Courage

Courage isn't when you do something big, one time for something or some one you really don't care about. Courage isn't doing something you will regret later just for a story or moment. Courage is when you make some small decision and stick with it,  which then leads to those moments where you stand in front of a crowd and something happens. You're not really a martyr if your only dying because you set it up. A martyr is done one who dies when they didn't want to die and are not creating a stage or a scene. They are simply going with it.
The challenge is to be faithful in the small things, which in turn lead to being big things.

The Followers

There's a student I know and God is really starting to get a good hold on his life. He blogged today about how him X and another girl want to start a group so that they can begin to tell kids at their school about Jesus. The have, from what I can see, named this on their own, using their own creativity.
What strikes me as amazing is this : Jesus' disciples called themselves followers of The Way.
There is a pretty solid sermon series being preached by Andy Stanley at the moment called "Christian" and is all about how we are disciples not people of a title.
What is also amazing is how Good will begin with basically the same truths for every believer.
Jesus really wants to get a hold of this world and he is going to use those that really want to be Influencers as opposed to the influenced.
Holy Spirit please help me and use me to make as great an impact as possible.

I Have Decided...

The old song "I have decided" is profound. I am especially feeling it today.                 I have decided to follow Jesus,  no turning back.
Jesus once said "if they persecute me, they will persecute you, too." He also said "take up your cross and follow me." which those two statements are really not for the faint of heart.
We do have an enemy. And we will develop more - especially those of us in leadership. Rick Warren apparently said "for every 10 followers you'll have 1 critic." lately I've met my critic, a new enemy and I do not rejoice in it. However what I do get to rejoice in is I'm going to walk in faith and trust Jesus. I'm going to do my job unto the Lord. And by being the best employee in the company that I can be, I will exemplify Christ. I will honor my task master, my "owner",  and treat them with honor.
If I love and serve my enemies then what I'm actually doing is allowing God's perfect wrath and plan to be in control. Because maybe his plan is for me to be such a good witness my enemy is saved and turns to Jesus.
He said his yoke is easy and his burden is light. Jesus has commanded me to prepare the field. When he says that, I believe it is with full acknowledgement that the ground may be horrible and long stretches where you have to re - do the exact same area over and over again.
I have decided to follow Jesus. No turning back.

The Doctor - Sunday Experience

It is well noted that Jesus said it is not the healthy who need a doctor but rather the sick.  So here's my question: the Sunday morning experience you present and have each week,  is it a waiting room where the sick can come and feel safe while they wait for The Doctor?
What is it that you are doing? 

1. Is There Space?
We all hate it when you go to the doctors office and there is no where to park and the appropriate enterences are not appropriately marked. So be sure to have great signage directing people where to go,  lots of space and even people directing traffic. 

2. The Behind the Counter Experience
The receptionist is busy with everything other than helping the people at the desk: What kind of welcome experience have you created and established? Do people come and feel welcome? Do they feel like they have simply pulled a ticket OR do they simply feel like a inconvenience or nuisance?
Help people feel welcome by having friendly (not over bearing)  greeters and be sure to have the 'sign up'  or 'reception' open and accessible to anyone who needs it.

3. The Waiting Room
You grab your seat.  You have that uncomfortable feeling not wanting to sit near anyone,  wanting space,  avoiding eye contact not making a sound. 
This is the part where we need to have things going on,  not awkward silence but rather a positive atmosphere. The most comfortable waiting rooms have something on a screen to observe or music in the background or better yet a combination there of.  It's less awkward and if you sit near someone you don't know, you now have something in common –what you're watching.

4. Waiting for the Doctor
You talk to someone who  brings you to the room and prepares you to meet with the doctor. Essentially a nurse who checks the vitals and ultimately sets the tone for the doctor.
What's your worship like? Is it really preparing people for the doctor or is it a awkward mash of information and probing? Is it creating a safe atmosphere or one where you simply can't wait to be done? A well organized put together nurse is far more effective then a random, unorganized nurse who doesn't know what she's doing.

5. Meet the Doctor
The doctor's who use big words and don't explain anything are often revered for their knowledge but not thanked for making it clear what's going on. 
When you preach,  simplify what your talking about and explain yourself appropriately.  Don't use jargon and cluttered diagrams.  You studied all those years to get the knowledge you have...  they haven't.
Remember to communicate your diagnosis and explain the treatment. Give them their prescription and what to do with it.

6. Hand Over the Paper
The doctors signature is on the prescription paper and it's handed off to you and you go get it filled.
Empower those whom you've communicated to and let them run with what you've given them.  You can't make them take it,  but only trust they do as instructed by the Doctor.

Don't create a place where only the healthy feel welcome and know what's going on.  Be courageous and make a waiting room for the sick.

Calvinism vs. Armenianism: Part 2

When it comes to an individual who comes to church and then leaves the church even if at some point the individual professed Christ as Lord,  everyone has differing opinions on it.  The Calvinist would suggest that Joe is like Judas and he claimed to be one of God's people but never really was one of them and then left. 
The Armenian would suggest that Joe did accept Christ and was saved but has now rejected God's free gift. 
The problem with both those views is they both come from different passages of the bible.  In a nut she'll,  you can't escape either one,  thus there is a never ending argument in theological circles,  as I stated in part one. 
So here's the thing with the die hards in either category.  They get all hung up on why that guy left but not the fact that they need to get Joe back in the church. 
So here's my plea.  Don't neglect those who don't know Jesus by arguing about them.  Create a safe place for them to come to know Jesus in a very real way.
God warns us a few times about quarreling about things that don't ultimately matter but rather commands to make disciples and teach them all he has commanded us.

Sides: Calvinism vs. Armenianism

When this secondary issue arises amongst Christians you often have two ill informed parties going at it trying to disprove the other one.  If some one asked me,  "Steve,  are you a Calvinist or an Armenian?" I would have to say "yes."
Here's why...  The Armenian says you can reject God and turn from God after knowing him and serving him faithfully or unfaithfully and loose your salvation.  In the Bible we see this many different times. Like when the apostle Paul makes comments in his letters that the people are turning from the God who saved them.
Then there's the Calvinist who says once you have had a true conversion and God saves you,  you can't loose your salvation because you aren't going to walk away from him. Their examples would be Judas the betrayer of Jesus but also verses that call us elect.
There's obviously a whole lot more to both sides. But keep this in mind: I have yet to see a debate where you have two equally equipped theologians hash it out to see the results.
Here's the thing.  Don't make Calvinism or Armenianism a hill to die on.  Strong biblical evidence can be found for both sides....  If one argument was stronger than the other there would be no argument.
Then there's the group that argue about the guy who's been in the church but ain't now a part of it....  PART 2

Who Told You That...?

I remember a time when I was in elementary school and I came home upset and my mom asking me why and I told her "because the kids at school said I was fat." She then asked the question "who told you that you were fat?" I didn't dare tell her that I was honestly the instigator of the whole thing and that I told one kid he was fat, which was where it all started to go down hill. God similarly asks Adam the same question, but with a slightly different twist, "who told you that you were naked?" It is quite honestly a brilliant question. But maybe you need to fill in with a different subject? Like, who told you that you were stupid? Who told you that you would never amount to much? Who told you that you are gay? Who told you that you are... ? Another great question though does come back to you though and it actually falls back on the beginning of the situation, your positioning. What got you in the position to where that subject even came from? Are you hanging out with the wrong people? Were you simply doing something you know you ought not do? What? Ultimately the answer to the question will actually show where your heart is at. But what can change this entire situation is where you find your identity and who you are listening to. What is God calling you? How does he identify you? Maybe you could follow him and you wouldn't have to worry about what the enemy wants you to believe but you will, instead place your focus on the One who does care and is the one who asks the very question "Who told you that..."