The Key to Greatness.

Most of us have heroes…typically sports figures. Football might be Tom Brady; Basketball could be MJ. Women’s gymnastics is probably Simone Biles. These are the people who have sacrificed a lot to be the greatest of all time. They usually say having a great coach, practice and trusting your skill set are the things to make you the GOAT. But what does Jesus of Nazareth say will make you the GOAT?

Initially, there was no clue to his greatness. He was born in a barn to poor parents who eventually became refugees in another country. His dad was a blue collar worker. Jesus was so ordinary early on that we don’t even know about 17 years of his life.

But the 33 years Jesus had on earth changed the course of human history. His life affected the medical field, the academic field. theology. You can go to the graves of world-be world changers but you can’t go to Jesus’ grave because he isn’t there. And the Bible paints a greatest-of-all-time picture of Jesus.

Just read John 1:1-5, Colossians 1:15-17 and Hebrews 1:1-3. You’ll see the authors remind us that Jesus existed before time began and that everything we know was created through him and for him. He is the visible image of the invisible God. Jesus is the greatest of all time. So what does the GOAT say is the key to greatness?

Jesus says, “Be last”. Jesus says in Matthew 20:26-27, “Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave.” Jesus would never ask us to do anything that he hasn’t already done. Jesus left glory, heaven, authority, peace, purity to be pour into a human body and live on earth. He gave up kingship in order to be a servant.

Paul writes in Philippians 2:3-11 how Jesus left heaven and what he did on earth. Jesus is setting an example for us that in a “me-first” world, a “be-last” life is different. And Paul says “you must” in verse 5 reminding us that if we follow Jesus, looking like him is imperative…it’s not an option.

So focus on the one question this week: “What does ‘be-last’ look like for me?” If you are like me, I could make a list fairly quickly of 10 things I need to change. But if I make a list, I won’t do any of them. So, focus on one thing. What’s one thing that would help you be last this week?

There are so many ways you can look like Jesus this week. Following Jesus will cost me something. My hope is the Spirit will reveal to you exactly what you need to work on. In a me-first world, following Jesus looks very different. Blessings on the journey.

Handling Conflict.

The costs of workplace conflict help us to think about the Kingdom costs of unresolved church conflict. The church’s credibility is on the line when we preach and teach about love and forgiveness while fighting within our churches. Only God knows the extent of the damage done when individuals or factions within a local church refuse to reconcile.

Could we prevent much of the conflict that happens within the church? Let me give you a H.I.N.T. to help you stop church conflict before it begins. Each letter of the word “hint” will help us understand how to prevent conflict in the church: 

H-Honor your leadership team. Satan stokes the fires of conflict and bitterness in under-appreciated church leaders and volunteers. Your leadership credibility is on the line when it comes to dealing with conflict. The way you deal with conflict can strengthen or weaken your influence. “See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God, that no ‘root of bitterness’ springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled” (Hebrews 12:15). 

I-Instruct your church leaders to handle conflict biblically. Do this in meetings and leadership huddles routinely. Seek to understand the causes of destructive conflict. People often behave with self-centeredness, ego, and pride. “What causes quarrels, and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?” (James 4:1). The Bible says, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit but in humility count others more significant than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3). 

Immaturity is the source of many conflicts. Maturity helps a person understand that differences in perspective can broaden understanding. Mature people are self-aware and seek to improve their weaknesses. “Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking, be mature” (1 Corinthians 14:20). Wise believers look for the hand of God in stressful situations.

N-Never assume conflicts will just go away. Time does NOT heal all wounds. Be an “approacher,” not an “avoider.”  When Adam sinned against God, he said, “I heard the sound of you in the Garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, and I hid myself” (Genesis 3:10). Adam avoided confrontation with God.

Nevertheless, conflict must be handled in a timely fashion. “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger” (Ephesians 4:26). Avoiding conflict may keep you from experiencing what God wants to do in your life by resolving the conflict. 

The goal of resolving the conflict is not compromising on an issue to the point that no sufficient work or innovative solution is possible; such approaches lead to other conflicts down the road. Often parties must remain in dialogue for some time to make their cases and clarify their differences.

T-Tools are available to help resolve or mediate church conflict. Use them! The most straightforward tool is to follow the commands of Jesus is Matthew 18:15-20. Begin with a personal conversation. If that conversation does not help to resolve the issue, involve another mature believer. Broaden the circle if necessary with the intent of restoring adversaries to a place of fellowship.  

Another powerful tool in the Bible is to overlook the offense. “Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense” (Proverbs 19:11, ESV). This critical verse reminds us that every personal offense does not warrant confrontation and reconciliation. Often, it is best to overlook the offense and move on.

Preventing conflict is an ongoing process in your church. People who are passionate about serving God often have strong opinions and preferences. Helping people imitate Christ—the One who emptied Himself and took on the form of a slave—is one of our highest goals in pastoral leadership. (adapted from Managing Church Conflict).

What to Do with Controlling People.

There always seem to be people in our lives that are EGRs (extra grace required). As disciples of Jesus, we are called to love people…not just a few but everyone. So how in the world do we love people who are difficult to love?

The story in Matthew 16 shows us how Jesus handles people who are trying to control him. No doubt, you have people in your life who try to control you as well. So it seems important as believers that we look at how Jesus handled these types of difficult people.

So in Matthew 16, Jesus is telling the disciples how he will suffer in Jerusalem and die. But that he will be raised and conquer death on the third day. Then Peter tells Jesus, “no way will this happen if I can help it.” Jesus has revealed what God’s will is and Peter is looking at the situation through human eyes and wanting to control the situation.

How do we love those who want to control us?

First, know what you are called to do. Jesus knew this. He said repeatedly, he’d come to seek and save the lost. His calling and purpose was clear to him. You too have been called to live a holy, set apart life for God’s glory. You may feel called into a certain career or relationship and that could be true. But if you are not living into those areas of life understanding how you’re called to look like Jesus, then you are not living into your calling. Know how you’re called to live.

Second, know when someone is trying to control you. It’s what’s happening in our story. Jesus says God is calling him to die for humanity but Peter is saying, “No, no, no.” Earlier in Matthew 16, Peter had just won “Jesus Jeopardy” by stating Jesus was the Son of God. But in the next moment, he’s putting his plans ahead of God’s plans. Know when someone is trying to control you.

Finally, know when to draw a line in the sand. This is the hardest thing to do. We generally love and care for the people who seem to want to control us. But if someone is calling you to idolize their opinion and what they think over what God’s called you to do, it’s time to draw the line.

So if you don’t like a relationship you have that seems controlling, change what you expect and what you accept. Jesus told Peter he wouldn’t let Peter talk to him like that…it was inappropriate. And in your life you may have to say, “I care about you but I’m not letting you speak to me like that again.” Or “I love you but I’m not bailing you out again.” Or “I love you deeply but you can’t yell at me.”

What will happen when you do this? The controller will rear up, get loud and double down on their threat. It will be a difficult moment. It will hurt in the moment but it hurts everyday you live in a dysfunctional relationship. And once you realize you don’t have the power to control and God does, things will change for you.

Essentially, Jesus is saying in Matthew 16, if you want to follow me, you’ll never be in control again. Control belongs to God. Know what you want out of the relationship and create it like you know it should be. It won’t be easy but it will be healthier. Blessings on the journey.

Our congregation just had it’s “Mission Sunday” this past Sunday. It’s the day we fully acknowledge God’s call to us to be in the world and sharing his story in multiple ways. It’s the day we ask our church to financially back where our leadership team feels we are being called into the story. It’s an incredibly encouraging time to reflect and dream. But how persistent are we ready to be when it comes to retelling the greatest story ever told?

Jesus asks us in Luke 18:8, “…when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?”

This question cuts right to the heart. Jesus is asking: when I come back at the end of time, will I find any faith in the world? The question we have to ask ourselves is what kind of faith is Jesus talking about? Is Jesus simply talking about adhering to a long list of rules? Is he hoping that when he comes back he will find us all being super pious and rigidly religious? I don’t think so. Instead Jesus wants to know if he will find us living in relationship with God. That’s ultimately what faith is all about: living life in relationship with God.

God wants a relationship of love with us. He already has a relationship with us and loves us beyond our wildest imagining. He wants us to enter into this relationship of love with him, and allow it to transform our relationships with everyone — our family, our friends, our coworkers, the sick, the poor, and everyone we meet.Our challenge is to find ways that we can grow in our relationship with God and let that relationship spread into all of our other relationships in life.

How can we do this? Certainly through prayer: talking to God, speaking to him as a friend, as a father who loves us, giving thanks at the end of the day, taking time to go on a walk through nature, maybe even going to church or reading the Bible.

Faith starts in prayer but it doesn’t end there: it sends us out to love in return for God’s love for us. Faith leads us to help out a friend who's in need, to show our love for our family, to take time to help the poor in our community, to talk to a homeless person, to volunteer in the hospital. The question for us is: what concrete steps can we take this week to grow in our relationship of love with God and let it spread throughout our whole life? Then Jesus will surely find faith on the earth when he returns.

May you prayerfully answer the call to live missionally! May you lean into the story of God every day. May you experience the joy of passing on the story of God in your every day story! Blessings on the journey.

Life Remedy

Halloween is approaching. I remember as a young guy getting that bag full of candy, getting back home, sorting out what I really liked and gorging myself. Afterwards I would be sick to my stomach, wishing I had paced myself.

You know in life, we do that don’t we? We see what we think is a good thing and we go after it. We devour it, thinking it’s what we need when in fact, there is something better out there. I may think money is the answer so I work 70 hour weeks. I do get the paycheck but my marriage suffers and I never see the my kids.

I may think it’s about physical relationship so, whether I am married or not, I may seek to fulfill my physical desires and need for psychologically stroking by inviting multiple partners into my life. I may think it’s all about the title on the door so I backstab and hurt people in order to get to the top of that corporate ladder.

We have all made poor decisions in our lives that remind us there is only one way for us to be safe, healthy, relationally rich and family satisfied…it’s in Jesus we find the ability to truly live life and live it to the fullest. Jesus tells us that in John 10:10, “Jesus has come to give us (his disciples) a rich and satisfying life.” But we must believe that it’s life in Him that will be so full and so rich. And we discover some truths along the way when we choose the way of Jesus over our own life decision.

When we choose Jesus, we walk with God as his son or daughter. Paul uses adoption language in Galatians 4:5-7. God loves you more than you love your own children! I love my two boys. I’d do anything for them. It’s hard to believe I serve a God who loves me more than that…but He does! And there is no amount of accomplishment that will make him love you more. He doesn’t base his love of you on your ability to be perfect or study the Bible more or eat certain foods. He just loves you. In Jesus, you’re his son…his daughter.

And when you choose Jesus, we walk with God as part of his family. God never designed us to journey alone. We are meant to be in community. Paul uses adoption language again in Ephesians 1:5. We are adopted into the family of God. That is why the church exists. It’s the family of God. Now, like your family, there are all kinds of characters. And God’s family is the same. As we watch each other, I Iearn what it means to forgive and be inclusive and offer grace and be patient. Hopefully, you’re learning some of that from me as well. In Jesus, your part of the family and not alone in this life.

Finally, when we walk with God we walk like Jesus walked. When we say “yes” to Jesus, we begin the transformation process and become more like him every day. When we choose this life, we bring a little bit of heaven to earth. After all, Paul said in Philippians 2:5, “You MUST have the same attitude of Jesus”. If you are a disciple, there is no choice…it’s what we do. No matter the chaos that might be going on around us: COVID, job loss, relational struggles, sickness, financial hardship…nothing can steal our joy because we have a life centered in Jesus. He changes everything for us!!

So, may you choose a better life. May you say “yes” to Jesus. It’s the best choice possible. Jesus says in Matthew 11:28-30, “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life…” Jesus will give you the best life you’ve ever lived. Blessings on the journey.

Mission (Him)possible

You ever been on a mission? I don't mean a mission trip with church but focused on one particular thing? When my boys were young and in Scouts, we did this thing called geo-caching. It’s where you are looking for hidden treasure. Someone hides something small, puts the coordinates on the web (usually in a state park or public area). Then using GPS and a compass, you track it down.

Those Scouts were so focused on finding that thing. Nothing got in their way. Not weather, terrain, people…they had a laser focus to their mission.

As the church and individual followers of Jesus, we too have a mission. A laser focus in life. Jesus tells us what that is in Matthew 28:18-20, “I’ve been given all authority in heaven and on earth. So, go and make disciples…” That’s it. That’s our mission as people who believe in a risen Savior.

As Jesus-followers, we should be compelled by our mission. That first century church could not stop talking about Jesus and his story. We should be the same, absolutely on fire for Jesus and the hope He gives us. C.S. Lewis said, “There is no such thing as a mere mortal.” It’s so true. All of us are going to live forever. So it’s incredibly important that we take everyday, even in the smallest of ways, to tell those around us about Jesus and what He’s done for us.

We should also be confident in our mission. In Acts 4, the disciples are arrested then released and told not to talk anymore about Jesus. But they met with the whole church and prayed to God to give them boldness to continue. They weren’t scared. They didn’t hide. They didn't pray for vengeance against those authorities. They prayed confidently to God knowing he would grant them more opportunity to share Jesus in word and action.

But we’re also reminded we are called to live out our mission every day. Worship is beautiful as we gather on a Sunday morning together but worship doesn’t end there. Worship is every day of our lives. We must pray for boldness to live in to the mission Jesus has placed us on: telling others about how incredible he is and how Jesus is the only hope we have for life.

So pray to be light in the world where you find yourself. Be bold in your actions and words. Be prayerful and ask God for mission. Be courageous and share Jesus. As followers of Jesus, we are not on cruise control. We are on mission to share Jesus every day of our lives. Blessings on journey.

Bold is more than a coffee

We all have our idols. People we think are incredible at what they do. The greatest of all time is the phrase we give them. There is a debate about whether it’s MJ or LeBron for basketball. For me and football, it has to be Barry Sanders. He’s the 1988 Heisman trophy winner who played at Oklahoma State University (my alma mater). But no matter what you think, Jesus surpasses EVERYONE in every category as the only one who matters.

When you read Acts 4 and discover how the first century church felt about him and how Jesus changed all of them to care about each other, it’s clear Jesus is all powerful. He can do things to change you for the better. At the end of Acts 2, the church was devoted to each other, performed great works together, met together daily, shared everything they owned, sold things and gave money to the poor, shared life together and changed neighborhoods and towns together ALL in the Name of Jesus! Jesus changes everything and for a few reasons.

Jesus is the only one who reigns. Based on Acts 4, you can put followers of Jesus in a box but you’ll never put Jesus in a box. At the end of Jesus’ time on earth in Matthew 28, Jesus reminds us all authority and power has been given to him on earth, above and below the earth. Daniel 7, the prophet points to the future saying Jesus will come and every nation, every language, every skin color, political party, NFL team…will fall down and worship him.

And Jesus is the only who is worthy. Jesus is the cornerstone for all things new. That first century church believed Jesus as the answer for everything. They were committed to him. Some questions we should ask as we start this new year: What would give Jesus glory in my life? What should I do right now with my talent set? How can I be light? How can I be an encouragement to my family? How can I reaffirm folks at my workplace? How can I be Jesus?

And finally, Jesus is the only one who saves. People were looking at the disciples and were amazed. They were doing extraordinary things even though they had no education. They were changing the world because of the power of Jesus. They realized “there is no other Name by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Because of that truth, the group of believers turned their world upside down for Jesus.

That is our call as well…to be the light wherever we are. To be a representative of Jesus and proclaim his power in word and action. That’s the challenge in 2020. To be bold for Jesus. Stop at nothing to share what He’s done for you. Don’t let anything deter you from being the person God created you to be in his son Jesus. Blessings on the journey.

Falling in Love

I played football all through my junior high and senior high school years. I really had fun and learned a lot about team or being a part of a community that has one purpose. I remember one rainy night, we were playing Ozark. We had been backed up about 15 yards outside our goal line and it was time to punt. Our coach called a fake where I received the ball and slipped it under the legs of another running back. I ran the right play but all the blocking and the other running back went the opposite way. I was tackled immediately. An example of what happens when we all aren’t doing what we are supposed to do.

The community of believers, the church, is much the same way. Jesus says in John 13:34 that he’s given us, his disciples, a new command to love each other just like He’s loved us. The Greek word used there is agape which means unconditional love…no strings attached. Jesus says the world will know we are followers of Jesus when we love unconditionally.

Agape means “I love you in spite of…”. In spite of the hurtful words you said or the way you treated my spouse. In spite of you neglecting my children by not inviting them or in spite of the lifestyle you choose instead of what I think you should have chosen.

You see, that is how Jesus loves you. He loves you in spite of the sin in your life. He loves you in spite of the poor decision making that has plagued you. He loves you in spite of you being you. Paul reminds us of that in Romans 5 where he says, “God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”

So he calls us to imitate him and when we do, the world will take notice. They will see the beautiful story of Jesus through our actions and words. “Love people as I have loved you.” When we decide to love no matter what, then we know God and our life becomes a beautiful representation of how we have been loved by a beautifully risen Savior.

Crazy for Jesus

Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:13-14, “If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit. Either way, Christ’s love controls us.”

As we discover how we are called to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, we are reminded that the world thinks we are crazy for following Jesus. Each of us are commissioned as disciples to live each day giving God glory through our words and actions with every fiber of our being. So, how are you living out your love with Jesus through your emotions, your thinking, your spirituality, and your physical life?

In his books, “Love Does” and “Everyone Always”, Bob Goff shows how he has decided to be a light on the hill for Jesus be standing for children’s rights all over the world and taking on witchdoctors in Uganda, Africa. He’s using his law degree and his heart to show his discipleship.

You and I may never go worldwide with our message of Jesus but what about your own community? How are you showing the love of Jesus at your workplace, in your school, in your neighborhood, with your family and friends? But, who’s to say you couldn’t go worldwide to share the message of Jesus using your gifts? Anything is possible with God!

So my encouragement to you this Monday is that you get risky! You step out. You make a decision today to do something crazy for Jesus! The world is in desperate need of the light you hold within you. Don’t wait. Get your journal out right now. Write down ways right around you that you can use your giftedness to make a difference for Jesus Christ.

I want the world to know that Jesus is more than a formula. I want them to know I’m a satisfied customer. He can and will change your world for the better. He already has so let’s show the world we are a little crazy…for the one who did something extraordinary for us! May the Spirit guide you and direct you. May the peace of Christ live in you. May your light shine brightly!