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What I’m Thankful For Right Now

November 16, 2011 in Bible Study, Ethos, Thanksgiving with Comments Off

As I was studying this morning, God hit me upside the head with Colossians 3:15-17. Paul says,

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

I was struck by how PEACE and THANKFULNESS seem to go hand in hand.

Too often our focus on what we DON’T HAVE or what we DESPERATELY WANT or what SOMEONE ELSE HAS keeps us in a state of discontent and turmoil. Cultivating a heart that is THANKFUL will help us keep our focus on God and not on lesser things.

When I spend more time THANKING God for ALL that he has done on my behalf and ALL that he has blessed me with the less time I have to spend worrying about all that other stuff. Thankfulness paves the way to peace.

I made a quick list of just some of the things I am thankful for right now…

I am thankful that Jesus saved/saves me! (Titus 3:4-7; 1 John 1:7)

I am thankful for my smoking’ hot WIFE who cares for me, encourages me, keeps me in check, and puts up with ALL of my junk. She takes care of our home and is an incredible mother! (Proverbs 31: 10-12; 26-31 really sums it all up)

I am thankful for my incredible SON who is a constant reminder to me what pure joy looks like. That kid PLAYS hard and LOVES deeply. I LOVE THAT KID!!!

I am thankful that we have another BABY on the way that is due in May! Right now, everything looks healthy and progressing the way it should. We had an ultrasound earlier this week and the little guy or girl gave us a great big wave “Hello!” Very, very thankful!

I am thankful for OUR CHURCH and that I have the opportunity to serve, teach, care for, and lead this group of people week in and week out.

I am thankful that I have a TEAMMATE in ministry that I get to work alongside. I love sharing an office with someone who shares my vision for ministry and is excited about what God is doing in and through this community.

I am thankful for the ability to READ and LEARN. This is no small thing. I am often struck by how incredibly blessed I am to have- not just the opportunity to read- the ABILITY to read and comprehend things. I don’t know where I’d be without the gift of learning.

I am thankful for MUSIC. Again, no small thing. I never want to take for granted some of the pleasures that God has given me. I love listening to, talking about, and pretty much everything else about music. Thank you for U2 and Fender and iPods and bass and Beats by Dre headphones and guitar licks and lyrics and iTunes and … you get the point.

So here’s the challenge for you… Make your own list. Take some time today to tell God “thank you” for the gifts and blessings in your life.

 

Why We Decided To Sell My Car

July 25, 2011 in Best Practices, Bible Study, Faith in Action, Life, My Life, Personal Leadership, Thanksgiving, Wrestling With Scripture with 3 Comments

Next month, my wife and I will celebrate our 10th anniversary. In the last decade we have moved from Arkansas to Alabama and then to Texas. We have lived in 1 apartment and 3 houses. I have served as a Campus Minister, a Youth and Family Minister, and now as a Lead Minister. We have a beautiful son and a wonderful life. We have faced challenges and we have met them head on because of the grace afforded us from our Heavenly Father and our love in Jesus Christ. Life is good and we give thanks everyday for the blessings we have received. However, lately we have been feeling a tug, a challenge, from God to step out and risk for His glory.

Last week, we decided to take a giant leap of faith based on something we felt God was calling us to do.

We sold my car.

We really want to be in a position where we can GIVE more and SAVE more. It was a tough decision (I loved that car!!!) but we know it was the right one. If you compared the average debt that each American family carries to being dipped in honey and thrown into a pit of quicksand, our debt would be more like having peanut butter stuck to the roof of your mouth. We don’t have a lot but we are tired of feeling stuck.

On Thursday night, we gathered together with some of the people from our church body and watched Dave Ramsey deliver a challenging message on the people of God turning the economy around by getting their personal economies in order. The part that stuck with me was when Dave asked us to imagine what life would look like if God’s people handled money according to God’s ways. My blood began pumping as he said, “the Debt Rate would plummet, Savings would grow, Employees would work hard as if working for the Lord, Employers would be shepherds of their people, and marriages would be saved.”

That’s not even the best part! If God’s people began handling money in a way that glorifies God- The Gospel will spread! People will want to know why we live differently. They will wonder why we give gladly. They will see how we bless others and want to know why.

When we got home from that night. My wife looked at me and I looked at her. I knew what she was going to say because I had felt it too. We knew that in order to really begin handling our money in the way God wanted us to that we would have to make a few sacrifices. My car had to be the first to go.

It is a bold step for sure. We are still in the process of working out our driving schedule and that is also sure to change when school starts back. We have taken a step of faith and we are trusting God to carry us through.

This fall I am teaching another  Financial Peace University for our church. I’m the first to admit that I R Stupid when it come to handling my money. My wife is the Nerd and I am most definitely the free spirit. The last time we participated in FPU we had a blast. The class really allowed us to open up and talk freely about a subject that typically breeds fighting in most marriages. I can’t wait to take another group of men and women through this life changing course.

My encouragement for you is that you too begin to see out God’s desires for your finances. Most of us are in our current financial situations because some one in our families failed to handle money properly. Change your family tree and get your financial house in order. Not so you can get that new 100″ flat screen.

Get your finances in order so you can GIVE more and SAVE more so you can BLESS more. That’s the story I want to tell my grandkids. What about you?

Bring Me a Harpist!

March 9, 2011 in Bible Study, Life, Music, My Life, Thoughts with Comments Off

This weekend I’ll be preaching in 2Kings 3 as we continue in our UNSTOPPABLE series.

In ch 3, there is a fascinating story about the King of Judah, Israel, and Edom coming together to make war against the King of Moab, who has decided that he no longer wants to pay tribute to Judah. The political intrigue in this whole scene rivals anything out of Egypt or Lybia on CNN today. The 3 kings feel God is calling them to make war on Moab but they now find themselves, their armies, and their provisions marching circles in the desert. They are tired and severely dehydrated. They decide to seek God’s counsel (finally) by speaking to Elisha.

I won’t spend any time on this on Sunday, but there is something in v. 15 that captured my attention and made me stop and think.

2Kings 3:15 ESV
“But now bring me a musician.” While the musician was playing, the hand of the LORD came on Elisha.

How cool is that? Music aided in Elisha’s communication with the LORD. Warren Wiersbe writes, “The music of the harpist brought quietness to the prophet’s mind and heart and helped to facilitate his communion with the Lord.”

I can definitely relate to that. Music and song help me connect with God too. When I study or when I need to get my mind and heart right, I often do so through music. You can often find me singing alone at my desk early Monday mornings before I open up my Bible. Listening to music through my headphones while I read different books often helps me shut out unnecessary distractions like my cell phone. I love listening to Bethoveen’s 6th and 9th symphonies to put me in the right frame of mind or in the background while I write. Lots of great mediation on lessons, classes, and discussions have happened on long car rides listening to music.

I would have loved to have been there while the harpist played and Elisha communicated with God. Wouldn’t you like to know which Psalm Elisha liked to listen to?

How about you? Is there any song or music that helps put you in a place physically, cognitively or spiritually where you are more ready to commune with God?

Leadership Tuesday

March 8, 2011 in Bible Study, Discipleship, Leadership, Ministry, Mission, Personal Leadership, Questions, The Word with Comments Off

Each Tuesday, I’ll be posting thoughts, resources, and challenges to help develop our Leadership muscles. Today I wanted to share with you some of the questions I began wrestling with after reading Philippians yesterday.

As I read, I noticed that Paul is pleading with the church in Philippi to live in unity, have one mind, and to be singular in focus. As leaders, Paul is speaking directly to us. If you have some time today, please read Philippians before you read the rest of this post.

Here are 9 Leadership Questions that we each need to think about and pray through if we are going to be all that God desires us to be:

1) Am I praying with joy for those I lead? Philippians 1:3-5 - Paul prays with joy for those he considered partners in the gospel. You and I have to do the same if we want to be a true spiritual leaders of the people God has entrusted us with.

2) Am I praying for an increase of love and knowledge and depth in my own life and in the lives of those I lead? Philippians 1:9-11

3) Am I living in such a way that those closest to me will know that whatever happens to me- good or bad- Jesus Christ will be praised? Philippians 1:12-26

4) Am I looking to Jesus as my model of service and unity or am I simply trying to keep everyone around me happy and cordial? Philippians 2:1-4 - Jesus shows us what love looks like in public.

5) What am I complaining about? Philippians 2:14-16 – If we want to be different than the world around us, let’s start by putting the KIBOSH on complaining. In Inception, Leo DiCaprio’s character has a great line where he tells his team that he believes “positive emotion trumps negative emotion every time.” As a leader I have the responsibility to serve as an ANTIBODY within my sphere of influence to STOP INFECTION and DECAY (complaining, divisiveness) IMMEDIATELY. This starts with stopping the infection in myself.

6) Am I committed to the mission of following Jesus? Philippians 3:7-11 – As I read this passage I was reminded of Dallas Willard’s quote about THE COST OF NON-DISCIPLESHIP, He says, ”Nondiscipleship costs abiding peace, a life penetrated throughout by love, faith that sees everything in the light of God’s overriding governance for good, hopefulness that stands firm in the most discouraging of circumstances, power to do what is right and withstand the forces of evil. In short, it costs exactly the abundance of life Jesus said he came to bring (John 10:10)” Failing to commit to Jesus is a bigger risk than following Him.

7) What am I holding on to in my past that is keeping me from experiencing NEW LIFE in Jesus? Philippians 3:12-14 – What ever this is, I must lay it down and move on toward who Jesus is call me to be.

8. What is something I can rejoice in today, right now? Philippians 4:4-6 - One thing that you can rejoice in is that what ever you are worried about- that thing that kept you up all night- you can take that to the Father in prayer. Let this truth give you peace and guard your hearts and minds. Praise Jesus!

9) Do I spend more time thinking about these things or do I spend more time focused on the junk that the world sends my way? Philippians 4:8-9 – Last week, the world spent too much time praising, laughing with/at, and deconstructing Charlie Sheen. Admit it, you gawked at the train wreck. Your neck got sore from staring at the flaming wreckage. Mine did too. This week, let’s do the opposite. Let’s spend time meditating on things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy.

Thanks to Perry Noble for inspiring today’s post with his 21 Questions Leaders MUST Wrestle With from the Book of James.

A Prayer for Small Groups

October 21, 2009 in Bible Study, Discipleship, Ethos, Life, Prayer, Small Groups with Comments Off

One of my go-to ministry resource sites is Simply Youth Ministry. Their stuff is so great and highly customizable that I find myself going back to them time and time again. In my inbox this morning I saw their weekly training email and I found a wonderful blessing: A Prayer for Small Groups. I wanted to share this with everyone because I think it is a wonderful prayer and reminder that discipleship happens when a small group of believers gather together to “do life together” in the presence of Almighty God. In these small groups, God is glorified, faith is fostered, people are cared for, and the Church marches on!

A Prayer for Small Groups
by Kevin Mahaffy, Jr.

Father, today as our small group meets
I pray that each person will feel your heartbeat
May they know they are special, they’re cared for, they’re loved
Your kingdom come, on earth as above

Our time together, though not long only short
May it seed true communion with You in our hearts
Help us see Your image inside of each other
Teach us what it means to truly love one another

Away from the big, the loud, the flash
Just a few of us here to share and to laugh
To discuss Your Word, to share and go deeper
To talk real life and be our brother’s keeper

Praying for one another as we journey through life
May we encourage each other to reflect Your light
Let us always be inclusive, welcoming, warm
A safe place for all in the midst of life’s storms

Lord we all come from a myriad of places
Give us wisdom and kindness and grace and patience
Thank you for unity in the midst of diversity
Make us one in Christ, true Christian community

Bless those abundantly who have opened their home
Upon their house, God we pray Your Shalom
May it be filled with laughter, with joy, and with vision
In return for their giving, God we pray Your provision

And let us, O Lord, never ever forget
That there’s someone else out there who has yet to connect
Your eyes and your mouth to see and invite
That not one, O Lord, would be alone in the fight

It’s a mystery to me why they seem to be Your preference
But amazingly in the end small groups make a great big difference
Life on life, Jesus you modeled it back then
So I’ll do the same, in Jesus name, Amen.

Matt Chandler’s Philippians Top 10

August 27, 2009 in Bible Study, Discipleship, Ministry, Mission, Wrestling With Scripture with Comments Off

In this blog post from The Resurgance Matt Chandler writes the top 10 reasons he wanted to teach on the book of Philippians. Gotta love this list.

1) How the church began. Acts 16: Lydia is a wealthy Asian (Thyatira); the slave girl is an oppressed Greek, and the jailer was a middle class Roman. All were transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ. I love the diversity of that cast.

2) The book teaches that the gospel advances regardless of circumstance (Phil. 1:12-18). In an age where it is not uncommon to hear that you can put God into your debt by behaving, I thought this was extremely important.

3) Paul’s cry “To live is Christ and die is gain!” How could he not say that! Lydia was wealthy, religious, and empty; the slave girl was bitter, oppressed, and angry; and the Roman jailer was indifferent and cruel. All were lost in their lives. What else would you live for?

4) The book clearly teaches humility in the life of a believer. We can’t hear that topic enough (Philippians 2).

5) Paul ferociously outlines the reasons to pursue Christ (Phil. 3:1-11).

6) Then, he follows it up by teaching how to pursue Christ (Phil. 3:12-21).

7) Chapter 4 talks about what the heart and mind of a man of God look like. This is invaluable information as there seems to be some confusion on this matter.

8) Contentment is a gift more precious than jewels (Phil. 4:10-19).

9) It gave me a chance to remind everyone that Philippians 4:13 isn’t about playing sports, making the team, or being successful in business.

10) Because if I can help us be “the lights of this world holding fast to the word of life” I would humbly and gladly spend my life doing so.

link

At The Accordance Seminar

March 23, 2009 in Bible Study, Experience, Mac, Resources, Study with Comments Off

Today I’m at the Accordance Training Seminar at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. I have used the Accordance software on my Mac for the past 4 years and love it. The software has been an indispensable resource to me for personal study and for professional lesson preparation. I am very much looking forward to finding better and more useful ways to maximize my Accordance experience. Oh yeah… and this seminar is FREE! Woo-Hoo!

Check out the Accordance Software website for more information. If you have a Mac and are looking for the absolute best Bible program look no further.

Live Blog of the Seminar

9:12am: And… here… we… Go!
9:15am: Intro. from Mark Allison. Working with Accordance for 10 years.
9:17am: Latest version is 8.2.1. (I’m up-to-date!)
9:22am: In Accordance the Bible is central. Searching is also central.
9:32am: 4 seconds to search for every word in Bible (for given translation). Hit details and see a concordance for each translation.
9:37am: To amplify. Select/highlight a word in a given translation and choose a new translation or tool (Anchor/Eastons/Dictionary) to find the word in that selection. Super cool.
9:38am: This truly is Instant Access. Everything is linked to everything.
9:40am: Highlight “heavens.” Amplify it to the Hebrew dictionary to find the Hebrew word and definition
9:45am: Geek Out! Amplify “heaven” in a tagged text. Hold option key. Click search and perform an all out search for “shamayim”. Click details and see how “shamayim” is used throughout the text:heaven, sky, highest, etc.
9:50am: Just amplified search “phileo” with the NT range in my NASB. Includes love, kiss, loved. Interesting.
10:03am: Now… on to the Resource Pallette
10:10am: In Parallels you can add a Greek/Hebrew text to compare
10:20am: Each English tool has information under Browser and can be searched alphabetically… or you can just search.
10:21am: oooh… I can do this in my Greek/Hebrew dictionaries too.
10:30am: At break I updated my library to Premier 8 and added the ESV Study Bible. Sweet!
11:30am: Who would have thought I could use the search commands? I can search by Chapter, verse, sentence. I can search a word in one text and display it in another translation.
11:33am: COMPARE TEXTS!!! Wow!
11:37am: CMND Shift _____. Keyboard shortcuts for search commands.
11:45am: Fuzzy Search- you can kinda remember it but not really. Search FUZZY COMMAND and find phrase you were looking for. This will be great when I can’t remember anything but the MJFV- The Micheal J Felker Version.
11:50am: Inference Command. Look at things like similar or exact phrases found in different books. We searched for similar phrases in Micah and Isaiah. Example: compare Micah 4:2 to Isaiah 2:3.
12:15pm: That’s Lunch
1:45pm: Creating charts and graphs on the fly. Searching in 1Samuel of where Saul, David, and Jonathan overlap.
1:50pm: Creating a list of every word in a given translation. Search the entire text. Click details and then click analysis. Can display in alphabetical order or by frequency of use. Example: Inheritance is used 244 in the NASB.
1:59pm: Find all the Greek words you don’t want to memorize by searching in the Greek text by search range Count 1 to find all the words used only once in the Greek. Increase the Count # to see words that are used more frequently- those are the ones you want to memorize!
2:05pm: Ok, I don’t need to get this technical in the original languages. I set up my default windows. My TNIV and ESV are displayed with their respective notes. I have quick access to the Anchor Bible Dictionary. I also have some personal notes and commentaries opened and ready to go every time I launch.
3:20pm: Dozens of ways to search through my various resources. So much information.
3:40pm: I think I’m nearing my information saturation point for the day.
4:10pm: Alright. Great day. I got a ton of new resources and I learned how to use the ones I already had even more! Whew! I am going to be a teaching/learning machine!!! Thanks to the Accordance team for their help and insights today. I’m headed home to help my wife prepare for her dinner party tonight. Peace!

Apples and Oranges

March 6, 2009 in Bible Study, Discipleship, Ethos, Experience, Wrestling With Scripture with Comments Off

I recently attended a seminar for medical professionals and chaplains (of which I am neither) which featured Len Sweet, one of my favorite authors.

Sweet is a futurist and a theologian. His ideas have had a profound effect on the way I see, approach, and carry out ministry. Sweet speaks in images and during his keynote he gave me two pictures for approaching and integrating God’s Word that I’ve been wrestling with since that afternoon. While Sweet took these images in a different direction I believe that he planted a seed of thought in me and here is what has grown.

We must approach God’s Word- the reading, studying, and following of the Bible- like apples and oranges.

When I worked at a school I saw the dark side of Bible study. Most want to study God’s Word like they approach dissecting in biology class. They want a clean environment where the subject is surgically and carefully cut open. They poke and prod around inside until something of note is found. Then thy pull is out, observe it, note it, weigh it and then either discard it or preserve it in glass jars put on display for all to see. The problem with an autopsy is that the subject your are studying must be dead.

But God’s Word is “living and active.”

What if we approach the reading and integration of God’s Word more like the way we eat an orange or an apple?

I love oranges. When I get a hold of one the anticipation is palpable. I gently open it up. The aroma and the essence of the orange is all around me. I take in piece by piece not to observe and discard but to savor. I receive nourishment and refreshment from each segment. My senses are awakened and I feel revived because I have found life and health inside this fruit. Eating an orange is also a messy experience. The juice gets all over your hands and you are left with citrus scented fingers for much of the afternoon.

So it is with Scripture. We have been promised that within the Bible we will find the words of life. Study should never be to pull out and discard. It should be taken in, savored, and used to nourish our lives and point us to Almighty God. This approach leads to life change. You are forever changed by the Word when you allow it to permeate your mind, heart, and hands. Sometimes this is messy. Dissection gives quick answers, observations, and results. Digestion takes a little longer and the process is largely out of our hands. Relying on God is always harder than relying on your own white-coat lab notes.

While I tend to enjoy the effects and experience if eating oranges I know that I also need to eat more apples.

You eat apples whole. You take it in your hand and you just give it a good bite. You dive in all the way and all the way to the end. An apple has a start and a finish.

God’s Word also must be experienced as a whole. God’s story- His-story- is the good news with a beginning and an end. It starts with creation and moves through the whole of God’s revelation giving us a glimpse of His ultimate victory and glory. It tells us who God is, who we are, who/where God wants us to be, and how He is getting us there. When was the last time you experienced God’s Word as a whole? My guess is most of us eat more oranges than apples. However a good, balanced diet will include both.

Same goes for your spiritual health. When you study don’t dissect- savor and enjoy. Be changed, nourished, and revived by what you find and experience. Also, don’t just take in the Word piece by piece. Go all in and experience the Word as a whole- from beginning to end.

What are you waiting for? Take a snack break and experience what I’m talking about. May you be forever changed by God’s goodness and favor. May you take in His fruit and may it lead to health and growth and life in ways that impact you and those around you.

Sweet & Felker

Teaching and Reaching

February 18, 2009 in Bible Study, Discipleship, Ministry, Remarkable, Technology, Theology, Wrestling With Scripture, Youth Ministry with 3 Comments

Last night was an epic moment for me in youth ministry.

Everyone who came to Bible study came with their own Bible! Seriously… It was a beautiful thing!!!

As a minister in the 21st century I often wonder if we have created an impossible scenario where the teens/adults in our ministries/churches don’t feel the need to bring their Bibles because we provide the text for them via PowerPoint or some other presentation software. Maybe they don’t feel the need to have their own Bible because we too often only use one or two verses in our lessons or jump around from book to book. This too often leads to proof texting (boo!) and a blasé attitude to actually bringing, reading, and engaging with the Word on a personal level. I’m not saying we should stop projecting scripture- we shouldn’t- I just wonder if we make it too easy for people to just look to the screen.

This semester we have been slowly working through 2Timothy using Barry Shafer’s inductive Bible study Rock Solid Faith.

This has been a great introduction to the inductive method of study. The way I describe it to my teens is by saying that we are using the Bible to study the Bible. Simple as that. By prompting the teens to read and dig and explore they naturally come across what God is saying to them. Living inside the text allows the heart to tune into the Holy Spirit’s prompting and guidance.

What I sensed happening last night is that these teens are interested in what their Bibles have to say- that is, they want to hear from God! They really engaged with the passages last night and shared some great things- even some laughs as well! That’s what youth ministry is all about.

On a side note, one teen was reading his Bible from his iPhone last night using the YouVersion app. I have talked with a few of our adults who are using the YouVersion Blackberry app on Sunday mornings. Another thing to consider in this 21st century ministry climate: as the technology evolves will we see it as a distraction or as a tool? One leads to avoidance and stagnation- the other leads to adaptability and growth. Which will you choose?