BLeach

Shred Your Pain

I've been going through some old files in my office today, trying to determine what to keep, throw away, or hand off to Tal. 

When I got to the "C's" I found a counseling file which contains my confidential notes from various crises I've dealt with in the past eight years.  These include sensitive conflicts, some of which required multiple meetings and church discipline.  Some of them even had me convinced at the time that the church was going to be irreparably damaged.

I realized something encouraging as I looked through my notes.  I experienced a lot of stress while walking through each situation, but until today I didn't even remember these things happened.  Once I saw the notes I could recall some of the details, but it had been months, and in some cases years, since any of this stuff had even crossed my mind--which reminds me of one of my favorite phrases in the Bible. 

It came to pass. 

That thing you're going through right now that feels like it's going to crush you.  That thing you just want to try and ignore because it feels so overwhelming.  You know, that thing you're just convinced is going to be the death of your dream.  Yeah.  That thing.

It won't be too long and you won't even remember it!

Looking back, I can identify the real benefit of these experiences.  God increased my emotional endurance.  Very slowly, and very painfully, He's been building my capacity to lead through difficulty and resolve conflict.  And I'm grateful for it.

Now I get to do something that I'm going to really enjoy.  This file that I'm talking about--I'm about to shred it!

Are you in the midst of some epic difficulty today?  If so, don't give up.  Persevere.  Endure.  It won't be long before your pain is a distant memory on its way to the shredder.

Some Snowman Fun

Declare These Things!

Yesterday I wrapped up our Hope series by digging through Titus 2.11-14.  We talked about our ultimate hope as followers of Jesus--the second appearing of Jesus!

Typically I read through my text several times on Sunday morning while praying and preparing to preach.  I want the text to grip me, so that by the time I finally deliver the message it feels like I'd explode if I had to keep it inside any longer.

For some reason this past week, I stopped at verse 14 and didn't digest the last verse of the chapter until just before the service started.  When I did, verse 15 nailed me!

Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.

I felt like Paul was sitting in our prayer room, looking me in the eyes, and challenging me as I stepped out to preach this passage.  Don't hold back!  Don't be shy!  Don't beat around the bush!  Don't apologize! 

Declare these things!

If you preach and teach God's Word, your authority doesn't come from your personality or position.  God's Word carries all the weight.  If you've done the hard work of studying the text, then proclaim it with boldness and watch it go to work.

By the way, I have four more opportunities to preach at Church of the King before officially transitioning.  Next week I'm thinking about kicking off a series called, "Everything I've wanted to say for eight years but didn't because I was afraid no one would come back!"  Just need someone to design the series graphic for that one. :)

Really looking forward to these next few weeks with our church family!

Primal::A Quest For The Soul of Christianity

I've really enjoyed reading Mark Batterson's new book, Primal.  If you, like me, are a fan of Mark's blog and other books, you won't be disappointed with his new release.

The book is a challenge to simplify this quest of following Jesus by becoming great at the great commandment.  Love God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength.  The book outlines that primal command with inspirational thoughts on rediscovering compassion (heart), wonder (soul), curiosity (mind), and energy (strength) in our pursuit of Christ.

Like anything that Mark writes, I can't stop underlining.  The research he includes from various fields of study fill the book with illustrations that keep me nodding on almost every page.

God has given Mark a gift to say important, old truths in fresh, new ways.  If you're looking for a book to help you recalibrate in the beginning of the New Year, I highly recommend Primal.

Go ahead, check it out, and order a copy for Christmas!

I appreciate WaterBrook Multnomah Publishers for providing me with a copy to review.  I know I'll be coming back to it many times.

Transition Update

Yesterday was a great day for our church!

Many of you know that Leah and I are preparing to move and plant another church.  During the past few months we have been working with our leaders to make this a healthy transition for Church of the King. 

Tal Sullivan, one of our staff members, was unanimously affirmed yesterday by our members to be our next Lead Pastor.

When I was 19 years old, I did a summer internship at a church plant in East Detroit.  There was a tall, skinny guy on their staff named Tal.  That summer I enjoyed getting to know he and Gwen.

Four years later I launched Church of the King.  Tal and Gwen were in transition at the time, and made a six month commitment to help us start the church.  At the end of those six months we were able to hire them.  And the rest is history!

It was incredibly rewarding to be a part of the business meeting yesterday and to feel the faith and excitement in the room as Tal was elected.  I know God has anointed him to lead the church forward.  He and his family are some of our best friends.  They have poured their lives into our church for more than eight years, and they're ready to take this next step in their own ministry journey.

I'll be here for the next month, preaching and serving Tal as he adjusts to a new role.  I will also start spending more of my time beginning to lay the groundwork for our next church plant.

For those of you interested in the detailed transition timeline, here are two key dates.

• January 3: I will lead an installation service for Pastor Tal
• January 17: My final Sunday at Church of the King

Two of my mentors recently told me that life is more than the things we actually accomplish.  It also includes the things we set in motion.  I'm grateful for what has been set in motion at Church of the King, and excited to watch it continue to unfold in the days ahead!

A Morning with Jim Cymbala

On Friday I had the opportunity to join a group of church leaders to spend a few hours with Pastor Jim Cymbala from the Brooklyn Tabernacle.  His book Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire was really influential in the formation of Church of the King.

Pastor Cymbala said several things that were really challenging.  Here are a few thoughts that stood out to me.

• One sure way to grieve God is acting like a minister. God never uses actors. The Holy Spirit is gentle like a dove, and He will withdraw as soon as he sees something that's not real.
• Prayer is the engine that drives the church.
• He rejoices in and appreciates seasons of financial difficulty. When finances are tight it keeps us trusting God.
• When a professional golfer struggles, the first thing a coach will check is his grip. It seems so basic, but we never get past fundamentals. If your ministry feels like it's stalled, go back to the fundamentals of prayer and the Word.
• There's an important difference between Pentecostal sub-culture and New Testament Pentecostalism.
• We like to quote the past and predict the future, but we must care about what is, or isn't happening right now.
• Be careful that you don't have a vision for your church that is different than Jesus' vision for the church. If we all read the same New Testament, we all have a similar vision.
• Most ministers read the Bible looking for ammunition to affirm what they already believe. Instead, we should open Scripture with an open mind.
• Concerning church government--all forms work and all forms don't work. The difference is God. When he is present in the lives of the leaders there is health.
• The Holy Spirit is a person. He doesn't just fill you. He controls you.