My mom's been a minister of music at the same church now for about 18 years. That's a long time if you didn't know that. When I was a kid, we would go with her to church during the week when we didn't have school. She would find stuff for us to do, or my sister, brother, and I would usually find a way to kill each other during the workday. One day our church decided to go big or go home and bought new hymnals. So it became the duty of my sister, brother, and me to collect all of the old hymnals, stamp the new hymnals with our church name (hymnal theft was a major issue at the time) and put out the new ones. I don't remember how many hymnals there were, but I remember that the sanctuary sat about 1200 people, and for a 10 year old kid, that's a lot of hymnals. It took my siblings and I the better part of a week to get those things in, but the following Sunday we knew that it would be worth it because of all of the sweet attention we would get for "serving" the Lord so graciously.
Sunday comes around and the place is a buzz with all of the new hymnals that have been put in the beautiful orange pews. The pastor got up to make his announcements and my siblings and I made eye contact with that look that says, "here it comes, let's get ready to become heros." The pastor got up and made several comments about the beautiful new hymnals and people clapped because of the new hymnals and their excitement surrounding them, but neither my name nor my siblings were ever mentioned. Of course, I was outraged by this development. I went to my mom and demanded a reason for this short-sighted gratitude. My mom, full of the Holy Spirit, (if the guys in the Bible can say that, so can I because it's true) looks at me and says, "sometimes we do things because they need to be done and God wants us to, not because we'll get credit for it."
That was the first time that the message of serving others really stuck with me. That's when I began to realize that credit is one of the worse things you can get, because it can go straight to your head. One of my biggest fears is that I will have faith in myself and forget about God. I never want that to happen, and I thank God for a mother who didn't want to see that happen either. And you thought hymnals were irrelevant...
Well, I figured I'd post this before Dale did. (See the "Let Me Drive" link to the right to get to Dale's blog.) We're up in Wisconsin for a District Pastor and Spouse Retreat (Brooke couldn't come, sad face). It's at a beautiful resort right on Lake Michigan, which might as well be an ocean. We have a free afternoon so we decide to go kayaking. I've gone kayaking about 128 times (roughly) at my parents house since they own two kayaks. So I'm down and ready to show my stuff. We get ready to launch the kayaks and the guy we rented from is explaining how to get in. I'm all like "yeah whatever" in my head and head on down to get in. I inexplicably break every rule of getting into a kayak at once (somehow knowingly in my head) and as I go to enter the kayak, the whole thing flips me over and I'm swimming in the Sheboygan river, right next to Lake Michigan. This part is rather embarrassing, however, the water temperature is 45 degrees and it literally takes my breath away. I was gasping for air when I hit the surface because I literally couldn't breathe. Not my proudest moment.
I finally get out and everyone has a good laugh (myself included) and I have a choice to make: do I try to get back in or do I call it a day? Both options crossed my mind, but I was reminded of a story I had heard the night before. Dr. John Bowling (in all seriousness - a man I have an unbelievable amount of respect for), the president of Olivet Nazarene University had spoken to our group the night before about climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa. Yeah, seriously. So as I was standing there soaking wet, I thought, "If a 62 year old man can climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, I can kayak in the Sheboygan River." AND I DID!!!!! (cue theme from "Rocky")
I finally get out and everyone has a good laugh (myself included) and I have a choice to make: do I try to get back in or do I call it a day? Both options crossed my mind, but I was reminded of a story I had heard the night before. Dr. John Bowling (in all seriousness - a man I have an unbelievable amount of respect for), the president of Olivet Nazarene University had spoken to our group the night before about climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa. Yeah, seriously. So as I was standing there soaking wet, I thought, "If a 62 year old man can climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, I can kayak in the Sheboygan River." AND I DID!!!!! (cue theme from "Rocky")
I'm sitting in Wisconsin, looking out over moonlit Lake Michigan thinking about how awesome God is. More than that, I'm thanking Him for allowing me to be part of this incredible mission that He's called the church to be on. Today I had the privilege of speaking at BridgeWay for the first time. Like always at BridgeWay, the band was smokin', the crowd was hoppin, and the Spirit was moving so hard the building was shaking! (That could have been the result of one of the aftershocks from the earthquake this week, but I like my theory better.) God through His Son Jesus Christ set people free this week from addictions and sins that had been deeply rooted in their lives. It was awesome to talk about "Jesus the Conquering Warrior" and deliver a message with truths that I am so passionate about. It does shed light on the idea that the scripture is like a double-edged sword, because wielding those truths (at least for me) give me great pause, because I know the life-change that can come from them when wielded correctly. The Holy Spirit made Himself known in incredible and increasing ways this week and like I said before, I was just priviledged to be a part of it.
You can download messages from BridgeWay at www.bridgewaycc.net.
You can download messages from BridgeWay at www.bridgewaycc.net.
My favorite part of blogging is when someone you work with is like "Hey, you should start a blog," then you start one and put them on your "Blog's that I Enjoy" list and they don't return the favor. Yeah, I'd say that's my favorite part.
Well, God answers prayer once again. When we came to Bridgeway, Brooke and I knew it was exactly what God wanted us to do, even though it meant I would take a pretty significant pay cut and she would be looking for a job cold. She began to search for jobs and Wednesday she was offered a position at Lutheran Social Services in Peoria and accepted. What's cool about this is it is exactly what she was doing in Ottawa, except that they take about a million times better care of their employees. She is working the same number of hours, has about 3 times as many vacation days as her old job, and the best part is the increase in salary from her old job is exactly the pay cut that I took in my salary to come to Bridgeway! God's a nut sometimes huh?
This is the bumper video for our next series called "The Real Jesus" starting April 20. It's going to be an incredible series so make sure you make it each week or download the podcasts from www.bridgewaycc.net.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPMNGWyHSOY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPMNGWyHSOY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbcLArwrtN8
If you get about 4 minutes, check out this video on YouTube. It's a song by a guy named Kees Kraayenoord called "God of the Moon and Stars." It's really powerful and convicting. Check it out!
If you get about 4 minutes, check out this video on YouTube. It's a song by a guy named Kees Kraayenoord called "God of the Moon and Stars." It's really powerful and convicting. Check it out!
I grew up in a Christian home with incredible Christian parents. They led lives of example for me that still influence me deeply today. I went to church all my life, accepted Christ at a young age and have lived faithfully for Him ever since, or so I thought.
As I grew in my faith, I quickly became very Pharisaical (Pharisee-like) in my beliefs and extremely quick to judge. Never verbally, but in my head (which is probably worse). I began to look at how much worse off everyone was than me, and how I could be thankful that I wasn't like them. The worst part was I was completely unaware of this part of my life.
Through personal study and prayer, God convicted me of this behavior and beliefs and changed my life. What was odd about it though, is that my beliefs didn't go right to where they should have, but went to a different place. There became a new belief that moved in that said basically, "what Christ did in my life through the cross wasn't as significant (as other people's lives) because I wasn't that bad to begin with." Now, putting that into type makes me very ashamed and uncomfortable, but it's part of my testimony. I would read about sin being slain through the cross and victory over addictions and death and think, "that's great for all those people who need that." Again, I was completely lacking awareness of who God is.
A couple years ago I heard a message from Mark Driscoll, pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, and he was talking about Paul. Mark said that Paul's writings as he got older in life really focused on how bad of a person Paul (himself) was. Now this wasn't because Paul was backsliding (to go old-school on you), but because Paul was becoming more aware of how awesome God is and how truly terrible he was without God.
That moment revolutionized my life. I repented right there for minimizing the work of God in my own life and have prayed every day for that awareness of how good God is and how I can't live without Him. That marked the first time in my life where I grasped the significance of the cross in my own life and have never looked back since. That moment brought on new meanings to the words "grace," "mercy," "love," "hope," and ultimately "joy" as I found what it was that God had for me all along.
As I grew in my faith, I quickly became very Pharisaical (Pharisee-like) in my beliefs and extremely quick to judge. Never verbally, but in my head (which is probably worse). I began to look at how much worse off everyone was than me, and how I could be thankful that I wasn't like them. The worst part was I was completely unaware of this part of my life.
Through personal study and prayer, God convicted me of this behavior and beliefs and changed my life. What was odd about it though, is that my beliefs didn't go right to where they should have, but went to a different place. There became a new belief that moved in that said basically, "what Christ did in my life through the cross wasn't as significant (as other people's lives) because I wasn't that bad to begin with." Now, putting that into type makes me very ashamed and uncomfortable, but it's part of my testimony. I would read about sin being slain through the cross and victory over addictions and death and think, "that's great for all those people who need that." Again, I was completely lacking awareness of who God is.
A couple years ago I heard a message from Mark Driscoll, pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, and he was talking about Paul. Mark said that Paul's writings as he got older in life really focused on how bad of a person Paul (himself) was. Now this wasn't because Paul was backsliding (to go old-school on you), but because Paul was becoming more aware of how awesome God is and how truly terrible he was without God.
That moment revolutionized my life. I repented right there for minimizing the work of God in my own life and have prayed every day for that awareness of how good God is and how I can't live without Him. That marked the first time in my life where I grasped the significance of the cross in my own life and have never looked back since. That moment brought on new meanings to the words "grace," "mercy," "love," "hope," and ultimately "joy" as I found what it was that God had for me all along.
Recently, my life has undergone several big changes in a good way. I ended a wrestling match with God (I tapped out) to follow His call on my life into a different area of ministry. That meant I had to leave a job and church that I loved, sell our house, move an hour and a half south, buy a new house, accept a new position at an awesome church, while my wife resigned her job in Ottawa with no job lined up in our new town. This has been an incredible experience and God has proven Himself faithful over and over again.
This transition spurred after a year and a half of feeling God move in my life and change my calling from student ministry to an administrative role. When I would tell people what my new position was, several people would comment along the lines of "well, you're moving up, so that's good." This perception of student ministry really bothers me. I don't consider my move to be a move up, I consider it to be lateral at best.
All of those folks in the world that are student pastors do it because they are called to it and God is using them in that field. It is not an entry level position, it's not the easy job we'll give anyone, it's a calling, it's a ministry, and it deserves as much respect as any other ministry position out there.
In my tenure as student pastor, I had sleepless nights praying for students, parents that chewed me up and spit me out, and moments that God moved in ways that are indescribable. And I was only in student ministry for four years!
The shift in my calling was simply that, a shift. I don't consider it a move up, so please don't say that to me. To all of you in student ministry, I salute you, and want you to know that if you are ever looking for a supporter, look me up!
This transition spurred after a year and a half of feeling God move in my life and change my calling from student ministry to an administrative role. When I would tell people what my new position was, several people would comment along the lines of "well, you're moving up, so that's good." This perception of student ministry really bothers me. I don't consider my move to be a move up, I consider it to be lateral at best.
All of those folks in the world that are student pastors do it because they are called to it and God is using them in that field. It is not an entry level position, it's not the easy job we'll give anyone, it's a calling, it's a ministry, and it deserves as much respect as any other ministry position out there.
In my tenure as student pastor, I had sleepless nights praying for students, parents that chewed me up and spit me out, and moments that God moved in ways that are indescribable. And I was only in student ministry for four years!
The shift in my calling was simply that, a shift. I don't consider it a move up, so please don't say that to me. To all of you in student ministry, I salute you, and want you to know that if you are ever looking for a supporter, look me up!
