BLeach

The Illusion of Control

I've been learning a lot about prayer this week.

The future feels really uncertain right now.  I find incredible security in God's call.  He's definitely giving me a sense of destiny.  But my unanswered questions during this transition are a daily reminder that I'm not in control of my life.

At first I thought I had surrendered control to God, but then I realized that I never actually had it to begin with.  Granted, at times life has felt more settled, but what I had wasn't actually control, but the illusion of it.

Now back to prayer.  I'm a little embarrassed to share this, but I think I've been praying more now that I don't feel like I'm in control.  And when I realized that, here's what hit me.  When I neglect prayer, it's because at some level I've subconsciously bought into the notion that I'm in control of things. 

So I'm thankful for the uncertainty in my life right now.  I'm grateful to be reminded that my future has always rested in God's hands alone.  And I'm committed to continue to acknowledge Him, even after some of the blanks have been filled in.

The Benefit of Change

This week our church is in the midst of our monthly prayer and fasting focus.  I'll be praying with a group of men in our church in just a few minutes.  And tomorrow night we'll all gather for worship and prayer.  It's back to basics this week.

Week of War couldn't be at a more strategic time for us this month.  Personally, Leah and I are depending on God like never before as we wait on Him to direct us in our new church planting adventure.  As a church, we are looking to God as well for faith and direction.

One of the benefits of change is the way it pushes us to seek God.  On a practical level, we need wisdom to make the big decisions that are before us.  But more than that, change pushes us to stay connected to the Changeless One. 

Looking forward to the extra time this week to worship with our church family and seek God's face.

The Gerber Baby is Not That Happy

Had some fun last night giving Gabs her first taste of solid food.  Enjoy a laugh on us!

Transition Timeline

I've been writing this week about some shifting winds in my life as Leah and I respond to God's call to plant a new church.  You can catch up on the story here and here.

Another question related to our upcoming transition is, "when will it happen?"

Again, the short answer is a bit ambiguous.  We're not entirely sure!  I know, I'm just full of information this week:)

Our priority right now is to help lead a healthy transition for Church of the King.  COTK is the first baby God gave me (and quite a bit larger than the 7 pound baby he gave me in June)!  Leah and I want to give our best to help establish our leaders here so that our ministries continue to advance.  Over the next few weeks we will be determining together with our leaders what a healthy time-line looks like.  At this point we know for sure that we'll be leading the church through the end of the year.

Right now we are embracing the uncertainty in our lives as an opportunity to depend on God for guidance and provision. 

When we're daring enough to back our sailboats away from the dock, leave the harbor, and experience the deep seas, we feel both exhilaration and anxiety.  Anxiety, because the open waters aren't as safe as the harbor.  And exhilaration because it's in deep waters that we feel the wind in our sails and witness magnificent sunrises.

On the morning of September 16, 2001, we launched Church of the King.  That afternoon my parents gave me a gift to mark the occasion.  It was the picture at the top of this post.  It still hangs in my office today.  The title is "Risk."  And the sub-title continues to be the theme of our lives.

A ship in the harbor is safe, but that's not what ships were made for.

Sail on!

Where the Wind Blows

"The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes." (John 3.8)

On Sunday I wrote about shifting winds in my life as I sense God leading me to plant another church. This will be my first church plant as a married man, which I'm very much looking forward to!

The most common question our church family and friends have asked us is a question that is really important to Leah and I right now. 

Where?

The short answer is--we're not sure!  We have some ideas, but we're still waiting for a word.

As best we can determine, we feel God has called us to serve a city.  When I first heard God call me into ministry as a middle school student at a youth convention, I sensed God calling me to reach a city.  That call has shaped my first church planting experience.  Leah also shares a love for the city.  We feel that God will probably put us in a strategic metropolitan region where we can serve a city-wide church planting movement.  Our motivation for planting a church is to reach people who are far from God.  That leaves us with plenty of options!

Of course, we also believe God is sovereign and if He chooses to surprise us and call us to Maui we will listen and obey.

Currently, we're consulting GPS.  I believe in God's positioning system.  More specifically, I believe God positions us in the right place at the right time.  While Leah and I feel some uncertainty right now, we also have a sense of destiny. 

We look forward to seeing where the wind will blow!

Shifting Winds

Over eight years ago, in May 2001, I graduated from Central Bible College and moved home to start a new church in Metro Detroit.  I was twenty-two, full of faith, and young enough to not know what I was getting myself into.  Six friends from school joined me, and we began laying the foundation for Church of the King.  On September 16, we launched the church just five days after Islamic extremists attacked the World Trade Center.

We started Church of the King because we felt God shifting spiritual winds in Metro Detroit.  Since then it's been our privilege to hoist our sails and experience an unforgettable adventure.

Leah and I have sensed God shifting the winds in our lives again, culminating in a burning bush experience that God gave to us a few weeks ago.  I'll share more of the story later, but here's the word God specifically spoke to us.

God controls the winds, and when the winds shift, God can do a new thing.  But you can't catch the next wind if you're not courageous enough to cut the chord.

This morning we cut the cord.  I shared our story with our church and announced that we feel God calling us to plant another church.  We're not sure where yet.  We feel a bit like Abraham in that regard.  But we've heard his voice so clearly.

On one hand, this has been the toughest decision we've made since being married.  It's difficult because of the deep love we have for our church family, Metro Detroit, and the significant relationships that we've developed here.  To think about change in the context of those relationships makes us very sad.

On the other hand, this has been the most simple decision we've made since being married.  It's clear, because of the confidence we have in what God has spoken to us.  As we've shared our story with family, mentors, and the leaders of our church, they've affirmed what we believe God is saying.  And the only intelligent option for us is to obey God.

I know this announcement raises a lot of questions, and I'll be processing many of them on this blog over the next several days.

I addressed a few of the big questions during my message this morning, as well as shared more extensively about what God has been doing in our hearts.  You can listen to the message here.

You can also read a letter that is being mailed this weekend to the Church of the King mailing list. You can read the letter here.

Shifting winds produce anxiety as well as exhilaration.  Leah and I feel both.  Most of all, we feel honored to joyfully obey the voice of our Commanding Officer.

Let the adventure continue...

This Is How I Fix Things

Whoever designed this website must be following me around.

 

 

 

The Shadow Hymn

It's still early in the week, but already I've had to respond to so much tragedy that's entered good people's lives.  These are friends; good people who love God so much.  And their situations are so difficult to explain.  Impossible really.  The kind of stuff that makes your head spin.  What can you do other than cry, hug, pray, and worship?

Throughout the day I've also seen good things.  A great report from Sunday's offering.  Answers to prayer. 

I've had this simple song from David Crowder on my lips.  The words really capture this two-sided reality that exists in the gospel.

Life is full of light and shadow
O the joy and O the sorrow
O the sorrow

And yet will He bring
Dark to light
And yet will He bring
Day from night

When shadows fall on us
We will not fear
We will remember

When darkness falls on us
We will not fear
We will remember

When all seems lost
When we're thrown and we're tossed
We remember the cost
We rest in Him
Shadow of the cross

Here's the song.  Be encouraged.  Our God shows up in the shadows.

Road Trip

The song is true.  Life really IS a highway.

We think alot about destinations.  When I get the promotion, then I'll feel fulfilled.  When we have kids, then our marriage will click.  When I get out of school, then I'll pursue a dream.  But if you've ever experienced a great road trip, then you know the destination is not always the point.  The real adventure is in the journey.

Join us at Church of the King this Sunday for the launch of this brand new series!

Making a Small Group Study Great

Tonight our Life Group will start a new study.  We're going to walk chapter by chapter through the Gospel of Mark.  To prepare, I'm listing out some of the characteristics that make a small group inductive Bible study successful.  Here's what I've got so far:

• Everyone Prepares: It's not the job of one leader to study the chapter and prepare to teach. It's best when everyone in the group studies the chapter and comes prepared to share their insights and questions.
• Questions Count: Great small groups wrestle with the tensions they find.  They value curiosity as well as knowledge.
• Scripture is Elevated: Our purpose as a group is not just to read a chapter and dissect it.  We want Mark to read us and dissect us.
• Next Steps are Clarified: Don't be the group that just debates the Bible for information alone.  Every gathering should include this important question.  So what?  What are our next steps?  What do we need to change, or start, or improve in order to apply these insights to our lives?

What else have you learned about the characteristics of a great small group study?