationship & emotional demands; lack of supportive relationships, affirmation & encouragement; negative feedback; lack of resources to accomplish ministry; and many more.

Burnout is a very complex mix of experiences and feelings. It doesn’t just happen and it is not related to individual inadequacies or personality traits. In other words, everyone is susceptible to it. I’ve noticed that many pastors think they should be made of stouter stuff and should somehow rise above the emotional needs of normal humans. This almost always results in late recognition of what is happening and a tremendous amount of shame is often attached to the experience.

Most people think of burnout as a one dimensional issue of emotional exhaustion, but burnout actually consist of three dimensions: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and personal crisis. These dimensions are experienced across a wide range of intensity. When a pastor is distressed to the point of either leaving the ministry or becoming so ineffective as to be unable to function in ministry, they are probably experiencing all three of the dimensions.

Emotional Exhaustion

Emotional exhaustion is the most widely reported experience of burnout and is the most recognized manifestation of the experience. Feeling overwhelmed by ministry demands, feeling depleted of emotional resources, and feeling like you just can’t take anymore are common reactions. The emotional demands of ministry exhaust the ministry leader’s capacity to give more to, be involved with, or responsive to, the needs of the ministry recipients. Feelings of depressed mood begin to invade and pastors will often respond by isolating themselves from others. In an effort to combat this sense of emotional depletion pastors will often attempt to increase their personal devotion time with the Lord, but even that experience is impacted by the loss of emotional responsiveness and well-being. In other words, it’s hard to experience a joyful relationship when you are emotionally exhausted and this is true in relationship with the Lord. This is like a landmine that pops up just when you think you’ve found the escape route to the emotional fire you are taking. It explodes in a deepening sense of emotional loneliness and is immensely confusing for pastors. Spiritually paralyzed, you begin to feel isolated from the one most sustaining relationship that has been so defining and purposeful. There’s a man down but help doesn’t seem to be coming.

Depersonalization

Few people are aware of this dimension and even fewer understand how powerful and overwhelming this little grenade is. When I meet with pastors and describe this aspect of burnout I frequently get an immediate response of recognition and relief. Depersonalization, also called cynicism in the research literature, refers to a change in how ministry leaders perceive those under their care. When someone feels cynical, they take on a cold, unattached or distant attitude toward them. They sometimes feel like everyone is an idiot and deserve whatever they get! While listening to someone who they were previously compassionate towards they are thinking “why are you bothering me?” Depersonalization is an attempt to put distance between oneself and care recipients, and pastors often begin to decrease their personal ministry to others as their normal optimism gives way to cynicism. But this has an emotional purpose: it serves as a protective function in an attempt to protect oneself from exhaustion and disappointment. This is usually accompanied with a tremendous sense of shame in which the ministry leader doesn’t just feel guilty that they are thinking badly, but that they are bad personally for thinking that way. Guilt is “I’ve done something bad.” Shame is “I am something bad.” It’s these feelings of guilt and shame that lead into the final component of the experience.

Personal Crisis

There is a decreasing sense of personal accomplishment, ability and effectiveness. The negative self appraisal becomes so profound that many pastors and ministry leaders begin to feel that any menial job, even secular, is all they are equipped for and would be a relief to the present experience. Even past accomplishments are viewed through this profoundly negative lens, and feeling inadequate and ineffective they lose confidence in their ability to make a difference. In short, they are ready to give up and feel there is no other choice, they feel like failures. This bunker buster penetrates into the deepest sense of our purpose and meaning. It wipes out our sense of who we are, what we were called to do and our ability to do it.

When seen from this multi-dimensional perspective burnout becomes something much more complex and significant than just a reaction to stress. When all of these dimensions of burnout emerge, pastors are in trouble and need to seek help. Because of the complex, personal, and deeply emotional nature of burnout, it is imperative that you find a helping professional that can provide you with a confidential, caring and informed relationship. I cannot stress enough the need to seek out help with someone who has either experienced and recovered from burnout or who specializes in the recovery process. There are many good resources that will help, but the essential nature of burnout is relationship oriented and it will take a relationship to combat it. Get the books but also get the right help you need.

Anyway, I will never forget the time I said, “Practice makes perfect” and Jim corrected me by say “Perfect practice makes perfect.” I’ve thought a lot about that over the years, and it is so true. If you practice bad habits, you simply perfect what’s wrong. I was a Navy flight instructor, an LSO (Landing Signal Officer) in Pensacola, FL teaching jet students how to land aboard ship for their first time. Every single landing at the field in preparation for going to the ship and every arrested landing aboard ship was graded, critiqued, and debriefed. This was true for the rest of their career as carrier pilots. “Arriving alive” wasn’t enough. It had to be done exceptionally well, and especially at night. Interestingly enough the grading system still let you know you weren’t perfect and that there was always work to be done. A “perfect” approach and landing grade was an OK. OK, underlined, with no comment. A near perfect pass was still just an OK. For a perfectionist like me, basketball, carrier landings, life, and “quiet times” can be real bummers.

Now Jim understands grace a whole lot better than I do. For example, when Duke loses to North Carolina, Jim knows it’s not the end of the world as we know it. But when Carolina loses to Duke I am miserable for at least three days, like my mother had died or something.

You see “perfect practice” does make “perfect”, but it’s not going to happen in this world. Carolina is not always going to beat Duke. Only a few carrier landings in any pilot’s career are graded OK. Perfect practice and perfect games are just not going to happen in my life or in yours. But grace is always greater and always enough. Like the concert pianist told the boy playing chop sticks…”you keep playing what you can, and I’ll fill in the rest.”

I’ve tried to have a perfect quiet time, because that means I’ll have a perfect day, right?… wrong! But I have found something that works for me. It is what I call an “honest” quiet time. Every time I spiritually “check boxes” especially in the morning, He is silent. Equally true, every time I’m honest with Him in that “time of quiet”, I “hear” Him speak. Such things as: “I love you.” “I love you anyway.” “I forgave you yesterday, the first time you asked.” “I’m glad you admitted that, I’ve known it for a long time.” “Not only do I forgive you, but you need to ask their forgiveness. And no matter their response, that will please me.” “I know. The fall messed up My plans too, but I’m fixing it, even though you think I’m slow.” “A pity party is OK for a little while, but if it goes on too long, you’ve forgotten how much greater my grace is than the pain.” “Come here son, let me hold you. Everything really is going to work out. I promise.” And, I’ve even heard Him “say” (and this is my favorite) “Yes, Lea, your favorite bumper sticker is right – LIFE SUCKS THEN YOU DIE! – but don’t forget, when you die the party really begins!”

Guys, when it comes to your “quiet time”, there is no such thing as a perfect one, but there is such a thing as an “honest one” which will be enough for today. And maybe it would help you, like it has helped me, to call it a “time of quiet” rather than “quiet time”. There is just too much perfectionism in the old “check the box” name and too many expectations that it will be a “lucky charm” for the day. Remember: shredded wheat without sugar may not be as exciting as Shoney’s breakfast bar, but it is just as nourishing. So “eat” your spiritual breakfast with a time of quiet with our Father. It’s more filling, fulfilling and nourishing. And He told me that He enjoys it more that way too!

This past semester I opened each class session of Theology of Ministry at the seminary where I am an adjunct professor, with a character study through I Timothy 3 and Titus 1. The qualifications for elder/pastor are clear and while my theological tradition is heavy on the intellectual grasp of the great doctrines of the faith, the Pastoral Epistles emphasize character in Christ as the hallmark of spiritual leaders. Of course it is Christ like maturity AND a grasp of the great doctrines of the faith which much characterize a pastor. I get that. Contemplation on these qualifications has led me to some honest realizations…to wit (as Steve Brown would say)

…I’ve been a senior pastor for some 28 years and I still have a long way to go in spiritual maturity when it comes to these qualifications for elder/pastor. Specifically I am not fully “respectable” (I Timothy 3.2). I still lack love in amazing ways. I’ve found that new life challenges and trials can still be surprisingly difficult even if you’ve walked with Jesus and worked for Jesus for a long time. Pastors have to learn to love through trials and I have had to do that a lot, but even experienced pastors hit major trials when they least expect them. Those trials which I face are like sharp knives that peel layers off the onion skin of my soul…exposing my real character. My core character is seen for what it is and it’s not pretty. The more I follow Jesus the more time there is for trials to expose my sin and thus, the more I see areas to grow that I didn’t see before. Frankly Jesus probably didn’t want me to see that ugly stuff earlier, lest I had gotten discouraged too early on. One guy put it is this way…”The closer you get to the light the more you see the dirt.” That is actually encouraging to me. Big trials that hit do reveal to me my sin more obviously and scream at me as to where I need to grow. I can honestly say that the level of sin in me is sometimes shocking, but I’m not blown away by it like I would have been early on in my life, because frankly I have been trying to stay close to the Light for a long time now. Should I be a Christian and leader with my sin level? Probably not. But my sin is more obvious to me now because I have been trying to stay close to the Light. The sin I sometimes now see in me is the result of His keeping me close. How can I be uptight about that?

…In I Timothy 1:12-17 Paul calls himself the foremost of sinners and I’ll gladly let him have that title. He didn’t glory in the bad stuff he did before coming to Christ, nor his present sins (whatever they were), but that he was loved and chosen anyway and called to be used in expanding the only Kingdom that will survive…Christ’s Kingdom. As I see deeper sin in my life I struggle with the thought of: “There is no way I ought to be pastor with my sin!” I want to feel worthy of my position as a senior pastor. The Enemy wants me to think that way of course. The position of pastor is one in which of course the greater maturity one exhibits, the more one gives evidence that he should be in that position. The position of pastor heightens the pressure to be Christ like. And we should be mature as pastors. I suspect because we aren’t super spiritual in reality and feel guilty for our lack of spirituality, we fake the outward spirituality and put pressure on our people to be spiritual. Better for me to admit the deep sin in my own life and realize that like Paul, I am a pretty accomplished sinner too who the Lord wants to use to reconcile people to God and to each other. A pastor is a sinner-saint on the same journey as his people. Good for me to remember. So should I be a pastor at my level of spiritual maturity? Probably not, but who else is Jesus going to use to lead the flock? I guess I probably will never feel worthy of the position of being a pastor. It might even be the case that the longer we serve Jesus and follow His Light, the more we will see that we really don’t deserve the position of pastor and will feel increasingly unworthy in it. As long as we drink in His grace that probably is a good place to be.

…2 Corinthians 4:7…the treasure of the Gospel in cracked-pots to show that the all surpassing power is of God and not of ourselves. As a spiritual leader, when I see my deep sin, the sin behind the sin (Tim Keller’s phrase) might be to ignore it all and not seek God’s power in my life…and not seek to be Spirit filled and not care about triumphing over this new area of sin which as been exposed. The Lord has and is using my sin to humble me ever more, no doubt part of His intent in the trials He sends. No matter what happens to me, no matter what position I am in as a leader or a non-leader in the church, I am going to follow Jesus. I John 3.2 is one of my hope verses. When I see Him, I’ll be changed and the battle will be over. So I’m not minimizing my sin…and some sins will render me unfit for being a pastor…but to bail out of the pastorate because I am an increasingly aware sinner will be to violate the principle that God uses cracked pots to shine His grace-glory to others. Should I be a pastor with my sin level? Probably not, but at least I know I’m broken and His glory is shining through, and that the only kind of pastor out there is broken like me. So I’m not going to ignore the sin, but I’m going to focus on His grace, and He will help me fight the sin that’s got to go. And I’m going to stay a pastor anyway even though I’m not great at being spiritual. Leadership in the church is difficult. Maturity is difficult. But, well, Steve’s words have helped me so many times…”there are no super-Christians.” My sin, newly discovered or anciently known, is an opportunity for omnipotence to work once again. Even in a pastor.

Stay in the fight with me,

Pete Alwinson

People who would rather spend the day planted on their couch than anywhere else.

People who choose take-out over home cooked, every night of the week.

People who would rather have a root canal than go do a workout.

Sure, I know that we all have our occasional lazy day on the couch, but lately it seems that more and more people are turning laziness into a career.

What about you? Check if the following describe you:

• You are habitually inactive.
• You’d rather be a passive observer than an active participant.
• You’re a master excuse-maker.
• You find shortcuts in order to avoid the long haul.

If that’s you, don’t get down on yourself. There are many legitimate causes of laziness. Here are just a few…

1. Sleep Deprivation: When you’re short on sleep it’s easy to become unmotivated, which quickly turns into laziness. Get a minimum of eight hours of sleep each night in order to maintain enough energy to get you through the day. Some experts even say that ten hours of sleep each night is what you need to function at your best.
2. Caffeine Abuse: Starting your day with a jolt of java may help with your initial alertness, but the dip in energy that takes place a few hours later could be the reason that you become lazy later in the day. Avoid the rush and crash of caffeine and instead rely on your steady supply of natural energy.
3. Bad Habit: At some point being lazy simply becomes a habit. If every night after work you head straight to the couch, it soon becomes automatic and not a conscious decision. Breaking the habit of laziness is actually quite easy. Simply take yourself off of autopilot and make the conscious decision to do something productive instead – like heading to the gym rather than the couch.
4. Inactivity: If your job keeps you in a chair for hours at a time, and you don’t exercise when off the clock, then your body is just accustomed to inactivity. It’s time to wake up your under-used muscles and to reacquaint yourself with the joy of motion. A simple way to get back into the swing of things is to go on a 30 to 60 minute walk either before work or after you return home. Once you’ve broken yourself in with consistent walks, contact me to get started on a fitness program that will quickly get your body back into great shape.

Laziness begins when you ignore that little nagging voice in your head. You know, the one that reminds you when you should take action on something rather than sit by and let the opportunity slip away.

Is today the day that you will kick laziness to the curb?

Is today the day that you will take action toward achieving your goals?

Is today the day that you will listen to that little voice of reason?

Email me to learn more about my fitness and fat loss programs that will quickly change your life.

Guiltless Zucchini Pasta with Turkey

Here is a guiltless way to prepare spaghetti that the whole family will love. To create angel hair noodles out of zucchini you simply need a small kitchen gadget called a spiral slicer. This ingenious tool is well worth the small investment – with it you’ll quickly and easily make delicious, fiber-filled noodles.
Yield: 4 servings

Here’s what you need…

4 zucchini, ends trimmed and run through a spiral slicer
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 (20oz) package lean ground turkey
2 cups spaghetti sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Place the spiral-sliced zucchini in a large bowl and set aside.

In a medium sized skillet heat the oil. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until soft.

Add the turkey to the skillet and cook until fully browned.

Add the spaghetti sauce and mix until fully incorporated.

Remove from heat.

Mix the sauce with the zucchini noodles in the large bowl and serve.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 292 calories, 8g fat, 26g carbohydrate, 5g fiber, and 27g protein.

Fitness Tip of the Week

Your Ideal You

Take a moment and imagine your ‘ideal you’.

What does the ‘ideal you’ look like? How does the ‘ideal you’ spend their time? Who would the ‘ideal you’ spend time with? What would the ‘ideal you’ accomplish? The distance between you and your ‘ideal you’ is created by laziness.

When faced with decisions, big or small, do what your ‘ideal you’ would do, rather than taking the easy way out.

(I’m pretty sure that your ‘ideal you’ is a client of mine…:)

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

This is the fifth 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) called, “Failing to Understand the Importance of How I Define Ministry Success.”
• Mistake #2 called, 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.

This time we’ll take a brief look at another common mistake church leaders make that I wish someone had told me about before I went into the ministry.

Mistake #5: Not Understanding that the Way Up is the Way Down

One of the supreme glories of the Gospel is that it is primarily through weakness that God chooses to show His strength. And it’s through foolishness that God loves to manifest His wisdom. The Apostle Paul makes this abundantly clear when he writes,

“For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised, God has chosen, the things that are not, that He might nullify the things that are, that no man should boast before God. (1Cor 1:26-29).

In their excellent book entitled Liberating Ministry From the Success Syndrome by Kent and Barbara Hughes (required reading for all church leaders!) they write, “To you who deem yourself unusually ordinary be encouraged: God must have liked ordinary people because he made so many of us!” I wish someone had told me years ago not to hold my weaknesses in disdain—but to know that God’s plan is to work through my foolishness and weakness so that He might manifest His wisdom and strength.

I also wish someone had explained to me more clearly that God’s kingdom is an upside down kingdom where “God is opposed to the proud but He gives grace to the humble.” and “Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted “and “When pride comes, then comes dishonor, But with the humble is wisdom.”

And I wish someone had helped me understand more deeply these profound words written by Oswald Chambers:

“God can achieve his purpose either through the absence of human power and resources, or the abandonment of reliance on them. All through history God has chosen and used nobodies, because their unusual dependence on him made possible the unique display of his power and grace. He chose and used somebodies only when they renounced dependence on their natural abilities and resources.”

To those of you who consider yourself unusually gifted (you know who you are!) this means you must be very careful not to trust in your strengths illegitimately. In fact, unless you humble yourself and renounce your dependence upon them, all your labor and even your fruit is apt to be in vain. It will all be burned away (see Hughes’ book for more details).

What are some of the ways we can know we’re at risk in this area?  In C. Peter Wagner’s book, Humility, he lists 5 Signposts Along the Road to Pride:

1) Yearning for Praise and Accolades
2) Keeping Score
3) Rejoicing in others failures
4) Resenting others successes
5) Compulsively defending yourself

The paradox of grace is that the way up is the way down. One of the reasons there is often such little display of God’s presence and power in many of our lives and ministries today is because of the unknown root sin of pride and self-reliance. The Bible teaches that God’s presence and power normally dwells in a humble and contrite heart. “But to this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My Word” (Is 66:2).

With this truth in mind, I wish someone had made clear to me early in my ministry that coming to the cross of Jesus Christ is not meant by God to be just a one time thing for us (at conversion) but an ongoing process. The Apostle Paul wrote “…just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, so walk in Him” (Colossians 2:6). Coming to God in humility means learning to keep coming to Him in repentance and faith through the cross of Jesus Christ.

Paul wrote,  “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Galatians 6:14). As God progressively shows us our sin of pride we must learn the secret of coming in humility again and again and again to the cross of Jesus Christ for not only pardon but also for power to change.

It is only at the cross that the streams of God’s transforming grace will begin to flow into our lives. Like water, God’s grace and power always flows down to the lowest place. As you respond to this reminder, prayerfully meditate on the words of the nineteenth century hymn writer, Horatius Bonar,

“I heard the voice of Jesus say, “Behold, I freely give the living water. Thirsty one, stoop down and drink and live”.

——————————

Steve Childers is the President & CEO of Global Church Advancement, an inter-denominational ministry that provides church planting training, consultations, and resources for church planters, pastors and missionaries throughout the world. Steve has trained Christian leaders from more than 50 countries (curriculum in five major global languages), representing over 200 denominations and mission agencies in 5 continents (& 5 languages). Steve is also an author, Professor of Practical Theology (since 1995) and the Director of the Doctoral program at Reformed Theological Seminary, in Orlando, Florida, where he teaches church planting, missions, evangelism and spiritual formation. To learn more about GCA:

• Browse the GCA Website: http://www.gca.cc
• Join the GCA Cause: http://bit.ly/X5bZC
• See the GCA Blog: http://www.gca.cc/blog/
• Follow GCA on Twitter: http://twitter.com/_gca
• Follow Steve on Twitter: http://twitter.com/stevechilders
• Check out upcoming GCA Events: http://gca.cc/Seminar_Overview.htm
• Support GCA: http://gca.cc/Support_GCA.htm

(The reincarnation of Gandhi stops by as well.)

Time Magazine says Brian McLaren is one of America’s 25 most influential evangelicals. He’s a social activist, former pastor and author. Brian’s previous books include A New Kind of Christian, A Generous Orthodoxy, The Secret Message of Jesus, and Everything Must Change. Visit BrianMcLaren.net for all things Brian McLaren.

Stout Monks are there for one another. They trust the community to protect, guard and give assistance.

Singer, songwriter, Susan Ashton writes,

I’ve had the faith that gave me strength for moving any mountainside
I’ve felt the solid ground beneath my feet
But I’ve had the bread of idleness while drinking from a well of doubt
And it shakes the core of all I believe
Sometimes I feel like I’m as close as your shadow
And sometimes I feel like I’m looking up at you from the bottom of the Grand Canyon.

That is my story. That is life. That is ministry life…pastoral life. And it can only get worse the longer we live in isolation. The longer we choose not to link up with other Stout Monks and defend. En-courage = put courage in.

My friend John (co-founder of our Stout Monk Society) wrote…”When I think of Stout Monks, I think of men on the front line. Bold. Filled with zeal for Christ and his mission. Ready to face the opponent. A select and increasingly rare man. Every one is teachable. Most in need of strategic, just in time counsel. All in need of prayer, friendship and brotherhood. Men who face weariness, discouragement and loneliness.

Time for us to ‘man up’ and get a fellow Stout Monk by our side. To admit we are toast if we try to go it alone any longer. Time to be willing to make a courageous decision to get some friends, brothers…and be teachable, humble and willing to give up our busy-ness and give and take from other pastors in similar mold.

It also works when some older guys take some younger guys with them into community. Both are helped. Both are strengthened.

More later on what we do at Stout Monks.

But they all cried out together, “Away with this man…” – Luke 23:18

Since this is my first blog entry, and hopefully not my last, I guess I should give a very short introduction. I’ve been a practicing counselor for 30 years; I’ve served twenty of those years in church and para-church ministries; I have always provided services to pastors and their families for no fees; Steve Brown was my pastor for many years; I am the Executive Director of PastorServe South Florida – a ministry to care, support, counsel and love on pastors; I’m also a doctoral student researching clergy stress, burnout and mobbing. Mob what?

The fact that you are reading a blog for pooped pastors means that you may well have experienced something that until fairly recently has not had a name attached to it. Its a devastating experience that often results in pastors leaving the ministry. Its called mobbing. Although this may not sound familiar, every pastor I talk too tells me they have either been mobbed or know a dozen other pastors that have experienced it.

Mobbing is related to workplace bullying, organizational power factions, forced resignations, and forced terminations. Mobbing is defined as the prolonged malicious harassment of a coworker by a group of other members of an organization to secure the removal from the organization of the one who is targeted. Mobbing involves a small group of people and results in the humiliation, devaluation, discrediting, degradation, loss of reputation and the removal of the target through termination, extended medical leave or quitting. It is a traumatizing experience that often results in significant financial, career, health, emotional and social loss. Mobbing is unjust, unfair and undeserved. In a church setting the organization includes staff members, elders, deacons, and congregation members.

Church mobbings can be set in motion by a church member, elder, deacon or staff member. The target might be a senior pastor, associate pastor, or ministry staff. Usually there is a focus on some issue of disagreement (robes or no robes) that triggers the mobbing. Sometimes there are just vague “problems.” The pastor is rarely confronted by individuals seeking to solve an actual problem or there may be a bullying attempt to control the pastor. The mobbing begins as others are pulled in and are persuaded that the target is the problem. In churches there is rarely, if ever, a chance for the pastor to face his accusers because of the “people are saying” syndrome and “they” don’t want to cause problems! Mobbing is progressive and eventually the targeted pastor is so confused by the unfairness of it ,and so in shock by the brutality of it, they simply don’t know what to do. In addition, pastors are often told not to talk to anyone or they will split the church and that would not honor Christ. Spiritual, emotional, relational and financial ploys are all available to the mob as weapons, tactics, and strategies employed in the removal of the target.

The impact of mobbing on pastors and their families is profound and traumatizing. The personal impact includes deep humiliation, anger, anxiety, fear, depression, and isolation. There is often a profound sense of shame (guilt is “I’ve done something bad,” shame is “I am something bad”) that works to redefine all previous accomplishments as meaningless and all future hopes as dashed. In short, mobbing often convinces the target that they are failures and always will be.

The spiritual impact can also be profound and often result in a crisis of faith and leaving pastoral ministry. Pastors serve Christ and love people and when “Christians” treat them with such contempt and malice, how can a pastor come to grips with that? Persecution from non-believers is one thing but execution by congregants is an enormous betrayal. The pastor attempts to find biblical solace and comfort but mobbing is so unjust and so unfair, and the pain so profound, that they often feel abandoned even by the Lord. They know that its not true but emotionally and spiritually they are devastated.

Every relationship is impacted by a mobbing. The spouse and children pay an especially high price as they watch their loved one being unjustly mistreated and are often the recipients of the pain being expressed by the pastor. Unfortunately that pain is expressed through anger, resentment, conflict eruptions and isolation. Most frequently the pastor is so confused and ashamed at what is taking place they remain silent and isolated from family and friends which only serves to deepen the trauma. They are fearful that even their family members believe they have brought this upon themselves.

While a mobbing is taking place the pastor and his family do not know who they can trust or who they can talk to. Fearing further reprisals they remain silent, deepening their isolation, and become either depressed or physically ill. It is a vicious cycle that, because of the shame attached to it, doesn’t end when they leave the church.

What’s a pastor to do? For starters, talk to someone who can help you understand what has happened to you. Now that you have a name for it you can begin to release some of the shame you have been feeling. For many of you reading this, just having a name put to your experience is comforting. Given the traumatizing affect of mobbing, I believe its imperative you find an experienced counselor to help you in the healing process.

Finally, talk to the Lord and honestly express your pain, confusion, fear and resentment. Take the time to pray with your spouse about the pain and fear asking the Lord to enter into it and provide comfort beyond what you are capable of experiencing. Psalms 34:18 tells us that the Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit and David tells us in Psalm 62 to pour out our hearts to him for God is our refuge. Also know that Christ can provide a special comfort to you because he too was mobbed and he loves you.

These are my opinions, experience, insanity, and thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours in seminary, the pastorate, and therapy (and some time with the Lord) to become so “brilliant” and make such outrageous statements.

My hope is to help a few, or at least let them know there is someone “out there” who is just as out there as they are. Like Alcoholics Anonymous, my favorite friends with whom I share a similar fate, one drunk helping another drunk stay sober (not just dry) one day at a time…sounds a little like the Christian life doesn’t it?

Finding the Perfect Place…My Obsession with Externals

If I had the right job/church, then…
If I had the right officers, then…
If I had the right car, then…
If I had the right answers, then…
If I had the right house, then…
If I had the right quiet time…
If I had the right wife/husband…

I’m in transition. Retired from the pastoral ministry, but not the ministry (‘cause God told me to) and waiting on what’s next (‘cause God told me to). “But God, shouldn’t I be doing something while I wait?” As if waiting wasn’t doing something!

Maybe it’s time for me to start writing…my good friend Steve Brown has been trying to get me to write for 20 years, and I quote, “Lea, if I can do it, anyone can!”

Well, to write I need a desk in a quiet place apart from everything and everyone else. Now, because I’m in transition this will have to be a “sanctuary” within the “sanctuary” called my house. So I’m going to “transform” the grandchildren’s nursery into the birth place of the next great Christian author.

I’ve got a desk. It’s in the garage gathering junk and dust. I’ve got an office chair that’s in the way where it is now. I’ve now got the perfect place in view. Ordered and arranged, all in my mind, and it’s about to become a reality.

Interrupt theory with reality. While surveying the nursery I look up and see an attic access panel which I decide to check out, because we’ve lived here seven years and never looked up there. A small side-road on the way to “writer’s nirvana.”

Now, imagine with me. I remove the two foot square access panel, stick my head up in the attic, while holding one of those orange, plastic encased “mechanics” lights for working on engines.

This is what I see. The louvers to the outside for air circulation at the peak of the roof, which is only two feet above my head, the wire screen “designed” to keep varmints out torn to shreds, a sea of insulation (the pink kind and the “blown” gray cellulose stuff), and a pile of squirrel sh–, four feet by six feet by six inches deep. Can you believe we’ve let our grandchildren sleep in the room below? Duh, it’s been there for seven years and no one knew, cared, or got sick. The previous owners had put poison up there, and the squirrels quit using it as their cozy dumping ground.

Well, by God, if I’m going to have the perfect sanctuary/office/creative space, within an adequate sanctuary, my home, then I’ve got to clean all this mess up and repair the torn screen. (My eyes are burning and all I can smell is squirrel crap while I write this…in another room.)

Right here I’m going to leave out a lot of hilarious details just to save time and so you don’t quit reading.

So, picture this…Ichabod Crane, 6’4”, 220 lbs, on a six foot wobbly, wooden ladder, with only his legs showing ‘cause the rest of him is “up in the attic” with a “shop-vac” strapped to the ladder so the hose will reach the “pile” and mine the rich deposits left by happy squirrels.

When I was flying jets off of aircraft carriers, the honest though still arrogant pilots had a saying about screwing up. “There are those who have, those who will and those who lie about it!”

While I’m hard at work, to the roar of the shop-vac at my feet, like the honey truck sucking your septic tank dry, I was doing a great job of emptying the attic of more than ten pounds of poop and spreading a fine coat of “poop dust” over the entire room…walls, ceiling, rug, furniture, and toys. You know, the wonderful white dust that covers everything when you cut or sand sheet-rock.

I had not put the air filter back in the shop-vac after a previous job. I was sucking up the big chucks, and covering my perfect place with a layer of my “good intentions,” until the fire alarm went off, I never knew there was a problem.

The perfect place is right where you are.
The right job is the one you have today.
The right situation is the one you’re in now.
The right church and officers are the ones you have now.
The right wife/husband you have is the one you have now.
(Notice I didn’t say the most fun, enjoyable, or comfortable.)

“Be still (and stay put) and know that I am God.”

PS Guess where I’m writing this…in my old chair in my old spot. I sat at the desk in my new perfect spot this morning, and even after six hours of cleaning, spraying, and burning scented candles, the smell was so bad, I immediately felt sick, got a headache, and had to leave.

PPS Pray for my grandchildren’s next visit.

PPPS I married way-up, so my wife didn’t kill me. She remembered the bathroom remodeling in our last house where the only way to remove the bathtub/shower was to cut it up right where it was. So with that wonderful “Tim, the Tool man, Taylor” roar of a chain saw in the bathroom, I covered our bedroom with fiberglass dust. “There are those who have, those who will, and some of us that will do it again.”

In fact, it’s my guess that you’re healthier than most.

You probably exercise regularly. You watch what you eat. You keep up-to-date on the latest health concerns. You don’t binge on sugar.

And you never – ever – eat fast food.  Well, almost never.

But you do have a few unhealthy skeletons in your closet -ones that you probably aren’t even aware of.

The following 5 Stupid Things are frequently committed by health conscious people. Once you break these bad habits, you’ll find that achieving your weight loss goals just became a whole lot easier.

1. You’re Dehydrated

• It has been said that 75 percent of the population is chronically dehydrated. Would you disagree? When was the last time that you actually drank 8 glasses of water in a day?
• Dehydration occurs when more fluid leaves your body than is taken in. Symptoms include: fatigue, irritability, headaches, nausea, rapid heart rate, and, in extreme cases, even death.
• Dehydration also slows your metabolism, which hinders weight loss.

You shouldn’t wait until the feeling of thirst or dry mouth hits you, at that point damage has already been done. Instead, constantly rehydrate throughout your day to avoid dehydration.

The best way to do this is to incorporate water into your daily schedule. Have a water bottle at your desk and train yourself to sip on it often, and get into the habit of drinking a full glass of water with each meal and snack.

2. You Eat Out Too Often

• Research suggests that most people eat out one out of every 4 meals and snacks. That’s an average of once a day.
• Restaurant food is designed to do one thing: to taste good. In order to increase eating pleasure, each item is loaded with fat, salt and sugar. This causes you to eat way more calories than you actually need.
• Even when you order ‘healthy’ items, you’re still taking in more calories and fat grams than you would if you had prepared the item at home. Imagine the last salad you ordered out. Didn’t it come with cream dressing, croutons, cheese sprinkles and a piece of butter laden bread on the side?

The main reason people eat out is for convenience, so with a little organization you’ll find that preparing your own meals takes less time than you thought it would. On the weekend sit down and plan out your meals for the week. Then go to the grocery store and stock up on everything you’ll need for those meals.

Pack your lunch and snacks each night before bed, then grab it on your way out the door in the morning. When you prepare dinner at home, make enough for at least the next day as well. Your efforts will pay off both in terms of weight loss and in money saved.

3. You’re Sleep Deprived

• In Gallup Poll surveys, 56% of the adult population reported that drowsiness is a problem in the daytime. That’s more than half of us that clearly don’t get enough sleep.
• Healthy adults require 7-8 hours of sleep each night. When you fail to meet this need your body goes into sleep debt, which continues to accumulate indefinitely until you catch up.
• A lack of sleep negatively affects your immune system, your nervous system, and interferes with healthy hormone release and cellular repairs.

The best way to combat sleep deprivation is to set a scheduled bedtime. Your body will benefit from a consistent sleeping and waking routine, and you’re sure to get all the rest you need.

If you have trouble falling asleep once you’re in bed, then try these two tips. First, make sure that you don’t drink any caffeinated beverages after lunchtime. Second, don’t eat for three hours before you go to bed. This helps eliminate sleeplessness due to indigestion, and will also turbo-charge your weight loss.

4. You’re Stressed Out

• I don’t have to tell you that we are living in a fast-paced world and that most of us have stress levels that are through the roof. But what you might not realize is that your stress levels are making you fat.
• Stress creates an increase in the hormone cortisol, and chronic stress creates a chronic increase in cortisol. This is a problem because is slows your metabolism, leads to cravings and is linked to greater levels of abdominal fat storage.
• The vicious cycle of stress and weight gain goes around and around. Stress causes you to eat emotionally, and your raised cortisol levels cause that food to be stored as fat.

One of the most effective ways to instantly eliminate stress is to sit down and write out a list of all the things that are bothering you. This should include things that you need to get done, issues that weigh on your mind and anything you believe contributes to your stress level.

Once it’s all down on paper, organize it like a to-do list and start resolving each item. Doing so will get the stress off of your mind and will put your body into the motion of resolving each issue.

5. You’re on Exercise Autopilot

• You do the same thing each and every time you exercise. Same machines, same pace, same duration. While your routine sure feels comfortable, your results have long since halted.
• A plateau occurs when your body adapts to your routine and weight loss stops. It is incredibly frustrating, and totally avoidable.
• You don’t have to increase the amount of time that you spend exercising in order to see quicker, faster results. It’s all about challenging your body.

There are two simple ways to instantly increase the effectiveness of your exercise routine. First, increase your pace. Secondly, increase your intensity. Constantly vary your speed and intensity in order to keep your muscles guessing and adapting.

Another way to break through the exercise plateau is to do something totally new. If you regularly use weight machines then start using free weights. If you normally jog on the treadmill then start using the bike.

Are you ready to break the plateau as you take your routine to the next level?

Would you like to know without a shadow of a doubt that you are going to lose weight in the coming months?

It’s my goal to see you achieve greatness. I believe that you’ve got what it takes.

It’s so simple. Call or email today to get started on a program that will improve your health and well being, and will get you amazing results.

Spread the word. Forward this newsletter to your friends, family and coworkers by using the ‘refer a friend’ link below. They’ll thank you for it.

Email me to learn more about my fitness and fat loss programs that will quickly change your life.

Gourmet Open-Faced Salmon Sandwich

Open-faced sandwiches are great for cutting out extra calories while trying to lose weight. This recipe calls for sprouted grain bread, which is flourless bread that is densely packed with nutrients. Store your sprouted grain bread in the freezer, since it is made without preservatives or chemicals to promote shelf life.

Yield: 2 servings

Here’s what you need…

1 sprouted grain bun
2 Tablespoons hummus
1/2 cup arugula
Half of an avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced
6 oz smoked salmon
2 thin slices of onion
4 slices of heirloom tomato
Salt and pepper to taste
Spread each piece of the bun with 1 Tablespoon of hummus. Top each with half the arugula, avocado, salmon, onions, and tomato.
Season with freshly ground sea salt and pepper.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 267 calories, 9g fat, 25g carbohydrate, 6g fiber, and 22g protein.

Fitness Tip of the Week

Instant Accountability – Do you have a weight loss goal that you’re working toward? Post it on Facebook, and get instant accountability from friends and family. Be specific with your post. Include the exact amount that you aim to lose and the date that you’ll lose it by. You may be surprised how encouraging and supportive your friends will be – it may be exactly the motivating boost that you need to achieve your goal.

It was a debilitating epiphany.

Kelly was my girlfriend in 5th grade. I remember thinking how beautiful she was (still is). She had hair that looked like curly fries (still does). We had even gotten in trouble for kissing on the playground. Even though I didn’t grow hair in certain areas until I was in High School, I was still an aggressive 10-year-old. We dated in High School. Married in college. Now eight years and three kids later we stood across from each other confused, unable to communicate and pretty much depleted.

How did this happen?

Hardly a day goes by that someone doesn’t tell us what a great couple we are or how cute our family is.

I felt an incredible numbness. I couldn’t move. I didn’t want to. I didn’t want to pursue her. I spend 50 plus hours a week pursuing people. That’s my job! When I come home I want to rest. I want a break. I just want to watch TV.

Does she not know that? Have I not shared with her all the affirmation I have been receiving from the people I’ve been pursuing? Does she not know all the good I’m doing? Does she not know that people need me?

How did this happen to me?

My dad owns a commercial tile construction company. During the summers of my High School days, I would work for him. I hated it. But tonight the thought of laying tile, even though it is hard, laborious work, seemed so restful. Maybe if I were a tile-setter I would want to be the “spiritual leader” of my family, because I don’t now. I don’t have the capacity.

Earlier that same day I was preparing a lesson on the feeding of the 5,000. Before Jesus performed this miracle, he asked Philip, one of his disciples, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” The author then tell us that Jesus already knew that he was going to solve the problem miraculously.

So why did Jesus ask?

When confronted with an overwhelming need or a debilitating epiphany, what’s our response?

Philip’s response was “It would take almost a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”

Looking at my 5th grade girlfriend, grown-up and heartbroken, my response was “I can’t fix this and I don’t have the energy to try. At least not right now. I have a few things I have to get done at work first. Right now all I want to do is watch TV.” And that’s what I did.

Standing in the kitchen I knew what my response should be. I still know what my response should be. It’s part of my job to know the right response. But even as I write these thoughts down, evoking pretty s*!tty feelings about myself (please don’t go back and read my previous post…you will all turn on me), I still don’t really want to turn to Jesus with my overwhelming need.

Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”

Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there).

Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.

So glad it’s all about grace.

Zach

If you can relate, take a break from looking at porn on the Internet and join us for Steve Brown Etc. with Michael Cusick.

For years, Michael led a hidden life that consisted of prostitutes, pornography, alcohol abuse, massage parlors and adultery. Today Michael has been clean for 15 years and he’s the founder and president of Restoring the Soul, an organization that exists to provide life changing soul care to Christian leaders. He’s also featured in the documentary Somebody’s Daughter: A Journey to Freedom from Pornography.

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

This is the fifth 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) called, “Failing to Understand the Importance of How I Define Ministry Success.”
• Mistake #2 called, Managing My Time and Not Managing My Life
• Mistake #3: Not Understanding the Difference Between my Goals and Desires.

This time we’ll take a brief look at another common mistake church leaders make that I wish someone had told me about before I went into the ministry.

Mistake #4: Not Understanding the Difference Between Pursuing the Grace of God and the God of Grace.

John Piper’s words still seem to be ringing in my ears after all these years: “Is God a means of grace in your life and ministry or is grace a means to God?” No one had ever asked me that kind of question before. In fact, it took me a while to even figure out what the question meant.

But when I finally understood it, I found myself wishing someone had dared to ask me that kind of penetrating, potentially life-changing question many years ago. Let me try to expound on this idea briefly.

The Ultimate Quest of Your Life & Ministry
In John 17:3 Jesus said, “And this is eternal life, that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent.” Here we are meant to learn that God’s goal for our lives is not merely to serve him in faithful ministry but primarily to know him, to love him, to glorify him and enjoy him.

Think of this question again: “Is God made a means to grace in your ministry or is grace made a means to God?” To put the question differently, “Does the quest of your life and the passion of your ministry terminate on God? Knowing Him? Enjoying Him? Glorifying Him?

Or is God brought in beside all your planning, techniques and ministry strategies in hope that he might somehow be the means of a great outpouring of grace on your ministry and in your life? The big idea here is that it makes a tremendous difference whether the ultimate quest of your life and ministry is the grace of God or the God of grace.

Using God to Solve Your Problems or Using Your Problems to Find God?

One of the most fundamental questions is whether you will place God or yourself at the center of your ministry. The practical benefits of a God-centered focus in life and ministry are far-reaching. Author Larry Crabb makes the point that a leader with this perspective stops trying to “use God to solve his problems”. Instead such a leader learns how to “use his problems to find God”.

A very common problem among church planters, missionaries, and pastors, is that we begin to see ourselves primarily as servants of God or soldiers of God. Unknowingly, over time, our view of God becomes primarily that of a Master or a Commander-in-Chief. And those pictures of God are biblical and true, but there is so much more to a truly biblical view of God.

In John 15 Jesus said, “You are my friends.” There is a sense in which that’s richer than merely being a slave or a soldier. Then in 1John 3:1 we read these astonishing words, “See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God.”

Stop and think about this: more than being a “friend” of Christ, because you are now “in Christ” you are also considered by God to be His child—one who is now loved with the highest of all loves, a love previously reserved by the eternal Father for His one and only Son! There is no stronger love in all the cosmos (Eph 3:14-20).

In Ephesians 5 we see another graphic picture of a bride and a bridegroom—the picture of intimate lovers. As a church leader never allow the imagery of what has been called the “John 3:16 of the Old Testament” to leave your mind and heart: “The LORD your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy. He will be quiet in His love. He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy” (Zeph 3:17). Here we have the Commander-in-Chief (the Victorious Warrior) rejoicing over you as His child with shouts of joy.

The Lord is our Commander-in-Chief, and we are called to be “good soldiers of Jesus Christ”, putting on and utilizing all the spiritual armor (Eph. 6) that is now ours in Christ. He is also our Master and we are called to be His “servants” availing ourselves of all of His means of grace so we might be called “faithful” at the end of this race. But we must never forget He is also our Friend, our Father and our Lover (and so much more).

The reason having a proper view of God is so critically important in your life and ministry is because it is so easy to be unknowingly:
• Pursuing the Kingdom and not the King
• Pursuing the Truth of God and not the God of Truth
• Using God to solve your problems rather than using your problems to find God.
In other words, if you are not consciously fighting against it, you are at risk of falling prey to pursing the grace of God and not the God of grace.

Just before his death, Dr. Bill Bright, the founder of Campus Crusade spoke at Reformed Seminary in Orlando, Florida, where I’m on faculty (along with Steve Brown). He had a terminal respiratory disease. Many of us were told he might not live long enough to speak in chapel on the date he had been scheduled. So I’ll never forget watching this man of God being helped into the seminary chapel in a wheel chair with a oxygen tubes hooked under his nose. Here was without question one of the greatest visionary leaders of our generation. And he had come to preach to us as “a dying man to dying men”.

I found fascinating that the focus of his final message that morning was not on the importance of capturing a vision for reaching the world for Christ. That’s what I was expecting. But it was, to my surprise, a powerful message on the importance of capturing a vision for God in the fullness of all His attributes.

I’ll never forget Dr. Bright’s final challenge to us that day—to see God not merely as useful but instead to learn to see God primarily as beautiful. It was just another way of saying, “Don’t merely pursue the grace of God. Pursue the God of grace”. I hope this helps you in that life-long process.

——————————

Steve Childers is the President & CEO of Global Church Advancement, an inter-denominational ministry that provides church planting training, consultations, and resources for church planters, pastors and missionaries throughout the world. Steve has trained Christian leaders from more than 40 countries (curriculum in five major global languages) representing over 120 denominations and mission agencies. Steve is also an author, Professor of Practical Theology (since 1995) and the director of the doctoral program at Reformed Theological Seminary, in Orlando, Florida, where he teaches church planting, missions, evangelism and spiritual formation. To learn more about GCA:

• Browse the GCA Website: http://www.gca.cc

• Join the GCA Cause: http://bit.ly/X5bZC

• See the GCA Blog: http://www.gca.cc/blog/

• Follow GCA on Twitter:http://twitter.com/_gca

• Follow GCA President (Childers) on Twitter: http://twitter.com/stevechilders

• Check out upcoming GCA Events: http://gca.cc/Seminar_Overview.htm

• Support GCA: http://gca.cc/Support_GCA.htm

He mentioned a quote I had used… I use it a lot in training leaders, elders, pastors and church planters. I stole it from Steve years ago (I have looked it up myself and its legit). It’s the Rule of St. Benedict, from the Benedictine Monastery, 6th Century.

“If any pilgrim monk come from distant parts with wish as a guest to dwell in our monastery and will be content with the customs which he finds in this place, and does not perchance by his lavishness disturb the monastery, but is simply content with what he finds, he shall be received for as long a time as he wishes. If indeed he find fault with anything or expose it reasonably and with humility and charity, the Abbot shall discuss it prudently, lest perchance God has sent him for this very purpose. But if he has been found gossipy or divisive in the time of his sojourn as the guest, not only ought he not be joined in the body of the monastery, but also it shall be said to him honestly that he must depart. If he does not go, let two stout monks, in the name of God, explain the matter to him.”

Then we began to talk seriously about pastor friends who had blown themselves up…abandoned the ministry, their call and sometimes their family. Most were men who had been faithful, godly pastors, caring for a church… most for a long time. Then wham.

We confessed our independence. We are basically loners. Ministry can have that effect on people. (Or is it loners are attracted to ministry?) We repented to God and one another.

Benedict coined the term “stout monk” in reference to men able to guard and protect the community from enemies and intruders. He put them to work on tasks and mission requiring strength, courage and integrity (sure they loved beer too). When necessary, they would go and escort the intruder out. Yet they were called to act in pairs, not in isolation. They were together. They protected one another as well as their community.

Our conversation led to forming the Stout Monk Society. Our objective is to halt the exodus. To raise the fallen. We each invited other men to join us (we have six, but think we will add an Abbott). We need each other’s counsel, prayer and friendship. Though its only annual, it has been great. Rewarding.

We spend a few days together in community (not a real monastery but we share cooking, cleaning and other stuff (for those not reformed I refrain from causing you to stumble, but a pastor said to me once, ‘when I became a Christian I gave up all my vices. When I got reformed I got them all back’).

I will continue this blog later… but let me ask you: Do you long for a Stout Monk Society?

Tom Wood has been a pastor for 25 years. He has planted and pastored two churches and has served as a church planting trainer and coach for the Presbyterian Church in America. He is currently the president of Church Multiplication Ministries, in Atlanta. His mission is starting, strengthening and multiplying grace centered churches and church planting networks, through coaching and consults with church planting pastors, leaders and emerging leaders.

The 6th Day…

It’s January 2010 and I begin this new decade with three decades of ministry laying thick on my soul. Thick on my soul. Heavy. Good and rich experiences and head shaking, “I can’t believe I went through that” experiences. Here I am physically healthy and mentally and emotionally, still quite tired actually after nearly a week in reflection, reading, prayer and study. Well, it’s been since last July that I had time away from hyper drive ministry. 6 months at it straight isn’t wise I know, but stuff happens in ministry and you can’t always get away when you should, if you can even afford to get away. I guess really it’s been 6 months and 30 years. I’m not complaining. I know I’m blessed. I’m at a friend’s home in the North Georgia mountains. I’m sitting on a soft couch in front of a nice fire place writing this. It’s sort of my fault that I haven’t come here before. He’s offered it over and over. Finally I took him up on his generosity. I wonder about my pastoral colleagues…you who might read this. I wonder…have you gotten away, by yourself…do you even have the opportunity I have had this week to do this? I want that for you. We in the pastorate don’t think we can get away or should take time off to study, even though EVERYBODY knows you need a break. (What about the pastor I know who takes a month a year off to study…he’s lasted a long time…mmm…no wonder)The complexities of our lives work against disconnecting ourselves from a very people/program/calendar connected life. We’re usually relationally and programtically overloaded.

Frankly I’m not ready to go back home yet, but I leave tomorrow morning to get back. It will be a drive of faith that I’ll be ready in fact by the time I need to be ready. Jesus does that for us and through us doesn’t He? What a great Savior.

1st Day…

A 7 hour drive away from town singing along with Laura Story (Great God Who Saves) and Small Town Poets…interspersed with Genesis on cd read by a guy with some million dollar voice. Genesis…the people were as dysfunctional and sinful back then as they are today. Genesis of course shows the real world, people as we really are, and our world as pastors. We deal with pride, ego, murders, lies, sexual misadventures, broken dreams, success stories, births and deaths, marriages and funerals, people’s bad choices and good choices. It’s our world and God promises early on (Gen. 3) to do something about it…and sure enough He has. But we still live in the “not yet”. That’s why we need a break. Living in the “not yet” is hard work and if we’re going to help others in the “not yet” of His Kingdom come, we’ve got to get away from it for a time. On the road, away from the epicenter of ministry for me helps me look up, worship, and relax some. Ministry in the rear view mirror means God’s in control back there and I don’t have to pretend that I am. So this week, I’m going to stop pretending that I am in control. Never was anyway!

2nd Day…

With Church Planters in a major city…sharing some of my thoughts on leadership. I love church planters and still consider myself one even though I haven’t planted more than one church (some of them have planted 5! I think they’re supermen) and it was a long time ago. These men are passionate, continual learners, intelligent, great question askers, hungry for help, sponges for inspiration and truth, bonded together for a common task, gifted, experienced. There is something absolutely supernatural about what they are doing…about what we are doing. Yes, ego motivates me, us, in what we do as pastors, but the altruistic call of our gracious God is also a major factor. Some of these men, and some of us are really humble because of past failures. One man I met years ago failed in his first church plant that he restarted three times. His wife left the organizing team of that church. He has one more opportunity to make this church go; hopefully his wife won’t go. What manner of man is this? What manner of men are we as pastors? Called men, seeking to follow our Lord wherever He calls us, and willing to die for Him.

We all could have done something else with our lives. Most pastors I know are so talented that they could have made more money, had more fun, and endured less struggle if they had not become pastors. But that is in the past. We pastors have been selected as warriors in the King’s business. While Warriors need rest, we also need to gather with other warriors, like these church planters. We need resources, interaction, motivation, coaching. We need each other.

Resolved: To spend some more time hanging out with fellow warrior-pastors not to flaunt what I know but to learn what they know…to absorb their humility…to inspire them if I can and to let them inspire me.

Day3…

Aloneness…unhurried reflection…no deadlines…no one to be a mother to…reading…journaling. YES! 24 pages of journal notes in one day? How can that be? A lot gets stuffed down in the course of our busy lives! We feel numb at times…positively numb from all the stimulus we get as pastors. Do you ever feel as though the emotions of other people are pressed into our soul like a French press coffee system? As the mind unwinds thoughts resurface and I get them outside of me and on to paper. That helps. I read and learn, and I am reminded how much other Bible teachers and Christian thinkers have to offer me. Great resources for pastors who have been at it a long time…By Bob Buford, Half Time; Game Plan; Stuck in Half Time; Finishing Well. Great reading…deep…I want to finish strong. I’m listening.

Day 4…

More of the same…I’m amazed that I can read this much, think this much, pray this much, be alone this much. Man I’m an extrovert and I like people. I must have needed this time away more than I thought. In the first half of life we want to be conquerers. In the second half we should be heroes…serving others. I wanted to be a success in the first half but really do find that I want God given significance in the second. We pastors really do go through major transitions in life and I’m in one for sure. Ok…the great adventure continues. What are you saying…where are you leading? What’s next???

Day 5…

Finding your core. To finish strong, find your core focus in life, the you that never changes, and serve people through that core. It takes time and thought and prayer, but we pastors eventually know what it is that gets us up in the morning. Staff or elder meetings? Planning? Programs? Counseling? Preaching? Worship planning? Developing disciples? What is it for you? Gotta know that. Gotta pursue that.

Day 7…

I’m on the way home. It’s been good to be away. Elijah got away, and then God brought him back into the battle. Ministry out my front windshield is coming, and I’m gearing back up. But I have more armor on than a week ago. I thought I would accomplish far more on this study break than I actually have accomplished. But I did get three weeks of sermon outlines done, and three weeks of commentaries read. The constant pressure of every seven days builds up on me and I get into this weekly frantic “gotta get the sermon done”, and Lord please don’t let an emergency happen this week.

Afterwards: Back at work…well, the four days away really paid off…These weeks are better because I have some sermons done ahead…well, most of the sermon anyway…I’m finding that I can listen more this week for what He actually wants me to say to my people in the sermon, because I have some of the spade work of Scripture study already done. Still and all, I have to depend upon my Lord every day. I’m not a superman.

To my pastor friends: As you listen in to my journals, maybe you’ll plan some time away. No guilt here, but you ought to try and make it happen if you haven’t gotten away in a while. I need you, they need you in the game brother.

You take it to heart,

Pete Alwinson

If you will remember, we have been chatting about the idea that tiredness is the symptom, not the problem. Maybe we need to stop and see what the tiredness is telling us about ourselves, the way we see God, and the way we see creation.

Today, the topic is perfection in an imperfect world. Perfectionism is an easy sin to hide. We may say that we “pursue excellence” or simply “want to do things right” and those are admirable goals. The opposite of perfectionism is not what I am calling for in this article. This is not a celebration of slothfulness or slovenliness; it is simply facing what is true about ourselves and the world around us. Perfectionism seems to be born from two faulty beliefs, first, that perfection is possible on this side of heaven, and secondly that you are responsible and capable of making perfection happen.

Embracing the reality of a fallen world can be troubling. I want to arrange my life so that if Christ returned I wouldn’t be disappointed—I want everything in order, my kids growing in wisdom and love, ministry going well, and a fully funded 401K. God never intended for the odd chasm between Eden and heaven to be so comfortable and perfect that our hearts would be fully content. He allows us to long for Him. As Larry Crabb states, “there is something wrong with everything on this side of heaven”.

Armed with our false belief that perfection is possible, the perfectionist then believes it is up to him to put it all in place. This can show up in many different ways in a person’s life—it can look frantic, desperate, overly organized, or it can look as if he is procrastinating. Yet no matter how it looks on the outside it is exhaustion on the inside. This belief will also destroy interpersonal relationships.

There are two types of perfectionists—internal and external.

External perfectionists compare themselves and their behaviors against others, exhausting themselves in comparison and analysis. At the seminary, I see students not just comparing themselves to Steve Brown or Tim Keller, but attempting to copy and emulate them to the point of exhaustion. This type of perfectionist is easy to spot. These students are rarely enjoyable to spend time with; however, they are often very effective in ministry due to their drivenness.

The more troubling type of perfectionist is the internal perfectionist. They are comparing themselves to an idealized version of self that does not exist. They spend hours in internal dialogue chastising themselves for mistakes and flaws. They may be quite gregarious on the outside, but on the inside they are exhausted. What is the solution for our false beliefs and our perfectionist comparisons? One must begin with the image that one carries of himself and of God. It is not what we say we believe that determines how we behave, it is what we really do believe. If the core image of yourself is that “I am a failure, I can never amount to anything”, or “I must prove myself” these are all images that lead to perfectionist thinking.

The fig leaf of perfectionism doesn’t cover up a flawed view of oneself. It also doesn’t cover the flawed view of God. Most of us in ministry are secretly working out some cosmic deal we have made with God. If we are good enough, if we serve enough, if we are “perfect” enough, then He will be pleased with us and is “obligated” to bless us. How surprised we will be in heaven, when we realize that it really was not about us. He bestowed his blessing by making us his children. He was calling us his beloved from the very beginning.

So from one internal perfectionist, who is repenting from taking so long to write this blog,
I hope this day finds you resting in the arms of a loving perfect God, in an imperfect world.

This time when I received the email, I decided I had been negligent about my Facebook correspondence and needed to spend some time “catching up.” While feverishly “liking” people’s statuses, I came across a status my wife had posted on December 26, 2009 at 11:47pm.

Kelly Van Dyke sitting in the front row of an empty sanctuary listening to Zach preach!!!

After spending a few moments thanking God for giving me a wife that would listen to me practice my first sermon into the wee hours of the night, a thought crossed my mind that could lengthen my procrastination.

I know Kelly journals. Maybe she would allow me to post her thoughts about that first sermon for this week’s article.

God loves me. Like many times before, Kelly shocked me by saying “yes.”

As I was listening to Zach practice his first sermon in an empty sanctuary at midnight, I was filled with pride. It wasn’t perfect. And despite working on it and practicing it all day, it was still fifty minutes long. (Zach told me the first time he practiced it, the sermon was an hour and forty minutes long). He still needed to cut twenty. It was late and this was crunch time. He preached his sermon again. We discussed, cut, re-worked and then he preached some more. Still fifty minutes.

I had to come to terms with the possibility of sleeping at the church and wearing my sweatpants and Uggs to the service.

Laying across the front row listening to Zach pray and plead for the Holy Spirit to come and speak to His people, my thoughts began to drift. It was late, nearing one in the morning, it was the day after Christmas and we have 3 young children, I was exhausted. I entered a kind of dream-like state. Not really sure how to describe it but I kind of journeyed through my past, our past.

As a child, I went through communicants class in this church. My dad had been a pastor here for 14 years. I met Zach here in fifth grade. This church, this body, had loved me and hurt me. They took part in shaping and shaking my view of God. They had ministered to me, walked by me, and deserted me. Many times I have had to forgive and others have unexplainably forgiven me. Chills began to fill my entire body and I was overwhelmed by the thought that I just need to rest in the arms of the One who is writing my story, Zach’s story, our story and the Church’s story.

We headed home a little after one, and we both got very little sleep. Zach was up with stomach cramps at four, throwing up at five, and left for the church around six. He left saying, “Never let me do this again! I know God gave me this message specifically for these people, but I don’t want to do it! Next time I am preaching on something that doesn’t expose me. Transparency sucks!” I rolled over and went back to sleep for another hour or so annoyed at my husband’s flair for the dramatic.

Around 7am, I was awakened by my own stomach cramps and an unbearable fear and panic set in. I had to stop Zach! I had to keep him from standing before these people! I had vivid visions of an angry mob. I had to protect him! Now this may sound ridiculous, but for me, in this moment, it was so real. Fear gripped me. I laid prostrate on my living room floor crying and asking God to take this burden, this responsibility, this calling away from us. I grew up as a pastor’s kid and had experienced so much pain from this very church. I have seen too much! It hurts.

I told God, “I don’t want this!”

He then gently reminded me of the prayers He had given me since Zach took the job as a youth pastor. “Lord, less of me. More of you. Use me, please. Use Zach. Let us see Your church and ourselves as You do – beautiful, spotless, forgiven. Give us adventures and let us always say ‘yes’ to the places you are leading.”

I knew I needed to say ‘yes’ despite the pain. ‘Yes’s’ are costly.

Eventually, I placed Zach, myself, my family, and God’s people into His hands…where I know they already were; yet I am so grateful he allowed me the chance to lay them down myself.

I went to the church, prayed with Zach, and then waited restlessly in the front row.

I was too nervous to visit with anyone, sometimes praying, sometimes wondering how Zach was feeling and wishing that I could be filled with peace and joy knowing that my husband was ministering God’s Word.

I began to wonder how all of the other pastors’ wives do this. They always sit poised and smiling. I’ve never seen a pastor’s wife that looked like me- red eyes, biting fingernails, bouncing her knees. Oh well. The moment was here.

As my husband stood up to preach his first sermon ever, I made eye contact with him and gave him the biggest smile I could muster. I prayed, “Ok God, do Your thing. I am ready for the ride. Come Holy Spirit, come.” And He did.

For the next thirty-seven minutes (far from one hour and forty – Praise Jesus!), I sat in awe of the real presence of the Holy Spirit and the impeccable way that He was speaking through the mouth of my husband. I had heard this sermon a few times, but this was different. God had a message for His people and He spoke it clearly, with smooth transitions, poignant illustrations, clutter free and straight to the heart.

After a breathtakingly beautiful sermon, Zach closed, “So glad it’s all about grace. Amen.” I burst into tears.

Zach had said “yes.” And God showed up for him…and me…and our church body. What an unbelievably unique blessing to hear the voice of my Heavenly Father, through my terrified, diarrhea ridden, sinful, and willing husband.

I don’t know if you are one to make New Year’s Resolutions or not, but either way you’re probably thinking about how you can become fitter, healthier and happier than you are right now.

These 27 Fitness and Fat Loss Tips will get you on the right track for this New Year:

1. Visualize the accomplishment of your goals each and every day. Experience the taste of success and feel that sweet satisfaction.
2. Push the intensity of your workouts. Work out with a purpose.
3. Use smaller plates at home. This effortlessly reduces calorie intake and promotes weight loss.
4. Build accountability into your workouts so that you resist the temptation to take days off. The best way to ensure accountability is to work with a personal trainer either one-on-one or in a group training setting.
5. Believe in yourself. Know with conviction that you CAN accomplish your goals.
6. Drink water throughout your day. Do this by carrying a water bottle and opting for water rather than calorie-filled beverages. This simple action is extremely beneficial.
7. Maintain your metabolism by eating a healthy snack or meal every three hours. This food should be unprocessed, low in fat and high in fiber.
8. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
9. Incorporate High Intensity Interval Training into your cardio workouts by performing bursts of high intensity rather than exercising at a single steady pace.
10. It’s not about will-power, it’s about want-power. You have to want it.
11. Do not eat processed foods. These items are high in empty calories and contain a plethora of chemicals that are harmful to your health.
12. Stop talking about losing weight. Start doing it.
13. Fat contains twice the caloric density of carbohydrates and protein, so limit the amount that you consume. Fill your diet with lean protein and carbohydrates from plants and whole grains.
14. Be wary of products that are labeled as ‘health food’. Always read the nutrition labels.
15. Find a workout partner who is in better shape than you, or better yet work with a personal trainer to guarantee dramatic results.
16. Make a habit out of reading nutrition labels. Avoid items that are high in fat and carbohydrates.
17. Destroy negative self talk.
18. Avoid the trap of high-calorie beverages after your workouts.
19. Be consistent with your workouts. Exercise two to three times each week and walk daily.
20. Expect more of yourself.
21. High fructose corn syrup should not be in your diet. It is high in calories and will quickly derail your weight loss efforts.
22. Challenge your body with each workout.
23. Eat lots of whole plant foods. Vegetables, fruits and whole grains are filled with fiber and antioxidants, vital for your good health.
24. Do your walking after weight training to ensure more fat burn. Your stored sugars will be depleted during the weight training then your body will rely on fat stores to get you through the cardio workout. Walk in the evening if possible.
25. Set specific, measurable goals.
26. Start each day with a healthy breakfast. This important meal should help to get your metabolism going strong.
27. Make sure to view my STLToday clip and add a comment to it. It’s pretty good stuff!

After writing these tips, I realized how powerful and inspiring they are. Print this list and place it somewhere that you’ll see often – this will keep you motivated and pumped up to accomplish your goals.

If your New Year’s Resolution has to do with losing weight and getting into great shape (and whose isn’t?) then guarantee your success by working with a fitness expert who can guide you to success.

I’d love to team up with you – together we will transform your body in 2010!

Email me to learn more about my fitness and fat loss programs that will quickly change your life.

Recipe of the Week

Healthy Winter Hash

This simple recipe is the perfect meal for a chilly winter day. It is packed with tender vegetables, filled with protein and can be made with chicken or as a vegetarian dish. Serve it with a salad for a quick and healthy meal that the whole family will love.
Yield: 6 servings

Here’s what you need…

• 2 medium yellow potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 large carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 2 cups chicken, cooked and cubed (or 1 package firm tofu, drained and cubed)
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 can lowfat chili

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a large bowl combine all of the vegetables and chicken. Drizzle the olive oil and mix to coat. Add the thyme, salt and garlic powder.
3. Spread the mixture on a baking sheet, and cover well with foil. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
4. Remove the foil and turn on the broiler. Broil until the vegetables are nicely browned, about 8 minutes.
5. Top each serving with a scoop of warmed chili.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 230 calories, 4g fat, 28g carbohydrate, 6g fiber, and 20g protein.

Fitness Tip of the Week

Are you making a New Year’s Resolution today? If you do, keep this in mind: It has been reported that 92% of New Year’s Resolutions end in failure. Why? Because most people make resolutions that are simply unrealistic. They quickly get discouraged and then abandon the idea entirely.

To ensure that you accomplish your New Year’s Resolution, stick with a goal that is realistic rather than intimidating. Check out these examples:

• Instead of resolving to lose 70 pounds by summer, commit to exercise 3-4 times each week.
• Instead of resolving to give up all carbs, commit to bring healthy lunches to work instead of going through a fast food drive thru.
• Instead of resolving to drop 3 sizes in 3 months, commit to losing 1 pound each week until you reach your goal weight.
• Instead of resolving to never eat out again, commit to eating healthy all week and rewarding yourself with one meal out on the weekends.

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

This is the fourth 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) called, “Failing to Understand the Importance of How I Define Ministry Success.” Last time we covered
• Mistake #2 called, “Managing My Time and Not Managing My Life”. This time we’ll take a brief look at another painfully common mistake church leaders make that I wish someone had told me about before I went into the ministry. That’s
• Mistake #3: Not Understanding the Difference Between my Goals and Desires.

Mistake #3: Not Understanding the Difference Between My Goals and Desires

In the Sermon of the Mount Jesus said, “Do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matt 6:24

This is one of many famous quotations from Jesus that we’ve heard so often we think we really understand it. But the hard truth is that we’ve often either forgotten it or never really learned it in the first place. So let me try to remind you of the stunning present relevance of these words of our Lord for you and me today.

In these famous words of Jesus we are meant to learn the simple but life-changing truth that God means for us to focus our attention, energies and worries primarily on the things we can do something about today— and then trust him with all those things that are out of our control tomorrow and in all the tomorrows that lie ahead. Just like with the Israelites, the Lord wants us to learn how to trust Him for our manna (our “daily bread”)—one day at a time (Sweet Jesus!).

In the trenches of real-life ministry, the task before you can be so overwhelming that you can easily feel like one very small person standing all alone with a very small axe in your hand looking up fearfully at a massive forest that you’ve been “called” to cut down. The task can be absolutely paralyzing unless you learn how to put on those “Gospel Blinders”, go into “biblical denial” about all those things that lie ahead of you now that could eat your lunch—and instead set a very reasonable, achievable goal for cutting down just a few trees each day.

Then you must learn the art of giving yourself each day–not to fulfill your desire to remove the whole forest–but to accomplish your goal of just taking down those few trees (and they better not all be about ministry!). Only then can you be free from the oppressive, crushing, joy-robbing demands of the whole forest.

Understanding the difference between your goals and desires can truly help set you free from a life dominated by anxiety and fear. I think it was from Dr. Larry Crabb and/or Dr. Dan Allendar that I first learned (way too late!) this idea that:

• Your Personal Goals need to be defined as those things that are within your control, relatively speaking (because nothing is every REALLY in your control), while you must learn to see

• Your Personal Desires as those things normally not in your control.

Let me try to bring this lofty idea down for a landing regarding practical ministry issues. Under this definition if, as a church planter or pastor, you want to have ten people become Christians and be baptized in your church this year, that would be a desire but not a goal because you cannot control that outcome.

The key that can often open the door to new, heart-freedom is when you learn how to WORK toward Your Goals . . .

. . . and PRAY for Your Desires.

What you must learn to think (and to say!) is that your desire is to have ten people trust in Christ and be baptized in your church this year but your goal is to do practical, tangible things like set aside regular times to pray for the lost, make so many contacts with people in your community every week, train six people in evangelism, have three evangelistic gathering events, etc.

The key that really opens the door to heart-freedom in all this is that you learn to work toward your goals and pray for your desires. The value of this approach to life and ministry is that it serves to remind you that the outcome of your life and ministry ultimately rests with God—and not you!

I’m convinced that one of the primary reasons so many Christian leaders drop out of the ministry today is because they have never learned this simple distinction between their goals and desires. Their desires become their goals and when their desires are not meant, for whatever reason, they become angry, bitter, depressed and frustrated.

But there is a freedom and peace about your life and your ministry that can be yours if you will learn, by God’s grace, how to understand the difference between your goals and desires. Oh how I wish someone had shared this with me thirty years ago. As Steve Brown would say, “You think about that!”
——————————

Steve Childers is the President & CEO of Global Church Advancement, an inter-denominational ministry that provides church planting training, consultations, and resources for church planters, pastors and missionaries throughout the world. Steve has trained Christian leaders from more than 40 countries (curriculum in five major global languages) representing over 120 denominations and mission agencies. Steve is also an author, Professor of Practical Theology (since 1995) and the director of the doctoral program at Reformed Theological Seminary, in Orlando, Florida, where he teaches church planting, missions, evangelism and spiritual formation. To learn more about GCA:

• Browse the GCA Website: http://www.gca.cc
• Join the GCA Cause: http://bit.ly/X5bZC
• See the GCA Blog: http://www.gca.cc/blog/
• Follow GCA on Twitter:http://twitter.com/_gca
• Follow GCA President (Childers) on Twitter: http://twitter.com/stevechilders
• Check out upcoming GCA Events: http://gca.cc/Seminar_Overview.htm
• Support GCA: http://gca.cc/Support_GCA.htm

One of the greatest inventions in my lifetime has to be the iPod. Music, messages and movies all in one place. The new version even has radio capability. I heard a song on TV and went to iTunes and downloaded it into my library. A while back I downloaded the Brown Sessions, listened to Steve interview Dan Allender, and Mark Driscoll. Amazing technology.

Most of all it’s the music though. Music is a means of grace… yesterday at church as we were singing I thought about how there aren’t any other places in our society that groups of people get together and sing. We have SomeOne and Something about which to sing. Steve says often, it’s the laughter that sets us apart from both the pagans and the religious elite. That’s true. But a close second is the music. Which leads me to another thought. The Gospel of grace—freedom from the penalty and power of sin in life through Jesus—is music to the soul. Radical freedom and love from God the Father toward us is more than words…or lyrics to the song. It is the music. It is the tune. Some of the preachers I have listened to have the words but not the music. “For God so loved…He sent His One and only Son, so that all who believe in Him should not perish but have Life”. Do you hear the music? The joy? The Tune of the Gospel?

“Joy to the world, the Lord is come, Let earth receive her King; Let every heart prepare him room, And heaven and nature sing! No more let sins and sorrows grow, Nor thorns infest the ground; He comes to make His blessings flow, Far as the curse is found!

He rules the world with truth and grace, And makes the nations prove, The glories of His righteousness, And wonders of His love!” Isaac Watts

Notice in Watts’ famous Christmas song the grand, cosmic significance of Jesus’ saving activity. The music of the gospel moves us out of the narrow realm of our self-preoccupation. My friend Bob Heppe wrote, “The Gospel is God’s message of liberation: from guilt, alienation, and every bondage that hinders the human race from being fruitful for and reflecting the glory of God. The good news that Jesus preached is that He, as Lord of the cosmos, is now in the business of recapturing a runaway planet. He came to destroy the works of the Devil — all of them, not merely the psychological one’s that plague middle class Americans — and to bring the world under His saving authority. That means He came to reverse the effects of the fall, “as far as the curse is found.” The gospel of the kingdom announces nothing less than God’s intention, and activity, to replace the effects of the fall (sin, guilt, sickness, hunger, injustice, oppression, poverty, bondage, dehumanization, and death) with His Kingdom righteousness; and His work will not be finished until His redemption covers the whole earth.”

Tom Wood has been a pastor for 25 years. He has planted and pastored two churches and has served as a church planting trainer and coach for the Presbyterian Church in America. He is currently the president of Church Multiplication Ministries, in Atlanta. His mission is starting, strengthening and multiplying grace centered churches and church planting networks, through coaching and consults with church planting pastors, leaders and emerging leaders.

Casualties of this economy are everywhere. The obvious tell-tale signs of economic death are the hundreds of empty offices with brown paper on the windows and trash in the entry ways, malls where your voice echos in the emptiness, and drawn faces of men with dark circles under their eyes who answer, “How you doing man?”, with…”Well…you won’t believe this, but….” No I believe it. Every one of us pastors has dealt with more sorrow in ’08 & ’09 than anyone really knows. Our counseling appointments are up, what 50-75%? More?

One of my elders is responsible right now for shutting down a factory in his hometown. He used to work there, his father used to work there, and many of his friends still work there. He took the assignment because he felt that he could bring about this death more painlessly than any one else in his company. Economic death.

Death is a reality all pastors have to deal with. After a few years, we get used to dealing with the dying, the dead, and those left. But what about when a church dies? No one talked to us about that in seminary and while there is precedent for shutting down factories and warehouses and businesses, there isn’t much written about shutting down a church. I don’t think there was even a mere mention of it in “Theology of Ministry 101”. But it’s happening…churches are closing, and my friend had to do it.

Why in the world did his church close? Call him Dirk (because I think it’s a manly name that Clive Custler uses in his novels, and all of us pastors are manly, right?…except for you wonderful ladies of course!). Dirk was an incredibly committed layman who felt called to the ministry and eventually took the leap into ordination and full time ministry, minus seminary, leaving a well paying job to do so. Most of the guys I know who leave one career and go into ministry seem to leave good jobs, not bad ones. Could Dirk have benefited from Hebrew and Greek exegesis? Sure. Would he have preached better if he had Communication I and II and taken labs with critical feedback at a good seminary? Without a doubt. Would a seminary education have enabled him to have kept his church alive? I’m not so sure.

When Dirk took this church, it was already on life support, having not really ever grown much over 100 people in its twenty plus year history. The congregation was in the early stages of a building program when Dirk became pastor. He jumped in with both feet, led the effort to build the building and got it done. Being the inspirational leader that he is, Dirk called the people to vision, to be generous and regular givers of their time, treasures and talents. He called them to join community groups, be evangelistic, serve others. We met periodically and I honestly don’t know what else he could have done. The church grew to around 130. But then the bottom dropped out of the economy, people moved, giving hit an all time low, bills couldn’t be paid and all the economics of the church went sideways. The bank finally couldn’t let it go on any more and said it was time to call it quits.

Why did the church close? Many, many factors. I’m not smart enough and I was a bit too removed to really know all of them. I am sure that before my friend became the pastor this group of Believers was not well led and well taught in key areas like vision and stewardship. His was a case of too lateness. Some patients could be helped early on in the disease, but not in the final stage. What I do know is that Dirk feels the full weight of this “failure” when previous pastors ought to share some responsibility. But all of that doesn’t matter really. Dirk feels responsible. It’s all on his shoulders, this debacle, this death. Shame, angst, questions all dog him, daily. He’s grieving I know.

What do I do now? I’d like your help on this…what do I do now? Here’s my plan: I’m going to talk to him whenever I can. I’m going to listen to him and let him talk. I’m going to try and give him perspective on where he is. His next steps and vision need to be thought through, prayed through and held up to the light. Return to business? Go with his heart into another pastorate? I’m not the Holy Spirit, and I’ve been a pastor long enough to wish him no more pastoral pain than he’s had, but also know the highs of being used by the Lord Jesus to touch people for time and eternity. Dirk has to follow His Lord’s call, and he will.

Did I tell you this was the second church I know of in my area that closed its doors? I didn’t get to talk to that pastor, but I can guess, because of Dirk, what he felt.

Man, what’s going to happen to my church? Are we going to make it? What do I do if we have to shut the doors? What will that do to my reputation? My ego? Will it be my fault?

What I know and feel right now is that while churches close and die, THE CHURCH never dies. We’re a part of what will never be extinguished! I also know that it could happen to me and I could be the cause of church death,but I’m still loved by my Father. Truly the church is His church, not mine. So today, I’m glad I’m in the company of pastors like you guys, who understand His grace, try to stay out of the death grip of performance, and offer up yourselves every day to your Lord.

In losing our life, we find it.

Next time I’ll write with more humor. Today, I feel solemn joy.

Strength and Courage!

Pete

As I was driving to the home of a Ray and Trish and their 5 kids – Daniel, Andrew, Patrick, Caroline and Stephen – four of whom are or have been part of my student ministry, I kept repeating to myself: “I know how you feel.” (Don’t say it. Just don’t say it.)

Pulling up to the home, I was overwhelmed by the number of people that had already gathered in their front yard. People were crying and embracing, walking around stunned. I immediately walked over to a group of students who looked like they had all taken a slam to the gut by a 2-by-4. It had only been 30 minutes since Trish and her 5 kids learned that their husband and dad, who had been missing for the past 24 hours, had taken his own life in a wooded part of their neighborhood.

“Did someone say Zach’s here? Send him this way immediately. The kids need him inside.”

All the sudden, I was being escorted passed all of the friends and neighbors gathered in the front yard…

Why are they singling me out?

Passed the police officer standing guard at the front door…

I don’t know what to say?

And inside the home where I encountered the unedited shock and raw grief that accompanies tragedy. It was at that moment that my calling became real…and painfully convicting.

Pastors are supposed to have all the answers and know the right things to say and do in any situation and to bring hope in the bleakest times. “God works all things for the good of those who love him”…right?

I can’t say that. I don’t believe that. I’m obviously not a good pastor. I’m a “religious professional” who sometimes loves Jesus but more often struggles with God’s goodness and sovereignty…and knows not to say “I know how you feel.”

Why is saying “I know how you feel” so damaging at times like this? The obvious answer being the people who do say something like that usually have no clue and no desire to know how that person feels. But what if you do?

David’s dad died of cancer in the middle of his sophomore year. It was a long and painful battle that turned brutal at the end. Does David know how it feels to play basketball with his dad one day and next find out his dad had taken his own life? No.

But does David know how it feels to be constantly aware that he will never see his dad again…not here at least? Does he know how it feels to watch everyone around him move on while he still struggles daily with the death of his dad?

David knows how Daniel, Andrew, Patrick, Caroline, and Stephen feel.

During his freshmen year, Evan’s parents divorced and his dad moved across the country to Arizona (and this week will be deployed to Afghanistan for a year). Does Evan know how it feels to have his dad die? No.

But does Evan know how it feels to lose his dad…to not have his dad here? Does he know how it feels to walk off the football field seeing dads throwing their arms around their sons’ shoulders saying “That’s my boy”?

Evan knows how Daniel, Andrew, Patrick, Caroline and Stephen feel.

Maybe Satan’s most ingenious lie during a tragedy is “No one knows how I feel…especially God.”

The other day I was reading John 18 (still working on reading through the Gospels for Lent…as you can see I’m almost done!).

When Jesus had finished praying, he left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was a garden, and he and his disciples went into it. Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. So Judas came to the garden, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons.

Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, got up and asked them, “Who is it you want?”

“Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied.

“I am he,” Jesus said.

When Jesus said, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.

Again, he asked them “Who is it you want?”

“Jesus of Nazareth,” they said.

Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. If you are looking for me, then let these men go.”

Ray was a good man. He often called me to talk about his kids and what he could do to be a better daddy to them. His suicide has messed me up.

Maybe a day or two after reading John 18, while sitting in my car at a stoplight, I couldn’t shake the images in my mind of Ray in the woods agonizing over what it would mean to continue living in a fallen world. And then an image of Jesus in the woods popped into my mind…and he was doing the exact same thing. He was crying and sweating and shaking. He was sweating blood.

And before the light turned green, I saw Jesus, “overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death”, getting up. He got up!

I still can’t quote Romans 8:28 to Daniel, Andrew, Patrick, Caroline and Stephen, but I can say to them with great assurance that when their daddy got to Heaven, Jesus looked at him with deep tenderness and said, “I know how you feel.”

And only because Jesus got up and walked boldly into the pain of not only the cross but also the pain of Hell, Ray and those of us who believe in His name (and love him sometimes) will never be able to say to Him, “I know how you feel.”

Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. If you are looking for me, then let these men go.”

So glad it’s all about grace.
Zach

I included the actual names of these deeply wounded people in hopes that you will join me in praying for them by name.

The number one reason why people don’t exercise is that they don’t have time.

At least that’s what they tell themselves .

I know we are all busy. Between getting to and from work, balancing responsibilities and having time for yourself, there’s little left over for workouts.

With the holiday season fast approaching your busy schedule is sure to get even busier. There will be parties, shopping, decorating, cooking and family gatherings. It’s no wonder that exercise quickly takes a backseat to holiday activities.

You don’t have to succumb to weight gain this holiday season. Escape the time crunch excuse in three easy steps:

Step One: Schedule Your Workouts: You’ve heard this before, and it makes so much sense. If you treat your exercise time with the importance of a work meeting then you’d never skip a workout and you’d be in amazing shape.

While the scheduling concept is brilliant in its simplicity, you have to put it into practice to reap the benefits. Pull out your calendar and a pen. Don’t laugh, I’m serious! Just do it. If you want to get into shape it starts with committing to a revised
schedule with a set exercise time.

Identify three 40-minute time slots and mark them on your calendar. That is when you’ll exercise.

Remember this: if the thought that you should exercise this week is floating around in your head, but you haven’t anchored it down to a specific time and date, then it will quickly disappear.

Step Two: Get the Most from Each Minute: The days of endless, mind numbing cardio are over. A great workout can take place in under an hour, when done correctly. The idea is to burn more calories each minute. This is done through short, intense bursts of exercise.

Use the following three tips to bring your routine up to the next level:

1. Be Unstable: Use your entire body, and target your core, by performing exercises that engage stabilizing muscles. To do this use an exercise ball, a balance board, a balance disk, or you could simply stand on one leg.
2. Add Resistance: The more resistance that you incorporate with your routine translates into higher intensity and more calories burned. Some ideas for adding resistance include: carrying dumbbells while doing lunges, wearing a weighted vest while walking or jogging, or putting a weight between your feet while doing leg raises.
3. Use Intervals: Interval training is an amazing tool for creating short yet effective workouts. Don’t worry, it’s not complicated. Interval training is simply alternating between different short bursts of activity.Here’s an example: Let’s say you want to focus on your legs and abs and to also get an effective cardiovascular workout. This would be a great interval routine for your goals:

• Lunge while curling dumbbells, 15-20 repetitions
• 30 seconds of intense cardio: sprint, jump rope, or jumping jacks
• Squat while pressing dumbbells overhead, 15-20 repetitions
• 30 seconds of intense cardio: sprint, jump rope, or jumping jacks
• Crunches on an exercise ball, 15-20 repetitions
• 30 seconds of intense cardio: sprint, jump rope, or jumping jacks
• Leg raises off the end of an exercise bench, 15-20 repetitions

Step Three: Twice the Results in Half the Time: What if I told you that I have a proven way to deliver twice the fitness results in half the time? It’s simple really…

When you attempt to lose weight or meet a fitness goal on your own, the odds are stacked against you. Sure, you could do it over time – but it’s a long and lonely road. A road lined with detours that threaten to undermine your progress.

When you start a program with me, you suddenly have the upper hand on weight loss. You have me in your corner, coaching you each step of the way, keeping you accountable to workouts and giving you that dose of encouragement went the going gets tough.

And I’ll be the one congratulating you when your goal is met.

Call or email today to get started on a fitness program that will put exercise firmly on your calendar, and results squarely in your future.

They make it seem so easy to achieve and maintain results. What do they know that you don’t? When you boil it down, the answer is quite simple.

The missing link between you and your ideal body is good old motivation.

A healthy dose of motivation coupled with determination will get you almost anything in life. So how do you know if you’re genuinely motivated?

• Motivation will tell you to get out of bed for an early workout.
• Motivation will nag you to put down the doughnut.
• Motivation makes passing on fries a reflex.
• Motivation makes a sweat drenched workout exciting.
• Motivation constantly reminds you why you do what you do.

If your motivation levels are lacking, read the following four steps to turn on your motivation.

Step #1: Pinpoint Your Motivator.

Motivation stems from having a goal. What is your goal? Why do you want to get into great shape?

Once you uncover your personal motivator you’ll find that motivation flows quickly your way.

Take a minute to really uncover the reason that you want to lose the weight. Don’t say something vague like you want to ‘Be thinner’ or ‘Look more attractive.’ Dig deeper – there is a very specific motivator in your life, you simply need to uncover it.

Here are some possible motivators…

• I want to have more energy to keep up with the kids.
• I want to improve my health through weight loss to extend and improve my life.
• I want to lose 15 pounds before my vacation.
• I want to restore my confidence to wear sleeveless shirts.
• I want to regain my figure to impress and attract my significant other.

Step #2: Make It Official.

When you write something down it suddenly feels official, doesn’t it? Write down your motivator for getting into great shape, and post it where you will see it often – next to your alarm clock, on the bathroom mirror, or in your car.

Each time you see your written motivator take a moment to visualize yourself accomplishing your goal. Try to make the scene as clear in your mind as possible. This is a powerful tool for maintaining your focus and direction.

Step #3: Be Practical.

It’s game plan time. You know what you want, and now you need to map out exactly how you’ll achieve it. It is important to be practical in your planning, rather than throwing out ideas that you know you won’t stick with.

With any weight loss goal it is important to 1) maintain a healthy low-calorie diet, and 2) participate in a consistent and challenging exercise program.

Plan a routine that will fit into your schedule and you’ll be more likely to stick with it. Also choose an exercise program that you enjoy – don’t force yourself to jog everyday if you hate jogging.

Step #4: Call For Backup.

Enlist the support of your friends, family and co-workers. Tell everyone about your goal to lose weight and get fit, you’ll be surprised how supportive most people will be. By being open about your goals you’ll likely be an encouragement to others to make healthy changes in their own lives.

The most effective way to ensure that you meet your goal is to enlist my support, your personal trainer. Together we will identify what really motivates you. Together we will design a workout routine that fits into your schedule and into your life. And together we will see it through until your goal is met.

Email me to learn more about my fitness and fat loss programs that will quickly change your life.

Recipe of the Week

Grilled Fruit

We are entering the holiday season, a time when sugar-and-fat laden desserts will materialize wherever you go. Wait! Before you forego your fitness goals for another piece of pie, try this simple recipe.

Fruit is nature’s candy – it’s sweet, delicate and delicious. Grilling fruit extracts the natural sugar, making it a warm, tasty treat. Serve seasonal grilled fruit for dessert this holiday season – you’ll lose weight without depriving your taste buds.

Yield: 2 servings

Here’s what you need:

• 1 mango (or apple, pear, melon, pineapple)
• 1 banana (or fig, apricot, papaya, peach, nectarine)
• Dash of cinnamon *optional*
• Grill pan
• Non-stick cooking spray
• Wooden skewers

1. Submerge wooden skewers in water for 15 minutes. Cut fruit into chunks, thread onto skewers.
2. Lightly spray a grill pan over medium heat. Place the fruit skewers in the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon, if desired.
3. Grill for 5 minutes, or until dark grill lines appear. Flip the fruit over and grill the other side.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 120 calories, .5g fat, 31g carbohydrate, 3g fiber, and 1g protein.

Fitness Tip of the Week

Give Thanks, Get Fit

The year’s most calorie-dense day is almost here—are you ready? Use this game plan on Thanksgiving to avoid gaining extra weight:

• Start your day of thanks with a fiber-filled breakfast.
• Take 30-60 minutes for a brisk walk or jog before the big meal.
• At the table, fill most of your plate with lean cuts of meat and vegetables. When you’ve filled up on the healthy stuff then simply taste the heavier dishes, rather than eating a large serving.
• Wait at least 20 minutes before you get a second helping. This is very important since it takes at least this long for your body to register how full it actually is. You may realize after 20 minutes that you don’t want seconds after all.
• Enjoy a warm serving of Grilled Fruit for dessert instead of pie. Use the recipe above!

]]> http://www.poopedpastors.com/blogs/killing-the-time-excuse/feed/ 0 http://www.poopedpastors.com/video/theology-part-7-sanctification/ http://www.poopedpastors.com/video/theology-part-7-sanctification/#comments Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:53:30 +0000 Steve Brown http://www.poopedpastors.com/?p=843 Theology – Part 7 – Sanctification

]]> http://www.poopedpastors.com/video/theology-part-7-sanctification/feed/ 0 http://www.poopedpastors.com/blogs/%e2%80%9cmy-top-ten-mistakes-in-ministry-that-i-can-share-publicly-2%e2%80%9d/ http://www.poopedpastors.com/blogs/%e2%80%9cmy-top-ten-mistakes-in-ministry-that-i-can-share-publicly-2%e2%80%9d/#comments Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:05:38 +0000 Steve Childers http://www.poopedpastors.com/?p=796 “If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.” 2 Corinthians 11:30 (ESV)

This is the third 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. Last time we looked at Mistake #1 called, “Failing to Understand the Importance of How I Define Ministry Success.” This time we’ll take a brief look at Mistake #2 (these are in no intentional order) I wish someone had the wisdom and guts to tell me before I began church planting/pastoral ministry more than 30 years ago.

Mistake #2: Managing My Time and Not Managing My Life

In his classic article, “Tyranny of the Urgent”, Charles Hummel writes, “‘Have you ever wished for a thirty-hour day?’ Surely this extra time would relieve the tremendous pressure under which we live. Our lives leave a trail of unfinished tasks. Unanswered emails, unvisited friends, unread books and articles, etc., haunt quiet moments when we stop to evaluate. We desperately need relief.

But would a thirty-hour day really solve the problem? Wouldn’t we soon be just as frustrated as we are now with our twenty-four allotment? “A mother’s work is never done”, and neither is that of . . . any pastor. Nor will the passage of time help us catch up. Children grow in number and age to require more of our time. Greater experience and success in life and ministry normally bring more exacting assignments. So we find ourselves working more and enjoying it less.”

Our problem is often, unknowingly, allowing the urgent things in life to crowd out the truly important things. We all live in a constant tension between the urgent and the important.

The Gap Between the Compass and the Clock

There is an ongoing contrast between two things that continually influence our lives: the clock and the compass. Stephen Covey, in his book, First Things First, describes the clock as representing such things as our commitments, appointments, schedules, goals, activities; it’s how we use and manage our time. The compass represents our core life values, our conscience, our sense of personal vision and life mission; it’s what we believe is truly important in life and how we manage life.

The struggle comes when we experience a gap between the compass and the clock–when what we actually do with our time doesn’t contribute to what is truly most important in our life. In an effort to close the gap between the compass and the clock, many of us naturally turn to the field of “personal time management.” Traditional time management theory suggests that by doing things more efficiently, you’ll eventually gain control of your life and that increased control will bring personal peace and fulfillment.

Although there is much to gain from such things as planning, prioritizing and goal setting, the bottom line is that mere increased efficiency normally does not lessen the gap between the compass and the clock. In fact, I’m was a living example of someone who had learned how to get a lot more work done in less time, but what I was actually doing with my time was not at all what truly matters to me the most. This is why I wish someone had asked questions and said things to me like:

“How many pastors on their deathbed wish they had spent more time at the church?”

“The worst enemy of the best is often the good.”

The Answer is Not Learning to Get More Done in Less Time

The gap between what is deeply important to you (your compass) and the way you spend your time (your clock) cannot be closed by simply learning to do more things more efficiently. The answer is not found in learning to get more things done in less time.

In fact, increasing your time management efficiency can actually make things worse! What is needed is a new way of thinking—learning how to manage your life and not just your time, and learning how to shift your focus away from things that are urgent to the things that are truly important.

Often, unless we take intentional, proactive steps to fight against it, we’ll inevitably become slaves to the “tyranny of the urgent”. It’s been said that, “Anything less than a conscious commitment to the important is an unconscious commitment to the unimportant.”

In Isaiah 30:15 we read, “For thus the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has said, ‘In repentance and rest you shall be saved, In quietness and trust is your strength.’” At the root of our frantic propensity to overwork is the sin of pride—an exalted sense of our importance to the Kingdom of God. We secretly and arrogantly think things like: “If I dare to stop, the Kingdom of God just might not make it and my ministry would surely self-destruct!”

Some of us need to show our faith in God

not by working harder but by working less.

Some of us have been hitting it too hard for too long, and we desperately need extended time to rest. For some it might be 6 months for others it might be 6 weeks, or maybe 6 days. For some of us the most spiritual thing we could do now is to go home and go to bed and sleep!

A seasoned missionary in Peru came up to me at a conference once to tell me that in all his years in the ministry, he has learned that there are two types of missionaries in Peru—those who take siestas (naps) every day and those who leave the field. He said, “If you don’t learn to take your siesta on your first term, you normally will not be back for your second term.”

Finishing Well

It’s one thing to start ministry well. It’s another to finish well. We must remember (and keep reminding each other) that the ministry is not a sprint, but it’s a cross-country event. So we must pace yourself. We must build into our lives a Sabbath Rhythm of work and rest, work and rest—daily, weekly, quarterly, yearly.

The Scriptures tell us, “When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he instructed his disciples to cross to the other side of the lake” (Matt 8:18). Jesus knew when it was time for him and his followers to pull away from the pressing demands of ministry. My prayer for you and for me is that we will too, before it’s too late.

——————————

Steve Childers is the President & CEO of Global Church Advancement, an inter-denominational ministry that provides church planting training, consultations, and resources for church planters, pastors and missionaries throughout the world. Steve has trained Christian leaders from more than 40 countries (curriculum in five major global languages) representing over 120 denominations and mission agencies. Steve is also an author, Professor of Practical Theology (since 1995) and the director of the doctoral program at Reformed Theological Seminary, in Orlando, Florida, where he teaches church planting, missions, evangelism and spiritual formation. To learn more about GCA:

• Browse the GCA Website: http://www.gca.cc
• Join the GCA Cause: http://bit.ly/X5bZC
• See the GCA Blog: http://www.gca.cc/blog/
• Follow GCA on Twitter:http://twitter.com/_gca
• Follow GCA President (Childers) on Twitter: http://twitter.com/stevechilders
• Check out upcoming GCA Events: http://gca.cc/Seminar_Overview.htm
• Support GCA: http://gca.cc/Support_GCA.htm

]]> http://www.poopedpastors.com/blogs/%e2%80%9cmy-top-ten-mistakes-in-ministry-that-i-can-share-publicly-2%e2%80%9d/feed/ 5 http://www.poopedpastors.com/video/theology-part-6-sovereignty/ http://www.poopedpastors.com/video/theology-part-6-sovereignty/#comments Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:00:41 +0000 Steve Brown http://www.poopedpastors.com/?p=792 Theology – Part 6 – Sovereignty

]]> http://www.poopedpastors.com/video/theology-part-6-sovereignty/feed/ 0 http://www.poopedpastors.com/blogs/tom-wood/preaching-christ/ http://www.poopedpastors.com/blogs/tom-wood/preaching-christ/#comments Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:39:02 +0000 Tom Wood http://www.poopedpastors.com/?p=787 I’m in London as I write this. Tomorrow I meet with about 15 church planting pastors here in the UK. They are a great bunch of men. All of them are making tremendous sacrifice to minister in this Post-Modern, Post-Empire, Post-Everything city. I am going to facilitate a training module on preaching Christ-centered, grace saturated sermons in our post-Christian world. It is one piece of our half-day meeting (we pray together; we do small group peer coaching and problem solving together; we pray more; we laugh and cry; we tell stories of what God’s doing). It’s great. I wish you could have a community like this one. I suspect you’d last longer if you did. One day I will tell you about the Stout Monk’s Society I’m in, but I digress.

I attended two different churches today. Both sang the songs we sing in the USA. (one better than the other but again I digress). I listen to and evaluate about 25 sermons each year and write reviews for church planter wanna-bees. I also have coached a number of pastors in preaching. Today’s “two-sermon Sunday” caught my attention. Both were different in delivery and content. Both taught from the Bible. Both loved Jesus and are obviously loved by Him, so please don’t misunderstand what I am about to say. I am not criticizing any of my dear brothers, either here or in the USA. And trust me, I am a better coach than practitioner. (and I really wish after listening to Steve for over 25 years, I were better).

Brothers, may I humbly remind us of two things: one, we are strangers in a strange land and preaching Christ and his grace is for both believer and non-believer. Be careful you are not simply talking “Christianese” to Christians. But secondly, it’s the gospel of grace. It really is all about Jesus Christ and the radical nature of his love and grace. The way you get in to a relationship with Jesus is by grace through faith and repentance and the way you live in grace is through ongoing faith and repentance, not by the rules. Jesus didn’t die so he could give your congregation an easier list of rules to live by. He died to set them free.

I want to tell you that I thought Zach’s blog, Heroes and Heretics, was so real and honest. Thanks Zach. I think that’s a great example of what our freedom allows us to enjoy. And when we preach with that kind of remarkable authenticity, our watching world of non-believers may just sit up and listen. When Jesus is lifted up as the only solution for our plight, lives, communities and cities will be transformed. God’s glory and our good!

The following is from an old British pastor from the mid 1800’s, named C H McIntosh.
“A man may be called to preach the gospel in the same place for years, and he may, at times, feel burdened by the thought of having to address the same audience, on the same theme, week after week, month after month, year after year. He may feel at times at a loss for something new, something fresh, some variety. It will greatly help such to remember that the one grand theme of the preacher is Christ. The power to handle that theme is the Holy Ghost; and the one to whom that theme is to be unfolded is the poor lost sinner. Furthermore, it is well for the preacher to bear in mind, on every fresh occasion to rising to preach, that those to whom he preaches are really ignorant of the gospel, and hence he should preach as though it were the very first time his audience had ever heard the message, and the first time he had ever delivered it. To preach the gospel is really to unfold the heart of God, the person and work of Christ; and all this by the present energy of the Holy Ghost, from the exhaust-less treasury of holy Scripture”.

Of course, it might also help if you had a deep voice that sounded like God… but once again, I digress.

Tom Wood has been a pastor for 25 years. He has planted and pastored two churches and has served as a church planting trainer and coach for the Presbyterian Church in America. He is currently the president of Church Multiplication Ministries, in Atlanta. His mission is starting, strengthening and multiplying grace centered churches and church planting networks, through coaching and consults with church planting pastors, leaders and emerging leaders.

In need of encouragement? Subscribe to Tom’s weekly dose of grace at GracedAgain.com.

]]> http://www.poopedpastors.com/blogs/tom-wood/preaching-christ/feed/ 2 http://www.poopedpastors.com/video/theology-part-5-perseverance/ http://www.poopedpastors.com/video/theology-part-5-perseverance/#comments Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:19:54 +0000 Steve Brown http://www.poopedpastors.com/?p=785 Theology – Part 5 – Perseverance

]]> http://www.poopedpastors.com/video/theology-part-5-perseverance/feed/ 1 http://www.poopedpastors.com/video/theology-part-4-grace/ http://www.poopedpastors.com/video/theology-part-4-grace/#comments Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:02:31 +0000 Steve Brown http://www.poopedpastors.com/?p=743 Theology – Part 4 – Grace

]]> http://www.poopedpastors.com/video/theology-part-4-grace/feed/ 0 http://www.poopedpastors.com/blogs/steve-mckinney/flipping-the-switch-turn-your-motivation-on/ http://www.poopedpastors.com/blogs/steve-mckinney/flipping-the-switch-turn-your-motivation-on/#comments Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:06:15 +0000 Steve McKinney http://www.poopedpastors.com/?p=740 Have you ever wondered how some people are able to maintain amazing bodies while you struggle with your weight?

They make it seem so easy to achieve and maintain results. What do they know that you don’t? When you boil it down, the answer is quite simple.

The missing link between you and your ideal body is good old motivation.

A healthy dose of motivation coupled with determination will get you almost anything in life. So how do you know if you’re genuinely motivated?

• Motivation will tell you to get out of bed for an early workout.
• Motivation will nag you to put down the doughnut.
• Motivation makes passing on fries a reflex.
• Motivation makes a sweat drenched workout exciting.
• Motivation constantly reminds you why you do what you do.

If your motivation levels are lacking, read the following four steps to turn on your motivation.

Step #1: Pinpoint Your Motivator.

Motivation stems from having a goal. What is your goal? Why do you want to get into great shape?

Once you uncover your personal motivator you’ll find that motivation flows quickly your way.

Take a minute to really uncover the reason that you want to lose the weight. Don’t say something vague like you want to ‘Be thinner’ or ‘Look more attractive.’ Dig deeper – there is a very specific motivator in your life, you simply need to uncover it.

Here are some possible motivators…

• I want to have more energy to keep up with the kids.
• I want to improve my health through weight loss to extend and improve my life.
• I want to lose 15 pounds before my vacation.
• I want to restore my confidence to wear sleeveless shirts.
• I want to regain my figure to impress and attract my significant other.

Step #2: Make It Official.

When you write something down it suddenly feels official, doesn’t it? Write down your motivator for getting into great shape, and post it where you will see it often – next to your alarm clock, on the bathroom mirror, or in your car.

Each time you see your written motivator take a moment to visualize yourself accomplishing your goal. Try to make the scene as clear in your mind as possible. This is a powerful tool for maintaining your focus and direction.

Step #3: Be Practical.

It’s game plan time. You know what you want, and now you need to map out exactly how you’ll achieve it. It is important to be practical in your planning, rather than throwing out ideas that you know you won’t stick with.

With any weight loss goal it is important to 1) maintain a healthy low-calorie diet, and 2) participate in a consistent and challenging exercise program.

Plan a routine that will fit into your schedule and you’ll be more likely to stick with it. Also choose an exercise program that you enjoy – don’t force yourself to jog everyday if you hate jogging.

Step #4: Call For Backup.

Enlist the support of your friends, family and co-workers. Tell everyone about your goal to lose weight and get fit, you’ll be surprised how supportive most people will be. By being open about your goals you’ll likely be an encouragement to others to make healthy changes in their own lives.

The most effective way to ensure that you meet your goal is to enlist my support, your personal trainer. Together we will identify what really motivates you. Together we will design a workout routine that fits into your schedule and into your life. And together we will see it through until your goal is met.

Email me to learn more about my fitness and fat loss programs that will quickly change your life.

Recipe of the Week

Easy Homemade Lentil Soup

Few things are as comforting, on a brisk autumn day, than a bowl of hot lentil soup. This recipe is surprisingly simple with 5 minutes of prep and a cook time of just 30 minutes. Serve for lunch or dinner with a piece of hearty whole grain bread and a salad.

Here’s what you need…

• 7 cups water
• 2 1/2 cup dried red lentils
• 1 large onion, minced
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• Large pinch of cayenne pepper
• 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• Salt and pepper
• Combine water, lentils, onion, turmeric, and cayenne pepper in a large soup pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, partially cover, and simmer until lentils have disintegrated, about 30 minutes.
• Stir in lemon juice, cumin, salt and pepper to taste.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 148 calories, .8g fat, 25g carbohydrate, 6g fiber, and 11g protein.

Fitness Tip of the Week

Halloween is right around the corner, and candy seems to be everywhere. Most people use the holiday as an excuse to purchase their favorite treats, and end up eating far more of it than they should. Break out of the weight gain cycle by saying no to candy this year. There are plenty of non-edible treats that you can purchase for the kids, or stick with healthy treats like boxed raisins. By taking a minute to plan ahead you’ll save yourself from countless calories.

]]> http://www.poopedpastors.com/blogs/steve-mckinney/flipping-the-switch-turn-your-motivation-on/feed/ 0 http://www.poopedpastors.com/video/theology-part-3-god-is-soverign-part-2/ http://www.poopedpastors.com/video/theology-part-3-god-is-soverign-part-2/#comments Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:54:27 +0000 Steve Brown http://www.poopedpastors.com/?p=737 Theology – Part 3 – God is Soverign – Part 2

]]> http://www.poopedpastors.com/video/theology-part-3-god-is-soverign-part-2/feed/ 0 http://www.poopedpastors.com/blogs/heroesheretics/ http://www.poopedpastors.com/blogs/heroesheretics/#comments Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:42:35 +0000 Zach Van Dyke http://www.poopedpastors.com/?p=717 hero – [n.] anyone noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially who have risked or sacrificed his or her life.

heretic – [n.] anyone who does not conform to an established attitude, doctrine, or principle.

So the other day I wrote that Kay Arthur is teaching heresy on my facebook page.

Now before you post a comment or write KeyLife…

I, Zachary David Van Dyke, am in no way stating in this blog that Kay Arthur is teaching heresy and I will not be using this platform to comment on Kay Arthur and what she teaches.

And I know she has pointed many people to Jesus…every single one of my mom’s friends who are on facebook let me know…and yes, I have read all 40-plus comments that have been posted on my facebook wall about the great, life-changing precepts of Kay Arthur. She is a hero to many.

But this got me thinking…why does it bother us when someone else thinks one of our teachers, leaders or heroes says something that is wrong or false or heresy?

I decided to do a google search that included the name “Steve Brown” and the word “heresy.”

As I read the various articles and blogs that google produced for me, I found myself wanting to cut and paste a lot of the things that my post-menopausal friends had written on my facebook wall. I was outraged at the misrepresentation of my teacher and friend (and unofficial hero), Steve Brown. These “Heretic Hunters” just didn’t understand the context or what Steve really meant. I just needed a chance to explain it to them.

Just as I was about to post a comment I remembered something Steve says often; “50% of what I am telling you is wrong. I just don’t know which 50%.” (This is for the guy who said that those who study under Brown respond with “brownisms” instead of Scripture.)

The other night, I went to hear Rob Bell (a man who has been called a heretic by many of his brothers and sisters in Christ). It was crazy. About 2,000 people paid (me included) $20 bucks to hear him talk for two and a half hours.

The excitement in the theatre was palatable leading up to his entrance and once he made his appearance from the middle of the audience, the crowd went wild.

At one point, Rob asked if anyone was wearing a cross necklace that he could borrow for an illustration. A woman on the 2nd row hurled her cross earring to the stage like it was undergarments at Bon Jovi concert in 1988. (I have never been to a Bon Jovi concert and was only eight in 1988, but I imagine that is what it was like.)

During the event, no one yelled out “heresy” but if they did, there is no doubt in my mind that someone wouldn’t have hiked up his skinny jeans, taken off his spiked belt and started a beat down. Unless of course, Rob reminded him that “Love Wins.”

I got to read a paper a ninth grader wrote for his English class. The assignment was to write about your hero. His paper was titled “Zach Van Dyke.”

Does he not know that I am often mad at God and don’t believe He is good…
that I can give an entire talk at youth group and not believe a word coming out of my mouth…
that I’m a very selfish husband and distracted father…

or even WORSE…

that I sometimes sound antinomian…
that I was moved by The Shack…
that I once posted on my facebook that Kay Arthur taught heresy.

I had a vision as I was working on this blog…not that kind of vision…maybe it would be better to say I started daydreaming about heaven…

I saw Kay, Steve, Rob and I (how presumptions of me) sitting around Jesus laughing about how many times we were so wrong and thought we were so right and thanking Him for being a Hero that rescues “heretics” like us.

So glad it’s all about grace.

Zach

]]> http://www.poopedpastors.com/blogs/heroesheretics/feed/ 7 http://www.poopedpastors.com/blogs/my-top-ten-mistakes-in-ministry-that-i-can-share-publicly-1/ http://www.poopedpastors.com/blogs/my-top-ten-mistakes-in-ministry-that-i-can-share-publicly-1/#comments Mon, 12 Oct 2009 15:29:53 +0000 Steve Childers http://www.poopedpastors.com/?p=711 This is the second in a series of blog posts I’m calling, “My Top Ten Mistakes in Ministry (That I Can Share Publicly!). After decades of ministry experience as a church planter, pastor and seminary professor I’ve learned the hard way that most church leaders seem to keep making the same mistakes in ministry. I hope that this series will help some church leaders (including me) stop making the same old mistakes and at least start making some brand new, innovative and creative mistakes!

Last time we began this series with an introduction called, “Ladies First” in which veteran church planter wife Shari Thomas answered the tough question, “What I Wish I Had Known About Church Planting” from the perspective of the church pastor’s spouse. This time we’ll take a brief look at the first of my top ten ministry mistakes.

Mistake #1: Failing to Understand the Importance of How I Define Ministry Success

First, I wish someone had told me how critically important it is to have a biblical view of success in the ministry. I wish someone had the wisdom and guts to have taken me aside, before I went into pastoral ministry, and say something like this: “Do you know that you have a definition of what it means to be successful in ministry and that definition is probably very wrong and dangerous?” I wish someone had explained to me how my definition of ministry success had the potential power of either destroying my ministry and life or deeply enriching it. But no one said that to me. So I had to learn this lesson the old-fashioned way–by failing.

By anyone’s standards the disciples’ ministry, described in Luke 10, seemed to be a raging success. You know the story. Jesus sent them out “two by two” and commissioned them to heal the sick and proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom. As they spoke in Jesus’ name and ministered to the people, God’s power fell on them in an astonishing way. They were not only surprised but also thrilled and elated. Luke 10:17 tells us, “And the seventy returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.’” Their enthusiasm was obvious. God was mightily at work through their lives doing great signs and wonders, just like they had seen done earlier by Jesus.

So the disciples rejoiced. And why shouldn’t they? Even the demons were subject to them, just as they had been to Jesus. But right in the midst of all their elation and rejoicing at how God was working so powerfully in and through them, Jesus spoke these sobering words. He said, “Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven”(Luke 10:20).

Here Jesus makes clear to his disciples what I wish someone had made clear to me many years ago–that their source of joy in ministry must not be found in what they do for Him but in who they are in Him. Jesus knew that there would soon come a time in all of their ministries when there would no longer be great signs and wonders to encourage them. Instead, there would be great hardships, trials, persecution, and even death for serving in His name. Jesus knew there were times before them when they would feel much more in subjection to the demons rather than the demons being in subjection to them.

At such times Jesus does not want his followers (then or now) to be robbed of joy, so he taught them to find their true source of joy in something other than what most would call “ministry success.” Instead, Jesus wants His followers, even in the face of what many would call ministry failure, to be the kind of people who learn to find deep-seated joy in their knowledge of the Good News of God’s radical love for them in Christ, (i.e. that “their names are recorded in heaven”.)

In the often difficult and faith-testing trenches of real life ministry (not the unrealistic, Pollyannaish and triumphalistic pictures of ministry often painted by others) it is extremely easy and very normal for church leaders to become discouraged and depressed. Thousands have left the ministry over the years convinced they are failures because of their lack of what many would call ministry success. One of the downsides of my ministry is that I’m sometimes called in to help when church planters and church plants crash and burn. Often these church planters don’t just leave the ministry-they leave the Faith. And every time, without exception, I have discovered deeply lodged in their broken hearts an unbiblical definition of ministry success.

According to Scripture, success before God should be measured primarily in terms of faithfulness to Him. Success has been defined well by Ken and Barbara Hughes, in their excellent book Liberating Ministry from the Success Syndrome, as “faithfully pleasing God with the resources and responsibilities that He has given you.” The authors make the point that in the Parable of the Talents (Matt. 25:14-30) Jesus rewarded each faithful man the same—even though one was actually given more than the other and even though one actually produced more than the other.

The main point in this book is not to denigrate the value and necessity of things like thoughtful planning and hard work in the ministry. And the authors are not advocating spiritual pacifism in the name of faith. Instead, they are making a solid case for a biblical view of success that is radically different from the world’s view. It is primarily qualitative not merely quantitative. Its emphasis is more on things like faithfulness, humility, love and relationships than on measurable, objective accomplishments and achievements in the ministry.

God’s Kingdom is an upside-down Kingdom. The Apostle James wrote, “God is opposed to the proud but He gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). Through the prophet Isaiah the Lord said, “But to this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word” (Isaiah 66:2). One of the supreme glories of the Gospel is that it is primarily through weakness that God has chosen to show his strength. This is why the Puritans used to say, “God’s grace, like water always flows to the lowest place, the sinner’s place–the foot of the cross.”

Paul writes, “For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of athe world and the despised, God has chosen, the things that are not, that He might nullify the things that are, that no man should boast before God”(1 Cor 1:26-29).

If you are like most of us in the ministry today your definition of success is naturally prone to be primarily quantitative not qualitative. Its emphasis is on measurable, objective accomplishments and achievements–things like ”nickels and noses” (church finances & attendance), making a “Kingdom impact”, attaining prestige, power and resources. Without realizing it your sense of personal worth and identity is inordinately and frighteningly deeply rooted in these things–not in the Good News that “your name is recorded in heaven.”

Oswald Chamber wrote, “God can achieve his purpose either through the absence of human power and resources, or the abandonment of reliance on them. All through history God has chosen and used nobodies, because their unusual dependence on him made possible the unique display of his power and grace. He chose and used somebodies only when they renounced dependence on their natural abilities and resources.”

Never forget that your source of joy in the ministry must not be rooted in what you do for Him but in who you are in Him. That’s because there will inevitably come a time in your ministry when you will no longer have all the quantitative accomplishments, power and resources in which you are now illegitimately (and probably unknowingly) finding your true sense of worth and joy. “Do not rejoice in this…but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven” (Luke 10:20).

Instead, learn to find your true sense of personal worth and joy in the Good News of God’s radical love for you in Christ. Define your success in ministry as “faithfully pleasing God with the resources and responsibilities that He has given you.” Make the primary focus of your ministry things like faithfulness, humility, love and relationships. Then leave the results of your ministry to God. Failing to understand the importance of how to define ministry success has been one of my top ten greatest mistakes in ministry–that I can share publicly. This failure has cost me greatly. I pray that you will not keep making this same mistake.

Steve Childers

PS: Here’s a recent photo of Steve, his wife of almost 30 years, 3 grown daughters AND even a female dog named Sophie! Steve is known for carrying with him 24/7 “EPLAD” –that is an “Alert Device” (AD) that detects dangerous levels of Estrogen Poisoning Level (EPL) before problems break out at home!

Steve Childers is the President & CEO of Global Church Advancement, an inter-denominational ministry that provides church planting training, consultations, and resources for church planters, pastors and missionaries throughout the world. Steve has trained Christian leaders from more than 50 countries (curriculum in five major global languages) representing over 200 denominations and mission agencies. Steve is also an author, Professor of Practical Theology (since 1995) and the director of the doctoral program at Reformed Theological Seminary, in Orlando, Florida, where he teaches church planting, missions, evangelism and spiritual formation. To learn more about GCA:

• Browse the GCA Website: http://www.gca.cc
• Join the GCA Cause: http://bit.ly/X5bZC
• See the GCA Blog: http://www.gca.cc/blog/
• Follow GCA on Twitter:http://twitter.com/_gca
• Follow GCA President (Childers) on Twitter: http://twitter.com/stevechilders
• Check out upcoming GCA Events: http://gca.cc/Seminar_Overview.htm
• Support GCA: http://gca.cc/Support_GCA.htm

]]> http://www.poopedpastors.com/blogs/my-top-ten-mistakes-in-ministry-that-i-can-share-publicly-1/feed/ 6 http://www.poopedpastors.com/blogs/pastoral-points/ http://www.poopedpastors.com/blogs/pastoral-points/#comments Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:02:41 +0000 Tom Wood http://www.poopedpastors.com/?p=708 I was sitting in a pub with a bunch of pastors in London. One of the guys told us that in commercial flying, the airlines have come up with a point system for pilots, so they don’t get burned out. He said, for instance, that flying into Heathrow, since it’s so complex, is 500 points. Flying in and out of Atlanta, since it’s the busiest, is 750 points. But flying in and out of smaller places, like Birmingham, AL or Birmingham, UK is only 200 points. After a pilot has logged so many points in a month or week, he has to take a break.

Because we are all pastors, we could apply that to ministry life. Instead of putting in a 50 hour week, as if ministry is logged in as hours done, maybe we should come up with a point system for pastors. So if you do a funeral for a friend, its 500 points. If its for a child, its, 1000 points. If you deal with a couple and one’s infidelity, it’s another 500 points. If you have a deacons meeting or elders meeting that week, that’s 2,000 points. Every week is a sermon. For some its only 100 points, for others its 500-1000 points. And then there’s the administrative junk and the phone calls…and emails and…

Makes sense doesn’t it? Pastoral life is more than sermon prep and making polite conversation with little old ladies. It’s tough. And maybe we need a point system that says, when you get to this amount of stuff, stop. No more pastoral work for the week.

Anyway, here’s the kicker. I checked with a commercial pilot friend of mine who flies all over the country (USA). I asked him about the point system. He said, “Not true.” They fly by hours. Oh well, it still makes sense doesn’t it?

But if we decide to put something in place for pastors—to keep us from getting pooped—we should also think of the good stuff as well. So when you see someone really get the gospel of grace—maybe a new convert or where they get graced again, maybe that’s minus 2,000 in the point system. Or when a healing occurs or a sermon really worked and a few people ‘got it’—minus 500 points. Or when the teens return from a mission’s trip and a few want to serve locally as well… Or a half day of prayer, alone with the Father, restores one’s soul. Subtract 1,000. There are some things that put the energy back aren’t there? Makes me want to be a pastor again just thinking about it…

Tom Wood has been a pastor for 25 years. He has planted and pastored two churches and has served as a church planting trainer and coach for the Presbyterian Church in America. He is currently the president of Church Multiplication Ministries, in Atlanta. His mission is starting, strengthening and multiplying grace centered churches and church planting networks, through coaching and consults with church planting pastors, leaders and emerging leaders.

In need of encouragement? Subscribe to Tom’s weekly dose of grace at GracedAgain.com.

]]> http://www.poopedpastors.com/blogs/pastoral-points/feed/ 1 http://www.poopedpastors.com/video/theology-%e2%80%93-part-2-%e2%80%93-god-is-sovern/ http://www.poopedpastors.com/video/theology-%e2%80%93-part-2-%e2%80%93-god-is-sovern/#comments Fri, 02 Oct 2009 17:47:56 +0000 Steve Brown http://www.poopedpastors.com/?p=703 Theology – Part 2 – God is Sovereign

]]> http://www.poopedpastors.com/video/theology-%e2%80%93-part-2-%e2%80%93-god-is-sovern/feed/ 0 http://www.poopedpastors.com/blogs/what%e2%80%99s-wrong-with-me/ http://www.poopedpastors.com/blogs/what%e2%80%99s-wrong-with-me/#comments Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:12:55 +0000 Pete Alwinson http://www.poopedpastors.com/?p=695 “So what I want to know is, why do you still have a church and I don’t? What’s wrong with me?”

It’s a Thursday afternoon at Starbucks and I’m sitting with a 64 year old pastor friend of mine, uh, former pastor friend of mine, who three years earlier had been unceremoniously cut loose from the ministry he built from 70 to 400 people over 16 years. His leaders had done it all wrong, even illegally according to church protocol. I can’t help but think while he’s talking, “What good is a Book of Church Order if you don’t follow it? It’s supposed to work, and does sometimes. It’s supposed to keep us from slashing the heart out of the people of God. Ya, but you’ve messed up using the BOCO too Pete. Uh huh.”

“Why do you still have a church and I don’t?”

I’m drinking my Pike’s Peak decaf (it’s afternoon, I’m hyper enough and already caffeined up; have been since 5:30 AM) fast because I have no answer for this one. He’s not attacking me, he’s just in incredible pain…still… after three years, and doesn’t have any answers that satisfy. Do I need to feel guilty because I still have a church to serve and he doesn’t? I know the answer is “no”, but I do. I’ve learned to insulate myself from the pain of others, but my friend is getting under my skin. I feel a lump rising in my throat and wash it back down. But, man, there are a lot of times when I just wished I would have an excuse like his to not be a pastor. It’s crazy work we do. In fact, right now would be a great time to be let go and not be a pastor, but I don’t tell him I feel that way. I’m listening. Scrambling for words. I want to say, “Maybe it’s a gift to you.” I don’t. Maybe I still have a church because the Lord is disciplining me for not having learned lessons I should have learned years before and He’s gonna keep me here until I finally learn them. That’s kind of twisted, but Steve Brown’s words ring in my ear: the first time I heard him speak to pastors after he retired from the pastorate he said: “I’m not a pastor any more…na na na na na na!” I laughed. And was a little envious.

But my friend still wanted to be a pastor. I just keep listening. We both believe down to our toes that God is Sovereign. He talks and I listen with that understanding between us holding us both up.

“What’s wrong with me?”

Oh, cuss…he’s lived with these feelings for 1,095 days…is that not close to unbearable? How many times did I feel that this week? Several. How many times have I admitted it? Zero. How many pastors have felt that for years? Too many to count. I want to cry with him. I can’t. I’ve been too busy, too under the gun, too involved trying to help my church survive these difficult economic times, cut back expenses without cutting back ministry, holding staff together in fragmenting times, dealing with the pain of staff lay offs. I can’t cry; I gotta keep moving forward. But at least I can relate to him and I’m there with him. Have I lost the ability to cry? No, it’s still there, but way down there…

“My wife is angrier than I am; my son hasn’t gone to church since I was fired…well, he did go with some friends last week.”

Great, after three years his wife is still struggling and his son may never want to follow Jesus and enjoy His people again. Add that to the list of incredibly painful things I’ve heard this week. On we talked. He did of course, miss something with his leadership. He missed their slipping support. Didn’t see it or feel it. He missed seeing how the staff member gained power and usurped the love of the elders. What he never accepted fully is that the church bosses who were there years before were still the real human power in the church. One major difference I begin to see in our respective churches is that he was a church developer and I was a church planter. He took the core and developed them. I built the core…and now, all those who didn’t like me left because I was there before them. It wasn’t that I was a better pastor I’m pretty sure. I’d probably made as many mistakes as my friend. The issue was probably more one of power and who’d been there first and longer. There are always some not so very spiritual reasons why some pastors seem more successful than others.

Why did he and why do we miss the signs of lack of support of our leaders? They had to be there! Again my heart sinks just one more notch as I hear the tale of his wife’s long term illness which doctors couldn’t diagnose and his sons teenage rebellion which wouldn’t end and how while dealing with his family, his leadership (fellow, brother elders) stepped away, instead of stepping toward him. Long term trial leads to eventual fatigue. He finally saw the fatigue himself: He was just going through the motions as a pastor. Been there too. Sometimes we see it too late humanly speaking, for them to forgive and reattach to us and us to them.

But the betrayal! Most seasoned pastors have felt the sledgehammer of betrayal…I have and I wanted to go after those suckers…those fellow elders. Sometimes it takes years for a flattened heart to reinflate. When they sent him on a sabbatical and told him not to return, he didn’t fight it. Why? He had no fight left in him that’s why, and any pastor who has been through a long ministry without a sabbatical, with out periodic rests and vacations, knows the feelings.

What would you do if you could do it differently, your ministry I mean?

“Pray more, have a deeper relationship with my leaders, take more study breaks and take some vacations. I wouldn’t tie vacations to our annual denominational meetings…You know, I’ve heard so many pastors say lately, ‘If I could leave this job today with a comparable salary, I would do it.’ When pastors start talking about ministry as a ‘job’ you know you’re in trouble.”

Did you hear of the time Jesus made a quick return to earth for a visit? He came upon a lame man, had compassion on him, and healed his leg. Further down the road, Our Lord came upon a blind man, had compassion on him, and healed him. A little further down the road, Jesus came upon a man sitting on the curb sobbing his heart out. Jesus asked him what was wrong. The man cried out in agony, ‘I’m a pastor!’ Jesus sad down beside him, put his arm around him…and cried too.”

We do experience agony as pastors… and incredible joy. I asked him what he’s the most passionate about in life and he told me. His face lit up, energy pulsed through him (it could have been his coffee though…) We brainstormed a plan and I told him, ‘Go do it…go do it.” I’m not the Holy Spirit but I think at the end of the day, what happened to him was a gift. Now he has the opportunity to reach convergence…his business career plus his ministry career equals fulfilling the reason God put him on planet earth. No distractions. Focus. Grace always shows up to God’s beloved sons and daughters, always, sooner or later. What was wrong with him? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. And there’s nothing wrong with you either.

You take it to heart…

Pete

]]> http://www.poopedpastors.com/blogs/what%e2%80%99s-wrong-with-me/feed/ 1 http://www.poopedpastors.com/video/theology-part-1-theology-is-practical/ http://www.poopedpastors.com/video/theology-part-1-theology-is-practical/#comments Wed, 23 Sep 2009 20:30:46 +0000 Steve Brown http://www.poopedpastors.com/?p=693 Theology – Part 1 – Theology is Practical

]]> http://www.poopedpastors.com/video/theology-part-1-theology-is-practical/feed/ 0 http://www.poopedpastors.com/podcast/emotionally-healthy-spirituality-pete-scazzero-on-sbe/ http://www.poopedpastors.com/podcast/emotionally-healthy-spirituality-pete-scazzero-on-sbe/#comments Tue, 22 Sep 2009 15:11:38 +0000 Erik Guzman http://www.poopedpastors.com/?p=684 From the outside, it looked like Pastor Pete Scazzero was on top of the world. The church he planted in New York was filling up with people (many of them new Christians) and the atmosphere was electric.

However, on the inside, Pete was secretly dying. Then he hit the wall.

Don’t miss Pete Scazzero on Steve Brown Etc. as he talks about moving past manic religious activity to emotionally healthy spirituality.

Pete Scazzero is the senior pastor of New Life Fellowship Church in Queens, New York and author of Emotionally Healthy Spirituality and The Emotionally Healthy Church. Visit EmotionallyHealthy.org for more info and helpful resources.

]]> http://www.poopedpastors.com/podcast/emotionally-healthy-spirituality-pete-scazzero-on-sbe/feed/ 3 http://www.poopedpastors.com/video/pastors-family-%e2%80%93-part-9-%e2%80%93-celebrate-your-difference/ http://www.poopedpastors.com/video/pastors-family-%e2%80%93-part-9-%e2%80%93-celebrate-your-difference/#comments Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:03:24 +0000 Steve Brown http://www.poopedpastors.com/?p=682 Pastors & Family – Part 9 – Celebrate Your Difference

]]> http://www.poopedpastors.com/video/pastors-family-%e2%80%93-part-9-%e2%80%93-celebrate-your-difference/feed/ 0 http://www.poopedpastors.com/blogs/3-steps-to-overcome-overeating/ http://www.poopedpastors.com/blogs/3-steps-to-overcome-overeating/#comments Tue, 08 Sep 2009 21:10:20 +0000 Steve McKinney http://www.poopedpastors.com/?p=643 Let’s face it, the extra pounds you’re carrying around are due to overeating – plain and simple.

Why do you overeat? Here are a few likely reasons:

1. Habit: Whether you realize it or not, you eat in a learned pattern, rather than out of need. You clean your plate because that’s what your mother taught. You eat what is served without stopping to check if you are full. You butter two pieces of toast for breakfast rather than questioning if one piece would do the job.

2. Absentminded: You forget to pay attention when you eat. Mindless munching while watching a movie, snacking while driving, or picking at food while cooking – these absentminded calories really add up.

3. Something Deeper: Sometimes you use food for recreation or to change your mood. These calories may lend you a temporary sense of comfort or pleasure, but ultimately your body suffers from the indulgence.

Here are 3 Steps To Overcome Overeating – read these, and apply them to your life.

Step #1: Pay Attention

Be aware of what and how much you eat. This simple concept will save you from hundreds upon hundreds of calories each week.

To apply this rule, don’t eat while your attention is distracted by another activity. Only put food in your mouth when you are hungry and conscious of it. This means turn off the T.V., get out of your car, and no matter what you do, don’t graze in the kitchen while cooking.

Step #2: Practice Balance

Be aware of the types of food that you eat during each meal, and make sure that it’s balanced. When you eat a balanced diet filled with lean protein, whole grains, lots of veggies, a few daily servings of fruit and limited fat and sweets, your body will be satisfied and you’ll lose the urge to overeat.

This means you shouldn’t always eat carb-based meals, and you also shouldn’t always eat high-fat meals. Make a mental checklist of the food groups that you’ve eaten each day. Did you eat lean protein? Did you have plenty of vegetables? Did you refrain from eating more than one or two primarily carb-based meals? This mental checklist will save you from making food decisions that you’d later regret.

Step #3: Be Tuned In

Your body will always tell you when its hunger has been satisfied – you’ve just gotten so good at ignoring the signs that you barrel through your meal only to feel like you’ve been hit by a ton of bricks once all that food hits your stomach. It’s time to take a deep breath and listen to your body.

An important part of being tuned in is to eat slowly. Once you start to pay attention you’ll notice a point when each bite becomes less and less satisfying. That is your body’s way of letting you know that you’ve had enough and that each continued bite is simply overkill (yes, even if you’re only halfway through that plate of pasta).

By learning how to control your eating habits, you’ll find weight loss to come simply and naturally.

Want to speed up your weight loss, make it permanent, and shape your body at the same time? I’ve got what it takes to get you there! No guess work, no fad diets, and no super long workouts.

Email me to learn more about my fitness and fat loss programs that will quickly change your life.

Recipe of the Week

Rainbow Kebabs

These fresh fruit kebabs are simple to prepare and make a stunning display. It’s perfect to bring to a barbeque or to enjoy as a healthy dessert. The fruit selections below aren’t set in stone – use any fruit that is fresh and colorful.

Yield: 10 servings

Here’s what you need…

• 10 wooden skewers
• 10 strawberries
• 10 bite-sized watermelon pieces
• 10 bite-sized cantaloupe pieces
• 10 bite-sized mango pieces
• 10 bite-sized pineapple pieces
• 10 bite-sized kiwi pieces
• 10 blueberries
• 10 blackberries

1. Put the chunks of fruit on each skewer in a rainbow pattern – red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple.
2. Place skewers on a platter and serve.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 60 calories, 0g fat, 15g carbohydrate, 3g fiber, and 1g protein.

Fitness Tip of the Week

No More Clean Plates

You know that portions are now larger than ever. Do you really need to eat all of that food? Of course you don’t. It is time to release yourself from the obligation to eat every morsel on your plate. Start by always leaving one or two bites. Soon you will find that you naturally stop eating when you’re full – even if your plate isn’t empty.

]]> http://www.poopedpastors.com/blogs/3-steps-to-overcome-overeating/feed/ 0 http://www.poopedpastors.com/video/pastors-family-part-8-be-real-at-home/ http://www.poopedpastors.com/video/pastors-family-part-8-be-real-at-home/#comments Tue, 08 Sep 2009 16:13:10 +0000 Steve Brown http://www.poopedpastors.com/?p=641 Pastors & Family – Part 8 – Be Real at Home

]]> http://www.poopedpastors.com/video/pastors-family-part-8-be-real-at-home/feed/ 1 http://www.poopedpastors.com/video/pooped-pastors-live-webcast-1-part-6/ http://www.poopedpastors.com/video/pooped-pastors-live-webcast-1-part-6/#comments Tue, 01 Sep 2009 16:06:51 +0000 Steve Brown http://www.poopedpastors.com/?p=667 Pooped Pastors Live Webcast 1 – Part 6

]]> http://www.poopedpastors.com/video/pooped-pastors-live-webcast-1-part-6/feed/ 0 http://www.poopedpastors.com/video/pooped-pastors-live-webcast-1-part-5/ http://www.poopedpastors.com/video/pooped-pastors-live-webcast-1-part-5/#comments Tue, 01 Sep 2009 16:05:21 +0000 Steve Brown http://www.poopedpastors.com/?p=665 Pooped Pastors Live Webcast 1 – Part 5

]]> http://www.poopedpastors.com/video/pooped-pastors-live-webcast-1-part-5/feed/ 0 http://www.poopedpastors.com/video/pooped-pastors-live-webcast-1-part-4/ http://www.poopedpastors.com/video/pooped-pastors-live-webcast-1-part-4/#comments Tue, 01 Sep 2009 16:04:18 +0000 Steve Brown http://www.poopedpastors.com/?p=663 Pooped Pastors Live Webcast 1 – Part 4

]]> http://www.poopedpastors.com/video/pooped-pastors-live-webcast-1-part-4/feed/ 0 http://www.poopedpastors.com/video/pooped-pastors-live-webcast-1-part-3/ http://www.poopedpastors.com/video/pooped-pastors-live-webcast-1-part-3/#comments Tue, 01 Sep 2009 16:03:41 +0000 Steve Brown http://www.poopedpastors.com/?p=657 Pooped Pastors Live Webcast 1 – Part 3

]]> http://www.poopedpastors.com/video/pooped-pastors-live-webcast-1-part-3/feed/ 0 http://www.poopedpastors.com/video/pooped-pastors-live-webcast-1-part-2/ http://www.poopedpastors.com/video/pooped-pastors-live-webcast-1-part-2/#comments Tue, 01 Sep 2009 16:02:03 +0000 Steve Brown http://www.poopedpastors.com/?p=655 Pooped Pastors Live Webcast 1 – Part 2

]]> http://www.poopedpastors.com/video/pooped-pastors-live-webcast-1-part-2/feed/ 0 http://www.poopedpastors.com/video/pooped-pastors-live-webcast-1-part-1/ http://www.poopedpastors.com/video/pooped-pastors-live-webcast-1-part-1/#comments Tue, 01 Sep 2009 16:01:25 +0000 Steve Brown http://www.poopedpastors.com/?p=652 Pooped Pastors Live Webcast 1 – Part 1

]]> http://www.poopedpastors.com/video/pooped-pastors-live-webcast-1-part-1/feed/ 0 http://www.poopedpastors.com/blogs/summer-silence/ http://www.poopedpastors.com/blogs/summer-silence/#comments Mon, 31 Aug 2009 15:43:41 +0000 Zach Van Dyke http://www.poopedpastors.com/?p=638 I was working on a cute little article about summer and how as an adult it doesn’t mean what it did as a kid and how as a youth pastor it means non-stop – make sure the fridge is stocked with Red Bull…but then I heard from Him.

Out of the three summers I have been a youth pastor, this by far has been my most successful with the highest numbers and greatest excitement among students. Camp was amazing. Participation in service projects has been phenomenal. Students have taken initiative in speaking the Gospel into each others’ lives.

This has been a hard summer for me. Much harder than the past two.

My summer has been overwhelmingly busy, but not because I have been wasting time sitting at the feet of Jesus. (I still haven’t finished reading all four Gospels – one of my goals during Lent as you may recall.)

My summer has been filled with blatant sin, but not because I believe so strongly in grace and therefore abuse it. On the contrary, I have never struggled so much with unbelief in the grace of God.

My summer has been lonely, but not because I haven’t been surrounded constantly with people who care.

My summer has been hard because God has been silent.

Okay, don’t argue theology with me…God has been silent…you know what that’s like, don’t you?

Yes, I’ve been busy and haven’t been carving out time with Him.

Yes, I’ve been sinning and not repenting…sometimes even enjoying it.

Yes, I’ve been ignoring and avoiding the warm fellowship of other believers.

Yes, all of the above creates a barrier in the relationship between me and God…or does it?

Am I ever still enough…obedient enough…encouraged enough to hear from a holy and perfect God?

Last week at the end of a very busy, sin-filled, lonely day, I went to visit a man who was dying. His name was Scott and he battled cancer for 8 years. I almost didn’t go, because I felt guilty that I hadn’t gone to visit him more often and now that he was about to die any day, I suddenly find time for him.

When I arrived at his house, it was hard to find parking because so many cars were lining the streets. Scott had lots of friends and I wouldn’t be surprised if most credit God’s work in his life to bring about radical change in theirs. In High School and college, Scott and I had a sort of unofficial mentor relationship. Most younger guys who knew Scott even if for only one week would say the same thing.

Encouraged by his wife, I walked over to see him. His hospital bed was in the middle of the living room and around him people talked and laughed and ate. There was so much life in the room, but he looked dead.

I said to him “Thank you for loving Jesus in front of me.” I meant it, but I also didn’t really know what else to say and was still feeling extremely guilty.

He then opened his eyes very briefly and stared at me. He began to speak. It was really hard to understand him. He became frustrated at my inability to interpret his breathy, slurred words, so he called for his wife to come over. He insisted that she raise his bed to a sitting position. He was then facing the group of friends and family on the couches and chairs and strained to get out the words that he so desperately wanted me to understand.

One word at a time he said:

“It…has…been…my…honor…to…represent…Jesus.”

Once he got through every word, he began repeating that sentence over and over and over again each time a little louder than before.

As his family gathered around him with tears streaming down their faces, I moved back behind the bed and I began to pray that God would speak through him to those gathered in the room. Not sure why, God had been silent.

And as soon as I finished praying, Scott called my name, “Zach.”

He struggled to speak and I struggled to understand.

I want to pass these words on to my fellow brothers and sisters in youth ministry, because I think He intended them for you as well.

“It has been my honor to represent Jesus. Now you do that. Love those teenagers. Disciple them and send them out. I love you. Go in peace.”

So glad it’s all about grace.

Zach
2 Cor. 6:1

]]> http://www.poopedpastors.com/blogs/summer-silence/feed/ 14 http://www.poopedpastors.com/blogs/my-top-ten-mistakes-in-ministry-that-i-can-share-publicly/ http://www.poopedpastors.com/blogs/my-top-ten-mistakes-in-ministry-that-i-can-share-publicly/#comments Tue, 25 Aug 2009 18:14:05 +0000 Steve Childers http://www.poopedpastors.com/?p=627 An Introduction by Steve Childers

Introduction: Ladies First!
After more than 30 years of ministry experience as a church planter, pastor and seminary professor I think I’ve finally learned the secret to survival in the ministry: stop making the same old mistakes the rest of us have been making in the ministry for decades and start making brand new, bold, innovative and creative mistakes!

This is the first in a series of posts I’m calling, “My Top Ten Mistakes in Ministry (That I Can Share Publicly)“. But instead of starting with “My Greatest Mistakes–Part One” I thought it might be better to begin this series by allowing you the privilege of looking back at 25 years of real-life, in-the-trench church planting ministry through the lens of a good friend of mine, Shari Thomas*—a veteran church planter’s wife.

Knowing the depth of Shari’s spiritual maturity and the profound impact her ministry has had on so many Christian leaders (including me), several years ago I asked Shari if she would consider being one of the trainers at our annual Global Church Advancement North America Conference. She has been one of GCA’s most effective trainers ever since.

A few years ago I asked Shari if she would be willing to address all the conference attendees at our final plenary session—instead of only doing her excellent 6-session workshop alongside several others. She responded with her typical, refreshing, bold humility, “Sure! What topic would you like me to address?” I told her I’d like for her to answer the question, “What I Wish I Had Known About Church Planting”—and not hold back anything.

Below is a taste of Shari’s heart-felt answer to that difficult question. As you’ll see…she held nothing back. And I’m glad she didn’t.

A Church Planter Spouse Looks Back: What I Wish I’d Known About Church Planting! by Shari Thomas* (Given at the 2008 Global Church Advancement North America Conference.)

I wish someone would have told us (Shari and her husband, John), that we both would need a support system greater than just each other…

…that we would need coaches and mentors, and we should plan at more than one stage in the journey on getting counseling…

…and when we didn’t have this support system it would be up to us to seek it out!

I would have greatly benefited knowing that we needed to come to a mutual understanding and commitment about what my involvement in the church plant would be…

…that pursuing and nurturing my gifts was as important as nurturing his.

And that we would often need to review this involvement through out the stages of church planting and seasons of life…

…that when the children were young, my husband and children would require and need most of my time.

I wish he’d known how much I would need his support in sticking to these commitments rather than both of us rescuing ministries and people when they floundered.

I longed for someone to gently come alongside me and remind me again and again that what my husband needs from me most is love and respect.

He can find coaches, teachers, nags and critics in countless places. He already has one mother. And when it’s late at night and we are falling into bed that this is not the time or place to hear one more idea on how to make the church successful!

But at the same time I also wished he’d known how very important it was for the two of us to have our weekly “staff” times to talk about how the church and family life intersected.

I was a part of the church planting team and needed to know about the plant, give my input and have a place on the team. I wish we had spoken more openly about this to our staff as they too needed to work through their understanding of my role on the church planting team.

If I had known that my heart as well as our kids would be hurt, angry, and almost torn in two by this ministry we might not have planted a church

….but we also may never have learned the delight and satisfaction of pointing each other to Jesus, to the hope that only the gospel brings, and the deep joy of leading others to this hope.

…if we hadn’t planted a church I don’t know if we would ever have known the joy of watching the people we had led to Christ then turn and point our hearts to Jesus during our dark hours.

We would have benefited from being told that the question “should we stay in this church?” will be one that will haunt us through out our ministry lives. I was not prepared for him rolling over in bed doubting his call.

I didn’t know we would question if God had brought us here…that when my husband’s passion and energy for the church plant was waxing, mine might be waning and vice versa. It would have been helpful to know this was normal.

I am thankful that someone told us we would have to work harder for a marriage where there is spiritual, emotional, and physical intimacy than we would have to work at planting the church…that this would involve sacrifice on both of our parts, and it would be well worth it.

…that this would mean being honest about the damage we both do to one another and then seeking reconciliation to whatever point was needed for the sake of the other.

…that repentance involved not a simple “I’m sorry” but asking the other person to tell how we had harmed them and to listen without defending.

That it would mean doing this over and over in our marriage…that it would mean being willing to give up church planting, even leaving ministry for the sake of loving the other person.

I am glad my husband learned early on that church planting gave him great freedom to creatively mold his schedule to fit the needs of both his family and the church.

I am grateful he takes time from church ministry to pour into the lives of our kids: working on school projects, creating feasts in the kitchen, taking vacations, catching the latest blockbuster, filling their lives with music, asking them the tough questions, drawing out their hearts, repenting openly before them…

…I love watching their eyes fill with pride when they introduce their friends to their dad. Nothing draws my heart to him more than that he loves our children so well.

And at the same time when both he and I love our kids poorly, I really wish I had known that the Christian life and Church planting was not about working so hard to get it right, be right, and do right.

That it was not my job to perfect myself. That even learning the gospel was not another tool to add to my arsenal of how to live a better life. But it was church planting that finally brought me to the realization that I can’t change myself.

That it’s not about what others say about me. That Jesus has already said, “It is finished.” That God’s verdict spoken over me comes before any of my performance, before I ever started on this journey of church planting…he delights in me already!

If I had known this, I would have enjoyed life so much more. But the journey isn’t finished and I’m planning on joining the party more these days.

But I am most grateful that my husband keeps learning that no one can pursue, strongly lead and cherish me the way he can.

…that when I’m withdrawn and discouraged, his gentle wooing speaks volumes.

…when I’m masking deep hurt with anger, his strong, consistent pursuit melts me like nothing else.

…when darkness has masked Jesus face, I have felt another strong hand leading me home.

…and when it’s all said and done, and we are at The Great Marriage Feast I will recognize the tastes and sounds and smells. The dance will be vaguely familiar…

…for hints of the realm unknown have drifted across the border land.

…and I have caught glimpses of what is yet to come for so many of you, my friends, my church family, my kids and my husband have shown me the way.

——————————

*Shari Thomas has been involved with her husband, John, in church planting for over 25 years both in North America and abroad. Shari serves on Mission to North America’s church planting staff as the Director of Parakaleo, a ministry primarily to church planting spouses. Shari and/or Tami Resch (also on staff with Parakaleo) lead the Women’s Forum (6 Sessions) at the North America GCA Conferences & Seminars. John is the director of global training for the Redeemer Church Planting Center in Manhattan, NYC. They have 3 children who amazingly still claim them as parents. They love sailing, only do legal drugs, and are known coffee snobs.

Steve Childers is the President & CEO of Global Church Advancement, an inter-denominational ministry that provides church planting training, consultations, and resources for church planters, pastors and missionaries throughout the world. Steve has trained Christian leaders from more than 40 countries (curriculum in five major global languages) representing over 120 denominations and mission agencies. Steve is also an author, Professor of Practical Theology (since 1995) and the director of the doctoral program at Reformed Theological Seminary, in Orlando, Florida, where he teaches church planting, missions, evangelism and spiritual formation. To learn more about GCA:

• Browse the GCA Website: http://www.gca.cc
• Join the GCA Cause: http://bit.ly/X5bZC
• See the GCA Blog: http://www.gca.cc/blog/
• Follow GCA on Twitter:http://twitter.com/_gca
• Follow GCA President (Childers) on Twitter: http://twitter.com/stevechilders
• Check out upcoming GCA Events: http://gca.cc/Seminar_Overview.htm
• Support GCA: http://gca.cc/Support_GCA.htm

]]> http://www.poopedpastors.com/blogs/my-top-ten-mistakes-in-ministry-that-i-can-share-publicly/feed/ 10 http://www.poopedpastors.com/video/pastors-family-%e2%80%93-part-7-%e2%80%93-create-a-safe-place-part-2/ http://www.poopedpastors.com/video/pastors-family-%e2%80%93-part-7-%e2%80%93-create-a-safe-place-part-2/#comments Fri, 21 Aug 2009 16:11:43 +0000 Steve Brown http://www.poopedpastors.com/?p=624 Pastors & Family – Part 7 – Create a Safe Place – Part 2

]]> http://www.poopedpastors.com/video/pastors-family-%e2%80%93-part-7-%e2%80%93-create-a-safe-place-part-2/feed/ 1 http://www.poopedpastors.com/blogs/steve-mckinney/the-deep-fried-disaster/ http://www.poopedpastors.com/blogs/steve-mckinney/the-deep-fried-disaster/#comments Thu, 20 Aug 2009 18:42:18 +0000 Steve McKinney http://www.poopedpastors.com/?p=575 I am often asked how to lose weight quickly and easily.

Of course no one wants to listen to a lecture on the importance of healthy eating coupled with a solid exercise routine. That would preclude the quick and easy part.

So in a world where two thirds of all adults are overweight or obese, and some doctors predict that we will soon see a generation with a lower life expectancy than their parents due to obesity related diseases, I’ve come up with a solution that is both quick and easy. (Drum roll, please.)

Stop eating fried foods. (Gasp!)

Fried foods, despite having little to no nutritional value and being loaded with fat and calories, have become an accepted indulgence in our society. So accepted that many restaurants serve fries or chips alongside every meal.

It’s no wonder that fried foods are the number one thing that most people crave – they are salty, addictive and plentiful.

Are Fried Foods Really That Bad?

In a nutshell, yes, fried foods really are that bad for you.

Take an average potato, bake it and you have 110 calories and 0 grams of fat. Take that same potato, turn it into French fries and you have 380 calories and 18 grams of fat.

Frying food is the easiest way to dramatically increase the calorie and fat content. And you know that extra calories and fat end up as extra body fat.

Other disasters that fried foods put you at risk for include:

• Heart Disease
• Diabetes
• Clogged Arteries
• High Blood Pressure
• Obesity
• Acne

Fried foods have also been known to trigger Acid Reflux and IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome).

Need I say more?

Going Fried-Free

Giving up fried food may not be easy, though it will arguably be one of the best things you do for your health and appearance. You will lose weight and improve your health by eliminating fried food from your life.

Keep in mind that, like all habits, the first thirty days will be the toughest. Make things easier by staying away from situations that place you in front of a big basket of fries or plate of doughnuts.

New Foods to Love

Instead of fried foods, enjoy the following:

• Substitute a salad or fruit instead of fries
• Baked potato – but pass on the butter and sour cream
• Baked chicken instead of fried chicken
• Baked chips instead of fried chips
• Raw veggie pieces

You may be surprised how delicious these healthier options taste.

Help, I’m addicted!

If your diet has consistently included fried foods – multiple times a day or several times each week, then giving it up may take more work than simply trying healthier options.

You’ll need to use some mental strategies as well.

To do this focus on all the negative things about eating fried foods:

• Think of how bloated and heavy you feel afterward
• Remember the heart burn you’ve experienced
• Focus on the extra pounds you want to lose – imagine doughnuts and French fries sticking to your belly and thighs
• Look at your acne
• Feel the discomfort of being out of breath doing normal activities

You didn’t think I was really going to skip telling you how beneficial exercise is to achieving your health and weight loss goals did you?

The bottom line is that exercise plus healthy eating will give you the body that you want.

What are you waiting for? Drop that bag of chips and email me for a workout that will change your life!

Recipe of the Week

Summer Time Gazpacho

Gazpacho is a tomato based, raw vegetable soup that is served cold. This recipe makes a light and refreshing summer meal, and is quick and easy to make. Feel free to simply chop the ingredients for a thicker soup if you’d rather not use a blender.
Yield: 4 servings

Here’s what you need…

• 1 pound ripe tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups cucumber chunks, peeled and seeded
• 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon light honey
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• * Optional * Cayenne pepper to taste

1. Core the tomatoes, and cut into large chunks.
2. Place all ingredients, except cayenne, into a blender. Puree until smooth.
3. Transfer to a container, add cayenne. Cover and chill.
4. Serve cold.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 71 calories, 4g fat, 9g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, and 4g protein.

Fitness Tip of the Week

The Trans-Fat-Free Decoy

You’ve probably heard that many restaurants and food manufacturers have stopped using trans-fats. Don’t get too excited. While trans fats aren’t as bad as other fats, fried items are is still loaded with fat, calories, and sodium – all things that you want to avoid when trying to lose weight.

Before you eat a trans-fat-free item check the overall nutritional content. Does it contain saturated fat? What is the total fat and calorie count? What about sugar and sodium? Don’t let a trans-fat-free label distract you from the overall nutritional content of the food.

]]> http://www.poopedpastors.com/blogs/steve-mckinney/the-deep-fried-disaster/feed/ 0 http://www.poopedpastors.com/blogs/pete-alwinson/noise-is-better-than-vomit/ http://www.poopedpastors.com/blogs/pete-alwinson/noise-is-better-than-vomit/#comments Tue, 18 Aug 2009 13:43:29 +0000 Pete Alwinson http://www.poopedpastors.com/?p=566 So I’m talking to our worship director on Monday morning as he comes in to my office to work his magic and try and help me get my iPhone working properly again (one of his many ministries to me): “So Jeff how’s it going…how’s the family?” Pause…hesitation…uh oh. Yesterday was a great Sunday of worship. Jeff is a tremendous worship leader…the best…stay away from him. As Steve has said many times, my elders gave me a .45 and I know how to use it and will in the right circumstances. You stand warned. My sermon also went reasonably well Sunday. I didn’t have speaker’s remorse hitting the red zone this Monday. But it was Monday…another day.

Cutting to the chase it was a rough morning to follow Sunday’s triumph for Jeff: The shower was broken and some bathroom wall issues resurfaced that had to be dealt with again…what a nuisance…my friends youngest son was sick that night, threw up in a trash can with a plastic bag in it…which stated bag the dog got in the morning and drug all over the house, munching on and leaking out the revolting contents as he (or she or it) went about his (her or it) contented dog way. His wife was out doing her morning run when he discovered all of this so of course he was morally obligated to clean it up. (Ignorance and absence in cases like this does alleviate and absolve responsibility. If he were really spiritual he would have been in the office already, say about 6:30 Monday morning and missed this service duty at home.) Jeff cleaned up the carnage, ran a measly 6 miles for a light workout (for him) and came in to the office (finally) to help his technologically challenged colleague get reconnected. Phone working, he told me that some recording the worship team was going to do this coming Wednesday evening might disturb the Men’s group I lead. It was going to be noisy on Wednesday evening. Thanks for the warning.

In this imperfect world, great Sunday’s are often followed by lousy Monday’s for pastors and church staff alike. Given the saga Jeff told me, when he left my office I reflected and said to myself while shaking my head gravely in affirmation, “Noise is better than vomit. Noise is good in fact, well, compared to vomit. I’m good with noise. I choose noise.” But I didn’t have a choice. Rarely, if ever, do I get to choose between the circumstances I face as a pastor. You know exactly what I mean.

You didn’t choose this economic tidal wave and the financial implications that continue to dog us week after week (the layoffs of people you love and need, tough decisions about missions and programs, talking more about money in church than you might want to; the raises you don’t get and can’t give your staff; the ripple effect of all this seems endless!); the key leader who lost her job and cannot carry out her key ministry as before; the newer Christian who was offended by someone who should have known better and you have to clean up that mess; the suicide; the betrayal; the staff member who doesn’t work out; added ministry responsibilities because of that staff change; the need for changes that you intuitively grasp that you have to make in your church but you have a pit in your stomach (or is it an ulcer), wondering if you have the leadership skills to bring about that change; oh, and the approval thing, who likes me (you) and who doesn’t.

Reality is, we don’t get to choose between noise and vomit. Or much else. Pastors deal with what they get. How are you doing with that reality? Here’s what I’m learning on my grace journey about noise and vomit:

• I’m learning that all of us as pastors get messy “hands” dealt to us. I’m not alone in this present darkness (using a Frank Peretti idea). That helps. I haven’t been singled out for especially rough treatment by my Lord who is just itching to make my life miserable. It’s the cost of doing His business in His broken world. It’s essentially what I signed up for at ordination. Going back to this strong stand-by has helped:

1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. (NASB)

You’re not alone and He’s not ticked off at you. Remind me of that when you see me and I will remind you. Ah, Grace is good.

• I’ve learned this too: When you think it can’t get worse, it can. Like my pastor friend discovered who is in the process of shutting down his church. Financial cut backs have come to this. His church is up on the block. Can you imagine that! Devastating. Another church down the street from me has gone belly up as well. These two churches near by serve as sober reminders to me. Could it happen to my church? When you think it can’t get worse, you find that it can. Such we know is life in this world. Cheer up! Reality is good. At times, as Jim Collins says in his book Good To Great, we really do have to look at the brutal facts and go from there.

If it gets worse, and it might, it’s not the end and your life isn’t over. Some of you reading this are sailing along pretty well these days. Great! For many, the seas are high right now. If your boat comes apart He will pick you up on the beach, and escort you to the next thing. Remind me of that when you see me and I will remind you. Grace is good.

• And this: That during extremely difficult times when my leadership role and spiritual maturity is being stretched to the max, that the Father deeply loves me and is fully engaged in helping me grow.

You’ve simply got to get and listen to Laura Story’s new CD, Great God Who Saves. It will put some new “kick” in your stride as you run, or hope in your walk; it will help you say “YES!” to whatever you are facing. Want encouragement & motivation? Read these words from the first song on the CD:

Bless The Lord

You give and take away for my good
For who am I to say what I need
For you alone see the hidden parts of me that need
      To be stripped away
And as you begin to refine, I’m learning to let go,
      To rely
On the One who walks with me, as hard as it may be
You’re teaching me all the while to say

Bless the Lord O My soul, all that’s in me bless Your Name
Forget not your power untold, not your glory or your fame
For you came to heal the broken, to redeem and make me whole
Bless the Lord, O My soul.

Crank that song up as you drive to the office and you’ll jump out of your car, truck or SUV (or off your Vespa as one of my pastor friends does) ready to let Him strip away what is useless and continue building you as He works through you to build His kingdom. After all, who am I to say what I need? He knows best. These times will be better for us than we know right now. Remind me of that when you see me and I will remind you. Grace is good. It always leads to the very best and lasting kind of spiritual growth.

Tonight it’s going to be noisy around our church. That’s better than vomit for sure. I choose noise. Not because I’m a fatalist, but because I’m His Son and He will be in the noise. If I was getting the other stuff, He would be there too.

You take it to heart,

Pete

]]> http://www.poopedpastors.com/blogs/pete-alwinson/noise-is-better-than-vomit/feed/ 0 http://www.poopedpastors.com/video/pastors-family-%e2%80%93-part-6-%e2%80%93-create-a-safe-place/ http://www.poopedpastors.com/video/pastors-family-%e2%80%93-part-6-%e2%80%93-create-a-safe-place/#comments Mon, 17 Aug 2009 15:54:51 +0000 Steve Brown http://www.poopedpastors.com/?p=564 Pastors & Family – Part 6 – Create a Safe Place

]]> http://www.poopedpastors.com/video/pastors-family-%e2%80%93-part-6-%e2%80%93-create-a-safe-place/feed/ 0 http://www.poopedpastors.com/blogs/influence-leadership-destiny/ http://www.poopedpastors.com/blogs/influence-leadership-destiny/#comments Wed, 12 Aug 2009 20:17:08 +0000 Tom Wood http://www.poopedpastors.com/?p=560 Someone said once, that the one thing all leaders have in common is that they have followers. True. But they also have enemies.

A friend recently defined leadership for me this way:

“Leadership is disappointing people at a pace they can tolerate.”

That makes more sense, in a real, down to earth type of church setting.

I work with leaders all the time. So I have been thinking about it a lot lately. Most of the men with whom I went to graduate school, who were preparing to be pastors, seemed mostly concerned with pastoral type studies; i.e., exegeting a passage of scripture, pastoral counseling, teaching and preaching. I don’t think they thought of themselves as leaders. Granted, it was a long time ago, but the emerging leaders I have the joy to work with are not unlike the old guys (I am an old guy now) I was with…instead of being a pastor of one church, they see themselves as parish ministers…they carve out a community and become the parish priest in a sense, even to those who don’t’ attend church.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the missional zeal and the idea of a church caring for its immediate ministry sphere. I think that is biblical and wise.

But Leadership wasn’t for my peers and doesn’t seem so for the new generation either. Have we an aversion to leadership? Have we gotten so burned by bad leaders, by corrupt and self-serving leaders that we don’t want anything to do with it? I pray not so. We desperately need leaders in our churches, in our communities and in our nation.

Our call is a call to influence others by grace. That means leadership at some level, because that is the essence of leadership- to have influence on others.

If you are a pastor, no matter what the size is of your congregation, you have influence. That is the nature of the job. You are a leader. Perhaps it’s time to study it and learn it. Leverage it. Even if you are afraid of leading, you are still a leader. Jesus can teach you. He will lead you as you lead others.

In the movie Forrest Gump, after Lt. Dan had lost his legs in Vietnam, they were both recovering in a hospital. One night, Lt. Dan yanked Gump off his bed (he was wounded saving the men) and started yelling at Gump for saving him back in the jungle. He said, “You should have left me out there to die, that was my destiny, but look at me now, I’m nothing but a cripple, a legless freak. I was Lt. Dan Taylor, and I was supposed to die with my men, that was my destiny and you cheated me. I was Lt. Dan Taylor.” Gump says, “You’re still Lt. Dan.”

I’m not sure how you see yourself today…or what you think of as your destiny. But one thing I do know, God’s calling to be a leader in the church is God’s enabling. I Thess. 5:24 .

Tom Wood has been a pastor for 25 years. He has planted and pastored two churches and has served as a church planting trainer and coach for the Presbyterian Church in America. He is currently the president of Church Multiplication Ministries, in Atlanta. His mission is starting, strengthening and multiplying grace centered churches and church planting networks, through coaching and consults with church planting pastors, leaders and emerging leaders.

In need of encouragement? Subscribe to Tom’s weekly dose of grace at GracedAgain.com.

]]> http://www.poopedpastors.com/blogs/influence-leadership-destiny/feed/ 0 http://www.poopedpastors.com/blogs/the-missing-link-for-motivation/ http://www.poopedpastors.com/blogs/the-missing-link-for-motivation/#comments Tue, 11 Aug 2009 17:17:31 +0000 Steve McKinney http://www.poopedpastors.com/?p=519 If you’ve ever wished that you were more motivated to experience life at your full potential then this is for you.

Most of us set goals and work hard only to find our motivation fizzle out after a couple of weeks. But there are little tricks that will help you harness the power of your mind and propel you toward achieving your goal.

The Two Motivators

When you boil it down, you’re motivated by two simple things:

1. To avoid pain (fear of failure)
2. To gain pleasure (promise of reward)

You are naturally geared toward one of these motivators. To figure out which, think of the last time you accomplished a task and then ask yourself the following: While doing the task were you thinking about what would happen if you failed to finish, or were you thinking about what you would gain when you finished?

Take note as to which motivator works for you – fear of failure, or promise of reward.

Set Your Goal: The first step towards unstoppable motivation is to determine your goal. You know you’re unhappy with your body, but what exactly do you want to change? Why is it important to you?

Perhaps you can relate to one of the following goals:

• You need to lose weight for your health. Your doctor scared you straight or maybe you’ve had a recent health problem that landed you in the hospital. Your goal is to move away from the pain of sickness.
• You want to look and feel incredible. You’ve always wanted to feel vibrant and attractive. The idea of having more energy really excites you. Your goal is to move toward the pleasure and reward of a fit body.
• You’re worried about your kids. They don’t eat enough vegetables, they drink more soda pop than water and they play video games constantly. You have decided to model a healthier lifestyle and to encourage your kids to participate. Your goal is to move away from the risks of a sedentary lifestyle and to propel your kids toward a healthy future.

Train Your Mind for Weight Loss

With your clear and important goal in mind, let’s take a few minutes to train your mind to achieve it. You know that weight loss comes as a result of eating right and regular challenging exercise, so let’s use your mind to conquer both.

Eating Right: Use this exercise to distance yourself from the self-sabotaging foods you really wish you didn’t eat, and to naturally begin selecting healthy foods.

Take a moment to review your current eating habits. Identify the foods that you should stop eating (hint: sweets, anything fried, refined carbohydrates, sugary drinks). Identify the worst food that you eat regularly but know you shouldn’t.

Now imagine the healthy foods that you should eat (hint: vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean protein). Identify the healthiest food that you know you should eat regularly.

Now with the image of these two foods in mind, find a quiet place and do the following exercise (seriously this stuff works):

• Draw up the image of your unhealthy food item. This image will likely be quite vivid, with smell, taste and bright color. In your mind, fade this picture to black and white and distance the image until it is dull, fuzzy and remote.
• Draw up the image of your healthy food item. This image will likely be fuzzy and faded. In your mind, bring this picture to life with smell, taste, sound and bright color.

Regular Exercise: This technique can be applied in a way that encourages you to crave exercise rather than avoid it.

Take a moment to imagine how you feel after a great workout (notice the emphasis on the word after). Remember the physical satisfaction as well as the sweet feeling of accomplishment.

Now bring to your mind the aspects of exercise that you dislike. What is your biggest reason for avoiding exercise? Are you too tired? Do you not have enough time? Is physical exertion too much of a hassle? Pinpoint your greatest complaint about exercise.

Now with the image of these two aspects of exercise in mind, find a quiet place and do the following exercise:

• Draw up the image of your exercise complaint. The image is likely to be clear and accompanied by the sounds, smells and sensations. In your mind, fade this picture to black and white and distance the image until it is dull, fuzzy and remote.
• Draw up the image of the wonderful feeling you have after accomplishing a great workout. Magnify this image in your mind. Fixate on how you feel physically, mentally and emotionally. View the experience in bright colors and add a sound track of inspirational music.

Why It Works

If this was your first experience with training your mind (also called Neuro-Linguistic Programming, or NLP) it may have felt a little odd. Many of the world’s top achievers regularly use techniques like these to accomplish astounding goals.

The techniques above work because they train your mind to bring your behavior in line with your values. Think about it, you value health, you desire to be fit and attractive and you want to instill healthy habits in your kids.

These techniques encourage you to avoid self-sabotage and to make choices that line up with what you truly value.

Now that you are ready to accomplish your goals, email me today to start your fitness program that will greatly improve your life.

Recipe of the Week

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

This is one of those healthy foods that you’re missing out on! If the thought of Brussels Sprouts makes you queasy, then you’ve never had them prepared like this. Roasted with fresh garlic and light seasoning, these crunchy treats will tease your taste buds into thinking you’re eating potato chips. Servings: 2

Here’s what you need…

• 12 Brussels Sprouts
• 1 teaspoon Olive oil to drizzle
• Salt and pepper
• 2 fresh garlic cloves, minced

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut the stem off the Brussels Sprouts and cut them in half lengthwise. Drizzle with olive oil, coat evenly. Season with salt and fresh ground pepper.
3. Place the Brussels Sprouts cut side down on a baking sheet. Roast for 10 minutes.
4. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, using tongs coat the Brussels Sprouts with the garlic. Place the baking sheet back in the oven for an additional 5 minutes.
5. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, the cut side of the Brussels Sprouts should be browned and crispy.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 72 calories, 2g fat, 10g carbohydrate, 4g fiber, and 4g protein.

Fitness Tip of the Week

The Rocking Chair Test

Need another boost of motivation? Anthony Robbins uses this Rocking Chair Test to propel his students to action.

• Imagine yourself at 90 years old, sitting in a rocking chair and looking back over your life.
• Imagine that you never accomplished the goals that are important to you. Feel the pain of loss and regret.
• Now imagine that you did accomplish these important goals. Feel the pleasure of success and accomplishment.

Which scenario do you want to experience when you are 90?

]]> http://www.poopedpastors.com/blogs/the-missing-link-for-motivation/feed/ 0 http://www.poopedpastors.com/video/pastors-family-%e2%80%93-part-5-%e2%80%93-the-perfectability-of-the-family/ http://www.poopedpastors.com/video/pastors-family-%e2%80%93-part-5-%e2%80%93-the-perfectability-of-the-family/#comments Fri, 07 Aug 2009 19:31:32 +0000 Steve Brown http://www.poopedpastors.com/?p=515 Pastors & Family – Part 5 – The Perfectability of the Family

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