Genuine Article

I have been told that bank tellers used to be trained to detect counterfeit bills by putting the tellers in a room and showing them genuine currency. They were taught the nuances of each type of bill and they were encouraged to touch, smell and study every square millimeter of each bill.

After they were trained they were tested. The tellers were put in front of a conveyor belt loaded with genuine bills. Occasionally someone would insert a counterfeit bill onto the belt. The tellers would immediately look at it, pull it off, and say, “I can't tell you why, but something's not right about this bill. This must be a counterfeit."

The reason they were able to detect the fakes was that they had spent so much time with the real deal. They knew what the genuine article was all about so anything that didn't match up to it exactly stuck out like a sore thumb.

The same principle holds true in our lives. We are bombarded with so much information today that it is sometimes difficult to discern what is true and what is not. The Word of God is truth. Just like these tellers, we need to spend time in it so that we know what is genuine and what is fake.

If you want to see a cool way that I recently learned to do this, here is a link to a message I gave in our church a couple months ago.

I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

Psalm 119:11

Faithfulness

Faithfulness. Not a word we use very often today. Yes, we know what it means. But typically we know what it means because of things or people who are unfaithful. It could be our old car, a relationship or even the balance in our 401 (k)! But one thing is for sure...our God is faithful. In fact, He never changes and He is always in our corner.

Yesterday, our student ministries pastor, Keith Luke, delivered a well done message on this fruit of faithfulness. He said something that really caught my attention.

He described the path that he and his wife have been on the past couple of years and how they have ended up where they are. He said, "If I were to write my story, I certainly wouldn't have written it like God has written it. I would have made the path much straighter and smoother."

I could really relate to that statement. I look back over the past five years of my own life and I could say the same exact thing. The fact is that we all want comfort and ease. However, comfort and ease typically don't help us to grow the way adversity does. God knows this.

Jesus told us in John 16:33, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” He promises us trouble...BUT, He also gives us great news that He has overcome the world!

So, yes, our lives will not be easy. Yes, we will go down paths that we would rather not go down. Yes, we may even be uncomfortable. But our God is faithful and He knows what is best for you and me.

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.

Romans 8:28

Practicing The Presence

On Sunday at my church, Andrew, our Creative Arts Pastor delivered a message that was incredible. The focus of the message was to answer the question, "How can I fully live my life with God?"

A lot of what Andrew spoke about was taken from a 16th century monk named Brother Lawrence. There is a book out which is very good called The Practice of the Presence of God which is a collection of letters from Brother Lawrence. In the letters it is revealed how he went about seeing God in everything in his life, even the pots and pans he needed to wash.

The following is a summary of how Brother Lawrence suggests we practice God's presence:

1. Seek purity in our lives
2. Find or create triggers (eg. put a sticky-note on your computer or every time you stop at a red light, pray and connect with God)
3. Practice inviting Him in

Great questions to ask or things to tell Him when inviting Him in:
* God, where are you in this situation?
* God, what would you have me do in this situation?
* God, what would you have me see or learn through this?
* God, be with me in this, I give you all that I am.

4. Don't be discouraged when it "doesn't work"
5. Offer yourself fully to God - "God, I'm all Yours. Make me more like You!"

"Lord of the pots and pans and things, make me a saint by getting meals and washing the plates."
Brother Lawrence

Contentment

An Amish boy and his parents were visiting a mall. While the mother looked for cotton fabric for a new apron, the father and son stood around, amazed by almost everything they saw. They were especially amazed by two, shiny silver walls that could move apart and then slide back together again.

The boy asked, "What is that, father?" The father (never having seen an elevator) responded, "Son, I have never seen anything like this in my life. I don't know what it is."

"Could it be a time machine?" asked the boy. “I heard about this movie picture show where people leave the earth in shiny vehicles.”

"Praise the Lord", said the father. "There sure are miraculous things in the city."

While the boy and his father were watching with amazement, an old lady in a wheel chair rolled up to the moving walls and pressed a button. The walls opened and the lady rolled between them into a small room. The walls closed, and the boy and his father watched the small circular numbers above the walls light up. They continued to watch until the last number was reached, and then the numbers began to light in the reverse order.

Finally, the walls opened again and a gorgeous 24-year-old woman stepped out. The father, not taking his eyes off the young woman, said quietly to his son, "Go get your mother."

While this is a humorous story, it does illustrate the human condition, at least in this part of the world. We are rarely content. We want bigger...we want better...we want faster...we want more.

This past Sunday, my home church showed the first of a three part series that Dave Ramsey did concerning money. He had a lot to say about this subject. In fact, he said that contentment is so important, that it is the most powerful Biblical financial principle there is. More powerful than saving and even more powerful than giving.

I'm not saying that I agree or disagree with him on his ranking of this, but I will agree that it is incredibly important when it comes to our finances. I also believe it is a key ingredient in our spiritual health as well.

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."

Hebrews 13:5

New Creation

We just had an incredible Sunday morning at my home church, Crossroads! Today was baptism Sunday.

Dean, our pastor, shared with us that being baptized is not only a command of Jesus, but it is much like a passport. It publicly identifies Who we belong to. Going under water also symbolizes us dying to sin and emerging from the water is symbolic of us being resurrected as a new creation in Christ--a fresh start!

At the conclusion of each of our three services, we got to hear testimonies from those being baptized of what God has done in their lives and we got to celebrate with them as they got "dunked." I love the way this is done at Crossroads as each person's testimony is read so we get to see the transformational power of Christ in each person. It is always very cool and today was no exception. Today, there were a total of twelve who did this.

The best part though was what happened at the end of each of the services. Dean invited anyone who was feeling the tug of God to be obedient to that prompting and come forward to be baptized themselves (with no preparation at all other than a change of clothes). In all, there were 19 or 20 additional people baptized! While we didn't get to hear their testimonies, God moving in this way was the best testimonial of all. Yea God!

This not only was a tremendous day for those 31 or 32 lives who will forever be changed. It was also a big day for the rest of us as who have asked Jesus to be the leader of our lives as we were reminded that we are all new creations in Him!

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

1 Corinthians 5:17

12-3-1

Yesterday, Dean, my pastor shared with us about Jesus and the model He gave us for relationships. He said that in Jesus' outer circle were many people. One circle inside of that contained less people who regularly heard Jesus’ teachings. One circle inside that one contained His 12 disciples. Then inside of that was a circle of three: John, James and Peter. Then there was one more circle which contained John.

Jesus spent more time with each group of people as He went toward the middle. John, He shared everything with. John is actually referred to as the one He loved (John 19:26-27 among other places). It wasn’t that Jesus didn’t love anyone else—that is totally not true. It was just that John had a special relationship with Jesus. He was the one Jesus let get closer than any other.

Dean went on to say that this is an excellent model for each of us. 12-3-1. It would be good for each of us to have a group of around 12 people who have access to our lives and that we can “do life” with. Further, it would be great to have 2-3 people who can keep us on track. Then, to have one who has complete access to our life would be wonderful. We were meant to do life together, in community.

There were eight friendship roles discussed that we should each look for in our lives:

1. Coach – Who brings out the best in me?
2. Thinking – Who challenges my mind?
3. Listening – Who hears my dreams and my heart?
4. Sympathetic – Who cries with me?
5. Laughing – Who belly-laughs with me?
6. Correcting – Who respects me?
7. Playing – Who has fun with me?
8. Seeking – Who deepens my faith?

Answering these questions was a great exercise for me for two reasons. One, it showed me how incredibly blessed I am with the people that God has placed in my life. And, two, it revealed a couple of gaps that I have in my relationship roles that I need to fill.

I encourage you to answer these questions, then to seek to fill in the gaps.

As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.
Proverbs 27:17

Preparing The Called

Do you feel ordinary? Do you feel less-talented, networked or less popular? Do you feel like God could never use someone like you?

Well, join the club. If you feel this way or have ever felt this way, you are like most people, even those who act like they have it "all together." Look at the characters in the Bible. Moses argued with God when he was called saying that he wasn't "good enough." David was the smallest of his family, yet he did mighty things. This is a recurring theme in the Bible.

In our service at church on Sunday, this video was shown. It is incredible and very encouraging. Please do yourself a favor and watch this video of Susan Boyle (shown above). Pay attention to the faces of the judges and those in the audience at the beginning and see the changes in their expression as she performs.

God can use you, regardless of your circumstances. I have heard it said that God does not call the prepared but He prepares the called!

Ownership

Last night, Connie and I attended a meeting at CrossRoads, our church. This meeting was one of three we could attend and it was called by our new lead pastor, Dean Angell.

The purpose of the meeting was to discuss where we are going as a church. Dean began by sharing some of what God has been speaking to him over the past six months and then he asked us to write down and share some of what we envisioned. We had over 150 people in attendance and at first I thought it would be tough for Dean to keep everyone on task, but he did a great job.

I wanted to share this today because I believe Dean presented a tremendous model for any leader to follow when casting a vision.

I used to think that as a leader, you were supposed to come down off the mountain like Moses and announce to the people that we are going in this direction. What I have found is that type of leadership doesn't work anymore. You must get ownership...and that is what Dean did last night.

I believe last night's meeting (and the other two upcoming meetings) was a defining moment in our church's history. I believe everyone in attendance last night felt heard, felt that they matter and they felt as if they are a part of what God is doing in our body of believers.

What a great model to follow!

1. Wait on God (and purposely listen for Him)
2. Present your vision
3. Ask for feedback and listen to others (transfer ownership)
4. Adjust where necessary
5. Go forward
6. Repeat

Peace

Tuesday and Wednesday of this week I was struggling. I was about as stressed as I have ever been. It seemed like the weight of the world was on my shoulders and I had spasms in my back and shoulders that didn't help.

Once a month on Wednesdays, our church has a service called New Community in which we come together for a time of worship, prayer, teaching and communion. I did not feel like going last night because I viewed it as just another "thing" to do on my long list. I wanted to simply chill out at home and try to relax.

But we went...and I am so glad we did!

God met me there in an amazing way. During the first or second song of praise I felt this unexplainable wave of peace come over me that I could never have gotten while sitting in my La-Z-Boy at home. I truly felt God's presence and I am so thankful for that!

My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

Psalm 62:1-2

A Higher Perspective

This past Saturday, my son and I attended the Ohio State game versus Ohio University with our new pastor at CrossRoads, Dean Angell and his son.

I am so blessed to have season tickets for these games. I request that I get tickets in C Deck in Ohio Stadium, which is the upper deck. I like it up there because you can see everything, even stuff that happens on the other end of the field (the above picture of my kids shows the perspective we have at games).

Dean mentioned during his message on Sunday that while he was at the game, he noticed that he could see plays opening up like never before. He said this was due to a different, higher perspective. From this vantage point he could see so much more of what was happening on the field than sitting down lower.

He continued and said that the same is true in life. God has a much higher perspective and clearer picture of our lives than we ever could. So let's remember to go to Him regularly to guide us and help us with the decisions we must make.

Passion

Yesterday at church, Andrew Smith did a great job of explaining the importance of passion in our lives. This is a subject that is near and dear to my heart. I love to see people passionate about what they do. I love to see people chasing their passions.

Andrew had a large, ordinary looking flower pot sitting on the table next to him. Throughout the service, I kept wondering what he was going to do with it.

He finally went over to the pot and explained that the pot was just like us. Sometimes we can feel like we are going through the motions and we can feel just like an empty pot sitting on a table.

He then pulled out some flowers and some potting soil and began to transfer the flowers to the pot, transforming this plain, ordinary pot into a beautiful thing.

As soon as the flowers found their new home in the pot, Andrew explained that the pot was fulfilling its purpose. Cool stuff.

He concluded the service by challenging us to chase down our passions, even if it meant being impractical. That hit me hard. I realized that I had not been encouraging my daughter Molly to chase her dreams.

She dreams of working in the music industry somewhere because she really is passionate about music. I haven’t discouraged her from this but I haven’t been overly enthusiastic about it either. You see, I’m a pretty practical kind of guy and working in the music industry sounds anything but practical.

When we got home, I told Molly that I really want her to chase her dreams and her passions. I told her I want her to continue pursuing the music thing but I want her to look for ways to do something for God while doing it. I apologized for not supporting her more. I think she was appreciative of this. Hopefully, this will be a lesson I can hang onto.