New Songs Of Praise

Captivated By the Heart of God

2012-01-28T18:09:00.000-06:00

I would like to announce the new release of my eBook, Captivated By the Heart of God: 40 Daily Devotionals From the Life of a Worship Leader, available on Amazon.com from Kindle Direct Publishing. Captivated By the Heart of God is a collection of daily devotionals written by a Worship Leader with 30 years experience leading worship. Combining scripture, life experience and anecdotes, these devotionals explore how to experience a deeper relationship with God.This eBook can be read on any digital device using the free Kindle Apps, also available on Amazon.com. A free sample of the book is available for your review. To purchase your copy, clink on the link below to go directly to the book on Amazon.com.

Purchase Captivated By the Heart of God here.

Authentic Transformational Change

2012-01-19T10:44:00.003-06:00

I have been teaching a small group bible study on living the spiritually-empowered life and last night there was much discussion about why it is so difficult for us to change. If we were all honest with one another and ourselves, we would have to admit that one of the hardest things we have to do in life is change. We try, we toil, and we become more and more determined, yet we often find ourselves stuck in the same spot, even sometimes a few steps backward from where we started. Frustrating, isn't it?

So why is it so hard to make real, lasting change? Why do we continually fail in our attempts to correct the problem areas in our lives? There are a few reasons, but there are two main ones that are to blame. The first is because we are trying to change ourselves and that doesn't work. The real problem is that we are trying to do what only the Holy Spirit has the power to do in us. We can not really change our character on our own. That is why God sent his Son, Jesus to the world. So, the first step to authentic change is to stop trying to do it on our own and let God take over and change us. When he changes us, it is lasting and authentic.

The second reason why change is so hard is very simple, yet profound. We don't change because we won't die. That's right, die! That 3-letter word sends people running for the door screaming, "Not that! I'll do anything, just don't ask me to die!" You see, without dying to self, any change we make is only outward and you cannot change your character simply by changing your behavior. However, if you die to yourself so that God can have control of your heart, then and only then, can he change you from the inside out. Once you are transformed on the inside, or once there is a change in character, your behavior will naturally change as a result. This is exactly what the Apostle Paul was referring to in Galatians 2:20 when he said, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me." Refusing to die will forever sabotage your attempt to see authentic change in your life.

Stop trying to change yourself today and begin to ask God to take over and you will be amazed at the results. Then lay your life down for him. I mean really die to yourself. Once you die, he will make you new again and you will be changed from the inside out. Remember, only he can do that.

Real Character and How Culture Has Got It Dead Wrong

2012-01-10T19:57:00.000-06:00

I have noticed a large number of Twitter, Facebook and Blog posts mentioning the concept of character. Most of it is good stuff, but I have to say that there is a lot that is just dead wrong when it comes to what character is really all about. It is widely accepted in today's culture that what you do defines who you are. This belief states that your character is a result of what you do. To quote one Tweet, "Your character is the sum of your habits." Although this may seem lofty and wise, it is shaky at best, and just plain dangerous thinking.

This philosophy defines character as the fruit of our actions, when the truth is that our actions are the fruit of our character, or lack of it. Take an apple tree for instance. The apple does not produce the tree. It's the other way around. It is the tree that produces the apple. The apple is called the fruit, or the product of the apple tree. The fruit on a tree is the outward proof that the tree is healthy. For us, our actions or behavior are the fruit or outward indication of what is on the inside of us, or who we really are. That is character. Someone defined character as what you are when no one is looking. Jesus said it like this in Matthew 12:34 - "For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks." Our outward behavior is the barometer of the condition of our heart.

The other danger in this backwards thinking is believing that people can change simply by changing their behavior. While behavior modification is an important tool, it does not produce real, lasting change. This is why most modern-day drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs don't work. A person can act differently, but that doesn't change the person. Eventually their real character will reemerge and their bad behavior will follow. A rage-aholic can't stop his anger simply by being nice to people. All it takes is some jerk to cut him off on the freeway and what is inside will come spilling out.

Changing one's character is a complicated task, but it can be done. I don't have time to go into the intricacies of character change in this post but you can read my post, Transformational Living by clicking here. If you truly want to see change in your life, it has to involve much more than just changed actions and behavior. It will require a change in your understanding of who you are on the inside - a change of heart. When you do that, your behavior will naturally follow and the fruit produced in your life will be healthy.

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Real-World vs. Virtual Leaders: Are You a Leader, Or Just a Social Networker?

2012-01-08T16:49:00.000-06:00

Too many leaders today are simply focused on increasing their following. The number of Twitter or Facebook followers is not the measure of successful leadership. Getting retweeted is not a true measure of greatness either. Leadership is about ensuring the success of those around you. Are you simply focused on increasing your followers? Do you measure your success as a leader by your online presence? Then you are merely a social networker, not a leader.

Social Networking is only concerned about advancing self. Leadership is about advancing other people. In the real world of leadership, this is what separates the men from the boys. The world doesn't need more online pundits writing more blogs, giving us the top ten ways to do this, or 20 tips for doing that. Many Internet leadership gurus never spend any time in a room with real people and have never actually met any of their online followers. Leadership is not something that can be developed out of an online presence. It is developed by personally investing in people and spending time with them. That should be the standard by which leadership is measured. As I said before, anything less is just social networking.

The Best Laid Plans...

2012-01-02T11:43:00.001-06:00

We have now begun a new year and we are full of anticipation of what lies ahead, of a fresh start and new horizons. Many, if not all, are already working hard to accomplish new resolutions, pregnant with a growing motivation and determination that this year will be better than last. As I read the latest Facebook status updates and Tweets, by far the vast majority are being dedicated to the subject of New Year's resolutions. This is all good. It reminds me of the character of God as his word tells us in Lamentations that his mercies are new every morning. He is the God of new horizons and fresh starts.

I do struggle with the whole notion of New Year's resolutions though, not because I think they are wrong, but because I wonder if we have lost sight of something more important. I think if we were all honest with ourselves, we would have to admit that most of our goals for the new year tend to be self-serving in the end with the goal of being better off this year than last year. New Year's resolutions always begin with the word "I" and that is symptomatic of the underlying problem. We have just finished a 60-day gorge fest. It started on October 31 with Halloween, a holiday designed solely for the purpose of going door-to-door to get as much stuff as possible throwing much of away. Then came Thanksgiving one month later, another holiday where Americans gorge themselves with food we don't need and can't possibly finish. Again, we end up throwing away more food than we could possibly eat. Then, the finale is Christmas where we get more stuff we don't need, only to end up at the return line at the mall to trade that stuff in for the stuff we really wanted. Then we make our list of resolutions of how we are going to do more, accomplish more, and be better in the coming year. No, I'm not in a bad mood because I didn't get what I wanted for Christmas, nor am I being a spoiled sport. I'm just pointing out something that is in our blind spot. The poorest in America is far more incredibly wealthy compared to the vast population of the rest of the world. Millions wake up every morning with only one goal - to simply survive that day. They have nothing. We have everything we could ever need, yet we are on a quest for more.

What if this year, instead of asking God for more, we just simply tried to do better with what He's already given us? Instead of making an annual list of expected accomplishments, why not find a way to make better use of what we already have, become better where we are now, and become the best person we can be with the resources already at our disposal? The Lord is challenging me to make this one of my goals this year - to find ways to lift the people around me up, to encourage them and invest in them, to use my resources to benefit them instead of me. I have a sneaky suspicion that in the process, I will somehow be transformed myself. I don't need more stuff, more gadgets, or more activity. There is still so much left undone. I'm tired of making my New Year's list. I want to discover what is on God's list for me and just focus on that. Our best laid plans fail because they are our plans, not God's. I want to say that I'm not against making resolutions or setting personal goals. We should do that. I'm simply pointing out the fact that as humans, we tend to get off track with good intentions. My prayer for you is that in this new year, God would reveal to you what he is already at work doing in you and that his plans would become your plans.

Happy New Year!

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3 Ways Social Networking Makes You A Better Leader

2011-12-28T09:20:00.000-06:00

I have been employed as a full-time Pastor for over 27 years now. In the course of that quarter century I have attended hundreds of conferences and seminars. Many years ago, when I was first starting out, my Senior Pastor encouraged me to seek out and develop a personal relationship with someone in my field of ministry and ask them to mentor me. I have made that a leadership habit in my life and I am thankful for the handful of men who have taken the time over the years to pour into me. I have established a leadership axiom that I follow: You will only be able to soar as high as the people you surround yourself with. When I played tennis in high school my best friend was so good I could never beat him. My coach told me that the more I played him, the better player I would become. I don't think I ever did beat Scott, but he sure made me a much better tennis player than I ever could have become on my own. That became by far the most important leadership principle I ever learned.

The introduction of Social Networking has revolutionized the concept of networking with others in my field of expertise. Chances are that if you are a leader and you are reading this blog, you too are taking advantage of what the Internet has to offer you. There are still many leaders out there speaking out against the evils of Social Networking, claiming that it is just making us more disconnected and lazy. I would agree that it can, but I find that Social Networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+, to name a few, are actually creating a greater depth of connectedness worldwide than we could have ever imagined. Let me share with you why I believe that every leader must embrace this technology.

The first reason is found in my opening paragraph. Social Networking gets you personally connected to people who are much bigger, better and successful than you are. This is a wonderful thing. The level of expertise and experience that I am now being exposed to in a very direct way is priceless. I get great ideas from people who have been where I am and can show me how to go higher. Without Twitter I am limited to connecting with maybe two or three a year. The Internet has increased my exposure level to great leaders on an exponential level.

The second reason is because it expands your sphere of influence. God has given you insights, experiences and ideas that are unique to you and there are people out there that need to connect with what only you can offer. Facebook has allowed me to touch more people than I ever have before. I must say that this never, ever takes the place of face-to-face, hands-on leadership. This enhances that. Facebook allows me to keep in constant communication with those God has entrusted me to lead. I can encourage them and share with them what God is speaking to my heart about them all week without having to wait until Sunday. People can't possibly grasp the total depth of your heart in just the two hours you have with them on Sunday. Social Networking increases your ability to lead and influence the people around you.

Finally, Social Networking prevents you from becoming isolated. I'm sure that sentence has more than a few people already typing their disagreement with me. Yes, the Internet has led to more isolation by creating a false sense of reality for some, but let's not throw the baby out with the bath water. The danger comes when the Internet replaces real relationship rather than enhancing it. Social Networking is a tool that, if used wisely, is powerful and useful. We would be crazy not to take advantage of such an incredible, God-given opportunity. I am amazed at how I have reconnected with friends from twenty or thirty years ago. I am humbled that there are actually real people out there that are interested in what I have to say! The more connected I become on Facebook, the more I am driven to become more connected with people in the real world. Some would disagree with me, but I really believe that the Internet can be credited with bringing people together and is making a positive impact in our world. Sure, there is a lot of evil it can create, but the same could be said about the telephone.

The choice for every leader is that we can either take advantage of the latest tools that are at our disposal, or we can reject them out of fear because a handful of people misuse them. Technology is a wonderful thing that we need to realize is a God-given gift. Like music, man has so perverted it to the point that it is leading countless millions astray by its influence. But my job as a Worship Pastor is to redeem that God-given gift back to Him so that it can be used for His glory to lead people to Him. The Internet and Social Networking also need redeeming. That's where leaders come in. It will make you a better leader in the process.

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When Was the Last Time You Said I'm Sorry?

2011-12-27T12:05:00.000-06:00

As I was reading through recent status updates on Facebook, I noticed someone simply quoted the famous line from the movie Love Story from 1970 with Ryan O'Neal and AliMcGraw - "Love means never having to say You're sorry." I've never seen the movie in its entirety and I don't plan on ever doing so. I also hate the music from that film. It's much too sappy and trite for my taste. I know, I've probably offended half my readers, and for that I'm sorry. But in all honesty, the real reason I dislike anything to do with that movie is because it presents such a distorted message about what love really is. Millions of couples have bought into the pop psychology that it teaches and many today are reeling from the broken relationships that kind of thinking leads to.

That simple phrase, "Love means never having to say You're sorry" is one of the biggest lies ever spoken. If that guides your relationships, I can tell you that you are headed for trouble. Your marriage won't survive that kind of selfish thinking. It will create resentment in your children and will drive a wedge in your friendships. 1 John 1:8 says, "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us." The bottom line is that never saying you're sorry is simply claiming to be perfect. You and I both know we are far from that. Many believe that saying you're sorry is a sign of weakness and you will lose respect if you do so. The reality is that the person who never admits any wrong isn't respected and is seen as weak, so this philosophy only leads you to the place you were trying to avoid.

James 5:16 tells us, "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed." I don't think James is telling us to publicly proclaim all of our faults to everyone. I believe he is talking about something much simpler and yet more profound than that. We must learn to live a lifestyle of authenticity which simply means saying I'm sorry when we have done wrong to someone. Why is it so hard for us to say two simple words? For starters, to say I'm sorry requires humility. Humility doesn't come naturally for us because our base nature strives to protect self. Humility does the opposite - it strives to protect others. It also requires vulnerability. When you say I'm sorry you put yourself at the mercy of others and that can be risky. However, refusing to admit you are wrong makes you vulnerable also, just in the opposite way. Humility breeds forgiveness while pride breeds judgement. If you want people to extend forgiveness to you, you have to say I'm sorry.

Here's one final thought about the subject. If you find that the people around you tend to be judgmental, unforgiving and harsh, perhaps it is because you have a hard time admitting when you are wrong and don't say I'm sorry. When we fail to do this we can't expect others around us to show us much mercy. If you don't walk in humility, you can't expect to be treated with grace. Saying I'm sorry takes strength of character and develops respect. It's true what they say, "What goes around, comes around."

Find ways this week to say I'm sorry and I was wrong. If this is new for you, it will take practice and it won't come easy, but hang in there and keep trying. I pray that as you determine to be authentic, your relationships will be transformed by these simple truths.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-23T15:36:00.001-06:00

I just want to take a moment to say Merry Christmas and thank you to the faithful readers and followers at New Songs of Praise. I have been writing this blog for 3 and a half years now and I am humbled that it is being read all over the world, in 106 countries, on every continent except Antarctica. Who knows, maybe some day it will reach someone down there too! As I write about worship and leadership principles that I have learned over the years, I hope it has somehow been an encouragement and a blessing to you. You have been an encouragement to me through your comments and feedback and that you would take time out of your day to read these posts.

So, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas! May you be filled with great comfort and joy that was proclaimed by the angels that day when Christ was born and may his light shine in you throughout the new year!

David Good
New Songs of Praise

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Sheer, Child-like Delight

2011-12-22T09:44:00.000-06:00

"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45

Nothing can compare to the sight of watching a child open a Christmas present and squeal with delight at the sight of receiving the one thing they most wished for in the whole world. My son is now 17 and he doesn't squeal and tries not to show too much emotion. That wouldn't be cool. I remember when he was 4 years old and wanted a Thomas the Tank Engine for Christmas. When he opened his present and saw it right before his very eyes he said: "Ohhhhh, doody, doody! Just what I always wanted my whole life! I'm soooo exciting!!!" Imagine that being said with eyes wide open, wide grin, and a lisp, and you get the picture. I miss those days. However, when he got an iPhone as an early present he immediately bragged about it to all his friends on Facebook. That made my day. Never once have I ever given my son a gift with the intention of ever getting anything from him in return. I can honestly say that my sole intention has always been simply to see the delight and joy on his face. It's hard to explain, but nothing comes close to bringing me more joy than delighting him with a special gift.

When Jesus came to us in the manger that first Christmas, he didn't come just so he could hear a host of angels sing, or see a bunch of shepherds bow down and worship him. He didn't come to get anything out of it. He came simply to lavish us with the greatest gift man could ever receive - grace! His coming was meant to delight us, not delight himself. As a father, I can imagine our Heavenly Father on that day peering over the heavens to see the delight on the faces of his children down here on earth. He wasn't trying to get a response. He was responding to us out of his love for us.

This Christmas I pray that you will be filled with a new-found delight and joy in the wonderful gift that you have been given. There could be no greater way to honor God and give him praise than by embracing the gift of his Son. Yes, the saying "It's better to give than to receive" is true, but don't get so caught up in giving that you forget to receive God's gift to you. Remember the words of the angels that day when they said, "Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. You couldn't give Him any better gift than sheer, child-like delight!

Merry Christmas from New Songs of Praise!

Peace Through Chaos: The Message of Christmas

2011-12-17T16:25:00.002-06:00

Isn't it amazing that the creator of the universe chose to come into our world through a young peasant girl? Out of all the people in the world, He chose someone who was virtually unknown. At the time of Jesus' birth Mary's world had been turned upside down because of this "unplanned" pregnancy. I wonder what her dreams of the future were and what aspirations she had? All of a sudden her life comes to a screeching halt and takes a drastic turn. She endured the scorn of others, perhaps even by her own family, because they assumed she had conceived a child out of wedlock with a guy named Joseph. This brought shame on her family. When the time came for Jesus to be born, they were on the street and had no place to stay. They had no money, were all alone and had a bleak future ahead of them.

God planned it that way. He chose this way to show you and I that He is found when we are at our worst. He didn't come in pageantry and fanfare. He came in quiet simplicity so the world would know that He comes to us just as we are, right in the middle of our struggles, in the midst of pain and suffering, in despair and hopelessness. He doesn't wait until we have life all figured out.

This Christmas season don't look for Him in the tinsel and lights or in the spectacular musical productions and programs. His glory is revealed in the day to day reality of life, away from the displays and pageantry. He is found in the midst of us trying to figure out how to make it to the next paycheck, in the bad news from the doctor or in the struggle to turn your marriage around. If you look, You will find Him there and He will bring His peace in the midst of it all. It's a peace that lasts long after the decorations are taken down.

Great Leaders Learn to Embrace Failure

2011-12-15T11:39:00.000-06:00

Great leaders aren't people who have done everything right and have enjoyed success all their life. Great leaders are those who have failed miserably many times along the way but have used their failures as a tool to catapult them to success. If you have failed, you have the potential to be a great leader. Failure doesn't have to determine your future. Only you have the power to do that. What you do with your failure is up to you. Don't let it control you, but rather, you take control of it and use it for your good.

5 Reasons Why Collaborative Leadership Works

2011-12-13T17:05:00.000-06:00

This January will mark 28 years of continuous, full-time ministry for me. Over the years I have learned so much about leadership. I have learned some invaluable lessons from some incredibly gifted leaders over the years. But some of the most valuable lessons I have learned come from some colossal mistakes I have watched others make. One common mistake I have observed leaders make is this - they fail to involve others around them. I am baffled as to why some people insist on leading all by themselves and refuse to partner with gifted people that God has surrounded them with. I suspect that the number reason for this is simply due to insecurity. They fear that someone might get the glory or steal their job away from them. That is not leadership and it won't accomplish very much.

I have come to the conclusion that great leaders value something others don't - collaboration. Webster's defines collaboration as "to work jointly with others or together, especially in an intellectual endeavor." Notice that I put the emphasis on with here because so many leave out that simple little word. It is a trite expression, but powerfully true nonetheless - "There is no I in team." The very essence of the meaning of leadership is to take people somewhere with you. Unless someone goes with you, you haven't led anyone! I have determined to be what I call a Collaborative Leader. This requires not only leading people, but involving them in the leadership process, giving them the reigns, and letting them get the credit. I can tell you it works and is the key to successful leadership whether you are a CEO in charge of thousands of people, or a manager in charge of just a few people in a small department. They key is to find creative ways to involve people in the process so that they feel an integral part of the team. Let me give you 5 reasons why Collaborative Leadership works.

#1 - It forces you to be humble. If you are going to involve people in your leadership, it will require you to put aside your own agenda and adopt a bigger one. When you collaborate with others, it ceases to be about you anymore and it becomes about us. That is a good thing and will make you a better leader.

#2 - It develops your people skills. Great leadership is 99% people skills and 1% actual talent. I know this to be true because I have observed two facts in life. First, I have observed that someone who has second-to-none talent and ability yet possesses very little people skills is doomed to fail. Like I said before, if you can't get people to go with you, you aren't leading, and you yourself will get nowhere. That is a simple fact of life. Collaboration requires that I work with people. Chances are great that any group of people will have a diversity in talent, skill and personality levels. This will require that you learn the art of team building.

#3 - It nurtures longevity in your team. Collaborative leaders have a reputation for high morale and a low turn-over rate in their departments. Why is this? It is because people feel valued and needed with this type of leader. I can tell you I would choose that over a larger salary any day. The reason why longevity is a result is because employees know this kind of leadership is rare and they don't want to give that up.

#4 - It is a lot more fun. Collaborative leaders sleep better at night, have less stress and are generally happy. I don't have clinical statistics to back this up, just experience. When you lead collaboratively, you take all the pressure off yourself of having to it all. You don't have to come up with all the answers and do all the work. You have a team that you can draw from. You see, not only do collaborative leaders share the glory with others when things go right, they have a team that is willing to share the responsibility when it goes wrong. Ask any winning professional sports team if this is true. When you win, the whole team wins. And when you lose, the whole team loses. If you chose to lead like a lone ranger you will get all the glory when your project succeeds, but you will also share the burden of failure all by yourself when it flops.

#5 - It makes you a better leader. Think about it. When you involve others in the process, you bring their giftings and abilities to the table. Including their talent and input increases the potential for success exponentially. The more I collaborate with others, the better I become. That is why it is important to surround yourself with people who have skills and experience that you don't. You now eliminate limitations and barriers. I have to admit that I owe all my successes to the people around me. I wouldn't be where I am today without so many others who have walked with me in the process through both the successes and the failures.

If you want to improve your leadership skills, the best way to do that is get people around you involved in the process. Purposefully surround yourself with people who can do things you can't and you will build a winning team that will not only work for you, but with you and will stay for the long-haul. You can do it all by yourself, but doing so will only limit you and you will only end up frustrated and lonely in the end.

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We Need More Leaders to Become Linchpins

2011-12-12T14:10:00.000-06:00

The latest buzz word in the blogosphere is "Linchpin". It's an old word that has been coined by the business guru, Seth Godin, to refer to movers and shakers. If you haven't heard of Seth or read his blog, I highly recommend you check it out. It is one of the best blogs out there on leadership. http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/

The definition of a linchpin is "a locking pin inserted in the end of a shaft, as in an axle, to prevent a wheel from slipping off; a central cohesive element."

The Internet is both wonderful and disturbing at the same time. Yes, there is a vast dark side that is on the verge of making the "wheel" fly off the axle in our modern culture. As society barrels down the road, the world is headed for a major crash. But, there is the other side of the Internet, one that I believe is much bigger than the dark side. This is the linchpin holding the wheel in place and steering culture away from catastrophe. That's where you and I come in. We can watch silently as the wheel comes off, or we can become linchpins in our world and help influence culture. There is so much good happening in the world but few people are talking about it. Our culture desperately needs hope because hope keeps the wheel from flying off the axle.

Be a linchpin. Start a blog that encourages, leads and inspires. Don't use it to vent and point out all that is wrong with the world. Use it to show the world that hope is not lost. Use your Facebook, Myspace or Twitter profiles to fill the Internet with encouragement. Challenge your followers and friends to become better and to be linchpins too. You may not have thousands of people follow you like Seth Godin, but all it takes is just a few. Jesus changed the world by influencing twelve men. Those twelve went on to be linchpins for their generation and many generations to follow. Start today. We need you to be a linchpin.

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God's Glory Shows Up Where You Least Expect It

2011-12-08T11:12:00.000-06:00

When Christ was born his birth announcement came in the least likely of places - out in a field to a bunch of simple shepherds in the middle of the night. I'm sure this surprised everybody, especially the shepherds. I imagine the religious leaders had been preparing the people to look for his anticipated arrival. They probably were expecting it to happen in a very public way for all to see, perhaps in the temple or at the home of the High Priest. They missed it because they were looking for his arrival in all the wrong places. The glory of the Lord was revealed far away from the lights and the crowds.

Where are you looking for His glory in your life? The Church is feverishly looking for Him to show up in the midst of our carefully choreographed worship services, skillfully articulated sermons and our spectacular revivals. I wonder sometimes if we are not much different than the religious leaders back then. I fear that we get so caught up in creating an atmosphere for His glory to appear, that we don't realize that He isn't there. We mistake our glory for the real thing. I'm finding that God shows up in the quiet moments of desperation, in the middle of bareness, and in our darkest moments just like He did at His birth. Isaiah 9 prophesied that the people walking in darkness would see a great light. Light would dawn on those living in the land of the shadow of death. That's where He chooses to shine His glory - where it's dark and lonely, not among the lights and the crowd.

May the glory of the Lord shine upon the dark places in your life, the places that lack beauty and glory. That's where He shows up so He can shine His light there and bring the beauty of His glory. May His presence and countenance rest upon you and your house this Christmas season.

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Leading Like Phil Jackson

2011-12-07T13:26:00.000-06:00

Phil Jackson is one of the most successful basketball coaches of our time. He is not a great leader because he can outplay his best players. In fact, he most likely wouldn't last long in a game against his own third-string bench. The key to his great leadership is his ability to maximize the great talent in his team. You will find that some of the greatest leaders of our time really aren't very talented. They just know how to lead and mentor others that have the talent to accomplish what they themselves can't. Here's the bottom line: Leading is not about you being great. It's about developing great people around you.

The Real Treasure of Christmas

2011-12-06T18:31:00.000-06:00

I was thinking about the birth of Jesus the other day. Not the way we normally think about it with the angels singing loudly and the magi bringing lavish gifts to the manger. I was thinking about the actual birthing process Mary went through when Jesus was born on that day. Childbirth is not pretty. It's painful and hard. When I stood next to my wife when she gave birth to my son, I thanked God in heaven that He made me a male and not a female!

The greatest gift to man was birthed not in pageantry and splendor, but in pain and agony. Isaiah 53 is a poetic picture of the true Messiah and Savior. It's hard to read because it is full of words like despised, rejected, sorrows, oppressed and afflicted. Jesus is given this title in verse 3 - "A man of sorrows acquainted with grief". The Father, in His wisdom and understanding, gave us His son born out of pain and sorrow so that we could know not just a man called Jesus, but a Savior who overcame the very pain and sorrow we needed to be rescued from. This is the Jesus the world can relate to because that is real life. The real treasure of Christmas is not the pretty lights, presents and music. It's that in the face of great pain and sorrow, we can find true life and peace!

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The Lost Art of Excellence

2011-11-29T09:46:00.000-06:00

Excellence is a lost art. Far too many leaders, businesses, schools and churches think they are striving for excellence when they are merely settling for satisfactory. The goal of excellence is not to be good enough. It is more about exceeding expectations and doing things better than anyone else is doing in your field. We flock to conferences and seminars to learn how the gurus are doing what they do and then go back to our company, church or school and try to implement those same strategies thinking we will be successful if we just copy successful people. That isn't excellence. It is merely achieving par - being just as good as the rest of the players. These gurus are successful because they are doing things no one else is doing and in ways no one else thought of. That is success. That is excellence.

If you carefully study the number one business of the day, the fastest growing church, or the most successful school in the country, you will find that their success can't be boiled down to a three-point plan. The real reason they are successful is because they simply identified a need that wasn't being met and found a way to meet that need. Excellence is not meeting the bar, it's setting the bar. Instead of making it our goal to achieve the standard, why not make it our goal to set the standard? Isn't that what a guru does? That's why we flock to them. It's because they are doing something no one else thought of. Whatever your niche or field of expertise is, you have a choice--you can either follow the rest of the pack (par), or you can set the pace for the rest of the pack (excellence).

Jesus challenged his disciples to be this kind of leader in John 14:12. He tells them that not only will they do the things he has done, he tells them they will do even greater things. It would be up to the disciples to keep raising the bar and not settle for what was familiar, easy or known. Whether you are a business leader or an employee, a pastor or the church janitor, a career woman or a stay-at-home mom, the challenge for all of us is to not settle for the norm in life, but create the new norm. You become indispensable when you are doing something no one else can or has done before. That is excellence. Now it is up to you to start setting the bar.

Leading With Gratitude

2011-11-25T11:58:00.002-06:00

The hallmark of leaders with character is that they are generous with their gratitude. Make it your calling as a leader to go out of your way to express your gratitude towards those you lead and do it publicly. It has been proven that leaders who find ways to publicly praise their employees have a very low turn-over rate in their departments. Lead from a heart of thanksgiving and you will reap the rewards of a team who will achieve greatness.

One cautionary note, though. It must be genuine. Insincere gratitude for your own gain will only produce resentment. People can spot insincerity a mile away. I once worked for a pastor like that. When he was unhappy with your job performance, or was about to dump a huge project on you, he would spend 15 minutes telling the congregation how wonderful you were from the pulpit. When he was nice you knew you were either in trouble or he wanted something. Not only did his staff resent this, the congregation picked up on his lack of sincerity and he quickly lost their respect.

The bottom line is this - if you lack character, then your display of gratitude will lack sincerity and will actually pull people down. If you are a leader of character, however, gratitude will be a natural outflow of how you treat people and you will gain the respect and admiration of those you are called to lead. The most effective way you can get people to follow is to let them know they are truly appreciated.

A Prayer of Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T21:34:00.000-06:00

We gather together to give the Lord blessing

Among preparations of turkey and dressing;

The thing we’re most thankful for on this holiday

Is not the just the blessings you give day to day-

Houses and cars, iPhones and dress;

Abundance, prosperity, financial success;

Holiday bonuses and 401Ks;

Frantically saving for that tropical getaway.

We’ve got so much stuff, too much that’s for sure,

Yet somehow it’s left us a bit insecure.

With all that we have it’s so easy to forget

It’s not about things and getting our needs met.

It’s all about You, and not the things you have done,

But the one thing that matters - Jesus, You’re Son.

We’re thankful and grateful, we’re blessed beyond measure,

But we focus tonight on life’s greatest treasure.

Thank You for loving us and giving Your Son.

By shedding His blood, the victory’s now won.

To show You our thanks, what more could we do,

Than offer our lives as an offering to You.

With a song of thanksgiving we lift up our praise,

To the One who’s been faithful to us day after day.

Holiday Buzz Words

2011-11-23T10:35:00.001-06:00

Giving thanks, gratitude and gratefulness – buzz words spoken during the yearly holiday sandwiched in between Halloween and Christmas. Still munching on leftover candy and gearing up for Black Friday, we frantically prepare ourselves to pause and give thanks for our many blessings, stuffing ourselves with delectable treats and baked goodies that conjure up memories of childhood holidays spent with relatives and friends from afar. We run to the airport to catch a last minute flight, or stand in line at the grocery store for an hour for the forgotten cranberry sauce, vowing once again that next year will be different. Giving thanks, gratitude and gratefulness – buzz words spoken to sooth frayed nerves and calm frantic minds.

We pause to give thanks for the many things we have, all the while contemplating what we can give as gifts this Christmas to people who already have so much in just 30 short days. Slowly, gradually, becoming numb in our gratitude knowing that soon it will all be over and things will slow down once again. Giving thanks, gratitude and gratefulness – buzz words spoken to dispel the stress from the impending hustle and bustle of the most wonderful time of the year.

Giving thanks, gratitude and gratefulness is not about being thankful for what we have. It’s about giving up everything so that we can have His life – losing my life so that I can find it. It is recognizing that I have nothing without Him, and that without Him there is nothing, and that there is nothing but Him. Whether I have much or little, or have nothing at all, I am content because I have Him. Giving thanks, gratitude and gratefulness – not buzz words, but truth of a life lived not tied to the things of this world, but to an eternity with Him.

7 Daily Essentials for the Christian Life: #7 - Love

2011-11-22T13:40:00.000-06:00

We come now to our last daily essential. The previous six essentials are really about who we are as believers and not just what we do as believers and followers of Christ. To ensure that our faith in God moves from religion to relationship, we have to approach our life of faith from the mindset that actions don't produce character, but rather, character shapes our actions. Yes, the way I behave has an enormous impact on my inward character, but the better measure is that my actions are a reflection of my character. Therefore, our last essential, in large part, is the barometer of how well we have incorporated these daily essentials into the fabric of our lifestyle.

Daily Essential #7 - Love. Read Colossians 3:1-17. This is a synopsis of all of the 7 Daily Essentials--relationship, prayer, worship, fellowship, discipleship, stewardship and love. Look at verse 14 again. It says, "And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." This is the key to this passage. Without love, everything we do is meaningless. Love is the fruit by which our character is judged. Take it a step further though and look at it this way--love is the resulting fruit, or proof, that I am living a lifestyle of relationship, worship, prayer, fellowship, discipleship and stewardship. By "putting on love over all these virtues" we are putting skin on our faith. Love makes faith real and more than just a belief system, or religion. Love puts my faith to action.

Are you loving your spouse more deeply? Do you find yourself drawn to people that you used to avoid? Are you more sensitive to hurting people around you? Do you find yourself speaking words of encouragement instead of the usual criticism? If your answer is yes, then you are putting on love. If the answer is no, you can't just start loving people. Go back to the first essential and work your way up the list again. That will lead to a lifestyle of love.

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7 Daily Essentials for the Christian Life: #6 - Stewardship

2011-11-21T10:40:00.000-06:00

On our journey of discovering the 7 Daily Essentials for the Christian Life I hope your thinking is being transformed so that you understand that our walk with Christ is the core of who we are and not just things we do. You are not a mechanic who happens to be a Christian, or a parent that also performs Christian duties. You and I are followers of Christ who just happen to do other things--mother, father, accountant, pastor, etc. The goal is not to follow these seven steps and become a Christian. Yes, we must make these daily habits, but we need to see beyond mere actions. The goal is that these seven essentials are the outward manifestation of who we are from the heart. I do these things because of my identity. It is important to grasp this concept to understand our sixth essential.

Daily Essential #6 - Stewardship. That word may possibly alienate half of the readers of this post. Stewardship is horribly misunderstood by many in the Church today. Much of the credit for that goes to the many charlatans on TV telling us to sow our seed of faith to them. They promise you that if you give them money, then God will make you prosperous. That is not stewardship and is nothing short of what they were doing in the temple during Jesus' earthly ministry when he turned their tables over. Stewardship is not about giving God your money, although giving your tithes and offerings is a part of that. Stewardship is simply living a life that recognizes that everything I have ever had, now have, or ever will have is not mine. It really belongs to God and He has entrusted me to take good care of it and invest it in His kingdom. It's not just giving God 10%. He supplies our needs and we invest a portion back to Him as a way of honoring and recognizing Him as our sole source of provision. Stewardship is not about earning God's favor, becoming prosperous, or following the rules. Money is just such a small part of the bigger picture of Stewardship too. What about giving God the best of our time, energy, and talents? What if today He got the first hour of the day, the best of our attitude, or first crack at our desires? Ask yourself, "What changes do I need to make in my lifestyle to enable me to live a lifestyle of Stewardship?"

Remember, it's not something you do, it's who you are! The simplest way to become a "cheerful giver" is to live the lifestyle of a steward. It's not easy and it probably won't make you rich, but once you try it you won't ever go back to the old way.

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7 Daily Essentials for the Christian Life: #5 - Fellowship

2011-11-19T09:31:00.000-06:00

So far we have covered four of the daily essentials for living a successful Christian life--Relationship, Prayer, Worship and Discipleship. These four have to do with our vertical relationship with Christ. The fifth essential now addresses how we live our lives in relationship with other people.

Daily Essential #5 - Fellowship. God has created every human being with an innate desire to worship Him. But He also placed in each of us an innate desire for fellowship. That is one of the basic fundamentals of the character of God--He desires fellowship with us. As we are created in His image, that same fundamental characteristic has been created in us. Before sin entered the world, Adam and Eve lived in perfect harmony. After they sinned, they lost that harmony and became at odds with one another. We see this manifested as they blame each other before God for their sin. Not only did sin separate them from God, it caused separation in their relationship with each other. Christ's redemptive work not only restores our relationship with Him, it seeks to remove the separation that exists between each other. It is impossible to truly live the Christian life and not be drawn towards others around us. We can't navigate this life with all of its trials, temptations, frustrations and pitfalls without each other. One trap I see Satan use against people in the Church is to isolate them from others when life gets hard. I have seen people withdraw from their circle of friends in the Church when life falls apart, usually to their demise. That is when we need people the most. When life gets tough we should press in and lean harder upon those around us. We have to resist the urge to hide when things around us are falling apart. We need to feed off of the strength and encouragement of others. That is why Paul encourages us in Hebrews 10 to not give up meeting together, and all the more as you see the day approaching. You can't survive by yourself.

If you are going through some difficult circumstances, I encourage you to take the initiative and seek out a friend that you can lean on. Don't wait for them to come to you. Seek them out. If things are going great for you, be sensitive to someone around you that may need someone to come alongside them and lift them up. That is what we are created for. That is what fellowship is really all about.

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7 Daily Essentials for the Christian Life: #4 - Discipleship

2011-11-18T08:39:00.000-06:00

In our first three essentials for the Christian life we discovered that it all boils down to relationship. The Christian life is not a daily exercise in completing a list of requirements, but rather, developing a growing and personal relationship with Jesus. As mentioned before, it is not something we do, it is who we are. What I do doesn't make me a Christian. Who I am defines me as a Christian and what I do is a result of that identity. This is true for the fourth daily essential.

Daily Essential #4 - Discipleship. I have learned that the success of my marriage is dependent upon how much I am willing to invest in the relationship with my wife. This has required that I become a lifelong learner of her--not just learning facts about her, but discovering what truly makes her happy; what her dreams and goals are; what her greatest fears are. In other words, after 25 years I want to be able to know what she's thinking and to anticipate what would make her happy. This takes work but it is well worth the investment. The Christian life is the same. It isn't enough to just read the Bible and learn facts about God. Discipleship is the commitment to developing a sensitivity to God's heart and learning to recognize His voice. It's being able to read His word and understand what it means for my life at that moment. It's also a daily commitment to become more like Him than I was yesterday. When you read the Bible, keep a daily journal and write down what you sense the Lord is speaking to you through His Word. Read it not just to fulfill your daily requirement, but to discover things about God that you've never understood before.

Remember, the Christian life is not about religion. It's all about relationship so the focus is not on the things we do, but on who we are. As a disciple, the key is to approach everything you do as an investment into your relationship with God.

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7 Daily Essentials for the Christian Life: #3 - Worship

2011-11-17T09:30:00.000-06:00

Our third essential for the Christian life springs out of a life that is lived with the foundation of the first two essentials--Relationship and Prayer. Like these first two, the third essential does not come automatically. It must be developed and nurtured and developed as a lifestyle choice, not an action that we do.

Daily Essential #3 - Worship. This is not a thing we do on Sunday mornings in church. Authentic worship is a lifestyle of bringing glory and honor to God through the way we live. We tend to focus on mere worship activities and define that as worship. It goes so much deeper than that and is more than just giving adoration or thanks to God. The best definition of worship found in the Bible is in Romans 12 where Paul tells us to "offer your bodies as living sacrifices to God." There is no greater honor and glory that we can give God than when we live a life of complete surrender and obedience to Him. Without this, our worship songs are just merely noise that have no meaning. God's number one complaint against His people is found in Isaiah 29:13 where He says, “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me." You see, God doesn't want our songs, He wants our hearts.

Be determined today to life a lifestyle of worship and go beyond just offering God mere expressions of praise. Go all the way and give Him you.

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Staying Safe on the Internet

2011-11-16T11:30:00.000-06:00

Several friends and my wife have fallen victim to Internet hackers, viruses and spyware recently. While there is no 100% guarantee against becoming a victim yourself, I have some proven methods to make yourself virtually immune to these kinds of things. I am no expert, but since I have incorporated these steps I have enjoyed hassle-free Internet browsing. Here are 10 basic steps everyone needs to follow and they are all FREE. You should never have to pay to be safe. These are just my opinion, but by following these 10 steps I have been virus free and have never been hijacked or hacked.

#1 - Stop using Internet Explorer immediately. Regardless of what Microsoft claims, Internet Explorer is the worst browser ever created and you need to avoid it like the plague. I highly recommend using Mozilla Firefox as your sole browser. It is free and very secure. Make sure you download the NoScript and Adblock Plus plugins and you are all set. These automatically update to keep you protected against new threats. This browser with these plugins block scripts from running on pages you open. You can allow scripts to run on trusted pages and even only allow specific scripts on specific sites. Also, use the Pop-up Blocker feature at all times. NEVER surf the net without this!

#2 - Use your firewall at all times. Not using a firewall is like leaving the keys in your car with the doors unlocked and a note on the windshield that says, "Please steal me!" Don't pay for a firewall. You will be throwing your money away if you do. If you don't like the standard windows firewall ZoneAlarm has a great free firewall that gives you a lot of flexibility.

#3 - Stop paying for Anti-virus software now! MacAfee and Norton are huge ripoffs and are not effective. I actually believe they leave you vulnerable on purpose to keep you dependent upon them. Delete these from your computer and download AVG Anti-virus Free. It is free, updates automatically, and I have never had a virus since I installed this free, yes free, software. Setup weekly automatic scans. AVG not only protects against viruses, it also detects and removes spyware that bogs down your computer. It actively monitors your computer and scans your emails and will automatically remove anything that shouldn't be there.

#4 - Install CCleaner and use it regularly. It is free and safely erases temporary Internet files, cookies, Internet history, etc that just take up memory and slow your computer down. There is also some handy tools in CCleaner that allow you to clean your registry and remove unwanted programs from your startup menu. This program will keep your computer running fast and smooth.

#5 - Change your passwords to your email, Facebook, Twitter, etc. at least once a month. If the site allows it, use a 10-character password that contains at least one capital letter, a number and a symbol. Once you change your password it is important that you logout of the site and then login again. This will bump anyone off your account that may be logged in without your permission.

#6 - Disable file sharing and remote access on your computer. You really don't need these unless you work for a company that requires you to share information with other employees. To share files with family and friends I suggest using Google to share files. That way they are not accessing your computer to see files. They are viewing them from Google's server.

#7 - If you have a wireless network, whether at home or at work, you absolutely must, must, must secure it. This is a little more technical and you have to know how to access your router, but it is an absolute must. Set up your network to require a password to connect using the same guidelines in #5. You also can change your settings to not broadcast your network so only people you authorize can see it. If you have an unsecured wireless network ANYONE within range of your connection can go on the Internet and engage in questionable and even illegal activity using your account.

#8 - NEVER open any email attachment if you didn't ask for it. This is the #1 way viruses are spread. If you do happen to get an email with a virus attached to it AVG will detect it and block it.

#9 - NEVER click on any link on Facebook , Twitter, website, etc. that you aren't absolutely sure you know what it is or where it came from. This is how you get hijacked. I made the mistake recently of opening a link on Facebook from someone who got hacked. Thankfully Firefox blocked the malicious script from opening. Also, if a web page pops up warning you that your computer is infected with spyware or a virus, DO NOT open it even if it looks like a legitimate message. Don't close this window by clicking the X in the upper right corner. Instead, close your browser to exit safely. If you think you may have a virus, open your anti-virus software and run a scan. NEVER allow a website to scan your computer.

#10 - Stay away from questionable websites. If you wouldn't view that site in front of your spouse, you shouldn't be there in the first place.

Again, there is no 100% guarantee that you won't ever get infected, but if you follow these 10 Safe Internet Habits, you will be very safe. It shouldn't cost you a dime to safely browse the Internet. The only thing you should have to pay for is your Internet provider. Nothing else. If you have to pay, be suspicious. If you do get infected get some help because it can be very difficult to completely remove a virus, trojan or browser hijack from your computer and it can take a good hour or two even when you know what you are doing. For lots of helpful information, tips, tools and free downloads, click on this website: http://www.komando.com/

People of Peace

2011-11-15T08:58:00.000-06:00

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:8-9

Is it just me, or does it seem to you that Americans in general are in a bad mood these days? Whether you listen to talk radio, watch the evening news, or read the newspaper, all you will find is a litany of complaints about the political left and right, the failure of yet another institution, and lately, the "Occupy Wall Street" demonstrations in several cities in America. I can’t remember the last time I heard anything positive on the airwaves or read anything uplifting in the paper. Even the pulpits in our churches have been reduced to nothing more than soapboxes to declare what is wrong with the world.

How can we as Christians live in peace in a world filled with anger? According to the scripture above, it starts with our minds. The world only thinks about what is wrong, but Paul admonishes us to think about what is right. Don’t get me wrong, there is plenty to complain about in today’s world, but we can’t let our minds focus on those things. If I can discipline my mind to think on the things mentioned above then I will have peace. It takes practice, but once you start, it gets addicting. Let’s be different than the world. Instead of spreading bad news, let’s spread the good news! Isn’t that what we are commanded to do?

7 Daily Essentials for the Christian Life: #2 - Prayer

2011-11-14T09:18:00.000-06:00

The first daily essential from yesterday's post was Relationship. It is crucial that we remember that the Christian life is not something we do, it's who we are and relationship is developed out of that. As we walk in relationship with Christ our second daily essential is now developed from that relationship. In other words, relationship is the foundation to our next daily essential.

Daily Essential #2 - Prayer. Again, I will say that prayer is not something we do but who we are. Yes, prayer is an action, but for us to have a healthy understanding of the whole concept of prayer, we need to approach it as a natural byproduct of who we are--our identity. The Lord has been challenging my thinking towards prayer and what it means. Instead of seeing prayer as something that brings me closer to Him, which it does, if I will instead develop a deeper, personal relationship with Him, my prayer life will grow and become more meaningful and healthy. For years I approached prayer as a daily task on God's to-do list for me. I saw it merely as a requirement that needed to be done so that He would be pleased with me. I don't approach my relationship with my wife this way. I don't spend time talking with her because I have to. After 25 years of marriage I want to spend time with her, talking and sharing our hearts with each other. Our relationship has grown deeper over the years and as a result, our communication has deepened and grown. I don't have to make it happen. It is just part of our relationship. The same is true with our relationship with God. Prayer is a lifestyle of relationship that is much more than spending ten minutes every morning with Him. It is an on-going dialogue throughout my day, every day. This is the essence of what it means to "pray without ceasing." The deeper my relationship with Him is, the healthier my prayer life will be. It is very difficult to have meaningful dialogue with someone that you don't know very well.

Take time today to develop this daily essential in your life with Christ. Don't see it as something you have to do, but something you can't live without. We don't pray to live, we live to pray. Remember "it's not what you do, it's who you are" that matters most.

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7 Daily Essentials for the Christian Life: #1 - Relationship

2011-11-10T11:59:00.000-06:00

The Christian life does not happen automatically. To be successful requires that we grow daily, and that requires that we be diligent in developing a strong foundation on which we can build on. I believe that there are 7 basic essentials that we must incorporate into the way we live to ensure consistent growth and maturity in our relationship with Christ.

Daily Essential #1 - Relationship. The first key in living a life in Christ to the fullest is understanding that it is a relationship, not a religion. Write this down and put it somewhere that you will see it several times during your day--The Christian Life is not something I do. It's who I am! It is easy to think that doing certain things will make me a certain kind of person. That is upside down thinking. Our actions do not determine who we are, but rather, who we are determines our actions. Do you see the difference? We must understand that the goal is not to just do Godly things, but to become a Godly person so that we will naturally do the things that will glorify God. That is the difference between relationship and religion. Religion focuses on the outward appearance--what I do. Relationship focuses on the inward state of the heart--who I am. I have found that relationship is much more rewarding and enjoyable.

So, the question is not "What do you do?" The question is "Who are you?" Focus today on who you are and let that determine what you do. That simple truth can revolutionize your thinking.

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Halloween and the Quest for the Supernatural

2011-10-31T08:51:00.000-05:00

One of my neighbors down the street has spent the last two weeks building an elaborate pirate ship in his front yard for Halloween. He has been sawing and hammering until midnight, feverishly trying to get his project done in time for tonight. It's pretty spectacular and it must have cost him quite a bit in lumber. It has skeleton pirates on it with strobe lights and fog machines. I have been scratching my head wondering why a guy would go to such great lengths for such a silly holiday. Then it hit me. To our culture Halloween is not just a silly holiday. It's a chance to connect with the supernatural in a safe, fun way. People are hungry to connect with something bigger, more powerful and higher than they are.

That got me thinking. What if the Church, instead of laying low and lashing out against such a heathen holiday, what if she took advantage of such a huge opportunity and made an effort to present the God of the supernatural to them? We don't even have to go to them because on this day, they will be coming to our doors with open arms and bags. What if we dared to dream and pray that when they knock on our doors and we give them candy that somehow the supernatural presence and power of the living God would be manifested through us? I suspect that they will know when they see the real thing. That's what they are looking for in all of this hype. We don't have to be weird, just authentic.

Happy Halloween!

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Transformational Leadership

2011-10-25T23:59:00.000-05:00

The goal of Transformational Leadership is not to merely lead people to change their behavior or actions. The ultimate goal is to lead people to develop character. Simply focusing on what people do won't produce lasting results. Focusing on who they are, or character, will produce lasting results. Make it your goal to develop better people instead of better results and good results will naturally follow. There is a simple requirement to be a Transformational Leader. It requires that I practice Transformational Living. The truth is you can't lead people where you haven't been yourself.

Getting people to follow you is not the goal of leadership

2011-10-24T16:31:00.001-05:00

Too many leaders today are simply focused on increasing their following. The number of followers is not the measure of successful leadership. Transformational leadership is not about ensuring your success, but the success of those around you. If your followers aren't succeeding, you aren't leading.

Just Relax

2011-10-23T16:33:00.001-05:00

Return unto your rest, O my soul; for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you. For you have delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling. Psalm 116:7-8 (KJV)

Rest is not something that comes to me. I must come to it. It says, “Return to your rest, O my soul.” Unrest comes when I move away from it. It never leaves me. It is always available but I have to move towards it. If I want it I must take it. It doesn't take hold of me, I must take hold of it.

What moves us away from rest? Forgetting how the Lord sees us in His eyes. The enemy constantly tries to convince us that we do not have the Lord's favor and that He has treated us wrong or unfairly. When we start to believe this we are turning away from rest and turning towards unrest. We cannot judge how God sees us by our current surroundings or circumstances. We also cannot trust our feelings or emotions to tell us the truth. Feelings and emotions often lie. This is the truth: The Lord has dealt bountifully with me! How do I know that? Because He delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling. (v. 8)

So, be at peace! You can return to your rest because you can be assured that the Lord has dealt and will deal bountifully with you. You can count on it! Put it in the bank.

I said to myself, “Relax and rest. God has showered you with blessings. Soul, you’ve been rescued from death. Eye, you’ve been rescued from tears; And you, Foot, were kept from stumbling." (The Message)

Leadership Without Limits

2011-10-21T08:27:00.000-05:00

Character is what sets great leadership apart from all other types. He who leads out of character doesn't pursue his own agenda but a much loftier one--he is about God's purpose and therefore, will reap eternal results that will last. Without character a leader limits himself. With character a leader's potential is unlimited.

Reflections on 25 Years of Marriage

2011-10-04T09:40:00.001-05:00

Today my wife and I celebrate 25 years of marriage. There is much I have learned over those years and to her credit, I am a much better man because of her influence in my life. We have had our share of ups and downs, conflict and arguments, pain and sorrow, as well as joy and happiness. It hasn't been a perfect marriage, but I think it has come pretty close. People who try to tell you that they have a perfect marriage, that they never argue, or have never had disappointments along the way are foolish. Today I celebrate more wonderful, happy and blissful memories than I can count. But we also celebrate the scars, the disappointments and the bumps along the way. It's the good and the bad together that have made us stronger. There are many things I adore about my wife, but the one thing I cherish, admire and respect the most is her commitment. I'm sure there have been days when it wasn't fun, days when she felt she just didn't have the energy to keep going. I'm sure that at least once she may have thought that it would be so much easier to just walk away. But she didn't. She has stayed by my side, not only when it's been easy, but when it's been hard. She is a rare gem. Her kind is getting harder and harder to find these days and I am extremely blessed to have found her.

About five or six years ago my wife worked as a manager in a health clinic. One of her responsibilities was managing the reception department that was staffed with young women. They noticed there was something very different about her and her lifestyle, particularly the fact that she was happily married to the same man for 20 years. They would ask in disbelief, "Your husband doesn't cheat on you?" These young women they have been led to believe that all men are cheaters and liars and you can't count on them. Their fathers cheated on their mothers and every man they knew had cheated on them. They thought this was a fact of life and they had to just accept it. I came by the clinic one day to drop off my wife's lunch. When I told the girl at the reception counter who I was her eyes got real big, she softly giggled to herself, and she then buzzed by wife. While I was waiting for her to come out, I suddenly realized I was being stared at by about a dozen women and I could hear them whispering, "That's the guy who doesn't cheat on his wife!" After I got over the initial creepiness of the moment that made me want to hide, I found myself standing a little taller and a sense of pride began to well up in my spirit. A man couldn't ask for a better compliment than that. The best gift a man can give to his wife is to be known as "the guy who doesn't cheat on his wife." My life's goal is for that to be my life's legacy. What a great inscription on your tombstone that would be.

I had the joyful privilege of speaking at my father's graveside twelve years ago. The thing I am most proud of my dad, and the most thankful for, is that he was faithful to my mother. I have my share of painful childhood memories, but one memory that I will never have is my father ever leaving my mom. I've known only one father, and for that I am eternally grateful. Today I not only look back at 25 wonderful years, but I look ahead at the next 25 with a flint-like determination to stay faithful and to leave that same legacy to my son that my father left me. Hebrews 12:1 says, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." We are being watched by a great number of people every day. What are we teaching them by how we live our lives? Let's prove to the world that it is possible to be faithful. It can be done. Let's show them an example. Be different. Don't be afraid to be that person that gets stared at because you are different. Determine to be "that guy who doesn't cheat on his wife." There is no greater legacy to leave our children than that. It's not easy, but I can tell you that after 25 years, it is worth it!

It Takes Practice

2011-10-01T09:10:00.000-05:00

"Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous deeds among all peoples. For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise." Psalm 96:3-4 (NIV)

There are 470 occurrences of the word "declare" in the Bible. This would seem to indicate that this is an important word in God's vocabulary, one worthy of taking a closer look at. The Hebrew definition means to reckon or count accurately, to rehearse or practice.

Worship is not merely singing songs to God. It goes much deeper than that. God designed worship to not only be a vehicle of our expression of praise and adoration to God, but to transform us by aligning what we think about God with the truth about Him. The act of worship is declaring the truth about God. It is not enough to just declare our feelings and emotions about God in worship. It is critical that we declare the truth about who He is in spite of our feelings and emotions. What I think and feel about God doesn't change the truth about Him - that He is faithful, loving, holy and righteous, that He reigns. This is why worship is so important because when I worship the Lord I am rehearsing or practicing the truth of who He is. When my circumstances are telling me that God doesn't care, worship reminds me that He holds me in His hand. When I am feeling lonely and abandoned, worship reminds me that He will never leave me or forsake me. When I have been hurt and betrayed, worship reminds me that God is forever faithful.

As a musician I spend several hours each week practicing so that I play the right notes and chords and sing the right words. Even after singing and playing for over 25 years I still practice. It's a must. It is something I have committed to for a lifetime. When I'm in my 70's I understand that I will still be practicing. Have you practiced today? Have you taken the time to rehearse the truth through worship? Take time every day to participate in the "Great Rehearsal" of life - the practice of worship!

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Facebook Christianity

2011-09-22T11:05:00.000-05:00

Let me start off by saying that I am a big advocate for Facebook and all things "Social Networking". I use them everyday and I have connected with people I would never have had the chance to connect with otherwise. My blog is now being read in 97 different countries by people from all walks of life, socio-economic backgrounds, and religions from Christian to Agnostic, Hindu to Muslim, and everything in between. Facebook brings out the good things about our modern day culture that are sometimes unseen. But, it also brings out what is not so good about our culture.

I have said before that you cannot hide behind your virtual Facebook identity profile. Who you are in the real world will ultimately be reflected in your virtual world. In fact, whether we want to accept it or not, Facebook becomes a "high definition" projection of reality. It actually accentuates our relationship flaws and strengths. People who are relationship oriented in real life tend to have large numbers of friends on their profile. Their walls are full of chatter and comments. On the other hand, those who tend to be abrasive, unfriendly and isolated in reality tend to reflect that in their online profile. I don't buy into the notion that Facebook is nothing more than just fake life and a place for people to disconnect. That may be true for some, but from what I have observed, it isn't truefor the vast majority of Facebook users. People who are warm, kind, loving and fun to be around reflect that in their virtual identity. People who are mean, unkind, argumentative and abrasive reflect that in their virtual world also. The real you will eventually be exposed in your profile.

In Psalm 51:6, David declares to the Lord, "Surely you desire truth in the inner part; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place." Reality begins on the inside. Our identity, virtual or real, is not about what is on the outside that everyone sees, but what is on the inside which God sees. That is reality. The challenge for us in the Facebook culture is that we focus on who we are on the inside because that will be reflected on the outside. Who we are on the outside doesn't change who we are on the inside. It's the other way around, actually. Who we are on the inside determines who we are on the outside. The challenge is to make sure those two line up with each other.

What is God writing on the "wall" of my heart? What do I want my spiritual "status update" to be today? What is my spiritual "profile"? Strive to be real, not just in the virtual world, but in the real world. Oh, and you can follow me on Facebook and Twitter. The links are in the right-hand column. Just thought I would throw that in there.

Blessings!

Consider This

2011-09-08T10:06:00.000-05:00

"Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy." - James 1:2 (New Living Translation)

A large portion of the eastern United States is still recovering from the effects of hurricane Irene. When she made landfall she turned out not to be as big as expected, yet still did a great deal of damage. As I write there is a line of new storms forming in the Atlantic and the Gulf that have the potential for more major hurricanes. Life is like that sometimes. Storms come and go. Many of them are just mere annoyances, but some can be devastating and turn life upside down. Notice that James encourages us to consider it all joy when troubles come your way, not if. The point James is making is that we have to have a proper perspective about storms if we are going to successfully navigate our way through them.

James paints an interesting word picture with the word consider. The word counter comes from the root meaning of consider. It is a boxing term which literally means to act in opposition to; to meet attacks or arguments with defensive or retaliatory steps. Another way to put it is to counter punch. As you can see, to consider does not mean to just think about it or just think happy thoughts to make the problem go away. To put this concept in a nutshell means that having a right perspective puts us on the offense rather than merely trying to defend ourselves against the trials of life. This is what Paul meant in Romans 8:1 when he said we are more than conquerors. The enemy of our souls understands far too well this concept. His strategy is to get your perspective turned upside down so that you become helpless when facing your problems. There are three things he wants you to believe that are not true.

The first lie Satan wants you to believe is that the storm you are facing is permanent. When you are in the middle of a hurricane it is easy to think that it will never end. Once we start to think this way we lose hope and give up. Don't let yourself believe this. Yes, storms are a fact of life, but another fact of life is that they always pass. Just remember that not too far over the horizon is blue sky. Hang in there and you will soon find calm waters once again.

The second lie he wants us to believe is that the problem is much bigger than it appears. If you put your hand just an inch or two in front of your eyes it will appear bigger than it really is. You can blot out the sun with your thumb. We all know that the sun is billions and billions times bigger than your thumb, but a wrong perspective can convince us of something that isn't true. Consider this the next time you are facing a raging storm - step back and try to see it from God's perspective. Once you do this you suddenly see how tiny it really is compared to the immense greatness of God. Don't trust your eyesight. We only see a fraction of the bigger picture so look through God's eyes.

The third lie is that you can fix this. Have you ever been in the midst of a crisis, fretting and worrying and then suddenly realize that you haven't asked God for help? That is exactly what the devil wants you to do. He wants you to focus all your attention on the problem so that you forget about the solution. I love the old worship song that says, "Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in his wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace." The key is to keep your attention off of the storm and fixed on Jesus. As long as we can see him there is hope.

So, when you face your next trial, what will you consider? Keep your eyes on the One who will carry you through. He is already at work right now directing your steps so that when the next storm hits, you have everything you will need to not only survive the storm, but come out victorious.

Bad Hymn Titles

2011-09-01T11:00:00.001-05:00

These are actual Hymn titles listed in actual hymnals. There are just as many, if not more, current worship songs that are poorly written but this just goes to show that we have a long history of some pretty bad church songs. It's good to laugh at ourselves sometimes.

A Charge To Keep I Have - this was Yoda's favorite Hymn.

Almost Persuaded - you almost had me there!

I Do, Don’t You? - Um, I don't know, what exactly have you been doing?

My Lord, What A Morning - some Sunday mornings are just like that!

Over My Head - this one goes down in my book as the worst song ever written. The song goes: "Over my head, over my head, over my head I see troubles in the air. There must be a God somewhere." I don't know how this ever made it into a hymnal.

Standing Somewhere In The Shadows - this gets the "Creepiest Hymn Title" award. For effect, sing with a black trench coat drawn across your face followed by an ominous laugh with organ music in the background.

Supper Time - this just doesn't work on a Sunday morning and it just makes everyone hungry

You May Have The Joy Bells - just don't play with them during Pastor's sermon

Top 10 Worst Hymn Phrases

2011-08-31T07:47:00.000-05:00

Many people complain that today's modern worship songs are shallow and lack meaning. Well, as I was looking through an old hymnal today I found these gems that I have labeled the 10 Worst Hymn Phrases. These are for real!

Before Jehovah’s awefull throne - not very awe-inspiring!

Behold! A stranger at the door - sounds like a line in a bad Dinner Theater show

Behold us, Lord, a little space - so what you're saying is, I need my space?

Fling out the banner! Let it float - this one is just weird

Go, labor on! Spend and be spent - sounds like too much work!

How tedious and tasteless the hours - there has to be a better way to say it than this. Try singing this with a heavy Valley Girl accent for the right effect.

Into the woods my Master went - Is he coming back? Where did he go?

Joy is a fruit that will not grow - this is very strange. Why would anyone want that?

Not in dumb resignation - best sung with tongue hanging out to one side while drooling.

O brother man, fold to thy heart thy brother - do what to my brother?

All of a sudden the phrase "sloppy wet kiss" from He Loves isn't so bad! Maybe you have some others to share. I'd love to hear them.

Don't Forget!

2011-08-30T10:53:00.000-05:00

As I was reading Psalm 103 the other day I was struck by the phrase in verse 2 that says, "...and forget not all his benefits." I like how the New Living Translation says, "...may I never forget the good things he does for me." Remembering God's acts of kindness to us is a critical part of worship. We don't forget, we just fail to allow the reality of what he has done shape how we understand and feel about life. I think of it as wearing prescription glasses. We can manage without them but our vision is blurred and distorted and we miss important details. David is reminding us to put on our glasses so that we always view our lives through the lens of God's goodness.

I remember a conversation around the dinner table at our home not long ago with our teenage son. If you have a teenager in your home I'm sure you have had the same conversation. As we were getting up from the table, my wife informed our son that he needed to rinse the dishes and load the dishwasher. He immediately complained about the unfair workload his mother and I burden him with. I think his exact words were, "Why do I have to do all the work around here?" I am thankful that my wife will not allow guns in our house because I believe she would have shot him right there in the kitchen. Before any violence could erupt, I simply asked him the following questions: "Who made dinner?" His mother did. "Who went to the grocery store and bought all the food we just ate?" His mother did. "Who worked to earn the money to buy all the food?" We did. "So, what did you do?" Nothing. He lowered his head and did the dishes and has never said that since. The simple fact was that he had forgotten the good things his parents do for him.

Sometimes we all act like that with God. We go through life with all of its demands, frustrations, trials and pressures and our vision gets distorted. We get tired and frustrated, angry and depressed. We see God as harsh, uncaring and distant. That is when we need to put on our glasses so that we can see clearly and be reminded that he is good and his mercy endures forever. If you ever find yourself forgetting what God has done for you, read Psalm 103. David lists them for us so we won't forget. Always remember that no matter how bad life gets, it will never overshadow the greatness of God's goodness towards you. You may need to take a moment and reflect on some of the great things he has done for you. Write them down. Say them out loud so you can hear them. As the sun rises and sets recite them so that you will never forget. Remember, God is good ALL the time!

What Or Who You Rely On Will Either Guarantee Or Sabotage Your Chance For Breakthrough

2011-07-28T11:12:00.000-05:00

John chapter 5 tells the story of a crippled man who came to the pool at Bethesda everyday for 38 years hoping for a miracle. Everyday the pool would stir and it was believed at the time that this was caused by the angel of the Lord. It was further believed that the first one in the pool at the time the water swirled would be healed. So, this desperate man came day after day, year after year, hoping that one day might be his day. Jesus find him laying there one day and he flat out asks him, "Do you want to get well?" Kind of a stupid question which insulted this man's intelligence a little. His answer reveals the reason why Jesus asked the question. This man proceeds to tell Jesus that someone always beats him into the water and that he has no one there to help him in. So, Jesus solves his dilemma and tells him to get up and start walking.

We all have areas or issues from time to time in our lives that need breakthrough. From this story in John we see that what we rely on will make the difference between experiencing real change and settling for life as usual. Nothing sabotages our chance for breakthrough more than relying on either ourselves or other people to help us change. If we are really honest, we have to admit that when we find ourselves struggling with something we tend to rely on everything or everyone BUT Jesus. That is what this man did. It wasn't until Jesus came along did he find a solution to his problem. Don't get me wrong, we do need people around us to help and encourage us and to keep us accountable. We also have a personal responsibility to do what is prudent to change. However, when Jesus is not the one whom we run to for help we will never experience true change or breakthrough. What I love about this story is that after 38 years of hopelessness, Jesus instantly brings healing. And, notice that Jesus doesn't chide him for wasting all that time by not trusting in him.

If you are facing a hopeless situation, a looming problem or circumstance that perhaps has been plaguing you for years, maybe you need to shift your focus to the right place. Instead of relying on yourself or others to come up with the solution, put your hope and trust completely on the only one who can do anything about it. He's asking you just a simple question - "Do you want to get well?" The answer is standing right next to you. Romans 9:33 says, "...and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame."

Drawing Near to His Presence

2011-07-23T10:01:00.001-05:00

"Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, let us draw near to God..." Hebrews 10:19, 22 (NIV)

God's design for worship is that it be an experience that is personal, one-on-one and face-to-face. That is the kind of God He is and He created us for that single purpose. I love how the Catholic catechism states, "The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever." It couldn't be better said than that. As we draw near to God in worship it is important that we understand the difference between the vehicle, the destination and the response of worship.

First of all, worship is not the destination. His presence is the destination in worship. One disturbing trend I see in modern worship is that we sometimes seem to make worship the end. Worship is not the goal. His presence is. Worship is merely our response to Him. We need to take great care that the focus of our worship is Him and nothing else. We need to get over our fascination with worship and direct our attention and awe back to Him where it rightfully belongs.

Second, worship is not the vehicle that gets us into God's presence. It is very clear in Hebrews 10:19 that the only way to his presence is through the blood of Jesus. Nothing less and nothing more. Jesus' blood is the vehicle that gets us to the destination which is God's presence. Another disturbing trend is that worship has become the vehicle to the presence of the Lord. Worship is not something we do to get there. It is what we do because we are there. It is important to understand that. Remember, the blood of Christ is the only way to his presence.

This puts worship in its proper perspective. The blood of Jesus opens the way for us to the presence of God and worship is our natural response. The reality is that worship is not something we do, it is who we are. May you be filled with a deeper desire for more of His presence in your life.

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Transformational Leadership

2011-07-15T09:07:00.001-05:00

Jesus spent most of his time revealing the potential of those around him rather than exposing their faults. It's easy to point out what is wrong, but to help others realize their potential takes takes time, energy and patience - three things many leaders are too lazy or simply unwilling to pursue.

When you show people that they can do things they never dreamed of you empower them to become better by removing their barriers. When you point out their faults all you keep them paralyzed by the fear of failure. This is the difference between releasing people and tethering them.

Lead people by showing them what they can do, not what they can't. This is Transformational Leadership. It leads people to become better than they are now and empowers them to accomplish greater things than ever before. This frees you as a leader to lead growth rather than merely manage problems. Determine to unleash the potential of those around you today.

Can You Really Believe God Is Good When Life Stinks?

2011-07-06T10:11:00.001-05:00

Most people try to find the answer to this question by asking another question - "If God is good, then why do bad things happen to good people?" That is a good question and a very legitimate one. Another good question is - "If God is good, then why do good things happen to bad people?" However, in order to get the right answer, you must first ask the right question. These are wrong questions which only point out that we tend to have the wrong outlook on life. It all boils down to perspective. How you look at trials will determine how you handle them.

James 1:2 says, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you face trials of many kinds." There's an old song that says, "Pack up your troubles in an old kit bag and smile, smile, smile." That is NOT what James means here. Considering it pure joy doesn't mean that you pretend everything is okay. He is not advocating that if we somehow just ignore the storm it will go away. In the original Greek, to consider it pure joy literally means to add value or significance to something. In short, he is telling us that joy doesn't come from the trial itself but in the outcome. We tend to focus all our attention on the problem. All this does is paralyze us and keep us from moving forward. The key is to focus on the result. The next time you face a trial, remember this - Nothing in this life will allow us to truly experience God in a real and tangible way more than adversity does. It is through adversity that we recognize our powerlessness and see His omnipotence. Adversity strips away from our lives all the unimportant stuff and reveals what is really important. This adds value or significance to the trial. Trials make us stronger and deepen our relationship with God.

I mentioned earlier that we tend to ask the wrong questions. When facing trials don't ask - "Why is this happening to me?" Ask - "How can I use this to make me a better person?" Look past the present situation and focus on the future result. Again, this doesn't mean ignore the problem or pretend it isn't there. Just don't focus on it. There are three mistakes you must avoid when facing adversity.

Believing that the problem is permanent. Don't believe it because every storm eventually passes.
Thinking that the problem is bigger than it really is. No matter how big it looks, don't forget that God is always bigger.
Focusing your attention on the problem rather than the problem solver. For every problem, God has a solution so look at him and not the problem.

So, can you really believe God is good when life stinks? Yes! It all boils down to perspective. Keep your focus in the right place and trials will become your friend. Instead of of a life that stinks, you will live a life full of the sweet aroma of character that will make people want to be around you.

5 Reasons Why Servant Leadership Works

2011-06-29T06:57:00.001-05:00

Article first published as 5 Reasons Why Servant Leadership Works on Technorati.

I have worked in my field for twenty eight years. I have served as a leader and have served under a number of leaders during that time. Some have been good while some have not. Good, healthy leadership is out there but you have to look for it. I have learned just as much from the mistakes of those around me, as well as my own, as I have from the successes. I have also had the privilege of working for some incredible servant leaders as well. One in particular I served with for almost ten years and to this day he is one of my closest friends. He showed me what a servant leader looks like and has had a profound impact on my life. So I can tell you from experience that these five principles work.

What is a servant leader? It's not complicated really. If you see people as a means to serve you, then you are not a servant leader. I would call you a manager or simply a boss. If you view your role as a leader to empower others to become better at what they do, to achieve greater levels of skill and ability, and become better, more productive people in the process, then you are a servant leader. Read on to get a better picture of what it means to be a servant leader and why it works.

#1 - It fosters an atmosphere of teamwork. This is a natural byproduct of servant leadership because the servant leader doesn't make everything about him. The typical leader uses words like "me" and "I" while the servant leader uses words like "us" and "we". Teamwork is achieved because everyone feels a part of the process and not just a faceless cog in the wheel. A servant leader naturally fosters a servant mentality in the overall team and as a result, productivity and creativity increases because there is an absence of competition. People thrive in a team atmosphere. The added bonus is that if something fails, the whole team shares the responsibility rather than just one person. This adds a feeling of protection in the group and gives people more incentive to contribute. When the team succeeds everyone shares in the glory rather than the leader getting the sole credit for everyone else's work.

#2 - It adds value to the members of your team. I have found that when people truly believe that they are more valuable than just getting the job done they will always make sure the job gets done. When people feel valued they take value in what they do. You won't have to send out a memo chastising your team for their lack of commitment. You will be dropping them notes of thanks for being such great team members. Give a person value and they will go the extra mile for you. If you fail to give people a sense of value then they won't see any value in you as a leader.

#3 - You reap what you sow. It really is that simple. If you serve others, they will serve you. If you sow encouragement, generosity and kindness into those under you then you will receive the same back. Another way of saying this is, "What goes around comes around." If you are self-serving, impatient and demanding then you will be treated likewise.

#4 - It fosters an atmosphere of trust. Nothing builds trust faster than a servant attitude. This is because people know you care about them and have their best interest at heart even when you have to deal with problems. They can trust you. Nothing fosters distrust, backbiting, and an atmosphere of having to watch your back like working for a demanding, uncaring and self-absorbed boss because you are viewed as nothing more than a tool to get something done. This atmosphere requires people work in a self protection mode and nothing gets done in this environment. It stifles growth and creativity and it kills the team.

#5 - It increases your potential for success. A good leader realizes that no matter how talented he is, he can't go very far without other people. I have learned that I am limited by my talent and ability. But combined with the talent, creativity and potential of a team the sky is the limit. This is true, not just for me as the leader, but for every member of the team. The typical leader hires people that are below his level so because he feels his leadership is threatened by someone better than him. A great leader surrounds himself with the best talent he can find so that he can maximize the potential of the team, and therefore, himself. That is great leadership.

My close friend that I mentioned earlier modeled all five of these principles. It was the most rewarding ten years of my career and it has made me a much better leader myself. Be a servant leader. It works and it is so much more enjoyable. There is a catch though. To be a servant leader means you must give up the most important thing in your life right now - you. You have to let go of your self-importance. You have to give up a lot of personal "rights" you used to think you were entitled to. If you can do that, you are well on your way to becoming a servant leader.

Leading With Conviction

2011-06-27T19:04:00.003-05:00

Article first published as Leading With Conviction on Technorati.

You can't lead with conviction until you first live a life ruled by your convictions. It is a rare quality to find leaders that are ruled by convictions. This is especially true in politics. Most leaders today are lead by public opinion. Their goal is to make people happy. This isn’t leadership. It is simply following the masses.

A person who leads by conviction is the person who understands that their public actions do not define their conviction, but their convictions determine their public actions. In other words, who I am is not determined by what I do. Your life isn't shaped by how you lead, but rather, your leadership is shaped by how you live. We need more leaders who understand this basic principle. A leader with corrupt convictions will eventually exhibit corrupt behavior. We read almost daily about high profile leaders and politicians who have been publicly exposed for immorality or corruption.

Be a leader who leads from conviction rather than principles. Principles are based on what we think or feel. Principle-based leadership is not trustworthy because how we think and feel changes often. As a result, our principles remain fluid. Convictions, however, are based on the truth. The truth is the truth regardless of how we think or feel. As a result, our convictions remain constant. We must realize that principles are shaped by us while we are shaped by our convictions. We face the choice everyday to lead either from principle or conviction. Choose the latter. It’s the better path.

Why So Downcast?

2011-06-26T20:42:00.000-05:00

The following is a re post from March of 2010.

How are you feeling today? I don't mean physically, but emotionally? It is increasingly difficult to stay emotionally positive in the world we live in. All you have to do is watch the news or read the newspaper and your good mood can fly right out the window, especially on a Monday morning. The economy, politics, a dramatic increase in natural disasters and many other things constantly play with our emotions and fears. To top it off, you clicked on this blog post hoping for some encouragement. Hang on and keep reading because we have reason to be encouraged in spite of all that.

In Psalm 42:11, we read that David is depressed. This chapter is one of the most depressing chapters in the Bible. David pours out his lament before God. He has been crying day and night. He is disturbed and oppressed. He goes so far as to say in verse ten that "my bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me." Pretty depressing stuff and not something that we want to read on a Monday morning. But you have to read all the way to the very last verse. David spends an entire chapter voicing his despair and then suddenly, something clicks in his mind that changes his whole outlook. Notice what he says in verse eleven: "Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God."

David realizes that he doesn't have to be a slave to his emotions or daily life. Don't misunderstand what is being said here. He is not simply ignoring his feelings and choosing to be happy instead. The truth here is that through the simple act of "praising God" in spite of our emotions, our perspective, along with our emotions, are changed. Simply put, we all have a choice of how we respond to our circumstances. That choice will determine your emotions. Don't let your emotions determine how you worship. Let your worship determine how you will feel. We don't have to be a victim of our emotions. You see, worship empowers us to overcome our circumstances, control our emotions, and defeat the enemy. Understand that worship doesn't make our problems and feelings magically disappear. The power of praise is that is lifts us up above them so that we can see things from God's perspective. How you feel is not always reality. Don't trust your emotions because they are not very reliable. When I choose to praise the Lord in the midst of my circumstances, I suddenly realize that things aren't quite as bad as I thought they were.

So, how are you feeling today? Before you go any further, stop where you are for a moment and begin to lift up a song of praise to the Lord. It will dramatically change your whole perspective because it will remind you that no matter how big your problem is, God is always bigger. You have the choice of how you will feel today!

Leading Out of Character

2011-06-16T16:20:00.000-05:00

Character is what sets great leadership apart from all other types. He who leads out of character doesn't pursue his own agenda but a much loftier one--he pursues God's purpose and therefore, will reap eternal results that will last. Without character a leader limits himself because he is striving to get people to follow him. With character a leader's potential is unlimited because he is leading people to follow God. Unleash your potential as a leader and let character be your foundation. That puts God right in the middle of your leadership and with that you can't lose. Character is the difference between failure and success.

How Do You Know If You Are A Healthy Leader?

2011-06-13T10:16:00.000-05:00

It is simple. Your health as a leader is not measured simply by results. Results do lie. Successful results do not ensure that those who produced the results are healthy. A good leader understands that results are a small part of their calling as a leader. Developing healthy people is the much loftier and better result. Healthy people will more naturally produce great results. They won't be perfect and will make mistakes and fall short of goals at times, but great results at the expense of people is just bad leadership. If the people under your leadership are growing, improving and becoming healthy individuals, that is an outward sign of healthy leadership. People who are unhealthy, consistently not producing good results, and are failing in life could be a sign of an unhealthy leader. This is what separates the leaders from the managers. Managers view people as a tool. Leaders view people as a gift. Don't manage people, lead them.

Finding Rest in a Restless World

2011-06-09T16:35:00.001-05:00

Return unto your rest, O my soul; for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you. For you have delivered my soul from death, mine eyes form tears, and my feet from falling." Psalm 116:7 - 8

Rest is not something that comes to you. You must come to it. The verse above says, "Return to your rest, O my soul." Unrest comes when you move away from it. Rest, on the other hand, never leaves you and is always available, but you have to move towards it. If you want it, you must take it. It doesn't take hold of you. You must take hold of it.

What moves us away from rest? By forgetting how the Lord sees us in His eyes. The enemy constantly tries to convince us that we do not have the Lord's favor and that He has treated us wrong. When we start to believe that we are turning away from rest and turning towards unrest. We cannot judge how God sees us by our current surrounding or circumstances, but only by the truth which is spelled out here in Psalm 116. This is the truth - The Lord has dealt bountifully with you! How do you know that? How do you prove that? It is in the fact that he delivered our souls from death, our eyes from tears, and our feet from falling. That is bountiful!

So, be at peace! You can return to your rest because you can be assured that the Lord has dealt with and will continue to deal with you bountifully. That you can count on.

Product Review of the Week

2011-06-03T14:14:00.000-05:00

If you are looking for a good online Bible that is clean, easy to navigate, has lots of options and most of all is free, you have to try YouVersion. This free online Bible comes from LifeChurch.tv. With YouVersion you can read the Bible in over 24 versions in multiple languages. You can add bookmarks to your favorite verses and even share them with your friends or add them as status updates to your Facebook profile. You can set up a daily reading plan that automatically keeps track of your progress. There is also a daily verse feature. Another great feature is the Audio Bible. Just type in chapter and verse and click play. Finally, there is a free App version for just about any mobile device so you can take YouVersion with you anywhere you go. The mobile version lets you download your Bible versions directly to your device so that you can view it offline. The only exception is the NIV which can only be viewed online.

Product Review of the Week

2011-05-27T08:10:00.000-05:00

Team Viewer is a free program that allows you to remotely access your computer from any other computer anywhere in the world via the Internet. I have tried several different programs like this and have found this one to be the best and easiest to use. With Team Viewer you can not only view or share files between computers but you have full access to the other computer. If you have a program on your work computer but not on your home computer? No problem. You now have full remote access to that program. This program allows you to have cross-platform access to any computer you chose. Just go to their website and download the program and follow the instructions. You will have to create an account but you do not have to provide a credit card and you will not get spammed. And even though this is a free program there are not annoying ads. One note: to use the free version of Team Viewer you must agree not to use it for business or corporate use. The free version is for personal use only. For business or corporate use you can buy a licenced version.

Here are a few things I like about this program:

It's free!
You have full remote access and control of your computer.
You can access a computer that has been logged off. It does have to be on to connect though.
See which of your computers are online.
Transfer files between computers.
Presentation mode allows you to remotely share a presentation with other users.
Create a Virtual Private Network (VPN)

The Worship Team: Leading Out Of Giving

2011-05-25T15:19:00.000-05:00

This post is specifically directed to those who are part of a Worship Team as either a vocalist, choir member, instrumentalist, or media technician. I am assuming that you already understand that worship leading is not a performance, and that as part of a worship team, our main role is to simply lead the congregation to become actively engaged in worshiping God - that it is not about us, it's about Him. So with that in mind, I want to share some thoughts about worship leadership.

A Worship Team is on the platform to lead the congregation in worship to God. But, how do we accomplish that? How do we lead them beyond just merely singing songs, raising hands, or lifting up verbal expressions of adoration to God? We haven't really led them if all they do is just do what we do. I hope our corporate worship hasn't been reduced to 30 minutes of follow the leader. I want to get us to think about going deeper and find a more noble and higher purpose in what we do, something that gives us a much better reason to spend the time and effort to practice and rehearse and devote our time and energy into an already busy lifestyle week after week.

The most effective way we can lead our congregation in worship is through the mid set of giving. I'm talking about more than giving God our gift of music and song. That's an important part, but a small part. Worship Teams spend a great deal of time and effort each week practicing and perfecting their gift of music, and they should. That is a good thing. However, what about spending time on developing the deeper, unseen things? What if we spent as much time and care in our punctuality than we do in getting that harmony part just right? Or in making sure our heart or attitude is just as harmonious. Those are the things that we don't talk about when it comes to leading worship. I'm all for top notch music, tight sounding bands, and stellar vocals. That honors God. But what gives Him the highest honor is giving Him the best of not just our music, but everything else that comes with it. We don't honor God by wrapping a polished gift of praise in a brown paper bag. I believe God is honored the most, not so much by the actual gift, but by the preparation, motivation, and thoughtfulness that goes into presenting that gift to Him. That is the meaning of Psalm 51:16 - 17 when it says, "You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise."

I want us to focus on the unseen areas of leadership, things that people don't see but that have a greater impact upon our effectiveness in leading them. When we give God our best in the things that the crowd won't see, I believe that will release a greater level of anointing and effectiveness from a God who receives great honor in that. I love this quote from Pastor Scott Olsen's message last week: "Our generosity is rewarded by God's extravagance." As Worship Leaders, let's be generous in giving our time and attitudes as well as our music. I have a hunch that our worship leading will take on a whole new level that will utterly amaze us. Let's be generous so that we can experience God's extravagance.

It's Judgment Day And We Are Still Here

2011-05-21T15:16:00.000-05:00

Today is May 21, 2011 and according to a prominent bible teacher named Harold Camping, the world was supposed to end today at 10:00am with the rapture of the Church followed by massive earthquakes all over the world. Well, it is 2:00pm as I write this and we are all still here and there has been not one earthquake reported. Once again, thousands of Christians have fallen into the trap of trying to figure out God's timeline for the end times. The disciples asked Jesus to tell them when all these things would happen in Mark 13. Jesus responds by telling them that not even He knows the answer to that. Only the Father and He alone knows the time. So it is very presumptuous on anyone to assume that they know when the world will come to an end. When will we ever learn? Let me share some thoughts on this issue that I hope will give perspective and balance.

First, Harold Camping and anyone else who claims that they can predict the Day of Judgment only reveals one truth - they do not understand what the Bible says about the matter. They obviously either haven't read Mark 13, have forgotten what it says, or have chosen to ignore it altogether. Jesus is very clear that no one knows, can know, or will ever know and God will not ever reveal it, not even to Jesus.

Second, the Rapture and the Day of Judgment are two very different events that do not happen simultaneously. Whether you believe that the Rapture happens before the Tribulation, in the middle of it, or afterwards is irrelevant. The Day of Judgment is the final day after the Rapture, the Tribulation, and the 1000 year Reign of Christ on Earth take place. Even if the Rapture were to take place today it cannot be called Judgment Day. Again, Harold Camping does not understand basic Eschatology.

Thirdly, the Rapture and the Second Coming of Christ are two separate and distinct events that do not coincide with each other. Again, this is basic theology which Harold Camping seems to have cast aside. Jesus warns us in Matthew 24:26 - 27, "So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the the desert,' do not go out; or, 'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.". Beware of any teaching that claims that Christ is coming on a specific day. If Christ were to come back today that means that we all missed the Rapture!

For this very reason and in light of today, it is absolutely imperative that all Christians become students of the Word of God. That is the only way we will not be led astray by false teachers who claim to know the truth. You cannot let anyone study the Bible for you. The only word we can believe is God's Word. Anything that doesn't not line up with His Word must be rejected no matter how nice it sounds, how reasonable it seems, or who says it. Your eternal future depends upon it.

Product Review of the Week

2011-05-19T22:34:00.001-05:00

Today is the first installment of a new weekly feature I am adding to my blog called "Product Review of the Week." Every Friday I will post a review of a technology product that I either believe is a great product that is a must have or something that I do not recommend and believe it would be a waste of your money and time. These of course will be strictly my personal opinion, so taking my advice is at your own risk. Any product that I review will be something that I have personally tried out myself. I am not getting paid for any of these endorsements and they are simply given in the hope that it will somehow be a benefit to you. I do not put banner ads on this blog, ever. You may have a totally different opinion of a product that I review and you are free to give your feedback. Just remember, you may hate something I like and vice-a-versa. So, here goes my first review.

This week's review is of an Internet filtering software that I think is the best one out there. It's called Bsecure Online. What makes this different than all other filtering software programs is that it is a subscription service that directs all Internet traffic on your computer through their servers. The filtering is done at their end before content reaches your computer. There is absolutely no decrease in Internet browsing speed and I have never encountered any server crashes or downtime in the seven years we have been using this product in our home. This product is endorsed by Focus on the Family.

Here is what I love the most about this product:

The price is only $49.99 per year and covers up to three computers in your home.
It cannot be disabled, uninstalled or bypassed without a designated Administrator entering a password.
It is extremely flexible so you can fine-tune the levels of blocking that fit your needs.
It has an accountability feature built in to it. Each computer can be set up to automatically email the Administrator or designated Accountability Partner a weekly log of all Internet browsing history and any attempts made to access blocked sites.
It provides fail-safe protection against accidental access to questionable websites.
If a legitimate site gets blocked the Administrator can add that site to the allowed site list.
There are PC and MAC versions and it is compatible with all Windows operating systems.
There is a free app for mobile devices.
You can cancel your subscription at anytime and your Administrator can remove the software from your computer.

Check out their website at http://www.bsecure.com/Products/Family.aspx for a full description of what this product has to offer, read customer reviews and endorsements, and see other products Bsecure offers. I highly recommend this product and think every house should have it. This product does all the work for you and finally enables your family to enjoy safe web browsing.

Worship Out Of Brokenness

2011-05-17T16:57:00.000-05:00

I wonder if my parents were closet germ-a-phobes. Praying before our meal was not the first thing we did when we gathered at the dinner table. That came much later. First came the hand inspection and without fail one of us three kids would be sent back to the bathroom to wash our hands again with the stern reminder that we do not come to the table with dirty hands. My parents could have come off a 40-day fast but no one would eat until all hands had been properly washed. Saying grace was more of an expression of relief to God that we actually passed inspection and would be allowed to eat that night. You have probably picked up on my sarcasm by now, but of course, this was a necessary and important lesson to be learned.

Sometimes I think we approach worship like this. We think that we have to get all presentable and cleaned up before God will allow us to approach him. I'm not advocating that we can carelessly walk into his presence without regard to the attitude of our heart. However, I think we develop a false image of the Father and how he views us. Psalm 34:18 says, "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted." Jesus himself said in Matthew 11:28, "come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." You see, God is not looking for people who have it all together, who are perfect, who don't struggle, or who don't have problems. Those people don't need God. He's looking for people who are needy and have problems, people who are broken and beat up by life. Those are the kind of people who need God and he is close to them. The invitation is to come to him the way you are now. Yes, he knows you aren't perfect and he knows all of your failures, your hurts, your disappointments and fears - he knows all of that. And the good news is that he is still calling out to you to come near to him because he alone can meet you in the midst of your hurt and brokenness. Don't run away in fear that he will reject you. Run towards him knowing that his arms are open wide toward you to embrace you fully in his love and grace.

I love the second verse of Indescribable by Chris Tomlin. It says, "You see the depths of my heart yet you love me the same. You are amazing, God!" Come to his table and let him wash away all the junk. This is what worship is really all about.

Who Is Like Our God?

2011-05-13T13:08:00.004-05:00

"Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord; no deeds can compare with yours. All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, O Lord; they will bring glory to your name. For you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God." Psalm 86:8 - 10

"The Lord is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens. Who is like the Lord our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth?" Psalm 113:4 - 6

"For who in the skies above can compare with the Lord? Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings? In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared; he is more awesome than all who surround him. O Lord God Almighty, who is like you? You are mighty, O Lord, and your faithfulness surrounds you." Psalm 89:6 - 8

Artistic Leadership

2011-05-03T08:48:00.003-05:00

A true artist doesn't create his masterpiece to make money, though that is always a welcome benefit. He creates it with the intention of presenting it as a gift to others for their enjoyment, hoping that it will touch their soul and somehow inspire them. Much of the music industry today, and sadly the worship music industry, has lost true artistic integrity. It is driven by making money and developing a following. The result is that much of the music being created today is shallow and lacks depth because it was created for the artist's pleasure rather than his audience. Even much of the latest worship music has lost its God-focused purpose and has been created for man instead of for God. It has become about who has the latest CD, or has the biggest sanctuary. It is about competing for the biggest Facebook Fan Page following, or getting a Dove Award nomination. It's not art anymore. It's a product.

Authentic leaders are artists. What I mean by authentic is leaders who lead for the sheer enjoyment of making other people better than they are. They are not in it for themselves, but for others. That is what gets them out of bed every morning to go to work and lead people. Leadership is really art presented by artists whose art brings out the beauty of others. This is a rare quality these days. But if you look, you can still find them. If you have ever had the joy of being led by this kind of leader you understand this concept. They have a unique ability to make people around them become extraordinary. They make those they lead feel valued and treasured. They convince them that there is nothing they can't do. And when they succeed, the person applauding them the loudest is their leader, always letting them take the credit rather than taking it for themselves. These leaders see the people they have been entrusted to lead as a masterpiece, a work of art that will inspire people.

We have a perfect role model for this type of leadership. His name is Jesus. He led twelve ordinary men for the purpose of making them extraordinary so that they would change the world. He made them better than they could ever have been on their own. He turned a bunch of failures into victors. Ephesians 2:10 tells us that "we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." God is the consummate artist.

I love this quote from Seth Godin's book, The Insubordinate - "When you do a personal act, a human act, and change someone else for the better, then you’re an artist." Create a masterpiece today. Make someone better than they are right now. We need more of that kind of leader.

The Spiritual Discipline of Being Still

2011-04-28T09:29:00.000-05:00

From the moment my son left his mother's womb and came into this world he became a perpetual motion machine. As an infant it was always a battle to get him to go to sleep because somehow he knew he was missing out on all the fun once he closed his eyes. He absolutely refused to be held facing you because he couldn't see what was happening. He had to be held facing out. This is no exaggeration when I tell you that when he learned to walk, he was in high gear until he laid his head down and fell asleep. Now, as a teenager, he sleeps every chance he gets and grimaces at the mere thought of doing any sort of manual labor. I guess he is making up for all those years of high energy living. I am like that in ways. I have to work at relaxing. My mind is always at work, thinking about the next project ahead of me, the appointments and deadlines that wait for me the next day. I am one of those that watch TV while reading the paper or surfing the Internet. I am a multitasker. Nothing wrong with that. This type of personality has many positive qualities. It also has some inherent pitfalls.

In Psalm 46:10 David tells us, "Be still and know that I am God." In the fast-paced, instant society we live in it is no easy task sometimes to just be still. The Hebrew meaning for "be still" is to let drop, abandon, relax, refrain, forsake; to let go; to withdraw. As we juggle schedules and deadlines, race here and there to get the kids to soccer practice and then piano lessons, make dinner and clean up, answer emails and return calls, spend quality time with the family, God gets overshadowed and we get overwhelmed. These necessary and important things have a way of looming large and blocking our view of God as we race through our day. It is vital that we learn to be still or withdraw from all the stuff so that we can once again see him and know who he is. In doing this, we allow his greatness to overshadow everything else. This takes practice and discipline so that it becomes a habit.

What do you need to withdraw from today? Our Wednesday night study group is taking up a 7-day challenge to withdraw. For seven days we have committed to take five minutes every day and turn off our phones and computers, turn off the TV and even turn off the worship music. We are even putting our bibles away for those five minutes. We are doing nothing but sitting in silence with absolutely no distractions so that we can be still and just listen. Then we are going to keep a daily journal of what we heard during those quiet moments. I challenge you to try it. It's easier said than done. We get so accustomed to all the background noise that when we turn it off we get nervous. As a worship leader I am absolutely amazed at how difficult it is to get a congregation to just spend 30 seconds in silence to allow God to speak to us. People fidget and look around to see why no one is doing anything. We have become so addicted to noise that we even fill our Sunday morning services with 2 hours of non-stop singing and talking and we never let God get a word in.

I have this sneaky suspicion that the majority of our stress is not due to all the stuff we have to do, but because we just won't sit still long enough to let God speak his words of peace and reassurance to us. It is in the still, quiet moments that we find him, not in the thunder. It's the quiet whisper that we need to look for. We need to withdraw from the noise, climb up onto his lap and listen to him whisper the secret things into our ear. That is what brings peace, hope and life in the middle of chaos, stress and anxiety. Isaiah 40:31 says, "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength..." That word wait literally means to linger in his presence. Our strength is renewed in the spiritual discipline of withdrawing and lingering.

I Want to Know Him

2011-04-25T10:06:00.000-05:00

"I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death." Philippians 3:10

Many are willing to follow Christ in the power of His resurrection, but few are willing to follow Him in the fellowship of His suffering. Resurrection is the easier of the two paths-it's exciting, powerful and dramatic, joyful and full of celebration. Suffering is none of that-it is not pretty or dramatic, it's hard and lonely and not very exciting. The truth is that we cannot know Christ in the power of His resurrection until we first truly know him in the fellowship of his sufferings. There cannot be resurrection without death first. Resurrection requires it.

To know Christ in the fellowship of his sufferings is not complicated. It's very simple. No, it's not an easy thing and is very painful. It simply means that we lay down our own life for him as he did for us. It is the daily act of crucifying our will and desires. It means putting to death the sinful deeds of our flesh. It also means letting go of our plans for our life. This is becoming like him in his sufferings for he gave up his position in heaven and became flesh. He surrendered his will in the garden of Gethsemane as he prayed, "...nevertheless, not my will, but Thine be done." He literally gave is life for us. The only way to truly know Christ is through the fellowship of his sufferings. In the very instant that we enter this dimension we then join with him in the power of his resurrection. As we lay down our lives and die to ourselves our spirits are then resurrected to new life and power through the power of the Spirit. Power comes through death. This is the great paradox-we can't live until we die.

Do you truly want to know Christ? To know him requires our death. To understand the power of his resurrection requires that we understand the fellowship of his sufferings. You can't have one without the other. This is how we become like him. It's not pretty. It's not fun and exciting. There is no fanfare and celebration but it is the only way to life.

Here I Am

2011-04-11T15:46:00.000-05:00

Psalm 134 instructs us to lift up our hands in worship to the Lord. There is good reason to do this, and not just because the Bible tells us to. There is something very powerful about the act of lifting our hands up in worship that when we understand it, we will find it hard to do anything else as we worship.

We have all heard the illustration that lifting hands is a sign of surrender. We are saying, "I give up. You've got me." That is part of it as worship is an act of surrendering ourselves to God, not just our minds and emotions, but literally our bodies. It goes much deeper than that and has a more profound meaning in worship. God is fascinated with our hands. Isaiah 49:16 tells us that he has "engraved" our names on the palms of his hand. Think about that for a moment. Do you remember your first girlfriend or boyfriend? Perhaps you were so infatuated with that person that you wrote their name on your hand. There was something endearing, warm and fuzzy feeling about enjoying the privilege of writing their name on your palm so you could look at it. You might have even caught yourself just whispering that name. Now I'm not comparing God to a silly schoolgirl, but knowing that God has my name engraved on his palm, knowing that he loves me so much that he even loves to just whisper my name makes me understand just how deep, how wide, and how high his love actually is. To know that the Maker of the Universe wrote my name on the palm of his hand has huge implications for my life.

Now, let's take this a step further. Look at your palms. At birth he engraved something on your hands too. He has signed your name on your palms in the form of a finger print. Yours is unique to countless billions of people who have been born and will ever be born. You are the only one out of billions who has that imprint on your hands. We use our fingerprints to positively identify ourselves. God does too. When we lift our hands up to him in worship we are in essence saying, "Here I am, Lord. It's me. I'm here to worship you with all that I am today." As He looks at the palms of your hands, he then looks at his hands and sees a perfect match and says, "I know you. I have your name right here on my hands too!" He then reaches down and takes our hand in his and lifts us up above all the cares, the problems and worries, all the frustration and pain of this world, and lifts us up into his realm. I remember the first time my wife and I held hands when we were dating. Suddenly I knew my life was going to be forever changed because I would never be alone after that. What a beautiful and powerful picture of worship.

A few years ago I wrote a song that captures the essence of this picture. Below is the video of the song. I hope it blesses you and reminds you just how much he loves you and wants to embrace you and hold you by the hand today. As you worship him, go ahead and lift your hands to him. Here are the words:

Long before the world began my name was written in Your hand.
Before You hung the stars above You held me in Your perfect love.
Long before the span of time I was always on Your mind.
Lord, I'll never understand how You could love me as I am
And sent Your Son to die for me so I could live eternally with You.

Here I am to worship You, here I am to honor You.
Lord, my heart belongs to You, now I give it back to You.
Here I am.

What's Love Got To Do With It?

2011-04-07T09:35:00.000-05:00

What's love got to do with it? Everything! In 1 Corinthians 13 we see what happens when the Church neglects the most important aspect of who we are called to be. The Corinthian believers focused all their attention on the Gifts of the Spirit and had forgotten about the more important thing - the Fruit of the Spirit, specifically Love. Paul says, "And now I will show you the most excellent way" in verse 1, and in verse 13 he says, "But the greatest of these is love." Love is the foundation that all things must flow out of. Without Love then tongues, miracles, and prophecies are meaningless because they are not flowing out of the heart of God, but from the heart of man. Without Love we cannot be authentic or genuine. Frankly, we become "false." Jesus warns us to beware of "false prophets." He also says that we will know them by their fruit, or lack of it. It is safe to say that when we are void of the fruit of Love, we are nothing more than false prophets. We are not genuine because we are not like Jesus without Love.

As we pursue the Fruit of the Spirit, it is important that we understand that fruit is not the result of things we do, but who we are. Our actions do not dictate our fruit, but rather, the fruit in our lives determine our actions. It is important to note however, that actions are important. We can't just behave badly and hope to produce fruit. But that illustrates my point because bad behavior is a result of a lack of fruit. Deciding to act a certain way does not change my heart. As I surrender my will to Christ, He then transforms my heart and my will and my actions follow suit, therefore producing the Fruit of the Spirit in me. As I am transformed by His love for me, I naturally begin to love others around me. I become more patient and kind, more self-controlled and gentle. It is then that the Gifts of the Spirit can now naturally flow out of the foundation of the Fruit of the Spirit. In other words, The Gifts are the Fruit or result of the Fruit of the Spirit. This diagram illustrates how everything must flow out from a foundation of love with the end result being the Holy Spirit's covering over us.

So, what's love got to do with it? Everything! Let's focus on the most important thing - Love. The world needs to see Jesus expressed through His followers as authentic - the real deal. How will they know if we are authentic? Jesus said they will know us by our fruit.

Who Is Going With You?

2011-04-05T10:26:00.002-05:00

When God called Moses to go and lead His people to the Promised Land in Exodus 33, Moses replies in verses 15 and 16, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?” What a great response! Moses realizes that if God doesn't go with him, he is destined to fail. We can learn a lot from Moses. In fact, the world desperately needs more people like Moses.

Each one of us has a unique and specific God-designed purpose for our lives. There are people around us that God has birthed us for the purpose of being the right man or woman at just the right time and place to be a Moses to them. God has seen their bondage and misery and has sent us to be their deliverer. I'm sure each of us have had a Moses or two in our lives that have led us through some difficult times and we couldn't have made it without them. We can't do it alone though. Unless God Himself goes with us, we have no hope of making an eternal difference in people's lives. We need what I call "a spirit of Moses" to fulfill the calling God has put on us. There are 4 character traits that Moses developed that we must also develop in ourselves.

He was available. Although he tried to convince God that he had the wrong man, He did go. He just wanted to make absolutely sure that this was God's idea and not his.
He was humble. He understood that he had nothing to offer in and of himself. Moses made sure that it was never about him. He always gave God the credit and attention. That is an extremely rare quality in leadership today.
He was dependent. He depended upon God for every step along the journey. He took great care to never venture out on his own. He only went where God told him to. Moses was very smart and intelligent but he never let that get in God's way.
He was desperate. He pleaded with God to not only go with him, but to show him His glory. He didn't settle for less than the full and complete presence of God. He wanted no less than 100% of what God had for him. This is also a rare quality today. We often settle for "just enough" to get by when God said that He is "more than enough." Moses wasn't a "just enough" kind of guy. He wanted it all and he was willing to die to get it.

I'll say it again - the world needs more people like Moses today. It doesn't need more talented, articulate, polished, and intelligent leaders. It needs the opposite because it is that kind of person who can be used by God to do the impossible. We don't need what man can offer. We need what only God can offer. Be a Moses for God and to your world around you. Then the Lord will say, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.” (v. 17)

Great Leaders Surround Themselves With People Who Are Better Than Themselves

2011-03-24T15:06:00.000-05:00

My high school tennis coach taught me a valuable lesson. He said, "You will never get better unless you play against someone who is at least 2 levels above you." He was a very wise coach. If you want to become a better leader, surround yourself with people who are more talented, smarter, have more experience and are more creative than you are. A good leader does not let himself be intimidated by those who can do their job better then they can, but instead are challenged and inspired by them. A wise leader also understands that leadership is not about being the best at something, but making others more successful than you are. That's the real fruit of great leadership.

That was Jesus' goal with the disciples and is his plan for us. In John 14:12 he said they would do even greater things than he did. Find someone who is doing what you are doing but at a much higher level. Develop relationship with that person, spend time allowing him or her to speak into your life, to challenge and encourage you to become better than you are now. I once heard a pastor say that he intentionally hires staff that are less educated than he is and that have less than three years of experience so he won't have to worry about them making him look bad. The sad reality is that ten years later, he is stuck in a dying church that not only hasn't grown, but has steadily declined. His way may be safer, but it is a recipe for failure.

So, you and I have the choice to either stay at our current level, or rise up to the challenge and become better than we are now. Becoming a great leader is hard work and it is far from "safe," but the reward is certainly worth it. There is no greater joy in leadership than seeing the people you lead become greater than you ever could become yourself.

Why We Need The Holy Spirit audio post

2011-03-24T09:58:00.000-05:00

In this teaching session I cover 5 reasons why we need the Holy Spirit today. He is relevant and absolutely necessary in the life of the believer and without Him, we are settling for less than the fullness of the presence of God in our daily lives.

Why We Need The Holy Spirit - David Good (March 23, 2001)

God's Blueprint For The Holy Spirit - audio post

2011-03-18T16:44:00.001-05:00

This is the link to the audio from March 16, 2011 on "God's Blueprint For The Holy Spirit". This 1-hour session covers the Indwelling vs. the Baptism, the Gifts vs. the Fruit, and Abuses of the Holy Spirit.

mp3 - God's Blueprint For The Holy Spirit by David Good, March 16, 20011

Study Notes for God's Blueprint For The Holy Spirit

Can Manly Men Worship?

2011-03-15T16:55:00.000-05:00

There is a trend that is spreading through the American Church that disturbs me. You may not have heard of it but I have noticed a sudden surge in activity on the Internet in discussion forums, blogs and leadership groups in what is called "The Defeminization of Worship." The basic ideology of this movement is that Church has become unfriendly to men. Their chief complaint is about the worship. Mark Driscoll, pastor of Mars Hill Church in the Seattle area lamented in a recent interview that modern worship songs have been reduced to nothing more than "Prom Songs to Jesus, led by effeminate, male guitar players." A book that is hugely popular right now is "Why Men Hate Going to Church" by David Murrow. There is also a church in Florida called "Men's Church." I will agree that at times we have made church hard for men to relate to and we should find ways to make the Church more relevant to the male species. However, I see some extremely dangerous warning signs in this movement that warrant us to take a hard look at and see what God's Word has to say about this issue.

First, we must take great care not to go to extremes in addressing this issue in the Church. Balance is the key and imbalance created the problem in the first place. This movement is an extreme reaction to a legitimate problem but does nothing but create more problems. I'm all for incorporating more manly expressions in our worship settings like "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God" or "The Battle Belongs To The Lord." But men need to also sing songs like "As The Deer" and "Jesus, Lover Of My Soul." It makes us better men.

One of the hazards of being a man is that, left to ourselves, we avoid intimacy. We're not good at it and many men are frankly scared to death of anything that smacks of intimacy. When we sing about God's warm embrace the average man almost chokes on the lyrics. But it would be a huge mistake to avoid that form of worship expression (which is found in much of the Bible by the way) because we rob God of the opportunity to make men more like Him. God made men after His own image and that includes a lot of things we aren't always comfortable with. Worship is a tool that the Holy Spirit uses to change us into His image. Men tend to focus on facts and intellect. We need to experience God in a way that goes beyond just what we know. We need to experience Him, to feel Him. In the same way, if we stop using manly expressions in our worship, we will then rob women of the ability to go beyond feeling and emotion in their worship experience. So, we need both forms of expression because it makes both men and women balanced in their worship.

Another danger I see in this movement is that it frankly isn't very Christ-like. You may not agree, but it is nothing more than a handful of angry men demanding everything be done their way or else. That is an immature way to handle conflict and men should know better. We are commanded in scripture to humble ourselves before God, to become like Him who emptied Himself, to honor the needs of others above our own, etc. Here is where it gets dangerous. Men in the Church have a notorious reputation of twisting scripture to meet their own needs by misinterpreting the passage that says wives submit to your husbands. What men fail to get right is what precedes that verse when it says we are to love our wives as Christ loves the Church and gave Himself up for her. How does He love the Church? He lowered Himself and came to us. He didn't demand we come to Him. As a man, I have a mandate from scripture to model giving up my rights, needs and demands and serve those around me. That is the spirit of Christ and we as men must be nothing less.

Lastly, this philosophy reduces worship to something God never intended it to be. Worship is not about getting what I want, feeling good, etc. It is all about me bowing before the King and honoring Him. We too easily make worship about us and that is what is so wrong about this movement. Worship is about Him and we need to get rid of everything that makes it about us. Any man who approaches marriage as a means to get what he wants won't be married for very long. Marriage is a wonderful picture of what worship is all about - relationship. 25 years of marriage have made me a much better man than I ever could have been without my wife. I have become a lot like her in a lot of ways and that is healthy. She has helped me be more loving and gentle, more in touch with my emotions and feelings. She has made me a more balanced man. That only happens when I swallow my manly pride, stop demanding my manly ways, and become more like Jesus.

Some of the manliest men I have ever met were ones that had a tender heart for God and weren't afraid to show it. They weren't afraid to fall on their knees before God and weep before Him. These same men were also very capable of snapping you like a twig if they had to. I challenge all men to be real men, the kind of men God wants us to be, not demanding, self-centered, unemotional brutes. It's time we as men grow up and act like men and stop being so afraid. So the answer to the title of this post is, "Yes, manly men can worship!"

God, Earthquakes and Tsunamis

2011-03-12T16:39:00.001-06:00

It never ceases to amaze me that when we hear news of a natural disaster like the earthquake and tsunami in Japan yesterday, within 24 hours Christians start spewing their ignorant rants about God's judgement. Not only does it amaze me, but it infuriates me because it is obvious that these people do not know what the Bible says about such things. At a critical time when the world needs reassurance, hope and comfort, we pour salt in their wounds further increasing their pain and confusion. Let me give some principles that should guide us in our thinking as we try to deal with such catastrophic events without assuming things for God.

#1 - If God judges sin by killing masses of people, then we all would have been dead long ago. There is not one of us who are without sin. If that is your theology, I challenge your thinking. It isn't backed up by scripture and it just doesn't makes sense. Think of theology as a bucket with water in it. It must hold that water consistently without leaking. If you have holes in your bucket, you need to throw that bucket in the garbage.

#2 - God's desire is not to condemn the world, but to save it. Read John 3:17 for yourself. That is a quote right from the mouth of Jesus. We need to be careful that we don't put words in God's mouth. He doesn't like that. The problem with too many Christians today is that they spend all their time talking about things they know nothing about. The only thing their words prove is their ignorance. We would do well to heed the advice of our mothers when they said, "If you can't say anything nice, say nothing at all."

#3 - I wonder if we are bordering on blaspheming the Holy Spirit when we blame God for such things. In Mark 3:20, Jesus cast a demon out of a man and the religious leaders quickly declared that this was the work of the devil. Jesus responds with a warning about blaspheming the Holy Spirit, for which there is no forgiveness. What those religious people were doing was attributing the works of God to the works of Satan. The flip-side of that coin, I believe, holds the same truth - blaming God for things he had nothing to do with. That is what we are doing when we start spewing the ungodly talk about God's judgement when we experience disaster. We are walking on dangerous ground when we start speaking for God. He can speak just fine for himself and he doesn't need us making assumptions on his behalf. If anything makes him angry and might move him to push the destruction button, I think that might be close!

We have a huge opportunity and responsibility before us in the wake of the tragedy in Japan. We need to respond in love and grace and reach out to those who need hope right now. During such times it behooves us to just shut up, pray and actually do something to help. I close with this warning from Matthew 7:2 - "For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." If your house burns down and I stand in your driveway blaming it on some sin you may have committed, I better check my own smoke alarms and make sure my insurance is paid up because my house is next on the list!

The Art of Fasting

2011-03-07T12:14:00.000-06:00

This week begins Lent with Ash Wednesday when Christians begin a season of fasting in preparation for Easter. In doing a little research into the subject of fasting I discovered that the New Testament only mentions fasting 18 times. The reality is that the New Testament devotes very little attention to this subject. I have observed over the years that fasting has become a popular topic among religious circles and at times has become a popular fad in the modern Church. Don't get me wrong, I believe fasting is an important part of the Christian lifestyle and we should fast. My problem is that we make more of it than it is intended to be. Two extremes we must avoid are the neglect and overemphasis of the practice of fasting. We can't make less of what God intends for us and we must not make more of it either.

Jesus gives us some clear guidelines about fasting in Matthew 6:16-18. He says, “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." To understand what fasting is I must understand what it is not:

It is not a public matter but a private one. If we are fasting to draw attention to the fact that we are fasting, we are doing it for the wrong reasons. According to this passage the only one it should be obvious to is the Father. In other words, no one should be able to tell.
It is not to get something from God but to give ourselves to Him. The vast majority of fasting is for the wrong motive: to get God to do something for us. This is not fasting. It's manipulation.
Fasting does not make me more spiritual. If I believe that I have become more spiritual as the result of a fast then I have completely missed the point of the fast. Fasting humiliates us because it reminds me of who I am in light of who God is.
It's not supposed to get God's attention but rather ours. Many times we think that fasting somehow makes God pay attention to us. Wrong. He calls us to fast so that He can capture my attention so that I will listen more closely to what He wants to speak into my life.
Fasting is not the the source of spiritual fruit in one's life, but rather it is the fruit of a lifestyle of surrender. We don't live the surrendered life because we fast. We fast because we live a surrendered life. Do you see the difference? Take the holiday of Thanksgiving for instance. The day called "Thanksgiving" is really meaningless if we spend the other 364 days of the year void of a spirit of thanksgiving. Why bother? It has much more significance if we live a lifestyle of thanksgiving and it becomes a celebration of who we are rather than something we wish we were. Fasting is no different. If I don't live a surrendered lifestyle then fasting really is meaningless.

I'm not in any way saying we shouldn't celebrate Ash Wednesday or participate in Lent. What I am saying is let's not make it an annual ritual but point us to a daily existence. If you fast, that's great. Just keep it between you and the Lord. Don't post it on Facebook for all the world to see. That is not the point. The most productive and meaningful fast is one that no one saw but God. Your father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Have a blessed Lenten season!

The Holy Spirit Dwells and Quickens

2011-03-05T10:57:00.001-06:00

But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. (Romans 8:11)

http://www.zshare.net/audio/87349294b600ef41/

Why I Believe Hymns are Necessary

2011-02-23T10:24:00.000-06:00

As a worship leader, I am in a quandary. At 48 years of age and after doing this for 27 years now I find myself in the unique position of having to find creative ways to be relevant to those younger than me while at the same time engaging those older than me. I am right in the middle of the challenge of leading a multi-generational congregation. I watch as many of my colleagues take one of two paths. One path is to focus their energy and time to be relevant to the under 30 crowd. They are learning new music styles, feverishly working to stay on top of the plethora of culture shifts in worship music, and aggressively recruiting younger team members. The other path is to keep worship services relevant to the baby-boomer generation because they are the ones that built the church and pay their tithes and we can't afford to lose them. The problem is not that we are working to be relevant to either culture, but that we focus on just one. In doing so we alienate the other. If you structure your family this way you are headed for trouble. One of the challenges my wife and I have with our son is that as a teenager, he only has one living grandparent and we do not live near any extended family. As a result we have to be creative in finding ways to connect him with his family history. We have made a point to connect him with surrogate grandparents - older people in the church that can speak into his life and help him see the importance of being connected with generations before him. I believe this is healthy.

I also believe that we must adopt this thinking in our churches today in our approach to worship. This is why I firmly believe that hymns are a necessary part of our corporate worship identity. I'm not saying we must sing a hymns every time we gather, but we need to make them a regular part of our worship diet. Let me explain why.

They connect us to the past. If we cut out ties to the past then we run the risk of making the same mistakes our grandparents made as they navigated their growing and learning experience of corporate worship. We also run the risk of forgetting what they did right. They got a lot of things right that have stood the test of time and are still relevant today.
They enable us to literally walk in the same footsteps they walked in. There is something powerful about tracing the footsteps of the saints that have gone before us. Why do you think so many people travel to Israel every year? They want to walk on the same dirt Jesus and the Apostles walked on.
It keeps us humble. There are some wonderful, new changes that have taken place in the way we worship. However, it is easy to start thinking that we invented "real worship." Hymns remind us that there was good worship long before we showed up. No generation owns the franchise to worship. The opposite is true for contemporary worship. It keeps us older folks from thinking that our way is better and we didn't invent it either.
It draws the hearts of the children back to the fathers. Young people may not realize it and they certainly won't admit it, but they need us older folks and they can't make it without us just like we couldn't have without our parents. Hymns help the younger people in our congregation connect on a spiritual level with their parents and grandparents. The older I get, the more I value and treasure the heritage my parents left me. Those young people across the aisle may not see it yet, but they will one day thank us for leaving them a solid, spiritual heritage.

I want to encourage everyone to learn to embrace the generations above you and below you. To us older folks, I believe it is our responsibility to take the initiative and make the first move and embrace what is happening in our younger generation. You may not like the music, that is not the point. We have no right to demand that they embrace our old-fashioned music (hymns) until we first embrace theirs. If we can do this we will be amazed at how they will suddenly open up and actually enjoy our music. Young people, don't sit and wait for us to come to you because us old people can be stubborn sometimes. If you will humbly embrace what seems so foreign and out of touch to you, then you too will be shocked at how we embrace your music. It's what I call a "generational embrace." That is what my grandmother's generation got right and I want to get it right too.

Conviction vs. Principle

2011-02-19T09:31:00.000-06:00

You can't lead with conviction until you first live a life ruled by your convictions. Your life isn't shaped by how you lead, but rather, your leadership is shaped by how you live. Leadership based on principles isn't the kind that you can trust because principles are based on what we think, and that changes often. Leadership based on conviction is the kind that is trustworthy because convictions are based on truth and that doesn't change. Conviction shapes us which in turn shapes our principles. This is leadership 101. This is good parenting too.

The Destructive Nature of a Judgmental Spirit

2011-02-17T10:42:00.002-06:00

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Matthew 7:1-2

Jesus gives us a very clear directive to not judge others. He doesn't encourage us to avoid judging. He flat out says, "Do not judge." He lays out for us in Matthew 7 the reality of the destructive nature of a judgmental spirit. Judging others is not merely an action. It quickly becomes a character trait that will consume our heart and dominate every aspect of our daily life. Therefore, we must take great care to avoid judging others.

According to Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, the original Greek meaning of the word judge is to condemn; to pronounce an opinion concerning right or wrong. Tied to this is the concept of making a diagnosis with the intent of dispensing a cure, much like a doctor. When we begin to play doctor with people's lives we can do serious harm because we don't know what we are doing and we simply do not have the authority to do so. God alone has the authority to judge and we do well to leave that up to him. He alone is Judge and he alone is the Great Physician. He doesn't need our help.

There are three areas in life that a judgmental spirit causes damage. The first is our heart. When we judge, we are literally exalting ourselves to where God is and lowering him to where we are. The act of overvaluing ourselves and devaluing God creates serious changes in our heart by hardening it and desensitizing it to the Holy Spirit. I am reminded of the saying "fools rush in where angels fear to tread."

Second, a judgmental spirit damages our eyesight. It leads to what I call inverted or reversed vision. Jesus illustrates this in two ways. The first is in verse 3 where he says, "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?" A judgmental spirit causes us to see things in other people that aren't there while at the same time becoming blind to things that are there in ourselves. We look at others through a microscope but look at ourselves with blinders on. Jesus further illustrates this in verse 6 when he says, "do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs." The point I believe Jesus is making is that a judgmental spirit is proof that our vision is inverted. In other words, I begin to see my thinking as a priceless jewel and see the other person as nothing more than a sloppy pig that isn't even worthy of my "pearls of wisdom." Ouch! On a spiritual level, when we judge someone, we are literally reducing them in our eyes to worthless swine. Once we start seeing the world through the eyes of a judgmental spirit we lose our ability to distinguish between the truth and a lie. This is why a judgmental spirit is so dangerous. We must strive to view life through the eyes of Jesus.

Finally, a judgmental spirit damages our relationships. The last half of verse 6 says, "they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces." A judgmental spirit wounds others and leaves them no choice but to defend themselves. When you slap someone, are you surprised when they turn around and punch you in the nose? Is it any wonder that our churches are so full of division and void of unity when God's people are so busy judging one another? This is why the world wants nothing to do with the Church. They see us as one big dysfunctional family. So, not only does a judgmental spirit damage relationships within the Church, it causes serious damage by sabotaging the prospect of those outside the Church ever coming into relationship with Jesus. Ouch again!

How do you know if you have a judgmental spirit? If you find that people around you tend to judge you and you feel people don't accept you for who you are, that is an indication that you have a judgmental spirit. That's why Jesus says, "For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged." Second, if you are more worried about how other people are behaving than how you are behaving, you have a judgmental spirit. If there seems to be a lack of grace shown to you by other people, perhaps it is because you are not showing grace to them and you are simply reaping the result of what you are sowing into them. The old adage is true - "What goes around, comes around." Jesus' final statement in this passage sums it up in what we have come to know as The Golden Rule - "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you." If you want to be shown grace, if you want people to accept you and not judge you, then all you have to do is do likewise and it will come back to you.

Great Followers Make Great Leaders

2011-02-15T09:11:00.000-06:00

Every one leads someone. Whether you realize it or not, the way you live your life is influencing someone right this moment. That could be a good thing or it could be bad, depending upon how you are living your life. Whether you are a parent, a teacher in a classroom, a manager in a company, an employee, or a friend to someone, you are leading people. You and I have a choice - we can either be bad leaders or we can be good ones.

You can't be a great leader unless you are being led yourself. When God called Moses to lead his people in Exodus 33:15, Moses bluntly tells God,“If your presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here." In this present culture it is critical that we lead not out of our own experience, training or understanding, but simply under the leading and direction of God himself. The stakes are too high in the lives of those we are called to lead to do it on our own. Putting God at the helm of our leadership will bring his favor upon our efforts as it did with Moses. Of all the things he could have asked the Lord for, he asked for his presence. So God said, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.” Let him lead you and you will lead others well. This is what separates the great leaders from the bad. Great followers make the best leaders.

A Tale of Two Kingdoms

2011-02-03T10:21:00.008-06:00

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21)

There are two kingdoms that are vying for your heart in a relentless pursuit of you. In this life we have a choice: we can either pursue Worldly Riches or we can pursue Kingdom Riches. Worldly Riches are temporal things like money and possessions that don't last and can be taken from us. Kingdom Riches are eternal things that only God can provide and can never be taken away. They last forever. You can't pursue both because, as Matthew goes on to tell us, you will hate the one and love the other. Both kingdoms are opposed to each other and have different agendas. The Worldly Kingdom and its riches are only concerned with the here and now. The Heavenly Kingdom and its riches are concerned with your eternity and more importantly, your soul. Each of these kingdoms has a tremendous impact on 5 aspects of our daily lives.

#1 - They determine your IDENTITY. Worldly Riches define you by what you can or can't do, or what you have or don't have. Kingdom Riches define you simply by who you are in Christ. In God's kingdom your identity is not tied to what you do. Have you ever noticed in the bible that David is called "a man after God's own heart?" He is not identified as the one who killed Goliath, or the one who wrote the Psalms, or even one of the greatest kings of Israel. Nope. His identity is based on his relationship with the Father. In heaven there will be no titles in front of our names.

#2 - They determine OWNERSHIP. Not what you own, but who owns you. The pursuit of Worldly Riches leads to enslavement because possessions have a way of controlling us. The more you get, the more you have to work to keep them. The pursuit of Kingdom Riches leads to freedom because God is the one who not only owns us, but owns everything we have. In fact, we wouldn't have those things if it weren't for Him in the first place. The Worldly Kingdom seeks to own you to make you dependent upon it. On the other hand, the Heavenly Kingdom seeks to own you to bring you freedom from dependency upon things that don't last.

#3 - They determine our VALUE. Worldly Riches actually devalue us because they place value on what we have. In that kingdom life is limited to 2+2=4. Kingdom Riches increase our value because, once again, our value has nothing to do with what we can or can't do, but on our relationship with Christ. Whether I have a million dollars or am homeless, my value doesn't change. In this kingdom life is unlimited because God is not limited by human math or our economy. In his Kingdom 2+2 might equal a million.

#4 - They determine our TRUST. Worldly Riches lead to worry because there is no real guarantee. We are left to rely on the economy, other people and ourselves. Those will disappoint us. Kingdom Riches lead to peace because God is our source of provision. We can trust Him because He never leaves us or forsakes us and He is the same yesterday, today and forever. You can't say that about anything else.

#5 - They determine our REWARD. Worldly Riches lead to hopelessness because there is no guarantee for the future. Banks fail and markets crash. When they do, they take our stuff with it. Kingdom Riches lead to hope because our future is secure. In God's kingdom his word is backed up by a 100% guarantee and his record through the ages proves it. Any reward we receive from the Earthly Kingdom is short lived. But our reward from the Heavenly Kingdom is eternal and nothing can take that away, ever.

The pursuit of Kingdom Riches requires letting go. We have to let go of Worldly Riches. I can't grab on to what God has in His hands until I first let go of what I have in my hands. He has so much for you but you will never acquire it as long as your hands are full of Kingdom Riches. Once we let go, He will fill our hands with Kingdom Riches that will last forever.

It's All About Attitude

2011-02-01T10:11:00.000-06:00

Imagine with me for a moment that you just purchased a yacht. You have been saving all your life for this moment and you've finally achieved your goal. You've always dreamed of owning one and now your dreams have come true. Only you never take it out on the water, but keep it safely moored to the dock because you don't want to risk damaging her in a storm. You are content to just admire her as she sits calmly docked. That would be foolish and would be a huge waste of your investment. Nobody would be dumb enough to do such a thing. However, that is how many Christians live their lives. Like that boat, they never venture out into the open waters of life for fear of storms. They have experienced a few storms and maybe even a hurricane or two, and they find it is much safer to stay on dry land. The threat of a storm keeps them tied up. Their fear of what might happen robs them of what lies ahead. They miss opportunities and are robbed of deep relationships with other people. They never go forward and stay the way they have always been. All because they fear what may happen. Their perspective, or attitude towards life, is crippling them. The storms are really not the problem. It's their attitude. What we think about life determines the outcome. It's all about attitude. Here are a few attitudes that help us overcome our fear of life's storms.

#1 - Storms are a fact of life. You can't avoid them, even if you choose to stay tied to the dock. In fact, the dock is the worst place for a boat to be during a hurricane. It risks getting smashed against the dock. Everyone faces storms in life. Remembering this simple truth is a first step to overcoming your fear of them.

#2 - Storms are not the reality of everyday life. Storms come and go, but they don't last forever. While we are in the midst of the storm, it is easy to get overwhelmed by it because that is all we can see. But we have to remember that not too far above those clouds is blue sky. That storm is not the sum of my life. The key is to not get focused on the storm. Once the storm passes, some people spend their time under the calm, blue skies fretting about the next storm that might come. This is not the way God intended us to live. Colossians 3:2 says, "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." The next time you face a major storm in your life, focus on the one who calms the storms rather than the storm itself.

#3 - Storms make you stronger. People that have great character, are full of Godly wisdom and have a healthy attitude toward life are not those who have avoided storms. Rather, they are people who have been through their fair share of hurricanes in life. Their depth of character, wisdom and attitude are a result of storms. Embrace the storms of life. They will make you a better person.

#4 - The storm is never as big as you think it is. I had some experiences with storms while living in Colorado that taught me some lessons about life. I experienced some of the scariest storms I've ever witnessed during those ten years. One moment it would be clear and sunny and then suddenly, there would be 60mph winds and swirling dark clouds with thunder and lightning. Then just as suddenly, it would be silent. I quickly learned that this was a very bad sign as this was an indicator of a severe hail storm or worse yet, a tornado. We spent a few summer afternoons huddled in our basement due to a tornado warning. We never did have a tornado hit and those storms usually lasted maybe 15 minutes or so. The same goes for the storms in life. Yes, they are scary at times, but they always blow over and never seem to be as bad as they looked.

#5 - Don't try and navigate the storm alone. Without God at the helm of your life you risk capsizing or running into the rocks. Let God control the direction and course of your life. With Him at the controls you have nothing to worry about. But you have to let go of the steering wheel. Letting go in the middle of a hurricane is one of the hardest things to do, but you must if you want to survive. Contrary to the popular bumper sticker, God is not my co-pilot. He and he alone is the pilot of my life and he doesn't need a co-pilot. All I need to do is relax and let him do the driving. It's much safer that way.

If we live by these 5 principles, we will be able to navigate any storm that life may throw our way. It's all about attitude.

Humble Pie

2011-01-27T09:32:00.001-06:00

In 1984 I was fresh out of Bible college, barely 21 years old and ready to take on the world for Jesus. I had spent four hard years and thousands of dollars earning a degree. I was hired as a Music Pastor in a small church outside San Francisco and when I moved into my new office, I proudly hung my degree on the wall. This is what I worked so hard for, and now I had finally made it. A couple of months later, a lady in our church, who owned the local Christian Book Store, handed me a neatly wrapped gift on a Sunday morning. I was moved. I thought to myself, she must love the music so much that she wanted to thank me with a thoughtful expression of a personal gift. When I got home that afternoon I carefully opened up the present to discover that it was a book by Charles Swindol titled, "Improving Your Serve." As I opened the front cover, I noticed a hand written note on the inside which said, "Dear David: I pray the words on these pages will impact you for years to come as you learn the art of serving." What? My heart sunk as I realized that she was telling me I needed to learn how to serve. How dare she! That began the process of the Lord walking me through a season of humility. It was a painful and yes, humiliating process, but one I wouldn't trade for anything. I thank God for that dear lady who took the effort to confront me about my pride. I'm still a work in progress like everyone else. Pride is an ugly thing. It's hard to overcome and if left unchecked, will derail every area of our lives.

James 4:6 says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” There are five major reasons why pride is so dangerous.

Pride “overvalues” what we can do and “devalues” what God can do.
It puts more value on man’s “limited” ability rather than God's “unlimited” ability.
It promises to reward us with privilege and status only to end up robbing us of the value we truly possess in Christ.
It has an insatiable appetite for more that is never satisfied and only leaves us empty.
It says “I don’t need God. I’ve got me!”

The opposite of pride is humility, and James 4:10 tells us that if we humble ourselves before the Lord, He will lift us up. Pride tricks us into thinking that it will elevate us. But in reality, it brings us down. Let God do the lifting. He does a much better job.

Principle vs. Conviction

2011-01-26T09:03:00.000-06:00

You can't lead with conviction until you first live a life ruled by your convictions. Your life isn't shaped by how you lead, but rather, your leadership is shaped by how you live. Leadership based on principles isn't trustworthy because principles are based on what we think or how we feel. That changes often. Leadership based on conviction is trustworthy because convictions are based on truth, and truth doesn't change. We shape our principles, but conviction shapes us. This is leadership 101.

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

2011-01-25T11:52:00.000-06:00

Yesterday marked the solemn 38th anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision to legalize abortion in the United States. According to the Alan Guttmacher InstituteSince, it is estimated that a total of 39,290,477 babies have been aborted in the United States alone since 1973. The population of the U.S. is now at 308 million so the number of abortions that have been performed in 38 years equals more than 12% of our total, current population. That averages out to over 10 million babies aborted every year. To put it in even better perspective, that is equivalent to the total population of the 30 most populated cities in America, according to the 2009 Census estimates. To break it down even further, that averages out to 117 babies aborted every hour for the last 38 years, or just shy of 2 every second. In the time it will take me to write this post over 100 more babies will have been aborted. In my opinion, that is a tremendous price to pay for convenience. In 2002 there were a total of 100,693 murders by firearms around the world (SOURCE: The Eighth United Nations Survey on Crime Trends and the Operations of Criminal Justice Systems (2002) (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Centre for International Crime Prevention). When you compare the statistics, which one deserves more outrage and attention? Which one should our legislature being more concerned about? Which is the bigger atrocity? Abortion! Yet more money, time, energy and resources are spent on gun control legislation than overturning Roe vs. Wade. In America, one is called a crime while the other is called a right.

I believe that God forms each and every human life with a divine purpose and the potential to change the world. For the sake of convenience or a women's right to chose, did we sacrifice our only chance for world peace? Did we forfeit our only opportunity to cure cancer? What world changing opportunities did we throw away in the trash? How many potential Billy Grahams did we throw away, and as a result, how many souls were never given the chance to hear the gospel? With convenience comes a tremendous price tag and one I don't think anyone considered in 1973. Who knows what it has cost us so far, but this I can tell you - there will come a day when the final price for our convenience will be demanded of us by our Creator whom we stole those lives from.

You Have Immense Value

2011-01-20T10:07:00.002-06:00

Human reasoning suggests that if you do good things, you will become a good person. But we all know from experience that this is simply not true. If it were true, we would have done away with murder and other crimes a long time ago. The reality is that the more we humans try to become good, the more we realize that it just doesn't work. This philosophy only leads to frustration because it ties man's value to what he can or can't do. In God's kingdom, our value lies simply in who we are through Him. This brings hope.

Jesus illustrates this principle with his encounter with the Samaritan women at the well in John 5. In this story we are told that she has some major life issues. She has had many husbands and she is not married to the man she is now living with. She's been burned by religion. She's at the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder as both a woman and a Samaritan. Men have failed her, sex and relationships have failed her, and religion has left her empty. As you read this encounter, notice not only what Jesus says to her, but also what he doesn't say to her. Both are very important. Yes, he does let her know that he knows all about her, but he doesn't tell her to stop doing this or that. He doesn't give her a speech about the law of Moses and the Commandments. He doesn't even tell her, "go and sin no more!" Jesus understood that the key to changing her behavior was to give her Kingdom value. He did this in several profound ways. First, he listened to her and gave her his attention. This won her trust. Second, he offered her hope which changed her thinking. Third, he offered her grace which opened her heart. Through the simple, profound act of giving her eternal value, this woman was changed. This change was so profound that the entire village came out to see for themselves who this man was that did this.

When we come to grips with the true, immense value we have in God's kingdom, that changes our behavior. Because she now had real value, this woman no longer had to look for it in sex and relationships. Yes, she had to work on developing new daily habits which I'm sure wasn't easy, but she now understood that only Jesus could change her. Not any other man, not behavioral modification, not rehab or self-help. Value changes us from the inside out. When my heart is changed, my behavior naturally changes.

God wants you to know that you have immense value in his kingdom. That is why he went to the cross for you and laid down his life. He did this so that you would know how much you are worth to him. Embrace your eternal value and let that begin to change you from the inside out.

Communication Has Little to Do With What We Say

2011-01-17T13:58:00.001-06:00

One major characteristic that is common to great leaders, and one that I would be so bold to state that all great leaders possess, is their ability to communicate to a wide variety of audiences. A great leader has the capacity to connect with people in a way that others can't. I do not believe that this is a talent given at birth, though some may have a natural ability to do so. I have found that this is a characteristic that is learned, and if you learn how to develop this characteristic, you can become a great leader as well.

I believe that communication has very little to do with public speaking style or ability. I know many pastors who possess very little public speaking skills but are excellent communicators and have a uncanny ability to connect with their audiences despite their poor public speaking skills. I also know leaders who are incredible orators yet can't seem to connect with people beyond the pulpit. So what is it that distinguishes them? The great leaders spend their time and energy not in developing great sermons or speeches, but in learning how to speak the language of the people they are speaking to. Two people can say the exact same thing verbatim, yet only one may actually communicate and connect with their audience. The one that connects understands that communication is ALWAYS two-way.

When a missionary feels a call to a specific country the first thing he or she does is begin to study the culture of the people they will soon minister to. In fact, the first year spent on the ground is spent in language school. They understand that they will never be successful until they first learn to speak their language. This is basic Leadership 101. Whether you are a missionary, a CEO of a Fortune 500 company, a department manager in a small business, or a pastor in a local church, your speaking skills will only get you so far. If you want to successfully lead anyone you must first learn how to speak their language. If the people under you question your ability to understand them or that you care about them, then it doesn't matter what you have to say. They simply won't listen. However, if they know that you listen to them and understand them, and if you spend time investing in them personally, they will follow you wholeheartedly because you have won their trust. They don't trust you because you have a doctoral degree hanging in your office. They trust you because they know you genuinely care about them.

Yes, we need to hone our speaking skills and study diligently before we stand up to the pulpit. But even more so, in the days leading up to then we must spend our time walking side by side with those we are speaking to, wining their trust. Only then will we be considered great leaders.

Worship Download

2011-01-15T13:52:00.001-06:00

Restore us, O God; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved. Psalm 80:3

I work with computers every day. On our church and school campus network we have well over 100 computer stations and that requires a lot of maintenance to keep everyone up and running smoothly. We live in a day where we are connected to the Internet 24/7. This is both a blessing and a curse. The Internet has revolutionized my way of doing music ministry because there are resources at my immediate disposal at anytime without me having to leave my office. I also have instant access to a greater number of people at all times. That's the blessing. Most people don't realize, however, that as we surf the net there is always a residue that gets downloaded on our hard drives. Things like cookies that track us; spyware that reports our surfing habits to people who want to sell us their products; viruses that can slow us down and even shut us down. This requires regular maintenance to clear this unwanted stuff from our computers to keep them running fast and smooth.

On a spiritual level, we are a lot like computers. As we go through our day there is a lot of stuff that gets downloaded into our spirits as we navigate through the day-to-day responsibilities. Some good and some not so good. This leaves a residue that can make us sluggish, so to speak, in our walk with God. It sometimes can crowd out the stuff that the Holy Spirit is pouring into us at the same time. We find ourselves depressed, anxious and lacking in faith as a result. Like computers, we need regular, daily maintenance to clear out all the unwanted stuff that accumulates. That is where the importance of worship comes in. Worship is how God can clear away the clutter and begin to replace that data with the truth of his Word in our hearts. As we worship the Lord by declaring the truth of who he is and who we are in light of his grace and mercy, he reformats the hard drive of our soul which cleans out the residue that has accumulated from daily living. A simple definition of worship is the act of declaring spiritual truth. In John 8:32 Jesus says, "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." Worship reminds us of the truth of who God is and that brings freedom.

Take time today for some regular maintenance. Spend some time in private worship of him and allow him to clear away the clutter and junk that tries to cloud your thinking. Let God do a daily "system restore" of your life so that you are running at optimum efficiency.

Speaking the Truth In Love Doesn't Give You The Right To Say Anything

2011-01-13T10:18:00.000-06:00

Last night in our Wednesday Bible study we talked about the subject of lying. Sanford made a very profound statement that went "Kingdom conversation must put courage in others, not take it out." Kingdom conversation is all about the truth, but that doesn't mean we need to take it upon ourselves to go around verbalizing the truth about someone or how we feel. You are not being dishonest when you don't say anything. You are just being wise!

As I was watching the morning news and drinking my coffee I found Sanford's statement rising up in my spirit as I listened to the talking heads pontificate about the recent shooting in Tuscon. Many are blaming Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck for causing this tragedy with what they are calling "hate-mongering rhetoric." In the wake of such a horrible act of violence I think it is natural for us as human beings to look for reasons why but we so easily get caught up in placing blame on others rather than taking personal responsibility. Everyone who is laying the blame on someone else is actually guilty of committing the exact same offense they are accusing others of. Yes, we need to get to the truth of why and how this happened, but laying blame only pushes us away from the truth rather than bringing us closer to it. I am proud of our President and how he seized the moment to lay down partisanship and vitriol, to avoid laying blame on others and calling us to come together during a time of mourning, anguish and hurt. Thank you Mr. President for honoring the memory of 9-year old Christina Green by challenging all Americans to make our country what she hoped it could be. You encouraged me that even in the midst of such tragedy, we can rise above the evil that surrounds us.

It is critical that the Church in America rise up and blaze a new trail for change and transformation in our country. We have been guilty of being just like the world and filling the airwaves and our pulpits with the same kind of vitriol and anger-filled speech that fills the news. Ephesians 4:25 and 29 says, "Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs that it may benefit those who listen." Yes, the Church needs to speak out against injustice and sin and immorality, but we do not have God's approval to do it in a way that brings death. So if we are going to blame talk radio, Democrats or Republicans, the Tea Party Express or the liberal news media, then we must add our own names to that list. The Church should be at the top of the list because we should know better. We have the truth and we have been using it as a license to tear down rather than build up. This is exactly why the world believes that all Christians are like Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church. The only difference between us and them is that we don't parade out in public with signs. We just do it in the privacy of our sanctuaries and Christian TV shows with words. According to Ephesians, speaking truthfully to your neighbor requires that it build him up. If it tears him down you are speaking falsehood and are not being completely honest.

The challenge for us today is to determine that everything we say brings life to those around us. We can't afford to say anything else. Like our mothers used to say, "If you can't say anything nice, say nothing at all." Good advice!

You Have God's Attention

2011-01-06T10:00:00.001-06:00

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. (Psalm 84:11)

In my post yesterday I talked about how to get God's favor on your life. Today I want to talk about what favor means. According to Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition, the word favor means "friendly regard shown toward another especially by a superior; approving consideration or attention." What an awesome thought that the Creator of the universe has chosen to give us the regard of his friendship and approving attention! Of all the things he has created - the stars and galaxies, the oceans and mountains, the wonders of the Grand Canyon - he has set aside his undivided attention for us. In fact, all of those creations are intended to remind us of his "favor" toward us. The word favor is synonymous with the word grace which has been translated as unmerited favor. No, we don't deserve it, but that is what makes it so incredible.

Be encouraged today because he has bestowed on you his favor and honor. Grab hold of it and let it transform the way you live and think. He wants you to know that you have his attention. The last part of verse 11 says the he will withhold nothing from those whose walk is blameless. In the context of this entire chapter, to walk blameless means that we simply adopt a lifestyle where God is the sole source of our strength to the point where our very breath is dependent upon him.

May God's favor shine upon you and your household today!

How to Get God's Favor On Your Life

2011-01-05T10:36:00.000-06:00

May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands. (Psalm 90:17)

I have been meditating on this Psalm for the last week in light of the new year. With the dawn of the new year most of us find ourselves filled with anticipation of the possibilities that lay ahead for us - the possibility of new accomplishments and new goals; the realization of unmet goals that were missed last year; the desire to do better than before. This is good because it indicates our desire to grow and mature. I love January for that very reason. I see great potential and I know that God is the God of new beginnings. But it can also bring despair for the same reason. If we are not careful, we can quickly become overwhelmed by all of the things we failed to do last year. It is good to take stock of our failings, but the challenge is to use them to drive us toward growth and maturity and not cause us to shrink back in from fear of failure.

I am all in favor of New Year's resolutions and setting goals for one's life at the beginning of the year. I know from personal experience that we can get so caught up in the rush of newness that we develop a list that is so large and lofty that we set ourselves up for failure. In light of the above Psalm, I am learning a more balanced and Biblical approach. I think we would all say that we want the favor of the Lord our God to rest upon us. That is God's desire also. God's favor does not come by way of what we do or don't do. We have the right goals but the wrong approach. We tend to pray this way - "God, bless and anoint my efforts." We spend so much time asking God to bless what we are doing rather than spend that time asking Him what He is already at work doing through me. David asked God to establish the work of his hands. In other words, he is asking God to set the goals for him instead. I have found that it is so much easier to ask Him what I should do rather than trying to figure it out on my own. When we are at work doing His will, we won't have to ask for His favor or anointing because it will be automatic. God has goals for each of us and He will give us everything we need to accomplish them. When we set out to do our own agenda we will find ourselves left to ourselves and that only sets us up for failure.

So this year, take a new approach and let God be the one that establishes the work of your hands. As you do this you can rest assured that the favor of the Lord your God will rest upon you. Happy New Year!

The Babe In The Manger Became The Man Of Sorrows

2010-12-23T12:34:00.000-06:00

The greatest gift to man was birthed not in pageantry and splendor, but in pain and agony. Isaiah 53 is a poetic picture of the true Messiah and Savior. It's hard to read because it is full of words like despised, rejected, sorrows, oppressed and afflicted. Jesus is given this title in verse 3 - "A man of sorrows acquainted with grief". The Father in His wisdom and understanding gave us His son born out of pain and sorrow so that we could know not just a man called Jesus, but a Savior who overcame the very pain and sorrow we needed to be rescued from. This is the Jesus the world can relate to because that is real life. The real treasure of Christmas is not the pretty lights, presents and music. It's that in the face of great pain and sorrow, we can find true life! This is the tidings of great joy the angels sang about - the God that created the universe is the God that is acquainted with your pain and sorrow. He understands your grief and suffering. And not only does he understand, one day soon we will be with him again and there will be no more sorrow and no more pain. The gift he gave is still yet to be realized in its fullness. That is how we find peace and joy in the middle of sorrow and pain.

May His peace and joy find you this Christmas right in the midst of all that life brings. Embrace His gift to you and may you find tidings of comfort and joy.

The Message of Christmas: Peace Comes In The Middle Of Life's Chaos

2010-12-20T22:47:00.000-06:00

Isn't it amazing that the creator of the universe chose to come into our world through a young peasant girl? Out of all the people in the world He chose someone who was virtually unknown. At the time of Jesus' birth Mary's world had been turned upside down because of this "unplanned" pregnancy. I wonder what her dreams of the future were, what aspirations she had? All of a sudden her life comes to a screeching halt and takes a drastic turn. She endured the scorn of others, perhaps even by her own family, because they assumed she had conceived a child out of wedlock with a guy named Joseph. This brought shame on her family. When the time came for Jesus to be born they were on the street and had no place to stay. They had no money, were all alone and had a bleak future ahead of them.

This Christmas season don't look for Him in the tinsel and lights or in the spectacular musical productions and programs. His glory is revealed in the day to day reality of life away from the displays and pageantry. He is found in the midst of us trying to figure out how to make it to the next paycheck, in the bad news from the doctor, in the struggle to turn your marriage around. If you look, You will find Him there and He will bring His peace in the midst of it all. It's a peace that lasts long after the decorations are taken down.

Christmas Is About Giving The Best

2010-12-13T11:34:00.001-06:00

Christmas is a short two weeks away and everyone is making the mad dash to finish up all their gift buying for this year. The thought that is occupying most minds right now is "What should I get for my wife?" or "Which tie should I buy for dad this year" or "Should I get a gift for Aunt Edna this year, or should I just send a gift card?" I saw an episode of Seinfeld this weekend where Jerry's friend, George, was upset because his co-workers made a donation to a children's charity in his name as Christmas gifts. He thought that was a rather lazy, thoughtless gift to give. Then he got to thinking that maybe they were on to something, so he made up a charity and passed out cards stating that a sizable donation was made to the "World Fund" in their name. He saved time and money in the process. I think there are times we might be tempted to do something like that when we are feeling the stress of the season and just want to get it over with and get back to normal.

The above scenario is funny but disturbing because it is a glimpse into the reality of the human heart. Left to our own devices we want to give without becoming uncomfortable or inconvenienced. Stores are even capitalizing on this human tendency. The marketplace is set up to make the process as painless as possible and even reward you for going to all that trouble. You can purchase a buy-one-get-one-free item, keep one for yourself and give the freebie to your mother. That saves you a lot of time and effort and you get something out of it too. If you are a husband, don't make the mistake of giving your wife cash for Christmas. Trust me, it will go over about as well as giving her a vacuum cleaner. We humans don't do well at gift giving sometimes.

I am so thankful that God doesn't give the way we do. He didn't give us leftovers or a freebie. He didn't spend five minutes looking for a gift. No, he gave us the most expensive, priceless and costly gift he could think of. The gift he gave cost him everything and he got nothing in return except the joy of knowing he gave himself. Yes, he gave himself by giving us his son, Jesus. There is a line in an old gospel song that says, "He gave his life. What more could he give?" God held nothing back for you and I and he sent the hosts of heavenly angels to earth to tell us about that gift, not to say, "Look what I did," but so that we wouldn't miss it.

In light of the gift that God gave to us, what should we give this Christmas? I think the best gift we can give is ourselves. Give the best of your time and energy. Give the best of your schedule and the best of your talents and abilities for his kingdom. Give the gift that costs you something. It's not easy to give, but it brings the most joy and you become like him in the process.

Signs and Wonders: 4 Core Values for Today's Church - Part 6

2010-12-09T09:48:00.001-06:00

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. (Acts 2:42-43 NIV)

Core Value #4 - Prayer. It has been said there are two kinds of churches: those that talk about praying, and those that pray. I was on staff at a church early in my ministry that I would put into the first category. There were many sermons about prayer and there was a weekly prayer "meeting" if you could call it that. It was more of a gossip session than a prayer meeting. I remember one January it was declared that our theme for the year was "The Year of Prayer." We started out the year with seven days of prayer at 5am, Noon, and 7pm. After that first week we were back to the weekly gossip session and no mention was made about our theme. It is a sad fact that far too many churches operate this way. Huge sums of money are spent on good and necessary programs and ministries. Great effort is spent each week in putting together seamless, dynamic worship services with relevant, cutting-edge sermons. But when it is all said and done, shouldn't prayer be the one thing we spend the most of our time, money and energy doing? I stand convicted myself because I can honestly say I don't. Is it any wonder we don't see signs and wonders displayed in the Church today?

Like the early Church we must make prayer the foundational core value of who we are. It's more than just having prayer meetings. It's more than making room for times of prayer during our worship services. We desperately need those and should be doing that. But to become like the Church in Acts, it has to become who we are, not something we do. That is the key. Prayer has to become the core of who we are as followers of Christ. We have to live a lifestyle of prayer. This is something that the Holy Spirit is convicting me of personally. But unlike the church I worked for many years ago, I don't want to make a banner and proclaim that this is going to be my year of prayer. I'm determined that I'm just going to do it. It's time that we, the Church, stop living to pray and start praying to live.

Signs and Wonders: 4 Core Values for Today's Church - Part 5

2010-12-06T20:14:00.007-06:00

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. (Acts 2:42-43 NIV)

Core Value #3 - The Breaking of Bread. Most scholars agree that this phrase is a direct reference to what we call Communion today, or the Lord's Table where we partake of the bread and the wine in remembrance of Christ's sacrifice. The broken bread is a symbol to remind us of his broken body which provides for our healing, and the wine is a symbol to remind us of his blood that was shed for the remission of our sins. The first Church made a point to be devoted to the observance of Communion which they called the Breaking of Bread as a regular and foundational part of who they were. This makes sense because without Christ's work on the cross, there would be no Church. His death and resurrection are what birthed the Church and are at the core of who we are.

There is another element to the concept of the breaking of bread that I want to point out here. Communion is so much more than just the Church celebrating what Christ did for her. It is also an act that reminds us that we must be like him. This is where the power of breaking of bread comes in. The purpose of the Church is to go out into the world and make disciples of all people. The cultural relevance of breaking bread is summed up in hospitality, a welcoming of those outside of your tribe, language group or country as one of your own. This was the hallmark of the early Church and unfortunately is not one of today's Church. In "The Extra Mile - The ancient virtue of hospitality imposes duties on host and guest" by Miriam Schulman and Amal Barkouki-Winter, the act of breaking of bread is associated with hospitality towards strangers and aliens. They write, "The plight of aliens was desperate. They lacked membership in the community, be it tribe, city-state, or nation. As an alienated person, the traveler often needed immediate food and lodging. Widows, orphans, the poor, or sojourners from other lands lacked the familial or community status that provided a landed inheritance, the means of making a living, and protection. In the ancient world, the practice of hospitality meant graciously receiving an alienated person into one’s land, home, or community and providing directly for that person’s needs."

Isn't that exactly what Christ did for us? We were aliens who were desperate and needy and he welcomed us unconditionally and made us his own. He showed the ultimate display of hospitality and now his followers, the Church, were showing that same kind of hospitality with the rest of the world. It was in this environment that signs and wonders were done on a regular basis. I believe the reason we aren't seeing signs and wonders today is because we have lost our devotion to the breaking of bread. We are religious about celebrating Communion but we leave it at that. We have made Communion merely a remembrance of something that was done when it should be a celebration of what we should be doing. When we start doing that I believe signs and wonders will follow.

Signs and Wonders: 4 Core Values for Today's Church - Part 4

2010-11-29T13:22:00.001-06:00

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. (Acts 2:42-43 NIV)

Core Value #2 - The Fellowship. This second core value does not come naturally to humans and its placement as number two on this list is intentional. It can only come once we are first devoted to the Apostle's teaching. Their devotion to these four values was more than just a mere commitment to them. It was embracing them as a lifestyle. It meant a complete change in the way they lived their daily lives. Our devotion to the fellowship can only be truly realized after our devotion to God's Word. It is that Word that transforms our hearts and enables us to become devoted to one another.

The original Hebrew word for fellowship in this verse has the same root meaning from the Greek word koinonia, which means community, communion, joint participation and intimacy. It goes beyond just a membership in an organization. It is a marriage to one another intended to mirror the relationship between Christ and his Church. This is what set the early Church apart from all other religious institutions of the day. It was the early Christians' devotion to each other that caught the attention of the world around them. I am not devoted to any one single person, but to the collective body. When we are devoted at this level it enables us to stay devoted, even in the midst of disappointment and hurt by others because we understand that our devotion goes much deeper than our relationship with just those individuals. This is a value that is needed to be embraced in the Church today. We need to be reminded that our devotion is not to an institution, personality or ministry, but to the whole fellowship. That fellowship is the Body of Christ. This is why my devotion to God's Word is foundational to my devotion to the fellowship because it is God's Word that teaches me to honor others above myself and to turn the other cheek.

This creates fertile ground for signs and wonders. Psalm 133 tells us that when the Body of Christ comes together in unity, it is there that the Lord commands His blessing. What that literally means is our devotion to the fellowship releases tha hand of God to move and to show his signs and wonders among us. It doesn't take high and lofty prayers or skillfully crafted sermons or even dynamic worship services. It just takes our devotion. As I said in a previous post, signs and wonders weren't meant to be complicated.