more than a quote

If you're a follower of Christ (Catholic or Protestant), you've picked up on the fact that this quote is in opposition to your Christian faith.  It sounds good.  It almost has a ring to it.  But ultimately, this quote is misleading.  It's nothing more than a cultural proverb.


In the past few years, many of us have seen waves of Facebook posts showing inspirational quotes.  Whether they've been status updates or whether they've been pictures, you have to admit that at times, they're appealing.

  -"There's no fun in a perfect life.  So make a risk.  Take a chance.  Go where the wind takes you.  Have fun."
  -"Take pride in how far you have come and have faith in how far you can go."
  -"In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different."


These quotes are inspiring.  They make us feel good, encouraged, motivated.  And the quotes are really, really good at it.  There's something about these little nuggets of truth that keep us going.  Who doesn't like to have fun?  Who doesn't like to recognize their success?  Who doesn't like to be distinct?

Many of us rummage through our Bibles (or Google if we're honest) and extract these kinds of verses.

  -"With God all things are possible."
  -"Let us love one another, for love comes from God.  Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God."
  -"Be strong and courageous."


Inspiring.  Encouraging.  Affirming.  Supporting.


And then one day you're thumbing through the Bible (or Google) and you come to something that puts a bad taste in your mouth.  Perhaps it's something like this:

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.  People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God - having a form of godliness but denying its power.  Have nothing to do with them.  They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth.  These men oppose the truth - men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected.  But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.                 (Written in a letter by the Apostle Paul and found in 2 Timothy 3:1-9)


All we wanted was a happy quote; one that made us feel good.

But this?


Why is it that so many of us are willing to settle for a quote that makes us feel good rather than a quote that challenges and gives direction (or truth) to our lives?  We'd rather read Eminem, James Baldwin, an Irish proverb, Emerson, or Marilyn Monroe, rather than the words of God.  We'd rather take a surface-level nugget of truth as opposed to reading something too deeply "religious."  All the while, the desire to feel good ultimately misleads from the truth of God.


The Bible is so much more than a collection of inspirational quotes.  It contains stories, poetry, songs, instruction, direction, letters, laments, and proverbs.  Why do we treat it like a buffet of truth - picking and choosing which truth's to consume?  We need to learn it and understand it's context.  It's beautiful and rich.  It speaks to the depths of our hearts.  It's wisdom penetrates.  It's not simply a collection of inspirational quotes, it's direction for the abundance of life.


And as for the quote shown in this blog's picture, it's nothing more than a shallow, weak, foundation-less, ignorant, sensational, hollow little saying.

So the quote,
"Life isn't about finding yourself, it's about creating yourself."
...it isn't true.
"Life is found in Christ."
It's not about who you can create yourself to be.  It's about what God can create in you.
It's not about something you can do.  It's about what Christ does.
It's not about finding life in yourself.  It's about finding life in Christ.


Life....with a capitol L.
A flourishing, everlasting, abundant, overflowing life that is truly life.


May the extent of your hope be built on Christ.

May you allow God's Word more respect than a "feel good" quote.

But first, may you allow it...

spinning on a beautiful day

If I was honest with you, I'd tell you that there are days I let "things" get to me.

I'd tell you:
    that things aren't great,
    or I'm not a good dad, or husband,
    or that I'm too impatient,
    or how frustrated I can get with life,
    or how easy it is to look at life through a negative lens,
    …and I'm not even getting specific.

Today I went on a walk with my boys.  Calvin was taking a nap in the stroller and Jude was walking closely behind me.  It was a beautiful day.  The air was crisp, the grass and trees were exploding in their colors, and the birds were extra musical.  As I was admiring the beautiful day and the precious look of my baby's sleeping face, I turned around to see my other son, Jude, spinning in circles.  He loves to get dizzy, and when he's dizzy, he's dangerous.  The last thing I needed was to see him fall on the concrete and hurt himself.  I know how dangerous a dizzy Jude can be, I've seen it.  I firmly told him to stop, but he kept going.

And I wonder.  Why can't Jude be amused by the beauty of the day?  Why can't he simply take a walk and look at the trees?  Why is it that he has to start spinning and run the risk of getting hurt?  And furthermore, why won't he listen to me?

And it hits me…

I'm the one that's spinning.  Every time I focus on the negative, the things that aren't right, my frustrations, and what I'm not good at, I'm spinning.  And spinning is destructive - it can cloud a beautiful day.

It's interesting to note that the Bible addresses such things.  In a letter written by the Apostle Paul, he says, "…whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things."

While we all find ourselves in the destructive pattern of negativity, may we be reminded of these words of scripture.  When our spinning becomes so intense that we feel like we're going to lose our balance, may we open our eyes to the beauty of the day.

The birds are singing to be heard.
The trees are waiting for you to acknowledge their colors.
The crisp air is trying to get your attention.

Stop spinning and look up.


It's a beautiful day!

"our" story

This weekend, Kelly and I were blessed by the opportunity to share our story with Impact Church (both the Lowell and Saranac campuses).  As we spoke, we witnessed the joys and tears of others who find themselves in the middle of a story as well.  While each of us have our own story, we must remember that our stories form a much larger story.  How is it that God can orchestrate so many stories when I can hardly keep track of and communicate my own?  This is the beauty of the Church.  When a community unites themselves and finds identity in Christ, something magical takes place.  The community who grounds themselves in Christ then becomes His physical presence to the world.

This is humbling.  

It isn't about me or my story.  Why did I ever think it was?  

This is about us...

   about we…

   about our story.

This is about God's Spirit moving in the hearts of a community.  It's about an internal longing to see God's Kingdom unfold right in front of our eyes.  

As Kelly and I shared a bit of our story, we humbly acknowledge that it's only a fraction of "the story."  I'm blessed, honored, and pumped about serving as the Saranac Campus pastor.  What God is doing through Impact Church reminds us of our smallness and His greatness.  May we continue to look at our stories within the context of "the story."  

insane eight >----[an overview from september '11 to april '12]

~In the summer of 2011, we had plans.

Kelly, my wife, was going to finish her LPN degree in December, and soon after we would be on our way to Kentucky to attend Asbury Theological Seminary.  It seemed as if the path was laid out for us.  As a pastor of four years, I had felt the need for higher education.  Asbury was our plan, but plans quickly change, don’t they?

News.   In mid-September, I received a phone call that changed the trajectory of our lives.  In the early afternoon, I received a phone call from Kelly’s mom, Mary.  Her voice was frantic, full of fear and horror.  With a tone that sent sheer terror down my spine, she told me that Patrick died unexpectedly.  Patrick was Mary’s husband (Kelly’s dad) and was only 52 years old.  Mary then said, “You need to tell Kelly!”  Numbness permeated every nerve ending in my body as I started processing this nightmare of information.  In the moment, I felt like a helpless child with absolutely no idea of what to do.  How could I tell my wife that her dad just died?  Furthermore, Kelly was pregnant at the time; would this affect the baby?  I remember crying helplessly on my parent’s shoulders as they prayed with me before I left to pick Kelly up. 

Devastation.    Loss - unrecognizable emotions that neither Kelly nor I can put in to words…  Patrick’s death was an earthquake that sent shockwaves hurling towards the family as well as the greater community of Ionia.  We spent the next week in Ionia with Mary and the rest of the family.  We laughed in celebration of his life, but mostly, we cried as we missed (and continue to miss) him.

Implications.    What did this mean for our family?  How would Kelly and I respond with a 20 month old and another baby on the way?  When it came down to it, we didn’t want to be ten hours away from Mary nor my family.  Asbury was out.  So if Asbury was no longer a reality, then what?  Grand Rapids Theological Seminary (GRTS) was second on my list, and because of Patrick’s death, it was now first. 

~In the fall of 2011, we had revised plans.

Aid.    Kelly did it.  After everything that happened, she continued the completion of a high intensity LPN program and graduated Magna Cum Laude.  I still don’t know how she stayed so strong.  At the same time, I was approaching my last days as the associate pastor of a church in Bad Axe.  We were in a peculiar position.  God was leading us toward seminary, but we wouldn’t have any income and Kelly was nearly 9 months pregnant.  She couldn’t work, and neither could I with my upcoming semester’s class load.  We sent out letters to some our greatest supporters asking for prayers and financial support.  Apparently, enough people from both the church and the community of Bad Axe (as well as our families) believed in the mission God put on our hearts because the support we received was nothing short of miraculous.  In January, I began seminary at GRTS soon after our second child, Calvin, was born.  The prayer, encouragement, and financial support continue to provide for our family as we pursue the calling of full time ministry that God has placed on our lives.

Tension.    Finances.  Housing.  Church.  Babies.  School.    The tension was heating to a boiling point.  Something had to break.  This wasn’t working!  We realized that if we didn’t trust the Lord in this, the stress would literally eat us alive.  God wouldn’t call us to follow Jesus in such a radical way to simply abandon us, would he?  It felt like we were walking off a cliff…

Needs.    Kelly and I sat down to talk and pray about what we needed to do to move forward.  I needed to adjust full-time seminary classes to part-time – something that would be more realistic and healthy for our family.  Kelly needed to get a job to support our family.  I needed to look for a church where I could fulfill my longing to serve in a pastoral capacity.   We needed to find a group of Christ-followers that we could do life with.  We needed to find (or start looking for) a place to rent.  So, we began to specifically pray as we looked for ways to fulfill our family’s needs. 

Puzzle.    We had connections in Bad Axe that we didn’t have on the west side of Michigan.  That was one of the hardest parts.  We felt like the different mega-churches we attended didn’t really fit.  Sure, they were big and flashy, but an element of community seemed to be missing.  We wanted something attractive but deep, personal and communal as well.  One Sunday, we attended Impact Church in Lowell, Michigan.  Kelly and I were shocked; it was exactly what we had been looking for.  I set up a meeting with one of the pastors to talk about his vision and heart for the church community and a possible internship/residency program through school.  Come to find out, they just planted a church in Saranac (a town between Ionia and Lowell).  One of the pastors invited Kelly and I to come check out that campus and meet with another pastor.  Have you ever had that feeling when you just click with people?  It was like that.  Everything from the way they looked to the way they talked to their heart for people and the kingdom of God was parallel to ours.  This is what we had been praying about.  We felt like a puzzle was being masterfully fit together.  Come to find out, the Saranac Impact Church was averaging 200 people and needed a pastor.  Are you kidding me?  From there, things started to snowball and conversations started to progress. 

~In the spring of 2012, we realized that perhaps God had a bigger plan.

Surrender.    We tend to screw things up.  It’s been the human story from the beginning of time.  When people do their own thing, they have a tendency to mutate into something ugly.  Kelly and I are shocked and amused by these recent relationships that are developing.  We’re currently in the middle of a transitional process, but we realize that the best thing we can do is surrender.  In everything from Kelly’s dad passing away to the decisions we continue to make, the best thing we can do is trust that God can and will orchestrate something far bigger than we can ever know.  We want the Lord to use us for his purposes.  If that’s in the Saranac community, may God’s will be done.

To Be Continued...    This Sunday (4/15/12) I was introduced as the campus pastor at Saranac.  This will allow me to pastor and continue seminary at the same time.  It’s happening much faster than we ever imagined, but we believe there has been a divine work in bringing us together.  Speaking of divine, one of our prayers has been answered.  Kelly has been recently employed at a long-term-care facility in Grand Rapids.  We’re grateful with the way this transition continues to unfold as we consistently place our trust in the LORD.  Our story continues to progress, but God seems to be saturated in the things that are happening.

Better or Best

I don't always associate myself with the women of the Bible.  In fact, I never do.  There's something about relating with a feminine Biblical story that messes with a guys manhood.  Perhaps I'm insecure.  Regardless, why would I want to try and associate my story with a woman named Mary?

I'd rather associate my story with people like John the Baptist - a barbarian of a man who wore a mixture of leather and camel hair, ate grasshoppers and wild honey, and appeared out of the wilderness.

Or people like Paul - one of the fiercest advocates for Jesus.  A guy who had one of the most messed up pasts you could imagine.  A guy who spend a significant amount of time in prison.  A guy who was relentless for Jesus.


But Mary?


Because I want to be like her!  Does that sound weird?


As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him.  She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said.  But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.  She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself?  Tell her to help me!"  "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed.  Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."      ~Luke 10:38-42


So…as Martha was being hospitable, Mary was sitting and listening to Jesus.  This story is about the difference between better and best.  It's about the best kind of discipleship.


Why am I interested in Mary's story?  Because I want to be like her!  Unlike Mary, I find myself getting caught up in the same kind of thing Martha was doing.  I'm not cleaning the house or baking bread or making dinner (although my wife would love that) for Jesus; the kind of hospitality I'm participating in is a little different.  My focus is sadly confined in my attempt to work out Jesus' intellectual hospitality.  Instead of soaking in every word that comes from Jesus, I'm busy putting together proofs and trying to intellectualize the Christian faith.


Instead of listening to Jesus, I'm busy writing about the compatibility between evolution and the story of Adam and Eve.  Instead of listening to Jesus, I'm trying to figure out who's theology is more biblically accurate, Jacobus Arminius or John Calvin.  Instead of listening to Jesus, I'm busy doing intellectual dirty work as I attempt to preserve the idea of Biblical inerrancy.


If I'm not listening to Jesus, what am I doing?  I'm being like Martha.  In Martha's attempt to serve Jesus, she was called out due to her misguided priorities.  Jesus wanted Martha to hear and be changed by the wisdom of his words.   Martha wanted to foster the situation by complimenting it with perfect preparations (food, decorations, ethos,…).  Instead, Jesus would rather have Martha sit and listen like Mary.


I often wonder how many of us fail at listening to Jesus.  We can be so busy in the chaos of life that perhaps we never sit and listen (or read).  And I wonder how well we can follow Christ if we never listen to him.  If I'm always trying to be intellectually hospitable for Jesus and I never listen, how screwed up is that?  And for some of us, the Martha activities we participate in are different.  Some of us have busy families, activities, jobs, hobbies, ministries, high-maintenance friendships, and etc…


I've been challenged and I challenge you to hear from Jesus on a daily basis.


So before I rush to the flurry of daily activities ahead, I'm going to read some "red letters."  As Mary was complimented for her ability to simply listen, I invite you to listen as well.  Not just by reading the following quote, but by reading the Jesus of your Bible too.


Jesus said:
"Are you tired?  Worn out?  Burned out on religion?  Come to me.  Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest.  Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it.  Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.  I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.  Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."        ~Matthew 11:28-30    (The message)

Creatively Speaking...

Words are powerful; sometimes.  Unless you're like me and have had someone fall asleep while you were talking.  Seriously?  Did I just talk for five minutes to a sleeping person?  Am I really that boring?  Are my words really that weak?  Many of us have had the chance to be around phenomenal communicators  It's easy to be jealous of that person who has the perfect tone of voice complimented with the ability to wax eloquent.  That person is not me.  That person can keep people awake.  It seems as if that person can generate beautiful images and ideas out of mere words.  It seems as if that person can produce something from nothing.


A few years ago, I remember a myth suggesting that humans are able to only utilize 10% of their brain power.  This myth obviously alludes the the point that 90% of the human brain remains unemployed.  I'm not completely convinced about the 10% statistic, except for perhaps a few people I know.  This myth also suggested that if humans could tap into all their brain power, they might have the ability to mentally compute pi or have telekinetic powers (the ability to move objects by the force of thinking).  Although this statistic is a myth, I thought it seemed to interestingly imply the power and potential involved in human intelligence.


It's fascinating to observe humanity's ability to communicate compared to that of other species.  Although we cannot fully understand how other species communicate, we can observe that humans communicate on a much higher dimension than any other animal.  Human intelligence teamed with communicative ability makes amazing potential.


A question arises in regard to the level of human intelligence and communicative power in comparison to other species.  Why is there such a gap between humanity and the rest of the animal kingdom?  Why doesn't the communicative ability and intelligent power in monkeys (humanity's closes relative according to evolution) partially compete with humans?  Sure, birds and dogs communicate through chirps and barks, but one has to admit how amazing it is one realizes the depth and sophistication of human communication and intelligence.  Then again, I have seen some incredible dogs and birds talk better than some people I know.  Anyways.  The simple fact that you can read this is amazing!


Words are powerful.  But God's words are especially powerful.  The book of Genesis displays a scene showing just how powerful God's words are.  When he speaks, people don't fall asleep.  When God speaks, something is created from nothing.  The first chapter in Genesis demonstrates and describes God's communicative power.  He speaks and the universe explodes into existence.  He speaks and nature organizes itself and flourishes according to his commands.  At one point, God tells Isaiah: "my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."  God's words always produce, accomplish, and execute.


We find something interesting when we compare the poetics of Genesis to our observation in regards to human communication and intelligence.  Genesis says that "God made man in his own image, in the image of God he created them."  This statement is interesting taking into account that humans are the most advanced and sophisticated in all the created order.  This would make in sense in understanding humanity to be the only creature made in God's image.


A friend of mine who loves to learn about the Jewish side of the Christian faith told me something interesting about the story of "Jesus and the Sick Woman."  Jesus, as others did in his day, wore a garment (called a Tallit) of clothing around his neck.  On each end of the garment were five tassels representing the Word of God (each tassel representing one book of the Bible known as the Torah).  As the story goes, while Jesus was teaching, there was a women in the crowd who had been sick for twelve years.  She believed that if she reached out and touched Jesus' clothing, she would be healed.  The thing is, she wasn't simply reaching to touch Jesus' clothes, she was reaching out to touch the garment (tassels) which represented the Word of God.  Why?  Because she believed God's Word possessed power.  Perhaps she recognized the power of God's words in the Genesis account.  Perhaps she recognized the power of God's words in the Torah.  Whatever she believed, her faith in God's Word was what healed her.        (Matthew 9:18-22)


Words are powerful.  In fact, the book of John goes on to describe who Jesus actually is, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  he was with God in the beginning.  Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made… The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.  We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."  Apparently, John believed that God's words, his speech, and his commands actually became a person; that person is Jesus.  Jesus became known as the Word of God because in him, God perfectly speaks.  To reiterate this, God's speech becomes a person: Jesus the Christ.          (John 1:1-3,14)


Nobody's words are as powerful as God's.  Whether I put someone to sleep, or whether I have the ability to wax eloquent; the power and literal creativity of God's words far outweigh my own.


I heard a national speaker recently say, "Perhaps we're using our words carelessly."  I couldn't agree more.  I'm not sure about you, but I can't count how many times I've said something negative, hurtful, or "careless."  Perhaps I should remind myself that I've been made in the image of God and my words also carry power with them.


In the study room at the seminary I attend, there's a big quote from Ed Dobson hanging on the wall.  It reads, "Preach the Word…Love People."  Perhaps I'm starting to understand this...


Therefore, as people created who carry God's image, our words should mirror the words of God.  As Jesus is the materialization of God's Word; his words should be our words.  These words are transformational, creative, and powerful.  However weak our words may be, if we speak according to God's Word, there is strength.  When his words are spoken, they retain the potential to produce.  His words will not return empty.


May the words that flow from our lips resonate with the words of the LORD.  May we allow the words of God to continually produce fruit in our lives.  May our words continue to bring and give life.

Common Prayer #2: Beautiful Sacrifice

O Lord, let our souls rise up to meet you
as the day rises to meet the sun.



Let us acknowledge, Lord, that you're pursuing us.
     wherever we go, you are there
     wherever we hide, you find us
     whatever we do, you're there with us
Let us acknowledge your sacrifice for us.
     wherever we go, you are there
     wherever we hide, you find us
     whatever we do, you're there with us
Let us be awakened to a proper response.
     wherever we go, you are there
     wherever we hide, you find us
     whatever we do, you're there with us



O Lord, let our lives be but a beautiful sacrifice
as a response to the ways which you endlessly pursue us.

Common Prayer #1: Hope of Sovereignty

O Lord, let my soul rise up to meet you

as the day rises to meet the sun.

Glory to your name, O Lord

For within it lies the essence and fullness of life.

As today brings new challenges,

may you help us recognize that you are greater.

As pain draws near,

may you show us that you have overcome suffering.

You know our steps, O Lord.

Guide us, lead us, and grant us unhindered life.

In your mercy, show us the hope that lies in you.

Today, may this hope be a springboard for life.

perhaps John Wesley understood depravity better than we thought

In our time and culture, Christians are in need of communal accountability.  John Wesley came up with this set of self-examination questions for a spiritual accountability group while he was a student at Oxford.  His desire to be holy (Leviticus 20:26,  1 Peter 1:16) was soaked in sincerity and humility.  Imagine what would happen if our Christian communities (churches) were this open and accountable with one another.

1. Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I am better than I really am? In other words, am I a hypocrite?
2. Do I privately pass on to others what has been said to me in confidence?
3. Can I be trusted?
4. Am I a slave to dress, friends, work or habits?
5. Am I self-conscious, self-pitying, or self-justifying?
6. Did the Word of God live in my today?
7. Do I give the Word of God time to speak to me every day?
8. Am I enjoying prayer?
9. When did I last speak to someone else of my faith?
10. Do I pray about the money I spend?
11. Do I get to bed on time and get up on time?
12. Do I disobey God in anything?
13. Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?
14. Am I defeated in any part of my life?
15. Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy or distrustful?
16. How do I spend my spare time?
17. Am I proud?
18. Do I thank God that I am not as other people (as the Pharisees despised the publican)?
19. Is there anyone whom I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold a resentment toward or disregard?  If so, what am I doing about it?
20. Do I grumble or complain constantly?
21. Is Christ real to me?

After his time at Oxford, Wesley developed other small groups.  In order for an individual to join a group, they had to be willing to answer the following questions (if asked) at any time.  

1. Have you the forgiveness of your sins?
2. Have you peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ?
3. Have you the witness of God's Spirit with your spirit that you are a child of God?
4. Is the love of God shed abroad in your heart?
5. Has no sin, inward or outward, dominion over you?
6. Do you desire to be told of your faults?
7. Do you desire to be told of all your faults?
8. Do you desire that every one of us should tell you from time to time whatever is in his heart concerning you?
9. Consider!  Do you desire we should tell you whatever we think, fear or hear, concerning you?
10. Do you desire that in doing this we should come as close as possible, that we should cut to the quick, and search your heart to the bottom?
11. Is it your desire and design, to be on this and all other occasions entirely open, so as to speak everything that is in your heart, without exception, without disguise, and without reserve?

These next question were asked of every member at every meeting.

1. What known sins have you committed since our last meeting?
2. What temptations have you met with?
3. How were you delivered?
4. What have you thought, said, or done, of which you doubt whether it be sin or not?
5. Have you nothing you desire to keep secret?

the upside-down role handed to the youth pastor

I don't know the detailed political positions of Nick Clegg, but this quote has something to say in regards to the church culture in the U.S.  His original statement was focused on teachers; below, I've replaced "teachers" with "youth pastors."


"We already expect our youth pastors to be social workers; child psychologists; nutritionists; child protection officers. We expect them to police the city, take care of our children’s health; counsel our sons and daughters; guide them, worry about them, and, on top of that, educate them too.  When you consider that list, it is phenomenal that so many rise to the challenge. But it is too much to ask. Youth pastors are not surrogate mothers and fathers; they cannot do it all."

Are You A Good Christ?

by Francis Chan...


I think it's time we stop asking ourselves the question: "Am I a good Christian?" We live in a time when the term "Christian" has been so diluted that millions of immoral but nice people genuinely consider themselves "good Christians." We have reduced the idea of a good Christian to someone who believes in Jesus, loves his or her family, and attends church regularly. Others will label you a good Christian even though your life has no semblance to the way Christ spent His days on earth. Perhaps we should start asking the question: "Am I a good Christ?" In other words, do I look anything like Jesus? This question never even entered my mind until a friend of mine made a passing comment to me one day.
Dan is a long time friend of mine. In fact, he's the pastor who performed my wedding. He was talking to me about a pastor named Von. Von has been working with youth in the San Diego area for decades. Many of his students have gone on to become amazing missionaries and powerful servants of God. Dan described a trip to Tijuana, Mexico with Pastor Von. (Von has been ministering to the poor in the dumps of Tijuana for years). Dan didn't speak of the awful living conditions of those who made their homes amidst the rubbish. What impacted Dan the most was the relationship he saw between Von and the people of this community. He spoke of the compassion, sacrifice, and love that he witnessed in Von's words and actions as he held these malnourished and un-bathed children. Then he made the statement that sent me reeling:
"The day I spent with Von was the closest thing I've ever experienced to walking with Jesus."
Dan explained that the whole experience was so eerie because he kept thinking to himself: "If Jesus were still walking on earth in the flesh, this is what it would feel like to walk alongside of Him!" After that discussion, I kept wondering if anyone had ever said that about me-"The day I spent with Francis was the closest thing I've ever experienced to walking with Jesus." The answer was an obvious "no." Would any honest person say that about you?
What bothered me was not that I hadn't "arrived," but that I wasn't even heading in the right direction. I hadn't made it my goal to resemble Christ. I wasn't striving to become the kind of person who could be mistaken for Jesus Christ. Isn't it ironic that a man can be known as a successful pastor, speaker, and CHRISTian even if his life doesn't resemble Christ's?

1 John 2:6 "Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did."
When John made that statement, he wasn't speaking about how to be a church leader or even how to be a "good" Christian. He merely stated that anyone who calls himself Christian must live like Jesus did. So how did Jesus live? You could make a list of character traits to compare yourself to, but it would be far more beneficial to simply read through one of the Gospels. After you get a bird's-eye view of the life of Christ, do the same with your own. Are you comfortable with the similarities and differences?
It's easy to get caught up in the pursuit of "success" as American church-goers define it. The thought of being well-known and respected is alluring. There have been times when I've been caught up in the fun of popularity. I've even mistaken it for success. Biblically, however, success is when our lives parallel Christ's. Truth is, there are many good Christs that you'll never read about in a magazine. They are walking as Jesus walked, but they are too focused and humble to pursue their own recognition.
May we make it our goal to someday have someone say of us: "The day/hour/15 minutes I spent with ______ was the closest thing I've ever experienced to walking with Jesus."
As Christians in America, we often complain about how antagonistic people are toward Christ. Personally, I'm not sure that Americans are really rejecting Christ. Maybe they just haven't seen Him.
Try to be COMPLETELY honest with yourself right now. Is the following true of you?
You passionately love Jesus, but you don't really want to be like Him. You admire His humility, but you don't want to be THAT humble. You think it's beautiful that He washed the feet of the disciples, but that's not exactly the direction your life is headed. You're thankful He was spit upon and abused, but you would never let that happen to you. You praise Him for loving you enough to suffer during His whole time on earth, but you're going to do everything within your power to make sure you enjoy your time down here.
In short: You think He's a great Savior, but not a great role model.
The American church has abandoned the most simple and obvious truth of what it means to follow Jesus: You actually follow His pattern of life. I pray for those who read this article- that we don't become cynical or negative toward the church. Instead, let's make a personal decision to stop talking so much and begin living like Jesus. Then we can say as the apostle Paul, "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ" (1 Corinthians 11:1). My guess is that you've never had someone say that to you, and you've never said it to anyone else. Why Not?

Drive - Thru

I love Taco Bell, especially in my college days. Any restaurant serving drive-thru tacos at 2am to hungry college students gets an A in my book. Recently Kelly and I went in a drive thru at Taco Bell.

Imagine a picture of three loaded tacos full of the works, with cilantro and lime to top it all off. Adding to the picture was a name which made my mouth water even more: “Cantina Tacos!”

I couldn’t resist. I ordered the Cantinas in hopes that they would be perfect goodness.  I opened up the foil around my tacos as fast as I could in hopes of biting into a delicious treat.

Laying inside the foil was the smallest, most unsatisfying tacos I have ever gotten from Taco Bell. These three tacos could hardly cover my taste not to mention my hungry, grumbling stomach.

Has our idea of church become like this?

We drive in, expect to be given something great and to be fed, only to drive away wondering why our appetites weren’t filled like we expected. We often wish church would feed us, when really it was never meant to function as a fast food restaurant. We expect programs to offer us something, and when the programs don’t meet our expectations, we wonder what’s wrong with the church.

Are we Christian consumers?

Does our mentality of church fit that of a drive-thru restaurant?

In the book of Acts, a scene is described in which the Spirit of God moved upon a group of people. These people were concerned with two main things, the love of God and love of each other. The two went hand in hand. They weren’t interested in what they could receive from the community, they were interested in what they could contribute to the community as God contributed His Spirit to them.

Many people who attend church possess this consumeristic mentality.

This bothers some of us. Some of us feel a pull to bring back church in its original context. Some of us are sick of being church critics; we're ready to be solutions.