Tiger Woods or....

After standing on the sidelines for hours talking to parents, I have begun to wonder if parents are so driven for their children to succeed that we are missing the mark on the things that really matter.

So in an parental version of would you rather, I pose the question. Would you rather have your child grow up being incredibly competent in some skill either athletic or academic, earning fame and riches but perhaps lacking in the character department? Or would you rather have your child grow into a fine, faithful, steady parent and spouse but be unremarkable athletically, academically and financially? I think the answer is fairly obvious, and so did one of the dads I asked at the soccer practice. He said, "Oh for sure! Parents would choose to have their kids be Tiger Woods."

Stepped on the scale and weighed... 7

The first time I bought a scale for myself was interesting. I spent most of my life trying to gain weight. All through college I weighed within 5 lbs of 185 lbs. I worked out fairly regularly; I ate like crazy and would say things like, I just can’t seem to gain any weight. And people over 30 would look at me and smile that oh so knowing smile. They would just say things, like oh that is nice. I used to be that way. And then when I was around 30 years old, I figured I should buy a scale. I assumed I was maybe only 5 lbs heavier than that 185, but to my surprise when I looked down at the scale, I was over 210 lbs. And do you know what my first thought was?

Maybe something is wrong with this scale.

And so I asked my wife to test it, and she told me that it was accurate. I didn’t like that at all. And it left me with only a few options. I could assume the scale was broken and my wife was crazy. I could decide that I liked being heavier and just accept that this was going to be the trend of my life. Or I could start thinking differently about my health. I could pay a but more attention to my diet and change my workout strategy away from bench pressing to something that makes more sense for someone in their 30’s.

So why do I tell you this? Because today I took our churches' weight. The question I asked did not say everything about our church's health, but it was a data point. I wrestled with whether or not to even ask the question, but in the end, I did it. I asked the congregation how many of them (sitting in the room) became believers in Jesus as adults as a direct result of the ministry of Grace Bible Church or someone who has been a member of the church. And when we stepped on the scale? The answer was 7... 7. 260 people in the room and we had 7. Now to be fair, those 7 people are precious treasures of God, and I do not want to minimize their faith journeys, but 7 seems like kind of a low number. After church, I did have a couple come up to tell me the number was actually 10 because 3 of our regulars who have become believers in the last year were not in attendance this morning. So even if our number is 10 or 11, the question I had for our church and invite you to ask of yours is this, "Are we truly committed to the Great Commission, or to we take it as merely a slight suggestion?" Are we attending lame social clubs with some singing, or are we part of a church with a mission?

This just about ripped my heart out

Perhaps you heard the story of the pregnant woman who died in an automobile accident, but her baby survived. According to the story the baby was born one hour after her mother died, and the family, friends and doctors were holding out hope that the baby would be healthy. Heartbreakingly, it appears the baby has now also passed away. The father posted this blog entry in response. It is one of the most powerful and moving things I have read.

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.

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.