Playing Catch Up

I was about to get on a roll here...

So two weeks ago, the pastors of LifePoint Church and I, as well as the head of our board and all the spouses, went to a conference in Austin, TX. called Verge. It was a really good conference, full of great ideas and excellent speakers, and not a few surprises. I'll do a future post on the experience, but between the conference itself, my wife's illness while we were there, and travelling there and back, there wasn't any time to post. Sorry.

Then, the week I'm back, it's the typical, "Pastor's been gone a week" week. It never fails that when I'm out of the office, there's more than twice the work waiting for me when I get back. Decisions on Easter, seeing our newest admin have to leave to move to California, pushing on our Student Pastor search, and getting ready for our 'Thanks To You' volunteer appreciation event. Somehow things always back up when I'm going to be gone.

So I'm still in catch up mode. I'm pushing to get interviews set up for the Student Pastor search, trying to make a few minutes here and there for work on my talk at Easter, plus all the rest of the stuff. But this is also what I love about my job: it's totally unpredictable. I never know what each week or even each day will hold. I have to trust God for wisdom and strength each day, starting when I get out of bed, and continuing till my head hits the pillow at night. The constant variety is one of the appealing parts of what I do, and the constant reminder that it's God who is in charge.

A book written in sorrow, Lamentations, contains this amazing reminder: "The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning." (Lam. 3:22-23 NLT) As I attempt to catch up in my life, as we press forward with all manner of agendas, projects and deadlines and as we anticipate the celebration of Easter in a few weeks, we all need to be reminded: God renews His love and mercy for us each day; it's fresh and new every morning. There's more than enough for what we're up to today, and God won't run out before tomorrow.

Now, on to the next on my "To Do" list...

Looking For A Response

So today at LifePoint Church, we were on the second message of the Make The Connection series, talking about small group life. Last week was well received, and this week, same thing. Pastor Mark Marsella and the Growth Group team put together a Connect Expo so that, right after the message, people wouldn't have to leave the worship center, but could walk right over to a row of tables, all manned by group leaders, to sign up and get into a group.

Here's what happened: There were a good number of folks who walked over on Saturday night, but today, in both services, there was a mob! Folks were hanging out and talking at the tables for a long time after each service (yes, I intentionally finished early, so there was extra time, but still...), and as I walked by the tables afterward, lots and lots of names were on the sign up sheets!

Reflecting on the experience today, here's what I think was going on:

First, the folks at LifePoint are excited to take God's Word seriously in their lives. Big thanks to Dr. John Jackson for leading them in that direction! It's fun to talk to a church full of people who are all ready to step up and follow the clear directions of the scripture.

Second, people are hungry for connection. People want to know and be known, love and be loved, serve and be served. At a time when technology has us wired, we're still longing for connection. I can't wait to see what happens at LifePoint as the relationships develop and people grow stronger together. The impact in the Carson Valley, and around the world, will be epic!

Way to go, Lifers!!

Emotional Overload

Name an emotion. Go ahead, pick one. Got it in your head?

Chances are I'm feeling it right now.

After the roller coaster my life has been the past few months, the announcement this past weekend at FBC that I am stepping down to accept a call from another church turned loose a tidal wave of emotions. As people came to congratulate me, chastise me, ask me why or tell me what for, I felt all of the weight of their emotions as well as my own.

I'm a mixed up mess of emotions - excitement and concern, joy and pain, heartache and anticipation, happy and sad. As much as pastors are looked at as a 'different breed of cat,' we're just human beings with human emotions. As much as I hate to feel all these competing ways, it's all I can do. That and pray. So I pray.

Turns out it's hard to leave a place that you love, and it's hard to disappoint so many people all at once, even if it's a right and obedient thing you're doing.

Much appreciation to all who have called, written or told me about how excited they are for us, and for all who have been and continue to pray for us:

• Much appreciation for my FBC family and the ways you are supporting and encouraging us while dealing with your own uncertainty and fears. I know that God has a plan for FBC, and He's going to bring you to a new and glorious future.
• Much appreciation for my LifePoint family and the way you have aggressively prayed for both my immediate family and for my FBC family. God will honor your faithfulness in prayer.

It's my hope that as we celebrate and grieve together that we can all find some grace to share with each other, and some of God's love to cover. Meantime, please continue to pray that I finish well what God has for me here, and that I take up what He has for me at LifePoint with integrity and grace.

Focus In A Busy Season

Today is Saturday. I'm in the office early because we have a Community Group Leader training, and I'm going to be introducing our 40 Days Of Prayer material to the group leaders. I'm really fired up about it, and I think that the campaign will be a help to people who are looking for a deeper connection to Christ right now.

Later, Mac and I have a football game in Fort Hall. The Lions need a win, and today is a good day to go get one.

Later, I have to pack for a retreat in Post Falls with some of the staff. Gary McIntosh, an author and speaker is the main presenter, and I'm expecting to learn a lot.

Later, I have to finish my message for Sunday. It's the last one in the Beautiful series, and I think it's going to have a huge impact on both women and men in our congregation. It's about being ready for God to move in your life, and I think God is getting ready to do a big move in our church, so it's a timely message for all of us.

Later, I have a surprise Birthday party to go to. I can't tell you who, when or where, because it's a surprise. :)

Later, I have to sleep so I can get up and share God's message on Sunday, then get in a car and drive to Post Falls.

So, in order to keep focus on the right things with an agenda that is pushing the limits of full, RIGHT NOW I NEED TO PRAY! Right now is the time to get my head right, to listen to what He has to say to me, and to dedicate my day to His glory, not mine. My day may not include a 20 minute window for prayer, but it may include 20 windows of 3 minutes each, and I need to take every one of them. When I'm 'too busy' in my life, I have to make sure I'm not too busy to pray.

What about you? What do you do to maintain a connection to God during the busy seasons of your life?

Why You Should Bring a Friend This Sunday

The deal with church is as simple as it gets: people are more willing to come with someone than they are to come alone, and survey after survey tells us that people would attend church if someone they ALREADY KNOW invited them to come. So if you're fired up about what God is doing in your life, or if you're fired up about what God is doing in our church family, or if you are fired up about the people in your life finding forgiveness and a fresh start from Jesus, here's three reasons why you should target this Sunday to invite a friend and bring them with you to FBC:

1. Baptisms - We have three people lined up to get baptized this Sunday!! Three people who have found Jesus and are going public with their faith, three people who have been nurtured and encouraged by our church family, and three people that are ready to celebrate the life change that God is bring in their lives right now! As a church, we do and AWESOME job of celebrating people stepping from death to life, and this Sunday will be no different. Bring a friend to come see the celebration of changed lives!!
2. Grace - the message will be about grace. God's grace in our lives, the amazing, wonderful, powerful, life changing grace of Jesus for all of us who have ever blown it in our lives. The message will be clearly about the forgiveness and restoration that Jesus wants to bring in the lives of people, and your friends who need to know that God loves them and wants to forgive them NEED TO HEAR THIS MESSAGE!! Especially the woman who has something in her past that is haunting her today. God wants to set some people free from the guilt of their past this week. Bring a friend to hear a message of freedom!
3. Jesus will be there!! The truth is, none of the 'events' of the day are more important than the presence of Jesus. The music, the message, even the baptisms are nothing without the living presence of God in the room. And He has promised to be there!! Your friend that needs hope, help or healing in their life needs a touch from Jesus, and the Bible promises that Jesus is there when we gather in His name.
   

I'm fired up about this Sunday! I'm fired up about the lives God is changing, the work He is doing in my life and the lives of others, and whatever surprises He has in store for us along the way. Bring a friend and let them see and hear the truth of God's grace this Sunday. You won't regret it, and maybe someday soon, you'll be the one lighting a candle for them (or even getting to do the dunking!) when Jesus changes their life forever!!

See you Sunday!!

Learning to Listen

I'm in the process of trying to look back over my recent Study Leave and work through the lessons God taught me during those weeks, and at the same time putting together a message on vision for the future for Sunday. We have Vision Night Sunday night at 6, which will be a bit of both: looking back over the past year and looking ahead to what God has for us in the future.

So I'm having an interesting time getting myself in the right frame of mind for today. I need to look back, look forward, and try not to miss what's in front of me today. And just when I got settled down with a cold beverage at Starbucks to figure out what I needed to focus on until football practice starts (yes, one more year with the Lions, I'll get to that later...), my phone rings.

An emergency! There's someone in need of a pastor. A spiritual 911 call, if you will. So finishing the sermon on God's future for FBC will need to wait. The reflection on all that I've heard and learned from God during this season of study will have to wait. The immediate need is to pick up the phone and do my best to offer the hope and peace of Christ in the midst of a serious struggle. At the end of the call, things are better, and now the ministry of help and healing can begin. It's at times like this I'm glad I'm a part of a church family that I can count on to help and serve, to bless and love other people.

I don't know about you, but one struggle that I face is choosing how to balance past, present and future in my life and my walk with God. I want to honor the past, to learn from it and reflect well upon it. I want to aim toward a better future, a closer walk, a more effective ministry in my life, too. But I live in this moment, this one minute in time, this short season that is so full of potential for good, for evil, for building up or for breaking down. What will I do in this minute that will make the best of the past and the future at the same time? Sometimes, that's a hard choice. Sometimes, that's an opportunity I miss. But sometimes, like today, God steps in and makes it totally clear: "It's not about you, Bill."

My past is past - I can hopefully learn from it, but I can't go back and change it, no matter how hard I worry.

My future is still in front of me - I can hopefully honor God with my decisions and continue to walk a path that brings a smile to His face, but I won't do that by worrying, either.

My moment is now - I can listen to the Spirit the best I can right now, and do the best I can with all that I have. That's all that God ever asks.

All along the way, I see that God is teaching me that if I'm listening to Him, trusting Him, leaning into Him, I'm going to be in the right place at the right time to be used by Him for His purpose and plan. That's what I'm learning, anyway.

So, I'll get back to the sermon, the Vision Night, and the Study Leave evaluation later. The need to serve Jesus by taking that phone call was now. And in God's great plan, the rest will work itself out, too, if I will just listen.

(Not) Alone Time

I'm sitting in a Starbucks (naturally) in Sun Valley, finishing up four days of alone time with God. Cathedral Pines, our ABC church camp, is up the road from here, and they have a cabin they let pastor's use for just this sort of thing. I got here Monday and have had a great time with no distractions, no cell service, and no internet access unless I roll into town.

God used this time to speak some important things into my heart and give me some important perspective. I feel like I've been in a valley in my life, a struggle for clarity, a time of playing defense instead of offense spiritually. I've felt disappointed in myself over many things, and disappointed in the circumstances I found myself in, whether of my own doing or someone else's design. I've used the Billy Graham quote multiple times: "Mountain tops are for vistas, but the fruit is grown in the valley." So getting away to the mountains, I was hoping to catch a view of the fruit, if any, that has been growing in the valley.

God is faithful. There has been a lot, and it was surprising to see some of it. Some was not the kind of fruit I like, but totally what God wanted to grow in me. Some of it, while not overwhelming in it's size or abundance, was what I wanted, and it left me wanting more.

I'll sum it up with a verse that I didn't really look for in my quiet times, but was hoping to find. While reading other things, other books of the Bible, other books (reviews to follow over the next couple weeks here, stay tuned), it was a podcast of an Andy Stanley sermon that put it front and center for me this week: Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."

I realized that I have spent a lot of time and energy trusting in what I've learned from God, the gifts He's given me, and the experiences He's allowed me to have (or walked me through), but somehow, I've forgotten to trust in Him. I'm leaning on all the gifts, not the Giver of the gifts. I'm trusting the wisdom He has given me, and I totally blew it when it comes to trusting Him.

So, after apologizing to God, I'm here to apologize to you. I'm sorry. I will do better. God is bigger than just the gifts He gives, and I need to trust Him more. Pray for me.

Blockbuster Series: STAR TREK

The first in this year's Blockbuster Message: Star Trek.

The restart of the venerable franchise resets the original characters with an edgier, deeper tone. But the key pieces are there: the multi enthic, multi national, multi planetary crew, led by James Kirk, the aggressive captain, Mr. Spock, the logical first officer, and Dr. "Bones" McCoy, the ship's doctor.

What I saw was: all the diversity of the crew, especially the bridge officers, all come together to make the mission work. It takes all of the different gifts, different perspetives and different talents to function together in order to see the mission be successful. It's the same in the Body of Christ. Romans 12 says we all belong to each other when we belong to Jesus, and we all need to bring our best gifts to the table to see the mission (the Great Commission mission) succeed in our valley.

Okay, that's me. What did you see? Post a comment and share the spiritual themes you saw in Star Trek.

Sex and the Single

As promised, some book recommends for singles on the topic:

• Every Single Man's Battle - a book dealing honestly with the temptations of lust.
• Every Single Woman's Battle - same idea, only a specifically female version.

I'm looking for more books on this subject. If you have suggestions, I'd love to hear them!

Where The Fruit Grows

There's an old Billy Graham quote that I love during weeks like this. I'm not going to get it perfectly, but it's something like: "The mountain tops are for vistas, but the fruit grows in the valleys." That is a perfect descriptor of this past week.

Monday started with such promise. I got some rest after a long night of ministry, staying up with the family of a man in our church whose aorta had ruptured. The surgery got him stabilized and into a cardiac ICU room, so there was hope. I was still praying for him when I went to the office and had a great phone call from one of my dear friends and mentors. It was just the word of encouragement that I needed in that moment. Mountain top!

Then, word came that our patient took a turn for the worse. People were scrambling to help, and things were seemingly under control. Yeah, I just wrote that sentence, and now reading it again makes me chuckle. Things are never 'under control' from our human standpoint.

Had a great BBQ with some friends, then an early night that night. Much to do the next couple days. But as Tuesday rolled into Wednesday, there was more bad news for our heart patient, then a call about another funeral, and then another. The week ended with three funerals in three days, including our heart patient tomorrow (Sat.). From a great, mountain top vista on Monday to three days of helping people grieve their losses.

Add to that this morning the phone call from Beth's mom. Her parents are in Las Vegas for vacation with some friends, and her dad had a seizure. He went to the emergency room where he had another. He's been admitted to the hospital and seems to be stable right now, but this has added a level of complexity and distraction to the already full plate. Feels like a valley.

So I'm here, feeling worn out, feeling the weight of the struggle, feeling for my wife who is feeling torn between waiting for word and running down to Vegas for her folks. This is where I need Jesus the most, and this is where He promises to grow us. Romans 8:28 comes to mind: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

I'm waiting to see how God works this week for good. It feels like good is a long way from here, on top of a mountain somewhere else. But God is in this valley, too. And there is fruit in the future right here. That's what I am hanging on to at this moment. The promise of fruit.

Living In Between

This is Easter week, and I'm living in between.

I'm living in between birth and death. The dash on my tombstone - the one between the dates of the first and last days of my life - is all I get. I'm trying to make the most of what I have in between.

I'm living in between a funeral and the Resurrection. I attended the funeral of a long time FBC member on Monday night. It was a good service, with lots of amazing music (our own Becky Moore sang and led the hymn, great job representing, Becky!!). But any funeral in the context of Easter reminds me that death doesn't get the last word, Jesus beat death, and Brenda will get to tell us what Heaven's been like when we get there.

I'm living in between despair and hope. I have no ability to change people's hearts, lives, pains or choices. I have no ability to say the right thing or do the right thing. I can in no way make people happy, and I can't make anyone listen, think, pray, change, serve, worship, learn or grow. But as God has been teaching me, I have hope in the God of Heaven, who can open hearts, change minds, empower hands and feet, fill hearts with forgiveness and courage, and use even an imperfect, underwhelming vessel like me to speak grace and truth, and then by His Spirit, change lives for eternity.

I'm living in between writer's block and a flood. I'm trying to narrow down what God has been burning in my heart for over three months about the message for this weekend. I seem to be stuck in between not being able to think of a thing to say, and trying to say everything there is to say about Jesus, the Resurrection, sin, death, faith, life, hope, power, grace and forgiveness.

I know with all my heart that after the past three weeks, God is lining this up to be an Easter where He shows up and blows us all away. Pray that I will be able to get out of the way, get the right pieces in place to point to Jesus, and then that God's Spirit will turn up the volume in people's lives until they hear His love for them. Invite your friends, they will hear the good news, I promise.