All posts by mjfelker1980

Discipleship, Life, Sermon Series

Weird

This week I’m starting a new sermon series entitled, WEIRD, based on the book by Craig Groeschel. The message is one that I think everyone needs to hear and I am excited to share it with our church body over the coming weeks.

We spend a great portion of our lives pursing what we perceive as normal. We want the cushy job, the big house, the perfect wife, and extra-ordinary children. We want the fast car, the corner office, and the dream vacations. We spend countless hours and tons of money working to achieve these things so that we will just like everyone else. The problem is that in the pursuit of normalcy we are paying a heavy toll.  

Most of us feel like we are no longer in control of our time and schedules. Others dictate where go, when we need to be there, and how much of our time they will consume. As a result, most of us feel overworked and burned out. Normal isn’t working.

Did you know that average household credit card debt is well north of $15,000? As some one smarter than me has said, “We spend money that we don’t have to buy things we don’t need to impress people we don’t like.” Ain’t that the truth! For too many there is too much month left at the end of the money. Normal isn’t working. 

I once read that the average marriage in the US lasts 8 years. I have underwear older than that! Unfortunately, marriages often die long before the divorce is official. Many people start off their relationship with their spouse with a lot of heat and passion and hopes and dreams. However, after too many unmet expectations and a lack of communication many couples never make it the finish line together and instead opt out emotionally, physically, and relationally. Normal isn’t working.

As for our other relationships, most of us struggle to feel connected to real deep and meaningful friendships. We drive into our garages, shut the door before we exit the car, and hang out alone in our backyards (or air conditioned homes- I live in TX). We are an isolated and lonely generation with more digital acquaintances than genuine friends engaged in life together. Normal isn’t working.

The good news is that you were not designed to have a normal life. God doesn’t call you to live like the rest of the world. He empowers you to live like His Son, Jesus Christ.

You aren’t supposed to be Normal. You’re invited to be Weird.

Jesus tells us that there are people that pursue normalcy and where that path leads. He said, “Wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.” As plain as he can say it, Jesus tells us that the pathway to a “normal life” ends in pain, heartache, and difficulty. Thankfully, this warning comes with hope.

Jesus tells us there is another way.

“But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

There is a road that leads to life. It is a bit out of the way. This isn’t a highway or boulevard. It is a hidden trail leading away from where everyone else is headed. This road isn’t to be taken lightly. If we choose this road it might feel uncomfortable. To take this road choices have to be made and changes have to occur. But at the end of this narrow road… there is… life.

One road leads to an unsustainable pace and burnout. The other to intentional living and soul-giving rest.

One road leads to crushing debt and an unsustainable life style. The other leads to financial peace and the ability to bless others.

One road leads to broken marriages, families torn apart, and a generation suffering from the emotional fallout. The other leads to One-ness, unconditional love, and a marriage that displays the love of God to all who see you.

See, Normal isn’t working.

It’s time to be Weird.

Discipleship, Leadership, Mission

Vision- The WHY

A few years ago, the board of directors for a small but growing chicken restaurant named Chick-fil-a met to decide the future direction of their organization. One group argued that the way to growth would be rapid expansion into new parts of the country. Some argued new menu items would cause the company to gain more of a market share. Still, some made the case for flashier commercials and giveaways in order to make Chick-fil-a a bigger company. The founder, Truett Cathy, sat there and listened to the arguments going back and forth across the conference table. He then began to bang his fist on the table in order to get everyone’s attention. When the room became quiet and with all eyes on him, the oldest man in the room simply said, “When we get better, we’ll get bigger.” With that, Chick-fil-a set out to become a better company in order to become a bigger one.

Compare that to Kentucky Fried Chicken or KFC or whatever they are calling themselves these days. It seems like every 6 months, Colonel Sanders and friends roll out a new marketing strategy or flashy new menu item or new remodel in order to attract customers. One ad cycle may show the chain becoming a heath food alternative with the next cycle tapping into the “homestyle-back-in-the-day” nostalgia that Kentucky Fried Chicken had back in the day. KFC seems to have be suffering from a identity crisis.

Much of these differences in marketing, strategy, and focus come down to the Mission of each organization.

On the KFC website, you will see that the company has a mission statement. It says:

KFC is the world’s most popular chicken restaurant chain, specializing in Original Recipe, Extra Crispy, Colonel’s Crispy Strips and Honey BBQ Wings, with home-style sides and freshly made chicken sandwiches. Since its founding by Colonel Harland Sanders in 1952, KFC has been serving customers delicious, already prepared complete family meals at affordable prices.

Through this statement, KFC makes it clear that their main focus is delivering chicken products to customers. It even goes so far as to list its main menu items in their mission statement. If you’ll remember, Harlen Sanders believed that Kentucky Fried Chicken existed to serve Original Recipe chicken and only Original Recipe. After he sold the company, he raised quite a stir after the new organization announced a new item- Crispy Chicken. The chicken has always been the focus of KFC.

Now, look at Chick-fil-a’s Mission Statement from their website:

Be America’s Best Quick-Service Restaurant

Chick-fil-a makes it clear that their main goal isn’t to simply sell chicken but to better serve people.

Just a glance at their respective homepages shows that KFC highlights products and Chick-fil-a highlights people. Neither one of these is right or wrong but they will have a direct effect on how each restaurant operates. An organization who holds serving people as their highest value will focus and behave differently than an organization that focuses on serving innovative products.

When it comes to determining what an organization wants to do and the best way to do that, they must first answer the question, “Why do we exist?”

If the answer is “We exist to serve chicken.” than offering many chicken options, highlighting new chicken products, changing your signage, and reminding people about your history of selling chicken will be the type of choices and behaviors the organization will exhibit in order to achieve their goals.

If your reason to exist is to serve people than you might make sure that your employees are trained to be friendly and encourage behaviors such as helping families by delivering the food to their table. You might make sure that the dining experience is fast, clean, and efficient. You might make sure that your menu is streamlined so that when people order they can do so quickly and easily.

If you’ve been to either one of these restaurants recently you know that each one has a distinct style and atmosphere. These things are directly due to the mission and vision that each organization is pursuing.

In his book, Start With Why, author Simon Sinek says that often times organizations struggle with getting their people to understand the vision or to buy into what the organization is trying to accomplish because leaders focus more on WHAT needs to be done and HOW it will be accomplished. Sinek argues that leaders must first get their people to understand the cause, the belief, the mission – the WHY behind it all.

(Set aside 18 minutes in your schedule today in order to watch Simon Sinek’s TED talk: How Great Leaders Inspire Action)

If we are going to lead healthy organizations that are actively making a difference in the lives of our people than we must identify the underlying reason WHY we exist in the first place. Once we understand the WHY, then we can move forward with the mission. Once the people you lead understand the WHY, than they will gladly join you on that mission.

Mission, Prayer

Mission Lazarus Day 8

This week I’m at Mission Lazarus in San Marcos de Colon, Honduras. During this time, I will be, for the most part, completely offline. Our team will be building a house, distributing food, teaching children, and serving as the hands and feet of Jesus. While I am away, I want to ask you to pray for our team. Below is a little info on what we will be doing today and a few prayer prompts that you can pray for us. Thank you in advance! Have a great week!

Saturday, July 28
The team leaves for home today and arrives back at DFW.

PRAY for God to speak to each team member today as they reflect on what has taken place.
PRAY for others at home to be blessed by the reports from this trip.

Scripture to Pray:
“Come and see what God has done, how awesome his works in man’s behalf! Praise our God, O peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard; he has preserved our lives, and kept our feet from slipping” (Psalm 66:5, 8-9).

Mission, Prayer

Mission Lazarus Day 7

This week I’m at Mission Lazarus in San Marcos de Colon, Honduras. During this time, I will be, for the most part, completely offline. Our team will be building a house, distributing food, teaching children, and serving as the hands and feet of Jesus. While I am away, I want to ask you to pray for our team. Below is a little info on what we will be doing today and a few prayer prompts that you can pray for us. Thank you in advance! Have a great week!

FRIDAY, July 27
The team will pack up and leave Mission Lazarus. They will spend the night in the capital city of Tegucigalpa.

PRAY that the team would find words to share their experience.
PRAY that God would deepen the lessons that He has taught them.
PRAY that their hearts are being prepared to return home.

Scripture to Pray:
“Lord you establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished you have done for us” (Isaiah 26:12).

Mission, Prayer

Mission Lazarus Day 6

This week I’m at Mission Lazarus in San Marcos de Colon, Honduras. During this time, I will be, for the most part, completely offline. Our team will be building a house, distributing food, teaching children, and serving as the hands and feet of Jesus. While I am away, I want to ask you to pray for our team. Below is a little info on what we will be doing today and a few prayer prompts that you can pray for us. Thank you in advance! Have a great week!

Thursday, July 26
The team follows a “typical” daily schedule, going wherever they have been scheduled. This will be the last day the team works in San Marcos de Colon.

PRAY for the team to be encouragers to one another as well as to the local people they are working with.
PRAY for “divine appointments” by God with people He has for them to meet.
PRAY for their safety as they move about.
PRAY for God’s Spirit to encourage their hearts in what He is doing in Honduras.
PRAY for lasting fruit, both seen and unseen, and that God would remind them of the seeds they are planting.

Scripture to Pray:
“For the kingdom of God is…righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men. Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification” (Romans 14:17-19).

“For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sewer and bread to the earth, so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth.. It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. For you shall go out with joy, and be led in peace…” (Isaiah 56:10-12).

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive…as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts…Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom” (Colossians 3:12-16).

Mission, Prayer

Mission Lazarus Day 5

This week I’m at Mission Lazarus in San Marcos de Colon, Honduras. During this time, I will be, for the most part, completely offline. Our team will be building a house, distributing food, teaching children, and serving as the hands and feet of Jesus. While I am away, I want to ask you to pray for our team. Below is a little info on what we will be doing today and a few prayer prompts that you can pray for us. Thank you in advance! Have a great week!

Wednesday, July 25
The team follows a “typical” daily schedule, going wherever they have been scheduled.

PRAY for unity on the team.
PRAY for discernment on where to explore open doors.
PRAY for endurance through the work and schedule.
PRAY for opportunities to pray with those who are open.

Scripture to Pray:
“How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity. It is like precious oil poured on the head” (Psalm 133:1-2).

“Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name” (Hebrews 13:15).

Mission, Prayer

Mission Lazarus Day 4

This week I’m at Mission Lazarus in San Marcos de Colon, Honduras. During this time, I will be, for the most part, completely offline. Our team will be building a house, distributing food, teaching children, and serving as the hands and feet of Jesus. While I am away, I want to ask you to pray for our team. Below is a little info on what we will be doing today and a few prayer prompts that you can pray for us. Thank you in advance! Have a great week!

TUESDAY, July 24
The team follows a “typical” daily schedule, going wherever they have been scheduled.

PRAY for them to have just the right things that they will need in each place.
PRAY for openness among the recipients, not only for physical needs, but for spiritual needs also to be met.
PRAY for translators to be accessible when needed.

Scripture to Pray: read through Ephesians 6:10-16, praying the armor of God on each team member.

Mission, Prayer

Mission Lazarus Day 3

This week I’m at Mission Lazarus in San Marcos de Colon, Honduras. During this time, I will be, for the most part, completely offline. Our team will be building a house, distributing food, teaching children, and serving as the hands and feet of Jesus. While I am away, I want to ask you to pray for our team. Below is a little info on what we will be doing today and a few prayer prompts that you can pray for us. Thank you in advance! Have a great week!

Monday, July 23
The team starts the bulk of their work schedule today. For the next several days, they will be working at a mission site, visiting ongoing ministries, building a house, teaching children, and other work Mission Lazarus may need them to do.

PRAY that each person would get over travel quickly so they will not be tired.
PRAY for them to assimilate all the information they need today.
PRAY that they would feel peace and security in God’s plan for them to be there.

Scripture to Pray:
“Be joyful always; pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (I Thessalonians 5:16-18).

“But the Helper will teach you everything and will cause you to remember all that I told you…I leave you peace; my peace I give you. I do not give it to you as the world does. So don’t let your hearts be troubled or afraid” (John 14: 26-27).

Mission, Prayer

Mission Lazarus Day 2

This week I’m at Mission Lazarus in San Marcos de Colon, Honduras. During this time, I will be, for the most part, completely offline. Our team will be building a house, distributing food, teaching children, and serving as the hands and feet of Jesus. While I am away, I want to ask you to pray for our team. Below is a little info on what we will be doing today and a few prayer prompts that you can pray for us. Thank you in advance! Have a great week!

Sunday, July 22
After visiting and participating in a local church, the team will spend the day preparing for the rest of the week.

PRAY for God’s plans for each person to be accomplished on this trip.
PRAY for the team to have cultural discernment as they interact with those around them.
PRAY for the team to be flexible to whatever God has for them to do.

Scripture to Pray: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16).

“Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:24b).

Prayer

Mission Lazarus Day 1

This week I’m at Mission Lazarus in San Marcos de Colon, Honduras. During this time, I will be, for the most part, completely offline. Our team will be building a house, distributing food, teaching children, and serving as the hands and feet of Jesus. While I am away, I want to ask you to pray for our team. Below is a little info on what we will be doing today and a few prayer prompts that you can pray for us. Thank you in advance! Have a great week!

Saturday, July 21
The team departs early this morning for Honduras. They will leave the building at 3:30am for DFW. After a brief layover in Houston, the team will travel to Tegucigalpa. The team will then drive 4 hrs into the mountains to Mission Lazarus in San Marcos de Colon for some brief rest, dinner, and orientation.

PRAY for all the final preparations to be made smoothly
PRAY for safe travel and health as they begin the trip.
PRAY for team unity and bonding while traveling.
PRAY for all to pass through customs smoothly and safely.
PRAY that there will not be any lost luggage.
PRAY for the Lord to prepare their hearts for service.

Scripture to Pray: “Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. For surely, O Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield” (Psalm 5:11-12).