It's been a while since my last blog but the Christmas time seems appropriate enough to do it. Honestly, I feel less like Christmas and more like Thanksgiving at the moment. Maybe it was the huge turkey diner I just had, or the fact that God has been humbling me in a most unique way lately, but I feel extremely grateful right now and I'm not sure why. I am sure though, that I dig it and I hope and pray that God keeps humbling me in the same manner.

On a side note, my life feels so scattered right now. Maybe it's because I am spending the holidays all over the place, and seeing friends and family that I'm not use to. It is possible it's just because I'm physically out of my element. Then again, it's possible that my life truly is being scattered about right now. Some things I feel are good to be scattered around, others I am desperate to hold onto.

Finally, I see the stage being set in so many areas in my life at the moment. I really feel like things are about to either blow my mind or blow up in my face. I'm not sure how I feel about it all to be honest with you.

Philippians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

What's it all for?

This is an expansion on a previous post about vision.

Proverbs 29:18a
Where there is no vision, the people perish...

Deep deep down I think the most important thing I can have as a Christian is perspective. A strong sense of perspective is both powerful and laughable at the same time. Ultimately, when compared to God our, sense of perspective is indeed laughable and it's important to realize that no matter how much we think we can see, God sees abundantly more. However, perspective is incredibly important.

Our sense of perspective dictates everything about our ministry and our lives as Christians. A narrow view will result in a very narrow response. A broad view will result in a much more open response. Which is right? It depends on the situation. If your voice reaches a narrow audience, the more targeted your perspective and view, the more directly you can speak into them. If your audience is diverse, a broad perspective will lead to an impact in a majority, but may only get you so deep before you lose your influence with individuals that have a different vision than yourself.

Put it another way. Lets pretend that everyone is represented by colors and shades. If I think red, and everyone around me thinks in reds, pinks, and burgundies, than I have a great chance to impact them, and yet we all miss out completely on everything from orange to purple.

If the people around me are completely mixed up, and I think in "rainbow", then I will have the chance to speak into many lives. But when my blue friend starts to hear about yellow and red, he will probably turn away. Likewise with all my single colored friends. Now, if I can find a few that also have similar thoughts (perspectives, visions, etc), than we can take it much much deeper.

So what the heck does any of this mean? Simply that perspective is vital to vision. When we cast vision to our team, what we are really doing is putting our ministry (or mission) into perspective. We seek to show our place in the grand picture. How big our picture is dictates how deep we can take our areas. If the "big picture" is focused (IE reach a city) than bringing in a bigger picture is counter productive. It prevents us from deepening our influence. If the picture is broad (reach the world) than a smaller perspective can choke.

Anyway, my ADD has completely taken over this blog and I have no idea where all this rainbow and vision/perspective stuff came from. The original point was that perspective is vital and at the root of all we must do. It dictates our response to vision, ministry, people, life, you name it. As such, we all should really spend time thinking about our perspective and ask God if he needs to expand or focus us.

Psalm 46:10 (NLV)
“Be still, and know that I am God!
I will be honored by every nation.
I will be honored throughout the world.”

My blog life has sucked recently. Interestingly enough, where my last hiatus was simply because I wasn't spending enough time with God (therefor I fast ran out of things to talk about) my recent blog deficiencies have been a result of busing myself for the Lord.

My job situation has been both a fantastic learning experience in strengthening my faith in the Lord, and an excellent opportunity to serve in a greater roll than I have been able in the past. I've taken on some projects for the church in both the children's and student ministries, as well as been available to poor into the lives of my peers more than ever before. Aside from being broke (and yet still having plenty of money to feed myself and pay bills, go figure) it's been a pretty awesome experience.

With that said, I notice myself swinging the other way. Instead of being too far in the city to see the forest, now I'm in danger of being too close to see the forest for the trees.

So todays blog is to remind myself and the 3 people that still read this thing that we all need to take a break every now and then and chillax for the Almighty.

If I could...

If I could, I'd invent something that instantly told me what a person was passionate about and what their strengths were. Wouldn't that make life so much easier?

Right now I'm trying to figure out how I can identify a few people to step up into leadership positions in our High School ministry with a very limited understanding of what makes them excited every morning. I wish I had something to tell me "this person is outgoing and loves pouring into the lives of people" so I could plop them into a team leadership roll. Or find another who is "super organized and wanted to work behind the scenes" so they could help with all the planning leading up to events.

The point is, I want to find people who are passionate and plug into that. I don't know much but I do know that a ministry filled with leaders who are passionate about the areas they are in charge of has enormous potential.

One way....

Just about every really good evangelist or preacher that I've heard speak has at one point or another, invited us to test our Christianity. "God isn't scared of your questions" I remember hearing quite a few times throughout my earlier years as a Christian. I think this is a remarkably awesome concept! We should examine who we are in Christ, who Christ is, and why we believe it to be so. The problem I have, (of course I do....) is that the same people that tell you to question your faith get upset if you arrive at answers different than the ones they have.

For example, what if you were struggling with the concept that God was going to send your Muslim friend to Hell because they didn't believe in Jesus. Your friend is a phenomenal person, selfless, gives up their time and resources to help those around you, and frankly, is one of the best images of Christ in your life. You attend church one Sunday, and your (Baptist/Methodist/Lutheran/etc) preacher tells you God isn't afraid of your questions, so you start to question what really happens to your friend. Through that process, you become a sort of Universalist. You hear God tell you that He can and will reconcile your friend in His own way, a way beyond your understanding. You learn that He is in control in a way far more complex and beautiful than you had ever imagined, and you fall more in love with Him than you ever thought possible. Lets all postulate for a moment what you think would happen if you went back to that preacher and told him you were a borderline Universalist. Can you imagine that conversation in his office?! Talk about the hot seat!!

The point of all this is not to pick on Prodistant preachers (Jesus loves them and so do I!) but to illustrate that the Church is quick to tell us to explore our faith, but slow to allow us to stray beyond what is considered "acceptable Christianity".

The whole point of Christianity is to have a PERSONAL relationship with Jesus Christ. Imagine if I introduced you to a friend of mine, then scripted how you must act around him for the rest of your life. I told you what topics were OK to talk about, I told you how to dress around him, how to answer his questions, and what parts of your life you had to change so he would like you more. That isn't a personal relationship, it's a scripted play. To really engage with someone, YOU have to be the one writing the script. My personal relationship with Jesus is going to look different than yours. It has to by definition. I can no more teach you how to develop a grown up relationship with Jesus than I can script your friendships in your daily life.

So what does that look like to step out and explore? Well, for starters we need to start examining what we believe and why we believe it. We need to toss out our ideas of salvation, Hell, the trinity, Heaven, Angels, the devil, .... Jesus, all of it. We need to stop believing what the Church has taught us and start believing what God is teaching us. We need to connect with God and let Him rebuild our faith in a personal way that He and only He is capable of.

I seriously hope that anyone reading this right now is slightly offended or thinks I'm nuts. If you already agree with me than I haven't done a good enough job stating the fact that I CANT SCRIPT YOUR FAITH. This means that even what I'm saying you should question before God. With that out of the way, I hope you all see the danger in this.

What if I stop believing in Jesus?
What if I decide there is no God?
What if I find Christianity isn't right?

In short, what if this very act destroys your faith. Isn't what I'm talking about very dangerous? In truth, I can't think of anything more dangerous than questioning the very fabric of your faith and beliefs. If you desire to know God in this way, you must put your faith on the alter. We do it with our money, our relationships, our jobs, our life (salvation anyone?)...why have we never put our faith on the line for Jesus?

Please understand I don't type this lightly. I have witnessed firsthand what happens when someone questions everything and comes up short. I have seen a close friend fall from the church into a life of uncertainty and confusion. It would be so easy to encourage my friends to simply accept what is around them and blindly follow, but I just don't believe that God wants a bunch of blind sheep obeying the Church without question. I believe that God wants us to risk everything in His name and I believe that my God is sovereign enough to bless those that are willing to do so.

And now the disclaimer. (I can't tell you how much I hate doing these but words on a page are so easy to misinterpret) I think the Church is amazing and I think that Jesus loves it with all his heart!! I think that everyone needs to be taught Christianity just like a 5 year old needs to be taught lessons in school. But just like every child grows past the point of instantly believing everything an adult tells them, we too as Christians, must reach a point where the Church has carried us as far as it can and we need to step out and critically examine the world around us. At some point the Church stops being your "grown up" and starts becoming your partner in service and faith. Also, I am sure (and hope) that people reading this don't agree with me. Like I said, it is all about a personal relationship with Christ and if your path leads you to the conclusion that I'm totally bonkers, than I praise God for your journey and hope you are willing to spark those around you in a similar quest, and support then regardless of the outcome.

The sense of depth

Perspective is such a vital component in life. Without it, we become two dimensional. Our sense of urgency and duty can become so skewed and we can waste so many resources on such frivolous things.

I'm going to keep up the world focus theme of the blog that has arisen recently and shift focus to Africa today. I remember the first time I heard about the war in Uganda via Invisible Children but it is so easy to lose sight of anything beyond our shores. There are some new videos and such up that we all need to spend some time with today and remember to put things into perspective.

Don't lose sight of the great commission. Don't lose sight of our call to help the poor and suffering. Don't lose sight of our duty as Christians and human beings to wake up and fix the world around us in a real and meaningful way. Use your resources wisely and always seek to deepen your perspective.

Now please watch the human side.

More than a feeling....

Early in my walk I couldn't shake the feeling that something didn't line up with my view of God and what the church taught me, although I couldn't say specifically what. I think the feeling was really based on the fact that many things didn't line up from my life experience and what Christianity taught me. So I started asking questions...

As a human, I seek to understand the world by defining in words things around me. Explaining things in tangible, real ways. The problem with exploring God in this way is attempting to define an infinite being in a finite language. The more I asked questions and sought to understand God by defining things, the more my existing definitions started to disappear. In the end, God ended up replacing so much of my explainable definition of who/what He was with simple feelings.

That's what God really is when you get down to it. A sentence can't even begin to define God but a feeling is a passionately emotional thing. A feeling exists in every part of your body, evoking a reaction thought out each and every part of you.

On the other side of that particular journey, God reconciled all of my problems, but I can't explain a single one in a way that makes sense or fits really. All I can say is that God has left me with feelings. I feel what God has instructed me to do, what I know he can reconcile because of his greatness, and I feel who God is. It's so much better than being able to define it!!

Plus grand que vous.

Growing up has been a pretty amazing experience for me. I have been surrounded by the rich and elite, middle class, and less fortunate. I have lived in New England and the South East. I have experienced life on the West Coast, Europe, and Asia. My first memory was riding a donkey in Greece at the age of 1. I spent the first two years of grade school in Tokyo, Japan. I had my 7^th birthday in Hong Kong. (I had cake with whole strawberries in it…. Yuk!) I have walked on tropical beaches next to armed guards with Uzi’s. I have been to countries that you can no longer travel to safely. I have had friends growing up that were Jewish, Hindu, Muslim, gay, and every nationality you can think of.

What I really treasure from my childhood is the attitude that it afforded me. I feel so blessed to be where I am. Even at my poorest moments in life, I always knew I was so lucky compared to the cities I’ve been to in Thailand for example. Further more, I’ve always felt that Americans are so isolated geographically and it is so easy to become disconnected from the world around us. I’ve learned so much from all the different cultures, people, and experiences I’ve been around, and it has really shaped the person I am now.

As a Christian, I’ve evolved this cultural philosophy into my faith and view of God. I realized it was pretty vain to assume that the American Protestant Christianity was God’s intended purpose all along. When you realize that African Christianity is so different from South American Indian Christianity, and both are so different from our own, you have to ask yourself “which one is God in?” The obvious answer is all of them. I have learned that the more you get out into the world and the more you step outside of your sphere of influence, the more you learn how big God really is. I think it is vital to bring different styles and cultures into our knowledge base so that we never become victims of a limited vision of God and never fall into the trap of believing that our way is “the best and only way”.

Anathema

I've wanted to use this word for so long and I am stoked I finally get to do it.

Anathema:
1. to be formally set apart,
2. banished, exiled, excommunicated or
3. denounced, sometimes accursed.

But there is more to the word itself. The word we now translate as "anathema" in English comes from the Greek word ἀνάθεμα (ä-nä'-the-mä) as found in 1 Cor 12:3. Here it is used to say that no one shall call Jesus "accursed" however there is also a very different meaning for the word. ἀνάθημα (ä-nä'-thā-mä) also translates to "anathema" in English but is used in Luke 21:5 to describe a "gift" that is set apart or raised up to God. Something set aside and very positive.

In modern english, the positive version is never used. It always means "accursed" even though it once had a positive connotation. So who the heck cares?

Well, it occurred to me that the term "Christian" has become anathema to the world in recent times in both the direct translation, and as a metaphor for the transition. What once had a positive connotation has now become synonymous with being accursed. I think that's why so many people have tried to rename themselves.

I remember the first time I heard someone say they weren't a Christian but rather a "Christ Follower". At first, I really liked the term, but the more time I spent with it, the more it left a bad taste in my mouth. I understand the reason people try to distinguish themselves from the millions of other "Christians" around them, but why do we have to invent a new word for it?

Lets be honest, if I tried to sell you a silica-based crystal that facilitated the rapid consumption of delicious liquids, wouldn't you be a little bit disappointed when I handed you a plain glass cup? Wouldn't it be so much better if I offered you a glass and handed you something unexpected and beautiful? (I'm thinking a really awesome Scooby-Doo collectible!!)

A small part of me (very small) is grateful the world has a jaded view of Christianity because it makes it all the more amazing when they finally see a glimpse of who Jesus really is.

I don't want to focus on terminology anymore. I want to focus on how my life reflects Jesus, and let him do the rest. I'd rather show people how different I am from the world than tell them.

Inbreeding?

If I ever get the choice to surround myself with leaders, I think I will do my best to pick people I don't really like.

This may seem the exact opposite of what I should do, but too often I see a leadership team become a clique that is full of very similar people. While this allows them to spend very little effort functioning as a team, it can really bog down those they lead. This is even more evident in a team with many volunteers who are free to come and go as they please, yet are so vital to the success of the group. When a volunteer comes and feels "outside the clique", it is very hard to retain them. Likewise, when a volunteer has been around for a while and feels they are not as valuable because they aren't the right "type" of person, they will be more likely to leave.

Some of the most rewarding and challenging relationships I've had recently have been with people I never would have thought I'd be around. These people bring different life experiences, ideas, and opinions that combine to make the body a stronger element.

Now, this concept can create many problems as well. A team of very similar people doesn't have to work very hard to gel together. A diverse team needs to be reminded why they are there in the first place. They need to know the vision, know what is at stake, and have a mutual respect for each other and their differences. The rewards for this is a team that is stronger, more flexible, and more likely to connect to those they lead. Imagine if you always had someone in leadership that you felt comfortable with and would always listen to you and could voice your opinion to all the other leaders.

This is one thing I think my generation does really well. I have been hearing a lot about Generation Y recently. I guess a new study came out or something. Apparently, we're really good at working in teams and being in diverse environments. I guess my blog is just one example of that.

But yeah, I think if I ever get the chance to build a team of leaders, I will try to find people that may be against my "instinct" (read: people I instantly feel comfortable around because they are just like me).

Big "C" Church

I'm so glad to see the new emerging Church in America. A group of communities that are passionate about seeing the word of God preached, and not consumed with their own agenda.

I've spent the last week thumbing through the vast amount of materials that churches now make available for free on the internet. Many have entire sermons available complete with videos and graphics. Others post their music, skits, messages, and promotions to give you ideas and further the cause of Christ.

10 years ago anything you got from another church, you paid for. You didn't talk to the Lutheran church down the street, and you certainly didn't rejoice when they did something controversial and thousands of people showed up to hear the gospel. But things are changing now. We can rejoice at the success of those around us. We can rejoice when we see Church grow. We can partner with Christians that may have different theological beliefs from ourselves, because we see they are passionate about spreading the word of God.

I know I gave her a shout out earlier this week, but Brittney has made the single greatest blog post I think I have ever encountered, and you all need to check it out. I can think of no better way to close that that.

Read it here.

Faith or insanity? (part 2)

Several months ago God called me to the city of Charlotte. He told me that He was going to use me in a greater role than I ever imagined, but didn't tell me what that would be. He provided a fantastic job, a place to stay, a place to put my things (I had a lot of stuff), a fantastic group of friends and a wonderful church.

Then he put in my heart a hunger for more. Through my struggling with that, God revealed to me that my new job was not where he wanted me. I prayed for discomfort (it was a fantastic job) and everything went to crap. Two weeks later I could reach no other conclusion but to leave my job.

I have spent the last 3 weeks with no cash flow and honestly, wondering if I was the dumbest person alive. I know how stupid it is to leave a job without another one to go to. I know how stupid it is to leave a job in less than 6 months. I know how stupid it is to wait on God in the mean time.

Then again, I also know how stupid it is to delay obedience. God has spoken to me and given me the ability to filter His purpose and I would be stupid to ignore that.

Through this process I have asked God to really shore up my faith. To teach me to act quicker when he calls. To question less and obey more.

In my 25 years, I have never needed anything. I have been blessed with parents who provided for me. I have been working since the age of 15 and had some pretty amazing jobs. I have never wondered how I would pay a bill or if I would make it to the next month without running out of gas/food/etc.

Now, with no cash flow for almost a month, things are getting tight. I'm about to start nibbling away at my savings account and I really, really don't want to do that. I know very clearly what God has planned for me now, but I don't know the time frame. It could be months or years before he sets my career in motion, and I've really started to wonder what I was going to do in the mean time.

My good friend Brittney made a post on Monday that was really a blessing in my life. She brings up Mathew 6:26 and through that, reminded me how valuable I am to my Father. That verse gave me the encouragement to trust God just a little longer.

Tuesday, I came to work for a friend of mine on a project car that has been taking much longer than anticipated. When it's finished, I will have the money I need for a few months, but until that time, I need cash to pay bills. Today he offered to pay me to install a roll cage in one of the cars we're working on (that takes me about 3 days) and just a few minutes ago, he offered to pay me to finish a car he's renting this weekend. On top of that, he is paying me for some work I did on a house of his not to long ago.

Did you catch that? God just gave me an avenue to pay for all my immediate bills.

Yesterday I also spoke with my good friend and old boss about the job I left. Things have been pretty tight for him recently too. He isn't getting as much business as usual, and I can tell he's a little stressed by it. God reinforced to me that His timing was indeed perfect. I left my old job just before work got tight and even more stressful.

I think I'm going to trust my Father and rely on him to provide for me for the first time in my life. I think it's time my faith stretches a little bit more, and that I have confidence in the gifts my Father has given me.

Faith or insanity?

I'm a bit of a dreamer according to my mother. She worries that amidst my scattered ideas and idealistic thoughts, I'll spend the better part of my adult life listless and adrift, never settling on a "secure" path. She's from the old school, where success is measured by your career path in the corporate world. Where the greatest thing you could tell someone at your 10 year high school reunion was that you were now middle-management for a Fortune 500 company. That is the world she grew up in and that is the world that provided for her and her family.

I have so much trouble wrestling with the worldly view of success, and the idealistic view. Growing up I never wanted for anything. My parents were fantastic providers. I went to great schools, had all the love I craved, and never needed anything. My dad worked for IBM for 32 years before he retired, my mother worked for over 20. We traveled around the world for the first 10 years of my life. It was amazing. I want nothing more than to provide for my children in that same way.

On the other hand, my dad's job was very stressful. He worked long hours and took many trips. At the age of 63, when I was only 12 years old, he passed away from a heart aneurysm.

The practical side of me wants to be the corporate shill. Wants to aim for the promotions and the pension and the nice house and the nice car. The idealistic side of me wants more than just an extra zero on my pay check. I want to impact the kingdom of God in a serious way. I want to stand before him in Heaven and know that my life was used to the fullest.

This is such a hard thing to balance. How many of my decisions are youthful ignorance and idealism? How many of them are powerful affirmations of my faith in Jesus Christ? I praise Jesus for the spiritual gift of discernment. Without it I think I would have tapped out a long time ago. Still, I'm in the hardest stage of my life and my walk with God that I have been in yet, and it's hard to not have doubts.

More to follow...

Why me?

I am so humbled by how my God invests in my life that words cannot begin to explain it.

For the life of me I can't explain why on earth God would spend time to invest in me the way he does. Follow me on my journey this morning...

Check out what Craig Groeschel at Lifechurch.tv wrote on leadership today.

This is such an amazing concept. I want to take it beyond just staff though. Our church uses so many volunteer leaders who have real power over their teams and a real chance to connect with their volunteers. We need to challenge ourselves to take seriously our responsibility to know our team and focus on their spiritual walk in addition to our other duties.

Yesterday I took a field trip back to Newspring Church with a few of the other members of Elevation. The trip itself was very insightful for us, and so was the time spent with the 5 of us. On the way back to our car, Lindsey mentioned something about Willow Creek doing a study, finding out they made some mistakes, something something. We tried to follow what she was saying but I think none of us got the message.

This morning, while reading the Lifechurch.tv blog I stumbled on a comment made by a woman with her own blog. On her blog she mentioning Willow Creek and their research study, the same study Lindsey was telling us about last night. I followed the link to an article, and then a link in the article to Willow Creeks own site.

I can promise you a large sum of money I would never have gone that far had Linsdey not mentioned this last night. Thank you so much girl!!

So here's my Amen moment. On top of God already revealing and challenging me in an area of leadership I had neglected above, he showed me this video that must be watched.

Greg Hawkins of Willow Creek

By the end of the video I was seriously in tears. My entire view on creating disciples in the church was identical to that of Willow Creek. A strategy that does not work. I have to pull two things from today.

1. God is actively preparing me for something that he has yet to reveal, but that is so far beyond me that I have to lean on him with all my heart to have the slightest chance of success.
2. God is moving in the Church and I think we're all in the midst of the largest revolution Christianity has seen in a thousand years!!

Praise Jesus!!

So What?

Passiveness is a big problem today. I truly feel it is the root cause of nearly all of the things men struggle with.

Not only do I struggle with it every day, but I grew up in a house of men who struggled with it. My father was an incredible dad, an amazingly successful business man, and could be extremely passive at times. Even as a 5 year old child I could see this play out in his life. When I got older and began to struggle with it, I made the decision to not let it grip me in the same way.

But why is it such a problem for us? If you look at Genesis 3:6, I would argue passiveness is the original sin, not Eve disobeying God. Adam set the stage for us, so again I’ll ask why is it such an issue?

I think there are a few answers to this problem.

Selfishness:
Sometimes stepping up and putting yourself on the line (ie being a man) requires a sacrifice. I think some times we are so consumed in our own little world that we won’t step outside of our comfort and be men.

Insecurity:
I believe this is the biggest one. Our insecurity tells us to play it safe and not take action. We think this is the best path because lets face it, we’ve all stepped up at one point and immediately regretted it. But how often do we immediately regret passiveness? Typically, the problems we create (even though they’re more damaging in the long run) don’t manifest themselves for long periods of time, or are transferred to other people. Because of our insecurity as men, I think many times we pick what we assume (and have been conditioned to feel) is the “safe road”.

Scope:
Our lack of scope causes many problems. We lose focus or vision or whatever you want to call it. If we can continuously remind ourselves what is at stake, what are the consequences and what are the rewards, we can get a grasp on this problem. Satan downplays things in our lives, and it’s time we bring them back into the spot light and remember how much destruction they can cause.

So what are your thoughts? There are few areas I am more passionate about and I really want to hear insight from others. Comment and let me know what your take is on this issue.

Then you're Passive.

Ok, here it is. The one everyone has been waiting on.

I freaking hate PMS!!

Passive Man Syndrome….

Literally, it makes me irate just thinking about it. Like it or not, God has called us men to step up and be leaders, fighters, and defenders. However, I keep running into passive men over and over again. We think being passive is the safe road, but it doesn’t work like that bro-ham.

I am sick of seeing my brothers in Christ abuse their girlfriends emotions just to make themselves feel more secure. I’m sick of guys not being open and honest and allowing doubt and worry enter their relationships. I’m sick of guys talking down to girls. I’m sick of guys who can’t make a decision. I’m sick of guys who won’t defend their girlfriends in public or private. I’m sick of guys who are selfish in their relationships. I’m sick of guys that pretend they are better that their girlfriend spiritually.

Here’s the deal guys, get over it and do it fast! Grow up already and be a man.

If you’re going to date, make her spiritual walk with Christ the focus of your relationship. See that you are serving her in every conceivable way with a desire to deepen her connection with God. Be a brother in Christ and protect her fiercely. Don’t cause her to stumble. Don’t be a source of temptation, but one of inspiration and support. Spur her onto good deeds. That is your mission on this earth!!

If you’re lucky enough to have girls that allow you to speak into their lives, you are called to the same standard! It’s frickin time that men acted like men. It’s time to make it a priority to protect ALL of our sisters. For the life of me I can’t understand why Christian men look at their sisters in Christ as something to consume.

Consume her beauty. Consume her body. Consume her heart.

Can you imagine a world of true Christian men…

Protect her beauty. Protect her body. Protect her heart.

If you're not active...

My Christian experience has been characterized by many mini-revelations that the world isn’t actually how I thought it was growing up. For example, the story of Adam that I learned as a child went something like this:

God created Adam
Adam was lonely
Adam didn’t want an animal companion (thankfully)
God created Eve
Eve was deceived by Satan
Now we all live in original sin

Isn’t that the story we were all taught? Eve did it. But look at Genesis.

"When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it." Gen 3:6 (NIV)

This pisses me off big time. For years we were taught that Eve was to blame, but there it is clear as day, Adam was with her. The whole time Adam just sat there and absolved himself of responsibility. Did he step up and protect his wife? Not at all. He stood there and watched her be seduced by Satan and fall into sin as she disobeyed God. Not only did he not violently protect his wife, but he stood in quiet defiance of God as the serpent clearly twists the word of God. I’m sick and tired of men not standing up and fighting for their sisters in Christ. I don’t know why Genesis isn’t taught this way from the beginning, but it’s time we all stop running around blaming Eve for the fall of man. Clearly, Adam was the one who needed to step up.

More to follow…

I shall fear no evil...

What are you afraid of? When someone asks that question, we typically think normal things like snakes, spiders, heights, the dark…But what if someone asks “what do you fear?” Our answers might change a bit. We fear rejection, death, getting caught….

When I think of things that I’m afraid of, I usually think of things that can harm me. When I think of the things I fear, I usually think of things that have painful consequences.

So where is all this going? Earlier in my walk I often heard the term “God fearing man” or some other variant of that phrase. Before I was able to grasp the beauty of a God with so much depth, I really struggled to put together the God of love that rescued me and the God that demanded fear from His people. Then, it hit me. To fear God is to acknowledge His power and to show respect for His authority.

Think about it this way. When you’re driving down the highway and a cop pulls into your lane, what is your first reaction? You get nervous don’t you? You have a “fear” of the Police because you acknowledge they have authority and power over you. That doesn’t mean you’re afraid of them. Most of us are honest people that don’t need to worry about the Police harming us. When you’re walking downtown at night, don’t you feel safer having them around? So why do we usually get nervous when they drive behind us? We get nervous because we fear the consequences if we get caught braking a law don’t we?

Fear of God is no different. We all need to acknowledge His power over us and we all need to fear the consequences of our disobedience and sin. However just like having the Police around when you’re in a dark ally makes you feel safe, having God around in your life is also a very good idea. Fearing God simply means understanding His power and sovereignty. The last time I checked, those were also great reasons to love and worship Him too!

Can I see some ID?

Where we put our identity is a very important thing. It’s how we define ourselves and to those around us. You may not know it but we all spend a great deal of effort trying to get others to see us in the same way we see ourselves. It’s safe to say we’re not always successful.

If someone walked up to you and asked you to describe yourself, how would you respond? Chances are the first thing you think about (or what you consider the most interesting thing) is how you choose to define yourself. Try it. Spend a minute describing yourself to an imaginary partner. Don’t just keep reading; really think about it for a minute or so.

Tell me a little about yourself.

What did you come up with? Was it that you’re a teacher? Play in a band? Play a sport or are in a club? Is it something you like to do or are proud that you get to do? Almost all of us at one point or another link who we are with what we do. For the longest time I based my identity around motor sports. I couldn’t wait to tell people I drove race cars because it set me apart and made me special. The problem was when the people I was talking to didn’t know or care anything about racing; I felt this immense sense of rejection. If the thing I put my identity in didn’t matter, than I didn’t matter. That was powerful stuff! How I defined myself had real significance to how I felt.

So here’s the ultimate question. If you put your identity in something you do, then who are you when you can no longer do it? What happens when you get cut from the team? Break up with that person you were dating? Have to change careers? What happens when your sense of identity and value falls apart around you?

Instead, lets all strive to redefine ourselves on who Christ is instead of what we do. If you are a follower of Christ, you have been made new and set apart. If our identity and connected sense of self worth is tied to Christ, now what happens when we get cut from the team, dumped by our boyfriend/girlfriend, or lose a job? Does anyone see where I’m going with this…..?

Proverbs 18:17

"The first to present his case seems right, till another comes forward and questions him." (NIV)
"He who tells his story first makes people think he is right, until the other comes to test him." (NLV)

I always seem to be on the listening side of my friends as they wrestle with ideas or decisions in their lives. I am not sure exactly why people naturally come to me for advice or to just talk, but I am very humbled by it. When someone is willing to invite you into an area of their lives that they are confused about or struggle with, they are showing you how much they value and respect you as a friend.

One of the things I've learned through this process is how different a situation can seem to different people. It is very easy to get caught up in the story of how so-and-so wronged a person, or how a certain situation is completely out of control. When I start to hear a story about a situation, I always try to tell myself there is a second, or even third side to the story. I will usually put myself in the position of others in the story and try to figure out why a situation developed.

Of course, when the situation involved other people, especially brothers/sisters in Christ, there are boundaries. When is it OK to offer counsel and when must we send our brothers and sisters to the source?

When will giving advice spur on someone to good deeds and when is it just making room for gossip?

Are they just trying to stir something up? Are they more interested in telling you how wrong someone is instead of genuinely trying to understand the situation so that they can proceed with wisdom and love? I believe that often, we need an outsiders perspective on a situation before we can proceed with a clear head, however there is a fine line and it is very easy to cross over into the land of destruction. Make sure you filter a persons reasons and listen to their heart before you allow them your ear.

How solid is your vision?

Proverbs 29:18(a) tells us

"Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint" (NIV)
"When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild" (NLT)
"Where there is no vision, the people perish" (KJV)

I freaking love this verse! It reminds me of the consequences, but more importantly, it reminds me of how easy it is to lose my way. The second I lose sight of my future, that's the second I make poor choices in my present.

I'm a pretty weird guy. For example, I am passionately in love with my kids. For those of you who know me that's a pretty funny statement since I don't have any kids yet. In fact I'm about as single as it gets. Suffice it to say, it will be a long time before I get to meet my children, but I stinking love them all the same.

As a single 25 year old, it's way too easy to rush into a relationship or even marriage, but when I think about my kids, things get a whole lot different. I am not willing to settle on the mother of my kids. The woman who will raise them and teach them many of the values they will carry though their lives is the second most important person they will ever know next to Christ. I owe it to them to be patient and be picky. Without that vision I would surly "run wild" as Proverbs warns about.

How solid is your vision in life? Do you know where God is leading your family? Do you know where God is leading your ministry? Do you know what God has in store for you? Unless you have a clear understanding of what is before you (sometimes God tells us exactly what it is, sometimes God just gives us an idea), you will find it very hard to restrain yourself in the present.

How God directs our lives (part 2)

I had intended to continue this topic with another story early on in my faith, but I think that talking about what God has been doing to me recently is far more interesting and relevant. If you remember from part 1, I talked about Outside Influences and how God uses things around you. In this post, I want to speak about God moving from within.


To preface this story, you need to know a little bit about my life a year ago. I was still in college at Clemson University, getting ready to graduate after my third senior year (yeah, another story for another time). I was serving at Newspring Church in Anderson, SC and was absolutely loving every minute of it. You see, Newspring was the church I dedicated my life to Christ in. It was the church I grew up in. The first church I ever went to that was fun. After one particularly awesome Sunday, I told God I never wanted to leave this place. In fact, I had already made future plans so that I could stay in town.


About a year ago, I walked into church, sat on the right hand side, 4 rows back, and began to worship God. Suddenly, a thought popped into my head.



--You're not going to be here much longer



"Interesting", I said to myself. More interesting was how I took that thought. There was no nervousness, no fear, no arguing. Even stranger, there was no doubt. I just got that thought, and knew that it was true. That's what made it truly interesting.


You see, by that point in my life, God had already stripped away the girl I was dating at the time, the job that I intended to keep after I graduated, and the plans I had for the next 18 months of my life. I had suddenly found myself in a position of total loss, and amazingly enough, total freedom. I had the freedom to answer God's call in my life and to follow his direction.


It was hardly a surprise to me when a few months later, God gave me this burning passion to move to Charlotte. For the last 7 years I had lived only 2 hours away from Charlotte and never thought about it, never went to it, never cared about it. Suddenly, it was all I could think about, all I wanted, all I was looking forward to. I knew God had put it on my heart and I knew that it was the next step in my journey. I just had no idea why.


So I did what I had to, I moved to Charlotte after graduation. Two weeks later, I came back to Newspring for our youth trip to Panama City, Florida. Some day I will have to blog about what a stinking amazing experience that was!! I am so blessed to know the most amazing students and leaders on the planet!! For this story however, you just need to know that the week was one of the most amazing of my life in youth ministry, but it was the bus ride home that was truly interesting.

The way my life was about to unfold, we were going to arrive in the parking lot of Newspring Church and I was going to get in my car and drive to Charlotte for the last time. That night would be the last I had with my students and my friends as a volunteer of Newspring Church. I should have been depressed. I should have been torn up, doubting my decision to leave, clinging onto the relationships I had made. After all, I had nothing in Charlotte but a strange new city that I didn't know.


--If this is what I'm taking you from....... Imagine what I'm sending you to.



"Interesting".


I wasn't the least bit depressed. If anything, I was even more excited than ever! I couldn't even think straight the whole way home. I didn't know what God had before me, but I knew it was going to blow my mind to little bits. God had given me the most amazing send off I could have asked for. In his amazing power, he took a moment that should have been one of the saddest, and used it to fire me up like charcoal grill with 7 gallons of lighter fluid and 1 briquette.


And the really crazy thing is that he hasn't freaking stopped!! In the last three months he has been using the desires of my heart to direct my path. He is pumping me up to a level I never dreamed of, making me a bigger nut than ever. I can't sleep at night because all I can think about is the work he is calling me to. He has put me on a path and is moving my life forward at a speed that only He is capable of and I love it!

I pray that he never stops pulling at my heart. I pray that he never stops redirecting my desires so that He can direct my path. And I pray that He never stops blowing away the expectations I have.

What happens when you tell God "no"?

I look back on my past decisions, and there are literally dozens of times that God called me to act and I told Him "no". The ones that affect only me are easy to deal with, but what really messed me up were the times that He wanted me to interact with others.


You see, I worried that every time I didn't share the Gospel when I was commanded to, or show someone an act of kindness, I had ruined God's plan. In my mind I had gotten in the way.


Of course, the very notion that I could possible interrupt God's plan is completely ludicrous. I don't know when I decided that I was important enough to screw with the creators master plan, but sure enough, I felt like every time I said "no", I was doing just that.


This process revealed some interesting things to me though. Obviously, I can and do say "no" when God seeks to act through me, and obviously I cannot get in the way of His plans. So then, what does happen when I say "no"? What is the consequence of my action?


There are many answers to this question, but I choose to break it down in one of two ways.


1. God will still fulfill his plan, and he will still use you to do it.
2. God will still fulfill his plan, and you will miss out on it.


For an illustration of point number one, simply read the book of Jonah. Here we find a great example of God telling Jonah to go to Nineveh to reach the people in His name. Jonah, ever ready to be used as an example in my blog, told God "no", and ran away from his calling. God chose to still use Jonah to fulfill His plan, but here's the catch (isn't there always one?)...


It took a storm, a near death experience, being swallowed by a whale, 3 days of the foulest smelling voyage I can imagine, and only to be dumped on the shore where his next step was to preach to a city filled with people he despised. God still used Jonah, but how much easier would Jonah's life had been if he just hopped on his camel and took off? When we tell God "no" and He uses us anyways, the trip is always much harder than it had to be.


Point number two is much easier to deal with and far worse than the first. In this case, God still accomplishes what He set out to do, but you miss out on seeing His glory and His work. You miss out on connecting with the God of the Universe that wants to show you how amazing He is so that you can understand how amazing your relationship with Him is. Without that image of God's greatness and His divine power, it becomes all to easy to become stale in your relationship with Him.


This is by far the worse thing I can imaging. A slow, stale, quiet death. Drifting unheard of into the night, never making a peep. Never realizing your potential in Christ and never knowing the power of the King.


My prayer, is that we would all say "no" a lot less in our daily lives. Especially, the BIG things. The more stupid, impossible, unreasonable, and painful the call, the more God will use it to rock your face off and be glorified in the process.


What is it God is calling you to? Where have you been telling God "no"?

How God Directs Our Lives (part 1)

What better way to start off my new blog than with a story of how God radically shaped my life early on in my walk. Of course, I'm certain God had many things to do with my life before this moment, but one of the coolest things about being a Christian is being able to recognize God at work, and this was the first time it really hit me.

I had been saved at a Clemson FCA event two years prior. Sadly, my life had little change to show for it. I knew that if I wanted to take another step towards Christ, I needed to get my butt to church. Thus, I began searching for a church in the area, or "church shopping" as my Southern Baptists friends informed me it was called.

At the time, I worked in the restauarnt industry with some amazing Christians. Several invited me to their church in Greenville, SC, which I of course accepted. The Sunday I attended, I was met with an odd dichotomy of classic church and contemporary worship. There I sat in a pew, surrounded by stained glass, listening to.....is that a guitar on stage?! And drums?! And is that college students wearing shorts and a T-shirt to church on a Sunday?! I mean, I know I haven't been to church in a while, but when the heck did this all change?

I wasn't really sure if it was "right", but I liked it. I liked it a lot. I learned a new word that Sunday, Worship "band". I knew that God was about to get exciting in my life, but I grossly underestimated just how much. I guess you can say my faith began a trend in that aspect, but that's a topic for a much latter time.

After the "band" was finished, the Pastor came out and preached a great message. I was really digging all of it. It felt fantastic to be around God and His word again. I wanted to wrap myself in it and learn more and more. The hunger that had plagued me for years was beginning to be satiated. Then my experience took a very unexpected turn.

At the very end of the sermon, the Pastor through the most vicious curve ball I had ever seen to this day. It went something roughly like this...

"Scientist are offending God by trying to clone human embryos. You know who wants to clone human embryos? The Homosexuals! That's who! They can't reproduce naturally, so they want to clone an army of Homosexuals to take over."

::blink:: Umm.....

Did that just happen? Surly I just totally missed something. I even turned around (keep in mind I was on the 2nd row) and looked at the rest of the congregation to see if anyone else caught that. I was hoping to see some pained or confused faces, but all I got was intent focus as if nothing out of the ordinary had just taken place. Suddenly, I was in the Twilight Zone.

Suffice it to say, I continued "church shopping" and the next week lead me to Newspring church on Easter Sunday. That was to be my home for the next four years of my walk, the place I was baptized, and the place where I made the commitment to live my life 100% in the name of Jesus Christ.

A few months later I asked my friends about the odd sermon, no one remembered it. The more I asked and thought about it, the more it became apparent that it was a section of the message devoted exclusively to me.

Later, I retold this story to some friends, and ended by saying, "If it wasn't for those 60 seconds, I probably would not have ended up at Newspring Church." Suddenly WHAMMO!! A ton of God bricks landed on my heart, and for the first time I saw how God was directing my life in the most spectacular way. I saw how God used a very public message to speak to me in a very personal way, and in his supreme power made it practically disappear to those around me.

God put a desire in my heart (to attend church), allowed me to step up and take an action (the wrong one), and acted within that decision to lead my down the right path. You see, I had been invited to Newspring months before, but refused to go because I didn't like the guy inviting me.

To me, this is a very powerful example of how God uses Outside Influences to direct our path. More on that topic next....