This past week I received the latest email from Promise Keepers. In the recent months PK has been sending PK Man Rules with articles by Steve Sonderman and David Murrow. Both of these guys are friends and doing Kingdom work.
Steve's article was on Developing Leaders and is certainly worth a read. http://www.promisekeepers.org/home/email/pkmanrules-archive/0808_1
David Murrow wrote the second article titled, How Sunday School is Failing Our Boys. http://www.promisekeepers.org/home/email/pkmanrules-archive/0808_2
David made several good points about the need for our guys to win and spoke clearly to the issue that guys learn differently that our daughters. As a result teaching guys should be different than the techniques we use to teach our gals.
What was failed to be recognized in David's article is that we are really dealing with young men not boys.
Everything David stated was true. David has always done good research and continues to do so. This is not meant to shoot at a Christian brother or demean his writing and assessment. There is enough of that nonsense going on in the Christian community without me adding to it.
It is simply to say that there is more to to the issue. Churches and parents must consider who is defining "manhood" for our sons (womanhood for our daughters)?
If we leave this critical issue to the world, public schools and the marketing geniuses who are trying to reach our kids at earlier and earlier ages, we will lose them from more than Sunday School.
Davids' article nails the age perfectly-- "When does this winnowing start? In Sunday school. By age 13 we’ve already convinced a certain kind of boy that church is not for him."
At Age thirteen, we have a young man ----- not a boy.
Included in any conversation about the loss of our young men (and women) should be the issue of Rites of Passage into Godly adulthood. Without Rites of Passage, our sons are not leaving their faith or church-----they are just walking away from their parents' church and faith trying to find their own.
A faith of a child is the faith of their parents. An adult faith is their own. They cannot have an adult faith while still living in their parents home unless their adulthood is confirmed by their parents and the adult community of believers.
It was also great fun for me to read Davids' article because of the story of Burke Community Church. My family and I were members of BCC from 1989 to 1992. A wonderful church where we served, taught Sunday School and launched and ministry to the most unbelievable group of then 5th and 6th graders, called Children of Light.
Hats off to Steve and David for their articles this month.
for more information on Rites of Passage see A Chosen Generation at http://www.achosengeneration.org/
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Saturday, August 30, 2008
Thursday, August 28, 2008
You Cannot Manage Sin
One of my projects is to write some devotions for men. The National Coalition for Protection of Children and Families is developing a devotional book along with the men's ministry of the Nazarene Church and I have been invited to participate.
Sometimes we are led to write things for others and then there are times we realize that we are just writing for ourselves.
Maybe this one was just for me today.
You Cannot Manage Sin
John 5:14
Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.”
John 5:14 (NIV)
The phone call is as clear today as it was a few years ago. It was a regular phone check-up with a very close friend to see how he was doing. He had been battling alcoholism for years and had been in and out of different rehab programs.
I asked him how he was doing with the alcohol issue and he responded with the almost normal reply, “Not bad” he said “I seem to be doing better.” Then it hit me…..He was OK with his drinking. He just wanted to get it to an acceptable level. He wanted to get his life right but still be able to drink.
It was one of those incredible wake-up calls for me. My friend was like me and most men. We think that we can beat the problem by working our way out of it. You know gradually getting to where we want to be in life.
We think that we can establish acceptable levels of sin that will in some way be pleasing to God.
In doing so it allows us to continue to sin but to a lesser degree so we can report that we are doing better.
So often we like to compare ourselves and our lives with really bad sins so our lives by comparison do not look that bad. It is like we are saying, “Come on-- give me a break. I did not kill anyone today.”
We want to ignore the sin as we let our eyes wander and even dwell on ladies inappropriately. We say to ourselves, a little look won’t hurt; after all I am getting better.
We spew out a few curse words but justify it by the heat of the moment; but again, we are getting better. Isn’t that what God wants? Jesus did not tell the man “Go and sin less each day and eventually you will become healed and free from this thing.” He said, “Go and sin no more.”
Sin is sin and God does not give us acceptable levels that are more pleasing to Him that others. There are not degrees of sin which are established by comparison with others to make us feel that we are doing better.
One of the most important steps is to look at our lives and really ask the question, “Where have I established acceptable levels of sin in my life?”
Perhaps it is time to really listen to Jesus when he said, “Stop sinning.” Pray and ask God to show you where you have established “acceptable levels” of sin and ask Him to give you the strength to stop sinning. Start with one area of your life and do not accept and agree with satan that some sin will be OK today and as a result our progress will be pleasing to God.
John 5:14
Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.”
John 5:14 (NIV)
The phone call is as clear today as it was a few years ago. It was a regular phone check-up with a very close friend to see how he was doing. He had been battling alcoholism for years and had been in and out of different rehab programs.
I asked him how he was doing with the alcohol issue and he responded with the almost normal reply, “Not bad” he said “I seem to be doing better.” Then it hit me…..He was OK with his drinking. He just wanted to get it to an acceptable level. He wanted to get his life right but still be able to drink.
It was one of those incredible wake-up calls for me. My friend was like me and most men. We think that we can beat the problem by working our way out of it. You know gradually getting to where we want to be in life.
We think that we can establish acceptable levels of sin that will in some way be pleasing to God.
In doing so it allows us to continue to sin but to a lesser degree so we can report that we are doing better.
So often we like to compare ourselves and our lives with really bad sins so our lives by comparison do not look that bad. It is like we are saying, “Come on-- give me a break. I did not kill anyone today.”
We want to ignore the sin as we let our eyes wander and even dwell on ladies inappropriately. We say to ourselves, a little look won’t hurt; after all I am getting better.
We spew out a few curse words but justify it by the heat of the moment; but again, we are getting better. Isn’t that what God wants? Jesus did not tell the man “Go and sin less each day and eventually you will become healed and free from this thing.” He said, “Go and sin no more.”
Sin is sin and God does not give us acceptable levels that are more pleasing to Him that others. There are not degrees of sin which are established by comparison with others to make us feel that we are doing better.
One of the most important steps is to look at our lives and really ask the question, “Where have I established acceptable levels of sin in my life?”
Perhaps it is time to really listen to Jesus when he said, “Stop sinning.” Pray and ask God to show you where you have established “acceptable levels” of sin and ask Him to give you the strength to stop sinning. Start with one area of your life and do not accept and agree with satan that some sin will be OK today and as a result our progress will be pleasing to God.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Cross Eyed Life ----You got to read this
One of the Blogs that I follow is by one of my hero's. He is a pastor who is just constantly laying it down for the Lord. Pastor Andy answered the call to pastor a then relatively small Baptist church in the booming little metropolis of Hutchinson, KS. Many of you know it as the crossroads of the mid-west.A few short years ago, Andy began with two services totalling about 140 on one campus. Now they are running nearly 1500 with 6 services on 3 different campuses.
Some of you may ask what is the secret to his success. The answer is really simple...Andy has never thought of any of this as his success just His success. Secondly, he does two things very well. He loves God's people and he tells them the truth. Heck a va deal. Too complicated for many but seems to be working for him.
But now to the blog of his.... today's title is What a weird choice.
Do yourself a favor and read this one. http://crosseyedlife.com/
Andy You are a great friend, brother and one of God's best. Praying for you and I thank God for you.
Oh Yea, give that family of yours a big hug from me.
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The Mindset of the Class of 2012
Regularly we all get the emails that are the "Do you remember?" lists. Today as I was reading Wes Roberts blog http://wesroberts.typepad.com/wes/ , he referred to the "Beloit College Mindset List." Several Professors at Beloit College put together a list to help us understand what has shaped the students entering as freshmen. Check it out at http://www.beloit.edu/mindset/2012.php
Several items on the list were just amusing while some thought provoking. The one that really jumped out at me more as a reminder was #19. "Films have never been X rated, only NC-17."
The importance of this one is very subtle. During the Rites of Passage teaching, we normally ask parents and young adults alike, what are the movie ratings. Most get the G, PG, PG-13 and R. The problem is the next rating. Many still believe that some movies (call them pornographic) are still rated "X."
This freshman class has never known that there were "X" rated movies. All they know is "NC-17" or "No children under 17."
Quietly over the years, we have allowed the movie industry to condition our children to believe that there is not any real pornography..... just art that you need to be more mature to see and appreciate.
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Several items on the list were just amusing while some thought provoking. The one that really jumped out at me more as a reminder was #19. "Films have never been X rated, only NC-17."
The importance of this one is very subtle. During the Rites of Passage teaching, we normally ask parents and young adults alike, what are the movie ratings. Most get the G, PG, PG-13 and R. The problem is the next rating. Many still believe that some movies (call them pornographic) are still rated "X."
This freshman class has never known that there were "X" rated movies. All they know is "NC-17" or "No children under 17."
Quietly over the years, we have allowed the movie industry to condition our children to believe that there is not any real pornography..... just art that you need to be more mature to see and appreciate.
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Monday, August 25, 2008
A New Moral System and churches are part of the Problem
Today The Barna Group released the results of their latest survey. Titled, Young Adults and Liberals Struggle with Morality, http://www.barna.org the findings are neither shocking or unexpected. The United States is adrift without a clear moral rudder and many churches are clearly a major part of the problem.
Barna states, "We are witnessing the development and acceptance of a new moral code in America," said the researcher and author (George Barna), who has been surveying national trends in faith and morality for more than a quarter-century. "Mosaics have had little exposure to traditional moral teaching and limited accountability for such behavior. The moral code began to disintegrate when the generation before them - the Baby Busters - pushed the limits that had been challenged by their parents - the Baby Boomers. The result is that without much fanfare or visible leadership, the U.S. has created a moral system based on convenience, feelings, and selfishness."
Now before anyone out there in the blogosphere jumps to a conclusion that I am blasting our pastors or churches, I am not saying anything that I have not already shared with them.
Look carefully at what Barna states ......."Mosaics have had little exposure to traditional moral teaching and limited accountability for such behavior."
We have separated the generations as far from one another as we can. We have left it for each generation to find their own way.
What we are seeing is the result of the loss of the intergenerational community within the local church. We have eliminated adult connections within the church particularly when it comes to the young generations and the impact is being felt.
Barna states, "We are witnessing the development and acceptance of a new moral code in America," said the researcher and author (George Barna), who has been surveying national trends in faith and morality for more than a quarter-century. "Mosaics have had little exposure to traditional moral teaching and limited accountability for such behavior. The moral code began to disintegrate when the generation before them - the Baby Busters - pushed the limits that had been challenged by their parents - the Baby Boomers. The result is that without much fanfare or visible leadership, the U.S. has created a moral system based on convenience, feelings, and selfishness."
Now before anyone out there in the blogosphere jumps to a conclusion that I am blasting our pastors or churches, I am not saying anything that I have not already shared with them.
Look carefully at what Barna states ......."Mosaics have had little exposure to traditional moral teaching and limited accountability for such behavior."
We have separated the generations as far from one another as we can. We have left it for each generation to find their own way.
What we are seeing is the result of the loss of the intergenerational community within the local church. We have eliminated adult connections within the church particularly when it comes to the young generations and the impact is being felt.
One of the most stunning outcomes from the Barna survey was the moral pattern among adults under 25. The younger generation was more than twice as likely as all other adults to engage in behaviors considered morally inappropriate by traditional standards. Their choices made even the Baby Boomers - never regarded as a paragon of traditional morality - look like moral pillars in comparison.
We will not change the moral climate of our nation until we change the moral climate of our families and churches.
The climate change needed is to return our churches back to the intergenerational family God intended us to be.
A place where all generations are valued and where the lives of all generations are woven together.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Separation of Church and State
Several things came out of Pastor Rick Warren's Presidential forum last week.
The first issue for me was how many Christians were ready to pass judgement before the event took place. Many were ready to condemn Pastor Warren for not asking tough enough questions before the evening started.
The biggest issues was a statement attributed to Pastor Warren..... he said that he "believes in the separation of church and state but does not believe in the separation of faith and politics. "
That is a statement we all need to hear. I believe that our politics should be shaped by our faith. For too many I feel their faith is shaped by the politics. Frankly, if our politics are shaped by our faith, we do not need to have church in our government.
It is similar to the fight for prayer in schools. The reason so many want prayer in schools is because prayer was out of our homes before it left our schools.
Our nation will be changed when we live out our faith in every area of our lives without it being mandated by government.
The first issue for me was how many Christians were ready to pass judgement before the event took place. Many were ready to condemn Pastor Warren for not asking tough enough questions before the evening started.
The biggest issues was a statement attributed to Pastor Warren..... he said that he "believes in the separation of church and state but does not believe in the separation of faith and politics. "
That is a statement we all need to hear. I believe that our politics should be shaped by our faith. For too many I feel their faith is shaped by the politics. Frankly, if our politics are shaped by our faith, we do not need to have church in our government.
It is similar to the fight for prayer in schools. The reason so many want prayer in schools is because prayer was out of our homes before it left our schools.
Our nation will be changed when we live out our faith in every area of our lives without it being mandated by government.
Glad to be done with this one
When you ride a motorcycle it is not a question of "if" you take a spill, it is "when." So the when is now behind me.
On Saturday, I found myself on the ground separated from my bike. I misjudged a curve and dropped the front wheel off the side of the road and was immediately in sand. I tried to correct and then over corrected.
So within seconds I was looking up and not on my bike. Bummer.
Now for the Highlights.... I know you are wondering where there could be highlights after dumping a motorcycle... but too many to share all of them.
First couple to stop were amazing. Jim (I found out later) came over and I can still hear his calm, firm and very reassuring voice as he told me to lie still...don't move. He and Rietta were terrific. They have already emailed me to let me know that they are praying for me. Wow. And I am giving thanks for them.
Immediately another guy shut off the gas on the bike and pulled it up and parked it.
The other couple said they would take care of the bike. Since I was sitting in their car and realized that I was starting to feel some pain and also realized that my collar bone was broke. As a result a short trip in an ambulance was in order.
EMT's became two of my friends in a very short time. Ken and Nancy, I found out, volunteer for this duty. Amazing.
Then to the Hospital in Pueblo. the team there was better than all that TV stuff. Dr Sage, Louie, Mark, Carson, Mandy, Nina, Joy Lynn, Todd.
After CAT Scans and X-Rays.. Everything was great except for the broken collar bone.
So much to be grateful for and to realize again how blessed to have an incredible God.
The bike had to be towed and will need work. Insurance has been notified and it will get fixed. Will I ride again... are you kidding?? Absolutely yes. I need to wait until this collar bone heals but I will ride as soon as I am able.
So today I am reminded again...... What the evil one tries to use to harm us/me, God will turn to good. What a God we serve!!!!!
On Saturday, I found myself on the ground separated from my bike. I misjudged a curve and dropped the front wheel off the side of the road and was immediately in sand. I tried to correct and then over corrected.
So within seconds I was looking up and not on my bike. Bummer.
Now for the Highlights.... I know you are wondering where there could be highlights after dumping a motorcycle... but too many to share all of them.
First couple to stop were amazing. Jim (I found out later) came over and I can still hear his calm, firm and very reassuring voice as he told me to lie still...don't move. He and Rietta were terrific. They have already emailed me to let me know that they are praying for me. Wow. And I am giving thanks for them.
Immediately another guy shut off the gas on the bike and pulled it up and parked it.
The other couple said they would take care of the bike. Since I was sitting in their car and realized that I was starting to feel some pain and also realized that my collar bone was broke. As a result a short trip in an ambulance was in order.
EMT's became two of my friends in a very short time. Ken and Nancy, I found out, volunteer for this duty. Amazing.
Then to the Hospital in Pueblo. the team there was better than all that TV stuff. Dr Sage, Louie, Mark, Carson, Mandy, Nina, Joy Lynn, Todd.
After CAT Scans and X-Rays.. Everything was great except for the broken collar bone.
So much to be grateful for and to realize again how blessed to have an incredible God.
The bike had to be towed and will need work. Insurance has been notified and it will get fixed. Will I ride again... are you kidding?? Absolutely yes. I need to wait until this collar bone heals but I will ride as soon as I am able.
So today I am reminded again...... What the evil one tries to use to harm us/me, God will turn to good. What a God we serve!!!!!
Friday, August 22, 2008
Heading out for longest trip on the bike
This weekend I am attending a men's event with a ministry, Marked Men for Christ. I have been looking forward to this weekend for sometime.
First the President is a "spiritual son" of mine. Steve Spicer and I have been meeting and growing for about 3 years. A common friend pulled us together at a meeting and said, "You two guys need to meet" and so we did and we did again. Steve is one of the warriors. he spends a good part of his life in his "tent making" ministry for a large corporation. Then he pours out his life for other men as the lead for Marked Men for Christ.
Now to some other good stuff. I am taking my bike down to the camp. It is only about 140 miles but I am excited. I will be honest. I have a ride to go in a carpool but this is something I really wanted to do. This morning the weather is incredible and my wife, Billie is so supportive. I think part of that is her growing confidence. we rode together last night for a couple of hours.
This is my longest trip to date on the bike.
So off I will head in a few hours on our motorcycle, with backpack and sleeping bag strapped on like some of those other guys you see on the highway.
By the way you can check out Marked Men for Christ at: http://www.markedmenforchrist.org/
If you go to their "about us" tab and then to Board of Directors you will see a bio of Steve "Spice" Spicer.
Looking forward to a great weekend.
So I guess I will see you on the rode or catch you next week.
First the President is a "spiritual son" of mine. Steve Spicer and I have been meeting and growing for about 3 years. A common friend pulled us together at a meeting and said, "You two guys need to meet" and so we did and we did again. Steve is one of the warriors. he spends a good part of his life in his "tent making" ministry for a large corporation. Then he pours out his life for other men as the lead for Marked Men for Christ.
Now to some other good stuff. I am taking my bike down to the camp. It is only about 140 miles but I am excited. I will be honest. I have a ride to go in a carpool but this is something I really wanted to do. This morning the weather is incredible and my wife, Billie is so supportive. I think part of that is her growing confidence. we rode together last night for a couple of hours.
This is my longest trip to date on the bike.
So off I will head in a few hours on our motorcycle, with backpack and sleeping bag strapped on like some of those other guys you see on the highway.
By the way you can check out Marked Men for Christ at: http://www.markedmenforchrist.org/
If you go to their "about us" tab and then to Board of Directors you will see a bio of Steve "Spice" Spicer.
Looking forward to a great weekend.
So I guess I will see you on the rode or catch you next week.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Dinner with Four Beautiful Ladies
Yep. It is true. I was out to dinner last night with four beautiful ladies. I would tell you that they are not just beautiful but drop-dead gorgeous.
Yesterday, Billie and I celebrated 31 years of marriage. To celebrate, we went to dinner along with our daughter and two granddaughters. Three generations celebrating life. We missed having our son, daughter (in-law) and granddaughter who live in Kansas. As well as our son and his lady from DC.
So there I sat at dinner with these four incredible ladies. At dinner we talked about our previous anniversaries and how much our lives have been blessed by our family. Things we want our grandchildren to tell their children.
I am so very blessed.
Yesterday, Billie and I celebrated 31 years of marriage. To celebrate, we went to dinner along with our daughter and two granddaughters. Three generations celebrating life. We missed having our son, daughter (in-law) and granddaughter who live in Kansas. As well as our son and his lady from DC.
So there I sat at dinner with these four incredible ladies. At dinner we talked about our previous anniversaries and how much our lives have been blessed by our family. Things we want our grandchildren to tell their children.
I am so very blessed.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Coaching Executives
Bill Coibion is a terrific friend in Roseville CA. A few years ago he was on staff at a very large church as their Men's Pastor. On one of my visits we began discussing where he felt God was leading him. He thought for a while and said that he had been considering launching a ministry to "Executives."
Bill had been a very successful businessman and thought that was a natural step for him and he had in fact done quite a bit of coaching with men and executives.
Bill and I both found ourselves in Colorado Springs together about 10 days ago and had coffee together. Fabulous catching up with a friend and to hear what God is doing in our lives.
I had been following Bill in his transition to coaching Executives and it was an incredible journey.
Pictured above is the group of executives Bill is coaching and finding mentors. They are 12 and 13 years old. They live in one of the poorest areas of Sacramento. Most come from homes where English is a second language and there is no father on the scene.
You want an fantastic story of OneGeneration at work....... the public school has given him a classroom as his office. He is recruiting men to be mentors or I would say...."Spiritual Fathers."
The overall grades of his group of executives is climbing daily whereas the rest of the student's GPA is declining. Students have to volunteer for the program and abide by the rules. Parents have to commit as well.
The GPA is really a result of many other changes in these young men's lives. They are growing as men because they are around men .... men who are investing in them and believe in them.
Bill and his team in Shoulder to Shoulder have committed to stay with their guys through High School.
Do you think God has a sense of humor..... I love it.
Bill you keep making your plans to coach executives and God will continue to send you all you can handle. Bill's executives may not be running companies today....but they may tomorrow. Now that is an executive training program.
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Tuesday, August 19, 2008
That Grace thing again
This morning, the title of my reading was "The Uniqueness of Grace."
Catch this...
"Before you came to know Christ, you knew something of love; in all probability there were people in your life that loved you. So also you knew something of faith, for all must commit before knowing. You may have experienced mercy. But grace is different. Only in Jesus Christ do you discover grace for His death made it possible for Him to be both gracious and just."
I really did not like my next thoughts. I want justice for others and grace for me.
I can give you a pretty good list of people that need to experience justice and some I think I would like to see the justice to be sure they are getting theirs.
but Grace ..... now that is what I want.
So I am back to yesterday's question..
Do I want more Grace than I am willing to give?
Just as clear as the question came the answer. Yes I do.
My plan for today is to try to extend as much grace as I would extended to me. That is not going to be easy.
Catch this...
"Before you came to know Christ, you knew something of love; in all probability there were people in your life that loved you. So also you knew something of faith, for all must commit before knowing. You may have experienced mercy. But grace is different. Only in Jesus Christ do you discover grace for His death made it possible for Him to be both gracious and just."
I really did not like my next thoughts. I want justice for others and grace for me.
I can give you a pretty good list of people that need to experience justice and some I think I would like to see the justice to be sure they are getting theirs.
but Grace ..... now that is what I want.
So I am back to yesterday's question..
Do I want more Grace than I am willing to give?
Just as clear as the question came the answer. Yes I do.
My plan for today is to try to extend as much grace as I would extended to me. That is not going to be easy.
Monday, August 18, 2008
So Grateful So Very Grateful
I just finished speaking with Court, Sgt Stecker to others. He is officially done with his out processing and scheduled on a flight to Washington DC at 5:20 pm tonight to arrive at 7:20 pm.
He will be on Terminal Leave until September 6. That is just a formality.
We are so grateful first to God for His protection. We are so grateful to so many who constantly lifted Courtney up in prayer. Thank you and thank you again.
We encourage everyone to continue to pray for all our men and women in the military who stand on a wall to protect us and keep us safe.
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He will be on Terminal Leave until September 6. That is just a formality.
We are so grateful first to God for His protection. We are so grateful to so many who constantly lifted Courtney up in prayer. Thank you and thank you again.
We encourage everyone to continue to pray for all our men and women in the military who stand on a wall to protect us and keep us safe.
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Grace
My Personal Devotions this year..in fact for the last few years come from a daily devotional titled, Thoughts From the Diary of A Desperate Man.
The last couple of days the devotions have been on "Grace."
So here is where I have landed. First without Grace I do not have any chance in this life or the next. It is over. You might say "The outcome was already decided in the opening minutes of the game." That's me without grace.
The author of the devotion, Walter Henrichsen, writes "If your relationship with God is based on what you did that others are unwilling to do, then your salvation is in perpetual jeopardy; you cannot have assurance of salvation. For what you did to establish this relationship with God you can undo." He further states, "Your security is based on your performance not God's."
I believe that my only hope for salvation and a relationship with my heavenly Father is solely based on grace.
But here is what hit me hard over the last few days..... Do I want and need more "grace" from God than I am willing to give to others? I do not mean just those rude people who treat me unjustly. I mean with my family and friends and the people I know and care about. Do I want more grace from my wife, Billie than I am willing to give her????? Do I ask for more grace from my own kids than I am willing to give them.
Here it is. Do I say "forgive me" in a casual way with the expectation that all will be forgotten a lot more than I say "I forgive you" in a very sincere way that says I am willing to forget whatever the issue or offense?
In a nut shell, I am willing to give as much grace as I want God to give to me???
The last couple of days the devotions have been on "Grace."
So here is where I have landed. First without Grace I do not have any chance in this life or the next. It is over. You might say "The outcome was already decided in the opening minutes of the game." That's me without grace.
The author of the devotion, Walter Henrichsen, writes "If your relationship with God is based on what you did that others are unwilling to do, then your salvation is in perpetual jeopardy; you cannot have assurance of salvation. For what you did to establish this relationship with God you can undo." He further states, "Your security is based on your performance not God's."
I believe that my only hope for salvation and a relationship with my heavenly Father is solely based on grace.
But here is what hit me hard over the last few days..... Do I want and need more "grace" from God than I am willing to give to others? I do not mean just those rude people who treat me unjustly. I mean with my family and friends and the people I know and care about. Do I want more grace from my wife, Billie than I am willing to give her????? Do I ask for more grace from my own kids than I am willing to give them.
Here it is. Do I say "forgive me" in a casual way with the expectation that all will be forgotten a lot more than I say "I forgive you" in a very sincere way that says I am willing to forget whatever the issue or offense?
In a nut shell, I am willing to give as much grace as I want God to give to me???
Sunday, August 17, 2008
A Whirlwind 60 days
I am just getting my voice back. We have been on an incredible pace. I was looking back on the last 60 days. Remarkable...
Earlier this year we made a very good decision. In the past when we have helped churches conduct Rites of Passage, we have had a day of training to prepare/train them to do ROP on their own. At the request of Pastors, we made a shift to use that day to train Pastors and leaders regarding strategies for Intergenerational Ministry. This is an 8 hour "fire hose" experience for leaders. We have titled the seminar "Anchor Points." The response has exceeded out initial expectations.
Here are some quick stats..... In the last 60 days we have had the privilege of training about 135 Pastors and church leaders representing 10 churches in 5 states. In addition, we have had leaders from 2 other ministries attend.
Those stats do not include several additional meetings/venues where we have had the oportunity to help leaders embrace the issues of intergenerational ministry.
We have two more "Anchor Points" scheduled in the coming months. In October we will be in Dublin, OH (NW of Columbus) on Monday, Oct 6 and then in Buellton, CA on Friday, Nov 14th.
There are several already scheduled in 2009 from PA to WA.
As a note for prayer....ACG events launch in Sept after Labor Day and we are committed until Thanksgiving. On several weekends we have several speakers at men's conferences accross the country sharing the message of intergenerational ministry.
Earlier this year we made a very good decision. In the past when we have helped churches conduct Rites of Passage, we have had a day of training to prepare/train them to do ROP on their own. At the request of Pastors, we made a shift to use that day to train Pastors and leaders regarding strategies for Intergenerational Ministry. This is an 8 hour "fire hose" experience for leaders. We have titled the seminar "Anchor Points." The response has exceeded out initial expectations.
Here are some quick stats..... In the last 60 days we have had the privilege of training about 135 Pastors and church leaders representing 10 churches in 5 states. In addition, we have had leaders from 2 other ministries attend.
Those stats do not include several additional meetings/venues where we have had the oportunity to help leaders embrace the issues of intergenerational ministry.
We have two more "Anchor Points" scheduled in the coming months. In October we will be in Dublin, OH (NW of Columbus) on Monday, Oct 6 and then in Buellton, CA on Friday, Nov 14th.
There are several already scheduled in 2009 from PA to WA.
As a note for prayer....ACG events launch in Sept after Labor Day and we are committed until Thanksgiving. On several weekends we have several speakers at men's conferences accross the country sharing the message of intergenerational ministry.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Perks
I have a very good friend who I do not get to see nearly as often as I would like. I met Richard Exley in 1995 when he spoke at a men's retreat. The following week we had lunch together with our wives and several of the guys at Promise Keepers. It was during our lunch that he made one of those comments that you ask people to repeat and then even a third time to make sure you have it.
He told all of us about a book that God spoke directly to his heart to write regarding the abuse of power by leaders. The title of the book is, The Perils of Power. To me a classic.
But here is the zinger........ he just sort of casually said.
Perks.... "First you accept them, then you expect them, them you demand them and then you abuse them."
All of this came back to me as I rethought my earlier blog. I wonder how many guys think of their sins as not really sins but just little "perks" that go with the job. You know they really deserve them and they make you feel so much better.
Sin is never just a little perk that goes with the job or position.
Well Richard...It has been since 1995 and I still haven't forgotten your words that day. Thank you my friend.
He told all of us about a book that God spoke directly to his heart to write regarding the abuse of power by leaders. The title of the book is, The Perils of Power. To me a classic.
But here is the zinger........ he just sort of casually said.
Perks.... "First you accept them, then you expect them, them you demand them and then you abuse them."
All of this came back to me as I rethought my earlier blog. I wonder how many guys think of their sins as not really sins but just little "perks" that go with the job. You know they really deserve them and they make you feel so much better.
Sin is never just a little perk that goes with the job or position.
Well Richard...It has been since 1995 and I still haven't forgotten your words that day. Thank you my friend.
You can check out Richard's blog, Straight From the Heart at http://www.richardexley.typepad.com/
.
Covering Sin
I was struck by one of the headlines in the NYTimes today.
Lawyers’ Ties Hint at Extent of Hiding Edwards’s Affair By SERGE F. KOVALESKI and MIKE MCINTIRE John Edwards’s affair may have gone on longer than he admitted and the effort to conceal it may have been much more extensive than has been reported.
Now this is in no way intended to be political in nature so anyone ready to jump to the wrong conclusion... get over it.
Here is the issue and this is the same whether the symbol for you political views is an elephant, donkey or perhaps what would be best for all the political parties....a hot air balloon.... it is this thing called sin.
The first thing about the Edwards affair, confession, moral failure is that our nation has again been forced to witness another man in authority and who has sought to lead us in our nation's highest office has fallen to sin. He has shown so many that it is hard to believe anyone these days.
But here is the other issue. We are just beginning to see how much longer this sin went on and how much went into a cover-up to hide sin.
Now I am reminded of a statement that is not mine or new to me:
Sin takes you farther than you want to go, makes you stay longer than you intended to stay and costs you more than you want to pay.
My heart breaks for Mrs. Edwards. Once again a women has been dragged into the muck and the mire because of the failure and lies of the man she trusted and loves.
Perhaps it is for this reason that I feel one of the best things I can do for my daughters, daughters-in-laws, granddaughters and spiritual daughters......how about all women is to help raise and build strong Godly men who they can trust.
Godly men do not nor are they intended by God to overshadow or dominate our women. Godly men lead lives that allow our ladies to be the women God created them to be.
God designed men and women to be complete one another and not compete with each other.
Unfortunately, a man's sin does not impact only him. It impacts all of us.
Covering sin only gives satan greater power in our lives and hurts everyone around us.
Sin takes you farther than you want to go, makes you stay longer than you intended to stay and costs you more than you want to pay.
Additionally, I wonder if at the time that all of this was taking place, if John Edwards would have honestly called this affair SIN. Did he think that God would understand or that God just wanted little Johnnie to be happy regardless of what it took or what he wanted.
We need to just simply call sin for for what it is..... Sin..... and Sin is against God.
Lawyers’ Ties Hint at Extent of Hiding Edwards’s Affair By SERGE F. KOVALESKI and MIKE MCINTIRE John Edwards’s affair may have gone on longer than he admitted and the effort to conceal it may have been much more extensive than has been reported.
Now this is in no way intended to be political in nature so anyone ready to jump to the wrong conclusion... get over it.
Here is the issue and this is the same whether the symbol for you political views is an elephant, donkey or perhaps what would be best for all the political parties....a hot air balloon.... it is this thing called sin.
The first thing about the Edwards affair, confession, moral failure is that our nation has again been forced to witness another man in authority and who has sought to lead us in our nation's highest office has fallen to sin. He has shown so many that it is hard to believe anyone these days.
But here is the other issue. We are just beginning to see how much longer this sin went on and how much went into a cover-up to hide sin.
Now I am reminded of a statement that is not mine or new to me:
Sin takes you farther than you want to go, makes you stay longer than you intended to stay and costs you more than you want to pay.
My heart breaks for Mrs. Edwards. Once again a women has been dragged into the muck and the mire because of the failure and lies of the man she trusted and loves.
Perhaps it is for this reason that I feel one of the best things I can do for my daughters, daughters-in-laws, granddaughters and spiritual daughters......how about all women is to help raise and build strong Godly men who they can trust.
Godly men do not nor are they intended by God to overshadow or dominate our women. Godly men lead lives that allow our ladies to be the women God created them to be.
God designed men and women to be complete one another and not compete with each other.
Unfortunately, a man's sin does not impact only him. It impacts all of us.
Covering sin only gives satan greater power in our lives and hurts everyone around us.
Sin takes you farther than you want to go, makes you stay longer than you intended to stay and costs you more than you want to pay.
Additionally, I wonder if at the time that all of this was taking place, if John Edwards would have honestly called this affair SIN. Did he think that God would understand or that God just wanted little Johnnie to be happy regardless of what it took or what he wanted.
We need to just simply call sin for for what it is..... Sin..... and Sin is against God.
Now here is the deal for me. I wish that this could be a one time, get it over and move on lesson. I think we live in a world where I need to remember this every day...no every moment.
I realize how incredibly weak I am. I am one stupid thought or decision away from finding myself in John Edwards position. My only hope and strength is in Jesus Christ and to surround myself with other Godly men.
Regardless of your political feelings....How about we all take a moment and pray for John Edwards, his wife and family.
Then maybe we should pray for ourselves.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Sgt Stecker in Back in USA
Wow!!!! Just typing those words seems incredible. His Text came in to me at 6:52 am CST. "Hey all. Guess who just landed in Atlanta" Now that was a neat text.
So many answered prayers. I just sat there for a moment.... actually a little longer and looked at the text message.
I was just slightly excited. But I also had this great sense of relief. It is so great to have him "home." Actually to be able to call him when I want to and not just have to wait until he could call us. Although we are really blessed that he was able to communicate back home with us, it is really nice to be able to call him.
Last night just before speaking at a church in Moline, IL a man came up to me and asked, "How is your son doing?" I was blown away when he told me "My wife and I have been praying for him everyday since you were here for the men's conference (several months ago)."
The faithfulness of God's family is more than just amazing.
As i write this I realize that many still have friends serving our nation in many dangerous places.
While Courtney was in Iraq, I wore a yellow bracelet with his name on it. As I have been overwhelmed by all the wonderful friends and actually just acquaintances who have prayed for him ..... I have decided that I need to keep wearing the bracelet to remind me to pray "without ceasing" for all our sons and daughters and their families.
As I prayed this morning, I gave thanks for our son's return home. i also gave thanks for the incredible indescribable family of God who have been so faithful.
FLASH FLASH...AS I AM WRITING. JUST GOT A CALL FROM COURT.
He sounded terrific. Just hearing his voice and knowing that he is almost to Fort Benning is such a relief.
OK enough for my rambling. Love to all and a huge Thank You for all the Prayers.
God is so Good. Oh there is a shocker.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Too much to begin to take in
There are so many things about this weekend and particularly last night at Mountain Springs Community Church http://www.mountainsprings.org/
in Colorado Springs that I am still reeling and I am struggling to know exactly where to start.
Let me just give you a quick snapshot of the Rites of Passage (ROP). As of Thursday, before the ceremony, 64 young men and women had signed up. Each day the number grew but after the services on Saturday night and Sunday morning, the number exploded to 207. The largest ceremony we had ever done was for about 115.
Now to the night of the actual Rites of Passage...... 207 young men and women were welcomed and blessed by their families, ministry leaders, church and pastors as young adults. In addition to the total number in the ROP, 33 young men and women prayed to receive Christ as their Lord and Savior. Several of those were clearly "re-dedications" but the number is remarkable.
While that was taking place, 5 of the current adults/parents did the same thing in the sanctuary.
Let me just give you a quick snapshot of the Rites of Passage (ROP). As of Thursday, before the ceremony, 64 young men and women had signed up. Each day the number grew but after the services on Saturday night and Sunday morning, the number exploded to 207. The largest ceremony we had ever done was for about 115.
Now to the night of the actual Rites of Passage...... 207 young men and women were welcomed and blessed by their families, ministry leaders, church and pastors as young adults. In addition to the total number in the ROP, 33 young men and women prayed to receive Christ as their Lord and Savior. Several of those were clearly "re-dedications" but the number is remarkable.
While that was taking place, 5 of the current adults/parents did the same thing in the sanctuary.
We could have just stopped there but obviously did not.
In the picture above, You see one of the ministry leaders holding a poster board, life-size photo of Cpt Shawn McAniff. Cpt Shawn is serving our nation in Iraq. For the ceremony, his wife brought the photo to be with her and their daughter. I cannot begin to explain the range of emotions of everyone in the auditorium when they saw this happening.
Mountain Springs is a powerful church and force for our Lord. What a privilege for Billie and me to be a part of this incredible weekend. Pastor Steve Holt and his staff were amazing.
We have so much to be thankful and grateful for to God.
Friday, August 8, 2008
I am really excited about reading this book
I am really excited about reading this book
One of my current projects is to write the "forward" for Al Larson's next book in the Dangerous Man Series. It is titled "The One Thing" and I am excited about it and the potential impact for men.
Yesterday I read Mark Batterson's blog and although I do not know Mark personally, I really resonate with his writings.
He gave us a glimpse of his new book, Wild Goose Chase to be released Aug 19th. I did a cut and paste below for those who do not read the Batterson Blog.
The Batterson Blog - Thoughts on Life and Leadership
Book Byte by Mark Batterson
Book Byte by Mark Batterson
Thought I'd share some book bytes from Wild Goose Chase before it releases on August 19. Think of it as a daily dose of Wild Goose. I wonder if churches do to people what zoos do the animals. We try to tame them in the name of Christ. We remove the risk. We remove the danger. We remove the struggle. And what we end up with is a caged Christian.Jesus didn't die on the cross to keep us safe. He died to make us dangerous. I would like to think that when I pronounce the benediction at th end of our church services, I am sending dangerous people back into their natural habitat to wreak havoc on the Enemy.
excerpt from Wild Goose Chase
I am really finding myself in love with this idea of being dangerous but for the right reasons. Mark's comment at the end of his blog about people being sent out of the church "to their natural habitat to wreak havoc on the enemy" is remarkable statement.
Frankly, I am hearing from more guys and leaders about this concept of guys getting dangerous for the Lord.
I believe that one of the greatest ways we can be dangerous is to live a life that tells our family that they are safe because we are dangerous.
I think that somewhere back in the recesses of my mind I remember a Mel Gibson movie where the bad guy says to Gibson......"you are dangerous" and Gibson smiles and replies.... "Yes, I am."
There are several scenes in Top Gun about being dangerous but the best one is at the end when Val Kilmer yells to Tom Cruise, "You're still dangerous but you can be my wingman anytime."
My closing thought (for now) on this issue of being dangerous comes from a song by Steve Camp. the song is titled Living Dangerously In The Hands Of God. the lines from the song that jump out at me are: "There's safety in complacency, but God is calling us out of our comfort zone into a life of complete surrender to the cross. To live dangerously as not to live recklessly but righteously."
So Here's to living Dangerously in the Hands of God
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Sgt Stecker is heading home (well sort of)
Well, Sgt Stecker is on his way home sort of. We know that he was in a remote location and is now back at a main camp with the rest of the unit he was deployed with as an augmentee.
He is still several weeks away from the good ol'US of A and some of mom's home cooking but the journey has begun.
We spoke with him yesterday and he sounded really tired. He had been up the better part of the last 24-30 hours and was wrapping up some things to be able to get some rest.
Like so many of the soldiers we hear from in Iraq, Court says that the press is reporting what they want Americans to hear based on their political bias. He has repeatedly told us that the US is making a difference that will be felt for years to come.
I know that this is redundant for many but let's keep praying for our incredible men and women serving our nation around the world and at home. They are some pretty amazing people. As a nation should be so very proud of all of them.
For many who are unsure just how to pray for our soldiers, I want to suggest that you look at Psalm 91. It is called the Soldiers' Psalm. It has been reported through the years that the soldiers of the 91st Brigade recited this Psalm each day in WWI. The brigade was involved in three of the bloodiest battles of the war and while other units suffered up to 90% casualties, the 91st did not have a single combat related death. I am thinking that prayer still works.
Monday, August 4, 2008
An Evening Out with My Prom Queen
Last Night Billie and I had the blessing of being invited to Music in Moonlight at the Navigator's Conference Center at Glen Eyrie for a wonderful evening of dinner followed by a concert presented by the Colorado Springs Chamber Orchestra. We dressed up and it was really good for us.
Let me first get this out. If you have never been to the "Glen" you are missing a wonderful treat. Check it out at http://www.navigators.org/us/ministries/gleneyrie/
The Glen is a conference center extraordinaire. They regularly have conferences for many different types of audiences.
This is a good site to look at as well because we/ACG is presenting a conference there October 10-12, 2008. They have asked us to present a conference on "The Power of Rites of Passage." You will be hearing more about this from ACG and from Glen Eyrie.
OK back to the reason for this note. I spend a good part of my life in casual or even more relaxed attire. Read into that anything you want. On this night we were dressed up and our attitude towards the evening and each other was different. This was a real "date." Not my normal quick dinner and stop at a bookstore or on some really exciting nights we hit Office Max/ Office Depot or Staples. Pretty wild for sure.
Too many of our dates are associated with a Ministry Trip although with some intentionality I am getting better. So far this year I have taken her to Niagara Falls and we saw Phantom of the Opera on Broadway...too cool.
So the plan is simply more consistency and more dress up dates. We act different towards each other when we dress up and put a little effort into the date.
Why would I do such silly things???? I love her and she is worth it.
So I am now planning our next dress up date. Don't worry she will still see her share of bookstores and office supply stores. Can't give up all the fun things
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Learning by the day and from others
Well the bike riding is getting better and better. Last night Billie and I had our first real ride together. We went up through a valley road that gave us the opportunity to lean together in the turns and get used to riding together on something other than a straightaway. She did great and I am doing better.
After we finished our ride she encouraged me to take off on my own for a while and I did. Only to go a few blocks and have the bike quit running. i quickly restarted and went a ways farther to have the same thing happen on the on ramp of the highway. now it would not restart.
I tried everything that I knew in my limited experience then I called Dan. Dan owned and rode this bike since 1997 and to say that he knew everything about the bike would be an understatement. Instead of Dan trying to "coach" me over the phone, he said, "I will be right there." I could have told him to just try and tell me what to do. But I will be honest, I felt great to hear him say that he was on the way.
When Dan arrived it took him all of about 10 minutes to pull a spark plug and spray it with starter fluid and have me up and running. It was so simple. The bike had a "vapor lock" and just needed a boost to get past it. He said that it had happened to him twice in the last 10 years.
What did I learn. So many things and many relearned or reinforced.
It is great to have friends.
Too often I have been embarrassed or bull-headed to ask for help.
Friends want to help because they are friends.
It is not an age thing. Dan is much younger than I am and there are things I
have experience with that I hope I could help him with if needed. In this case
he knew exactly what to do.
After Dan got me back up and running he followed me for a while and then I took off for the ride I intended.
On the ride I began thinking of Harvey McKay's book Dig Your Well Before You Are Thirsty. In his opening chapter he tells a great story of a man who called him in the wee hours asking for help. When Harvey asked him why he had called him since they had not spoken in years, the man said he did not have anyone else to call.
Dan and I became friends long before he sold me his bike. Actually I bought the bike in large part because we were friends. I did not just call Dan because he knew the bike.....I called him because he was first my friend and secondly because he knew the bike.
It is great to have friends to call when you need help and even better to actually call them when you need help because they are your friend.
Friday, August 1, 2008
No it is Not a Mid-life Crisis
No it is not a mid-life crisis as many would think. I am 60 and had that 25 to 30 years ago. Actually the driving force has been my wife. For the last 18 months she has been saying that we need a bike. Then in the last 4 months she has really taken it up a notch. Hardly a day would go by without her saying something about getting a bike. She said the idea of her and I just getting away on the afternoon or weekend without cell phones, radios or whatever was pretty apealling to her. Well it happened. Last week she and I went to my Admin's house to pick up a refridgerator and in the garage was her husband, Dan's "extra" bike. It took me a few minutes and a quick ride to get excited. All during this time and the next day all Billie would say is you need to get that bike. So now we own a motorcycle and it is amazing.
Yes I wear a helmet.
No I am not worried about growing old.
Yes I have life insurance and insurance on the bike.
No many people do not understand ( or maybe even want to understand)
Yes I have had other bikes (even though the last one was about 26 years ago.)
No I am not growing my hair for a ponytail or getting a tattoo.
Yes it is therapy for me.
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