Tuesday, December 14, 2010

In the black

USA today had an article on how Protestant churches have taken a real hit in giving due to the recession. http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2010-12-14-1Achurchbucks14_ST_N.htm

I read this article this morning.

Well, Grace is in the black, and the designated funds are where they ought to be. I just thought you should know this, but please know, this isn't bragging. I have had nothing to do with it. Being in the black is due to some wise planning by Brian, Chuck and others who worked hard to make the budget make sense this year. And of course, all good things are ultimately due to the kindness, faithfulness and grace of God. All we have is His. He has been faithful to this church even though we never deserved it. He has been merciful, kind and gracious beyond measure.

Ok, maybe it is bragging. God is great! He loves this church and these people. He has called us to reach this city and the towns around Ann Arbor. Is there a higher and better calling than that? Plus, I love the people I work with. I am sure, eventually, we will all get on each other's nerves just like any family, but I regularly thank God for the people of character and wisdom He has put in place at Grace that I get to be part of.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

The Team, The Team, The Team

I listened to Bo Schembechler's speech about the team again today. There is just something about it that resonates. Everyone wants to be part of something bigger than themselves, and his pep-talk captured that. We have just finished our "Spectator Sport" series where basically for 2 months we have been saying... the team, the team, the team. I sure hope we get this concept as a church family.
This last week was one where we looked at Colossians 4 and noticed how Paul said, "Even when you aren't with the other players, you should always be looking to win." I have to remember that being part of this team means always... ALWAYS... looking to draw people around me to Christ. That is the win. This week I have watchfully pray, speak with words seasoned with grace and walk with wisdom toward the people around me.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Talking about money is dangerous

This past Sunday, I spoke on one of my favorite subjects... money. I love discussing money because people can't ignore it. It is everywhere in the Bible, and no one can read those passages in the Bible and think, "Well, that has nothing to do with me". We are all challenged by what the New Testament says about money... even those of us teaching on the subject.

I was certainly challenged again this week. It is so easy to forget to be tenacious givers.

About 7 years ago, I spoke about giving at a church where I was a guest speaker. It was a message given shortly after New Year's Day, and I told them that my New Year's resolution was to "never miss an opportunity to give". To that end, I told the congregation that I wanted to be serious about giving from that point forward. Thus, I declared that I was going to try to raise my giving by at least 1% every year. Plus, I would respond to support missions trips etc. I am not saying any of this now, nor did I say it then to brag. It was a challenge to the people and a challenge for me to step up my game.

And without getting specific, God blessed me with opportunities to give and grow in that process throughout that year. It was an amazing thing to witness the generosity and kindness of God that I could never repay. But, the truth is, I have not had that same resolution every year since then. Sure, I have grown some in my giving, but not like I would have hoped.

As I was forced to ponder all of this through my study, I was challenged again. Have I been letting opportunities to give (plant seeds) slip? Have I moved away from the continual realization that all that I have is God's? Am I thanking God profusely for that which He has entrusted to me? With New Years coming up, can I kick it up another notch?

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Friends and fishing

This Sunday was brilliant. As we began the long trek home late in the afternoon, I was exhausted but also feeling the weight of Christ's joy. What a day it was. During service, the ladies certainly sang beautifully, and our new band additions have been great; also, the new furniture was nice to see, but this Sunday was significant for more reasons than that.

2 things happened Sunday after service that really set the day off in a beautiful way.
#1. My family and I were invited to a Grace member's house after the service. When we arrived, we were welcomed with open arms, great food and a true sense of hospitality. Not only was the host family wonderful, but we were given the opportunity to meet many people from Grace with whom we had not yet talked. The weather held out; our kids cried minimally, and we departed in the late afternoon. Charity and I were both were saying the same thing as we drove away, "These people are great. What a blessing it is to be part of this family." What a joy it is to serve with all of you.

#2 The other thing that happened Sunday was that I was informed that one of the people who has been attending Grace in recent weeks accepted Christ as his savior. It was something for which a number of us had been praying. And it just about brings tears of joy to my eyes, to think that GBC in a small way has been part of this man's faith journey. I could not have been happier than to hear of our new brother's decision. Can you think of anything better to be part of as church family... but that the grace of Christ covered and won another precious soul? This is kingdom work, and I pray that week after week, we begin hearing of more people who are responding to the call of God in this way.

My encouragement to you is this... while the work can be difficult at times, the greatest sense of satisfaction and joy are reserved for those who have tirelessly prayed and worked to bring about God's purposes for His glory. Those that share their home and share their faith show Christ's love in a tangible way. We each have the opportunity to be part of God's process in changing people's eternity. Remember... followers fish. That is what we do.


Monday, October 11, 2010

What keeps us from landing?

We have kicked off our "Spectator Sport?" series at GBC, and we are going to spend time looking at how to be a church family or team rather than simply a spectator. Immediately following the sermon, I was struck with the fact that there are many reasons why people may have difficulty joining the team.

1. It is a losing team... there always seem to be money issues; no one new is joining; few adult baptisms are taking place; the people seem bored.
2. The team has bad chemistry... there doesn't seem to be cohesion on the team... too much fighting.
3. People can't understand the coach or the plays... no one knows what they are trying to accomplish.
4. Don't think the team is important... attitude that says, "its just about God and me- not other Christians."
5. There are other teams vying for someone's time... simply too busy for this team.

While I know that no church is perfect, it certainly seems to matter to Christ. So, it matters to me. Even if I am busy, frustrated by certain people, confused sometimes, I want to love what Christ loves, and that is the church.

Monday, October 4, 2010

All the other things I wanted to say

Yesterday, I had the privilege of talking about forgiveness. And essentially, from Matthew 18 we saw that forgiveness is primarily about remembering rather than simply forgiving. Remembering Christ's work on our behalf is the key. It was certainly a challenge to preach with the elementary kids in the room, but it was great to see their faces. Well, as I looked at this subject, the whole concept of forgiveness grew and grew to the point that I had to delete probably 5 pages of stuff from the sermon. There were definitely many other things that I wanted to say but didn't have the time. Pastor Mark Driscoll from Mars Hill in Seattle in a recent sermon had these 10 things to say about what forgiveness is not. If you are confused by simply seeing these as a list, check out the fuller explanation on blog.marshillchurch.org


1. Forgiveness is not approving or diminishing sin.


2. Forgiveness is not enabling sin.

3. Forgiveness is not denying a wrongdoing.

4. Forgiveness is not waiting for an apology.

5. Forgiveness is not forgetting... Looks like he stole one from me ;)


6. Forgiveness is not ceasing to feel the pain.


7. Forgiveness is not a onetime event.


8. Forgiveness is not neglecting justice.


9. Forgiveness is not trusting.

10. Forgiveness is not reconciliation.


Wednesday, September 29, 2010

How to fight...

Righting a wrong means handling a wrong rightly... Matthew 18:15-20

The best way to fight is to...
1. Encourage regularly.
2. Go to them directly.
3. Have a private conversation.
4. Have a small conference.
5. Involve the church authorities if necessary.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

"Thank You"

There is power in a "thank you". Every parent knows this, and that is why we are constantly prodding our children... "now, what do you say?" So, I spent a couple minutes this last week telling Jesus "thank you" in a Psalm. It was just a simple paragraph, but it was profoundly meaningful to just sit and think on the goodness of Jesus.

Jesus, you are more constant than the ground at my feet, your promises surer than the sunrise. When the sphere spins and my world collapses, your shoulders show no bend. Before any after’s, you knew, Lord, you knew every twist, turn and churn of people’s hearts including this fickle heart of mine. And yet, with your little finger, you can set it aright. And that you would reach to touch me with your grace-filled and gentle healing is too much for me to grasp. To say "I need you" seems too simple, and a mere "thank you" seems too thin, but I know nowhere else to start. I need you Jesus. Thank you Jesus.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Thoughts on a dog's death

I pray that this isn't the most profound thing that I ever write, but it certainly was a day filled with profound emotion and processing for our family.

Through an xray this morning, we found out that our pet dog, Caspian had extensive cancer throughout his body. It had spread from hip to lungs and was starting to have a significant impact on his movement, breathing and eating; as soon as I saw the vet's face and the xray, I knew the decision was pretty much made for us. Euthanizing our dog was the only humane (interesting word eh?) option.

In a way I was relieved that the diagnosis was so clear. Charity and I would not have to ponder, question and argue about what to do next. We would simply have to deal with what needed to be done. And so, I took the dog home, sadly shook my head "no" to my wife and picked up my nearest son, hugging him tightly for some reason. Charity and I tried to communicate in short sentence bursts and head nods quietly starting the grief process and trying not to let on too much to the two boys that were home. We desperately wanted to wait until Caleb was home from school, so we could all talk and process together as a family.

After Caleb arrived home, we told the kids, and the crying began. While I took comfort in the fact that the proper decision was being made and good lessons were being learned, watching the tears stream down my kids' faces just about ruined me. I knew they were hurting (I was too) but I really wanted them to learn a couple things through this whole experience. I had a number of "dad thoughts" that I hoped they were able to catch and hear.

#1 The afterlife is just as real (if not more so) than this one.
#2 Animals are fundamentally different than humans
#3 It is normal to hurt over loss
#4 When you hurt, it is best to be surrounded by your family
#5 God knows what He is doing

Those were the things I hope they caught or heard. The following are some of the things they said. Their thoughts bubbling to the surface. I worked hard to remember their words.

(Observing Charity cry) "Why are you crying mommy?" Nolan
(When he first heard, he immediately started crying and said) "I don't want Caspian to go to heaven" Nolan
(After Caleb asked what they were going to do with the dead body, and Charity said the vet would take care of it) "Well that won't be as much fun... he won't be running around and stuff" Caleb
(After talking around the table, we took some pictures with the dog. As we took pictures with Cas...) "But it is just so hard to smile", Caleb
(As the boys sat on my lap before we took the dog in) "This is the saddest day of my life" Caleb
(In response) This is the second saddest of my life. Yesterday was sadder because I played with more girls than boys" Nolan.
(Still on my lap) "Whenever we talk about it, I just cry" Caleb
(In response) "Oy yoi yoi, that kid" Nolan
(When I came home from the vet) "Is Cas in heaven now? Playing with Cleo?" Nolan
(After bedtime prayers) "Is Cas still going to be gone tomorrow" Caleb

So thats it... a rough day but a beautiful one.

Ty




Thursday, April 15, 2010

Chew on this

Grace is one of those things most of us view as something we need only when we are first saved. It is the big gift we get once. But, I love this......

"Saints use way more grace than sinners do" Dallas Willard.
"That is because saints use grace like rocket fuel" John Ortberg.

Monday, March 22, 2010

Your passions

Reading Dan Baughman's re-tweet (follow him if you don't) sparked some thoughts.

Here is the original: "If ur passions r more provoked today by this health care plan than they were yesterday by ur neighbors going 2 hell: wonder why?" Dr. Moore.

Others
If your passions are more provoked by March Madness...
If your passions are more provoked by your finances...
If your passions are more provoked by wrongs done to you...
If your passions are more provoked by your hobby...

Why is it so easy to lose passion concerning the lost?

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Everything he says seems brilliant... the accent doesn't hurt

A silly idea is current that good people do not know what temptation means. This is an obvious lie. Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is.... A man who gives in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later. That is why bad people, in one sense, know very little about badness. They have lived a sheltered life by always giving in. ~C.S. Lewis