Write to Think

If You Don't Like It, Don't Live With It

2011-12-12T09:33:00.002-06:00

I think I've made the comment before but it's worth repeating. If there is something in your organization that drives you nuts, don't live with it. If you put up with something in your organization that you don't like people will assume that you do; that it doesn't bother you and, therefore, it is fine.

But saying nothing is a costly mistake.

At some point in the future your increasing frustration will boil over into an indictment and at that moment trust with your team will be compromised. Your team will not only feel blindsided, they will feel incompetent for having done something for so long that the head of the organization hates. They will question their security. They will question everything else they are doing. And they will wonder if you are truly happy with anything.

And how can they be certain that you are? Your words have no meaning. Your encouragement is empty. Why? Because you've held your tongue on something important for years.

If you don't like it, don't live with it. If there's something that needs changing, say so. Your team will be happy to know exactly what they need to do - trust me, clarity is always appreciated even if its hard to hear.

But if you never say so you compromise the trust of the team.

If you don't like it, don't live with it.

For Such a Time... For Such an Issue

2011-11-01T09:05:00.001-05:00

Sometimes God raises up specific leaders for specific issues. They are equipped and called to accomplish a certain thing at a certain time.

Consider the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah. As I read through the book of Ezra I am struck by the passion and gifting of this man for the law of God; in fact, three times in chapter 7 Ezra's gift and passion for the law is highlighted. This is who He was. As a result, Ezra wept bitterly over the people's departure from the law.

Nehemiah, in turn, wept over a wall. It wasn't that Nehemiah didn't care about the law or about God's people (he later goes on to meet the needs of the poor), but Nehemiah was a different leader with a different calling. He was equipped and called to accomplish something Ezra was not.

The leadership lesson woven in the example of these two men is significant. As a leader, we must be incredibly clear on our gifting and calling. To put it another way, smart leaders are self-aware. They understand what they are good at and what they aren't - and they delegate accordingly. They understand what God has equipped them to do and what He hasn't - and they delegate accordingly.

Nehemiah and Ezra served during the same time. God didn't set up just one leader to do all that was required during that season of Israel's history... instead He equipped specific men to tackle specific issues.

As a pastor, I know my forte. It's not counseling. I love people; I bond with them well, but I am not skilled as a counselor. I have my moments and my niche issues I can speak to, but overall my gifting lies elsewhere. For the sake of my church and my people, then, I direct them to those God has equipped to counsel.

You cannot do everything and you are not equipped to do everything. Know your gifting. Know your calling. If its teaching, teach. If its wall-building, build. You owe it to your church and to your creator to know your calling and stick with it.

Leadership Prayers

2011-09-20T09:49:00.000-05:00

I will confess that I have never been a big fan of reading prayers. This summer, however, prior to my study break a couple in our church gave me a copy of Leadership Prayers by Richard Kriegbaum. The book is a simple collection of reflections, prayers and passages from Scripture centered around issues common to any leader such as wisdom, action, weariness, planning, creativity and even succession.

While I don't use the book to guide my own time with God in the morning, I've kept the book beside me in the office and have found that in the midst of a frustrating day or a day filled with details the prayers are a refreshing and focused reminder of my need to be quiet before God even in the busyness of leadership.

I don't know what's on your desk - or near it - but I've personally come to think that every leader should have something like Leadership Prayers in reach... something both short and simple to keep your heart focused in the midst of the madness.

chURch

2011-09-15T14:30:00.000-05:00

Spoiler alert! Here's a sneak peak at our next series here at Northeast. Starting this Sunday we take a significant step together as a church towards what we believe God is calling us to be in the world and in our community and it begins by taking a hard look at us... the church.

Once you begin to crack the door open on the church you quickly realize that the church is not a ‘what’ at all, the church is a ‘who.’ Really, the church is you.

U R the church!

See you Sunday.

The Difference Between Justice and Grace

2011-09-08T07:30:00.002-05:00

Spent time with a great man yesterday - Jonathan Daugherty - who had some powerful perspective on the difference between justice and grace. In his words:

Justice is Biblical and necessary but it cannot set you free; only grace can set you free.

Facing a wrong we commonly long for justice to be done, and while that longing may be Biblical too often we look to justice as a cure. We falsely expect that justice will solve the problem, alleviate the pain and push us past the difficulty we have faced. In short, we expect justice will help us move on.

But it doesn't work that way.

Justice may right a wrong, but it cannot change the fact that a certain event happened. Justice doesn't fix the past. It cannot fix our hearts or heal our hurt. Justice reprimands the perpetrator, but justice cannot heal a victim. Only grace can do that.

Transition

2011-09-06T06:00:00.000-05:00

Transitions are just teachable moments in disguise.

Food for Thought

2011-08-31T06:15:00.000-05:00

Reflecting on a question prompted by an article I read earlier in the week:

Are the godly people I've invited to speak into my life rebuking me or affirming me?

If the only voice I'm getting is one of affirmation, something is wrong and those who claim they love me aren't. If those I trust the most won't hold up a mirror to my face when I need it most they shouldn't be trusted.

Conjecture

2011-08-29T10:30:00.003-05:00

con·jec·ture [kuh n-jek-cher] noun, verb, -tured, -tur·ing.

1. the formation or expression of an opinion or theory without sufficient evidence for proof.
2. an opinion or theory so formed or expressed; guess; speculation.

If you assume any kind of leadership position, conjecture comes with the job. Conjecture is especially prevalent in any organization where people are the focus... i.e. a church.

Very simply, conjecture comes when the "why" behind a decision is unclear. When a decision made is uncomfortable, goes against preference or comes as a surprise people will talk; and in an attempt to understand the decision, conjecture will follow.

When it comes to conjecture I've learned a few valuable lessons:

Conjecture can't be eliminated but it can be minimized. There will always be critics and some people will always assume the worst instead of the best. If the perfect Son of God was scrutinized for His actions we shouldn't be surprised when scrutiny and conjecture comes our way. Working to eliminate it will drive you insane, work instead to minimize it. How? Read on...

Lack of clarity is the breeding ground for conjecture. If significant decisions are being made and you aren't talking about them, don't be surprised when conjecture comes. If you surprise a horse you're likely to get kicked. Till the soil by letting people know if change is coming. Also, don't just talk about the what, talk about the why. I find that most decisions are second guessed not because the decision or end result is bad, but rather because the need for the decision isn't clear. Explain why before what.

Open and honest communication is the only antidote for conjecture. Better to over communicate than under communicate. When there is a particularly important decision being made, go overboard in communicating it across every channel taking the time to ask and answer common questions. I'm a huge fan of FAQ's - develop a list of the most common questions and answer them publicly or on paper. That said, refer back to lesson no. 1: even when something is clearly articulated don't expect conjecture to completely disappear. People can be armed with all the right answers and still assume all the wrong things.

Address conjecture quickly. Failure to do so always fuels the fire. If there is one group in particular at the center of the conjecture pay them a visit and communicate with them clearly. If a key leader is at the center of it all be sure to communicate your expectations to him or her as a leader. In my world, private debate is welcome - anyone can come into my office at any time to discuss anything - but following private debate I expect my leaders to understand that their role in the organization is not to undermine decisions but rather foster trust in the decision makers. Conjecture is a clear sign of a lack of trust and it must be addressed sooner rather than later.

I'm not surprised by conjecture. People are people and they always will be. Working through it, however, is critical and I've found that many leaders would rather work around it than through it. In my world, I've never seen that approach work. I'd rather face it head on and then move on. I don't expect to eliminate it, but I have learned that I can minimize it.

2011-08-18T06:00:00.010-05:00

Don't let bad theology hijack good terminology.

Recently I received a "concerned question" inquiring if we, as a church, were moving towards "Lordship Salvation." Apparently the phrase "Lord and Savior" has been spoken from the stage several times over the past few months.

Honestly, I liked the question and was happy to answer it because of the opportunity it afforded us to talk about a critical distinction related to salvation. Simply put, our stance has always been that salvation is by grace alone in faith alone. Salvation has nothing to do with what we resolve to do for Jesus but everything to do with what we resolve to believe about Jesus.

That said, I also hate the question. I hate that we have reached a point where we cannot speak of Jesus as Lord when, in fact, He is. Jesus is both Lord and Savior! He has earned those titles; He deserves those titles; and last I checked both are Biblical. In fact, Peter uses that combination four times in the book of 2 Peter alone, not once in reference to the need to make Christ Lord of one's life in order to be saved. Biblically speaking the title didn't signify a soteriological position.

Tragically, however, that terminology has been hijacked by bad theology. And make no mistake, it is tragic. Bad theology should not own the rights to good, sound Biblical terminology. Christ is Lord, and we should not hesitate to speak of Him as such simply because some have chosen to muddy the waters of salvation with the term.

Let's not refrain from giving Christ the honor He is due. Let's not hesitate nor apologize for calling Christ that which He is. Most of all, let's not allow bad theology to define how we speak of Christ.

My Vehicle Was Vandalized

2011-08-16T13:19:00.000-05:00

I am a fairly distracted individual. Proof of this fact was evident on Sunday morning when, in the middle of preaching, I noticed that my car was being vandalized. (It just so happened that I parked in the perfect place this weekend allowing me line-of-sight through the windows in the auditorium.) In case you were wondering... yes, I lost my place.

Take a peek at the "damage"...

My car was littered with countless post it notes (literally, I couldn't count them all...) each with a handwritten message from a child in one of our Sunday morning programs. As a part of their last day together before moving up a grade level the class decided to celebrate and, apparently, vandalize a car in the process.

Thanks Steve and Sandra Hogue for orchestrating the event - the notes were priceless, encouraging and now sit proudly in a keepsake box on my desk where I store my best ministry memories.

I love our kids.

Remove the Roof

2011-08-04T13:59:00.005-05:00

Sometimes leading people to God is as simple as removing the roof. In Mark chapter 2 we read the story of Jesus healing the paralytic. Scripture says that as Jesus came into Capernaum He was flooded by people seeking help and healing; so flooded, in fact, that no one could even get in the door of the home in which Christ was staying. Desperate to see their friend healed, these men decided that if they could not move the crowd they would remove the roof. They carried their friend to the roof, dug a hole and lowered him down to Jesus.

Sometimes leading people to God is as simple as removing the roof – the obstacle standing in their way. For instance, I’ve met a lot of people who told me that they never would have come to church without the invitation of someone they knew. Why? They simply couldn’t see around the obstacle of having to go alone. I’ve met people who came to Christ because someone gave them gas money and, upon inquiring why, were told about a man named Jesus. I’ve seen children come to faith because a family in their neighborhood overcame the obstacle of transportation by taking them to church.

So look for opportunities to remove the roof. Maybe there’s a single mom in your neighborhood who can’t see around the obstacle of having to go alone; invite her to come with you. Maybe there’s a co-worker who doubts that God really cares; show them God’s compassion through yours. We may not be able to remove every question or doubt we encounter but we can remove the simple barriers often keeping people from believing that Jesus cares about them.

Preachers Should Write

2011-08-01T08:45:00.009-05:00

Great quote from an old book given to me by a good friend,

"Preachers should write much - not, however, with the thought of preserving what is written. Much of it is not worth preserving. In writing, one learns to be clear in his expressions. He learns to speak with finality. He learns to quit when he has finished saying the main thing."

One of the best disciplines for me has been writing because it does bring a sense of clarity to things, helping me find the right words so that I can quickly and clearly articulate my thoughts in more public settings. But one of the dangers of this generation is that we want everything we write to be read. Every pastor wants to be published. Every blogger wants to be followed. And many of us are too young to have yet clearly articulated anything profound to say, let alone anything worth remembering. As Melton well states, "much of it is not worth preserving."

The thing that is worth preserving, however, is the discipline itself. If you don't write, you should; for no other reason than to clarify your own thoughts.

Write to think.

Study Break's

2011-07-27T06:00:00.033-05:00

I've learned that study break's are a critical part of doing ministry well. In fact, of all the pastors I most respect and of all the churches I see doing some of the most profound work for the kingdom, I find that the common denominator is that their leaders have learned to retreat with God well.

Here's a few things I've learned about taking a study break:

Take no less than 3 full days. Go up on a mountain alone with God and make sure you spend ample time on your face before Him. It takes at least 3 full days to fully accomplish what most pastors need to accomplish (more on that in a minute). Trust me, you'll be amazed at how fast that time goes AND how rushed you feel to get it all done.
Consider the categories. Consider what you need to be doing during your time away and carve out significant blocks of time to do it in. For me those things include: extended time in the Word, prayer, worship, strategic planning, preaching prep, design of new and upcoming series, "visioneering", evaluation, reading and writing.
Remove distractions. Isolate yourself. Don't bring anyone with you. Don't make phone calls. Limit the internet. Learn from how Christ and Moses met with God and pursue the isolation you need to retreat well.
Don't just schedule to do it, schedule how you will do. Make a plan of what you want to accomplish and stick to it. Most of all, schedule time for in-depth prayer and even worship. I find that this is the most likely thing to get bumped or pushed and yet it is the most critical piece of my time away with God; planning it ensures that this most important thing will happen and happen well.
Pray for your church. I took up the habit of a former pastor I served under and asked everyone in my church to write out one thing I can pray for on an index card. We furnished these cards in the main services for 2 weeks and consequently I left for my break knowing full well how to pray for the church. These cards also gave me incredible insight into where my church is at spiritually, what I need to be preaching about and how I need to be leading the people God has entrusted to me.
Don't just pray, fast. We don't fast enough and we need to make space for it - the study break is the perfect venue for it.
Choose what you read wisely. Take a book specifically geared towards where you feel God leading your church. Also, preview the book before you go (this was some of the best advice I received); if you don't you may end up on retreat with a book you don't need at the time you most need it.
Communicate your time well. If you want to keep the right to take these crucial breaks, make sure your church knows how important and beneficial they are both to you and to them. Communicate what you are going to do before you do it, ask them for prayer cards and involve them by praying for you and the church, and then let them know what you learned when you get back. When you show them how important it is and communicate how essential it was for the church in terms of clarifying vision and direction they will be all the more eager to help you retreat well in the future - even insisting on it!

Obviously, I'm still learning what makes for an effective study break. If you've got some advice as to what has worked for you, I'd love to hear it. Leave me a comment.

One Week Only Leaves One Weak

2011-07-26T09:22:00.003-05:00

One of the most important lessons I've learned as a pastor is that taking only one week off as your vacation is about as good as taking no week off for vacation.

One week simply doesn't cut it. It's not enough. You don't really get away. You don't really rest. Your soul won't heal.

Not in a week.

I read a study somewhere that argued that it takes a full week simply to begin to vacation - to finally let go of your work and clear your head - which means you need at least one more week so that you can actually rest, be present with your family and heal from the rigors of ministry. And it's true. One week isn't enough. The first several days most pastors are still processing on the last weekend, the meetings they just wrapped up and the decisions that "hang in the balance." More than anything, your mind is still holding onto the comments and criticisms of the year. It may not be obvious and it may not feel that way, but by the end of the first week your brain is just beginning to wind down; and unfortunately that's just about the time most pastors begin gearing up to go back to work which means their mind and spirit never truly rest.

For the first time in my career I made it a priority to take a 2 week vacation this summer - followed by a 3 day study break. In all, I was out of the office almost 3 weeks and what I learned was that I needed every single second of that time... for me, for my family and most of all for my soul.

One week simply isn't enough.

In my next post I'll share some learning's and advice on taking a study break...

Pastors and Social Media

2011-06-20T13:59:00.002-05:00

Churches are notoriously bad at leveraging technology well, if ever. Pastors, in particular, struggle to understand technology let alone see the need for it. In a technology-dominant culture like ours, that is a huge mistake.

The rise of social media provides pastors with something most every pastor I talk to is dying to have: more access to people. The problem for most pastors is that the access social media gives them doesn't feel like a very valuable point of connection. But it is.

Social media gives pastors the opportunity to really understand the world their people are living in. It becomes very apparent what your people care about and what they engage in when you watch their Facebook status updates. For example, I learn really quick which father's spend too much time at work and/or too much time on the golf range versus those who are really seeking to be intentional with their kids. These glimpses also give pastors unique opportunities to chime in and cheer on their people day to day. I am reminded who is still searching for a job and I can let them know I'm praying for their interview today at 3 p.m.

Unfortunately there are a number of ways we, as pastors and church leaders, mess up social media. Neue Magazine recently posted a great little article entitled "7 Ways Pastors Fail at Socail Media," which I highly encourage you to read if you are struggling with embracing social media in your ministry.

Too many pastors criticize social media for not being authentic enough, for being too narcissistic, too limited, too impersonal... Is it perfect? No. Is it as good as a face to face meeting over coffee? No. Is it better than knowing nothing at all about your people's lives outside of church? Absolutely! And is it better than them knowing nothing at all about yours other than what you preach on Sunday? You betcha!

Toughen Up Your Leadership Fingers

2011-06-14T08:24:00.001-05:00

Anyone who has ever undertaken learning the guitar knows that early on it is a painful process. In order to master the instrument your fingers must first toughen up; you must toughen the skin on the tips of your fingers in order to take the repeated wear from the strings. Those who cannot push through the initial sting of this process never master the art.

And the same is true of leadership.

Anyone who has ever undertaken leadership knows that it can be a painful process. Every move and decision is subject to critique and the repeated wear of dealing with opinion can be difficult. Good leaders push through the initial sting of the process in order to master the art. And just as a guitarist develops callouses on his or her fingers in order to play well, so too must a leader.

While you might be inclined to think that anything calloused in a leader is a bad thing, making the leader insensitive or removed from everyday people, the opposite is actually true. In the process of developing callouses a guitarist is developing more sensitivity, not less; a heightened sensitivity and touch is gained, not lost.

Great leaders endure because they have toughened up their leadership fingers and, in the process, gained a greater touch and sensitivity to the organization (or people) that they lead. But neither endurance or experience will come without first learning to survive the wear that comes with leading.

When you feel the pressure and pain of leadership creep in and when your decisions are met with opinions don't make the fatal mistake of pulling back. Instead, play harder. Apply yourself all the more to the task at hand. Endurance and experience will only come once you learn to toughen up your leadership fingers.

Change Your Delivery

2011-05-26T08:28:00.001-05:00

When you move to teach something you've taught a thousand times before the temptation is to work to find a new angle, new information or at the very least a new way to illustrate your point.

But sometimes the key is changing your delivery, not your content.

When facing a familiar Bible story try putting the people into the shoes of the main character by re-telling the story (think narrative, not exposition). Force your audience to consider the faith of the character instead of the definitions of the words.

Build your argument around a visual that you interact with throughout the preaching of your text. I'm preparing to do a sermon in June on stewardship from a familiar passage, but I'll spend the entire time using running water on stage to illustrate a Biblical principle. I've seen pastors use cantaloupe's for messages on stewardship; microwave's and brownie mix for passages on obedience; treadmills for messages on discipline and endurance; mud, music, even hockey for all kinds of central themes directly related to a familiar but critical passage.

Even changing your stance can make a big impact. Sitting down and delivering a difficult message in a conversational style can change the perception of the listener on a controversial issue. Think about it; in our culture talking it through instead of firing it out may be more far more engaging for those coming into the conversation with baggage.

My point is this: We must not tire of rethinking how we preach, not just what we preach. So the next time you face a familiar passage consider how you can change your delivery and not just your content.

Resist the Drift

2011-05-24T14:50:00.000-05:00

At the heart of Christianity is the call to die to self. Paul called it the "putting off our old selves and putting on the new." [Eph. 4:22-24] It is the call to resist where our human nature takes us - towards self instead of sacrifice, getting instead of giving, consuming instead of contributing... our constant task as Christians is to Resist the Drift.

Here's one I struggle with:

When I get a rare weekend off, I find myself tempted to attend the late service.

What's the problem with that, you ask? Well, in our church that's a cardinal sin. We're over 100% capacity in our late service; constantly being forced to drag in extra chairs at the last second. Consequently, I've asked people to move to the 9 a.m. service instead. But for some reason when I get a week off I don't want to go early... after all, I've earned it. I'm always there early. And besides, it's hard on the kids.

But it's hard on the visitors too. Visitors come at 11, not 9. And I know that.

My nature leads me towards self instead of sacrifice, but that's not how Christ called me to live. My job as a follower of Christ is to constantly resist the drift.

What drift are you facing? Is it financial? Is it preferential? Is it an issue of time? Whatever it is, consider heavily who you're serving and if "self" is any part of the answer then resist the drift.

Sneak Peak

2011-04-30T10:14:00.000-05:00

Here's a sneak peak at the bumper for our new series, Love Song. Our graphic designer came up with a great concept for the series artwork which led to an obvious concept for a short trailer we'll use each week as we get the stage ready for the message.

Enjoy!

Love Song

2011-04-29T09:00:00.000-05:00

This weekend we kick off a new series at Northeast called Love Song, a marriage (and relationships) series based on the Song of Songs.

Of all the series we've done so far this year, Love Song could prove to be the most important. The truth of the matter is that marriage really isn't about us; marriage is about God.

Of all the metaphors God uses in Scripture to describe His relationship with us, the marriage metaphor tops the charts. Scripture is clear, your marriage is designed not simply to provide you with companionship because God said, "It is not good for man to be alone;" rather, your marriage is designed to reflect God to the world.

This is why it matters who we marry and how we do marriage. If our "Christian" marriages are billboards for God's relationship with us then we need to be doing a much better job communicating forgiveness, faithfulness, grace and mercy in our marriages.

What is your marriage saying to the world about our God? If you don't know you should probably join us for the next 6 weeks.

See you Sunday.

Good Thought

2011-03-31T09:08:00.000-05:00

Was talking to someone yesterday who said:

If you don't want the Bible to change you,
don't pick it up.

It was a great thought and a great reminder that our ultimate goal when we engage Scripture shouldn't just be study, but rather to be changed. Study is a means to an end, but in the end it is how much we have changed - not how much we know - that really matters.

Pursue transformation not just information.

Preach a Weak Sermon

2011-03-28T17:13:00.002-05:00

Sometimes ministry interrupts study. This was one of those weeks for me. They tell you in seminary and at conferences that you can't afford to give up your study time, that you get only one shot with most of your people each week and that you need to be ready... but they also don't tell you how to manage your schedule when people die, critical conversations emerge or when you get sick.

After finishing an elder retreat Saturday evening I wasn't feeling very ready for Sunday morning. My wife urged me to go to work, and although it was tempting, I told her I couldn't afford to.

Here's the thing: Your ministry can survive a weak sermon, but it won't survive a weak marriage.

After being out late a few evenings, being sick another and then being away for an elders retreat I simply couldn't afford another night away from my wife. Sure, you could argue it was only one night but the truth of the matter is that its never "only one night."

I made a decision long ago to never sacrifice my family or my marriage on the altar of ministry, and it's one I refuse to compromise. So I went into Sunday morning feeling weak, but that's not a problem because the God I know chooses to use the weak things of this world to shame the wise. In fact, this past Sunday turned out to be one of my better messages; not because I had prepared, mind you, but simply because I had prayed harder than I had in a long while and trusted God with the rest.

So preach a weak sermon every once and a while. Pray hard. Invite God to do what you can't when your week has spun out of control. And don't be surprised when He shows up because He cares a lot more than you do about feeding His people.

Announcements in Your Church Service

2011-03-21T09:40:00.000-05:00

What is the purpose of "announcements" in your service?

If you answered, "To convey important information on upcoming ministries or opportunities," then you are dead wrong.

Announcements aren't about conveying information. If that's all your announcer is doing, get a new one. Why? Because announcements are about encouraging action.

Our job is to communicate values and help people catch a small vision for why they need to be engaged in 'X opportunity.' Once they are convinced of that, the details will suddenly become important to them. Not only that, once they catch the vision they will go out of their way to not only to attend but to tell others about what they're doing. That's priceless.

Stop communicating details; start communicating vision and values... even in your announcements.

Lost & Found

2011-03-16T09:17:00.003-05:00

How much you search for something says a lot about how much you value it... and the same is true of God.

This past weekend we kicked off a new series called Lost & Found, a series based on the 'lost and found' parables of Luke 14-15. We began with the parable of the great banquet, which is really a parable about lost guests. In the parable, the master has issued an invitation to a great banquet; but once the banquet is ready and the guests are summoned a resounding, "Sorry, but I can't make it after all," comes from those who had initially committed. Since God is an exceedingly generous God He issues an exceedingly generous invitation to those who are sick, poor, far off and undeserving. Everyone is invited.

But what about the original guests? Two questions often arise concerning those who rejected the invitation:

First, is Christ suggesting that it's possible to lose your salvation? Absolutely not. John 10:28-29 make it clear that for those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ nothing can snatch them out of the hand of God. According to John, you would have to be greater than God to do so; therefore by implication no one can, not even ourselves. It is important to note that Christ is not talking about saved people missing out on the great banquet, but rather people who thought they were close to God when in fact they were not. This was a common theme and warning from Christ (see also Luke 13:28 and Matthew 7:21-23) that there are many who think they will be at the party with Jesus when in fact they will not; they are trusting in the wrong things. So no, Christ is not suggesting that you can lose your salvation.

Second, is Christ suggesting that God is exclusive and that all are actually not invited? Again, I believe the answer is no. According to the parable, who is to blame for missing the banquet? The guests. They chose to forgo the banquet in lieu of possessions (Lk. 14:18-19) and pleasure (Lk. 14:20). God didn't have to exclude them because they had already excluded themselves. We must be careful not to put the responsibility of our rebellion on God. Again, the picture given of God is that He refuses to hold a party without guests because people are His passion. While He had every right to just shut the party down and move on without us, instead He sends His servant (Jesus Christ) to issue an exceedingly generous invitation to those who are sick, poor, far off and undeserving.

Again, how much you search for something says a lot about how much you value it. God so loved the world that He sent His Servant, Jesus Christ, into the world to issue an exceedingly generous invitation: "Come, join the party. Accept my invitation and dine with me."

Responding Well

2011-03-14T08:00:00.001-05:00

Dawn clipped this gem of a quote out of a book she's been reading:

The way we respond to our children's mistakes today is the way they'll assume we'll respond in the future. And what they find in us is much of what they expect to find in God.

For a father who has a tendency to be pretty hard on his son, this hit me like a ton of bricks.

What are you teaching your children that God is like?