Are You Up For A Challenge?

OK...I've been struggling with something that I know a lot of others struggle with. Especially if you have ever been on a mission trip.

How do you keep the same excitement and closeness to God in your everyday life that you have on a mission trip or camp or (you fill in the blank for a time you were closest to God)?

As I have been praying, reading, and talking to others about this, I've come up with several principles you can put into practice. After all, this blog was started on the mindset of "running straight to the goal with purpose in every step." These are steps we must purposefully take to reach that goal.

1. This is not just a cliche. You have to pray. Think about this. On my recent trip to Honduras I spent hours in prayer leading up to the trip asking God to make me a servant, to keep the team safe, to help me lead, to open our eyes to what He wants us to see. Our team had hundreds of people around the world praying for us. On the trip, we began every morning with prayer and devotion time together as a team. What would my life look like if I approached every week of my life with that much intense and purposeful prayer?



2. "The civilized Christian has a routine; the barbarian disciple has a mission." (From The Barbarian Way by Erwin McManus...a must read for every believer!) Every successful organization clearly understands their mission. They place it in front of them at all times. Every decision they make is held up against that mission to see if it falls in line or not. They are evaluating their results to see if they match the mission. Are you getting the point? What is your mission? My mission was clear on my trip. I knew I was there to serve and love people the way God would. I had no routine to get in the way.



3. "May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and receive power that comes from God." Ephesians 3:16, NLT On my recent trip I was truly filled with the fullness of life. I don't always feel that in my everyday life. The difference is that I do not always seek to experience the love of Christ. On this trip I expected to experience the love of Christ...was that my first thought when I woke up this morning? Unfortunately not. I started thinking through my day and how much rain we had last night (12 inches in 24 hours!) So, ask yourself, "How can I experience the love of Christ?" I've learned it comes from serving and spending time with God and other Christians who are in love with God.

Pray on purpose. Live on mission. Love always.

They don't sound so difficult. Will you accept the challenge to follow these steps and see how they change your life?

BIG problems need BIG solutions

Last month I started getting this magazine in my box at work. I had no idea where it came from. I have to admit...I wasn't too impressed at first because the cover story was about Al Gore and I'm not much of a fan, so I didn't pay much attention to it.

I know, I know...you are not supposed to judge a book, or magazine, by it's cover. Lesson learned.

My friend Jason Cullum (www.TheFissionGroup.com/blog) signed me up for this magazine when he received a free subscription by renewing his. Once I learned who it came from, I knew it had to be a valuable magazine.

Jason is a business guy. He is a student of leadership. He is a great leader himself. He is the type of guy that if he is reading something, I want to read it.

Well, I wasn't disappointed. In fact, I was challenged.

The cover story of the latest issue of Fast Company Magazine is about Adam Werbach. He is an environmentalist who decided to go to work for the ultimate enemy of their movement... Walmart. In doing so, the guy who was the president of the Sierra Club at age 23 was cast out of the inner circle of the environment movement.

While I may not totally agree with all of his points, I was challenged by a quote he made.

He says the company (Walmart) offers him the organizational leverage to make change rapidly and on a scale that the traditional environmental establishment just
can't provide. The movement, he says, "is not willing to suggest solutions that are as big as the problems."

Did you catch that? He decided that being on the outside complaining about the corporate giant was not making an impact, so he took his 'movement' inside the company.

He came up with a solution that was as big as the problem.

Many churches could benefit from this 'big solution' type of thinking. Is our traditional movement having an impact on the huge problems facing society today? No.

The radical solution is not a new one. Jesus said we were to go in to all the world and make disciples. That means we get into the 'problem' where it is dirty and challenging. It is work. It is about people we don't like to be around. People who sin. People who hurt other people. People who just hurt. It may put us in danger at times. It will challenge our stereotypical beliefs on society. It will reveal our prejudices and hypocrisy. It will make us tired. It will make us stronger.

Too many traditional church 'movements' stand on the outside and complain.

They are not willing to suggust solutions that are as big as the problem.

I love my church. It is a great church. But it can be a lazy church. It can be a judgemental church. As a church leader I am often a part of the problem. I fear the backlash of engaging the world on such a level. Adam Werbach suffered great backlash from his traditional peers.

One person said about him,

"For you to believe that you and your little lonesome are changing something with a million-and-a-half employees, $350 billion of sales, well, there's a level of ego there that just is staggering."

One man 'and his little lonesome' is changing a corporate giant.

Imagine what you and God can do.

A Good Book...

I am reading the book Simple Church, by Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger.

I would highly recommend it to anyone involved in church ministry...either volunteer or on staff.

Rainer has written many good books on evangelism and church growth. This book is different. It is based on research that revealed the most effective, healthy and growing churches are those that have simplified. He debunks the myth that more programs mean you are reaching more people and being more effective.

"Ironically people are hungry for simple because the world has become much more complex." (page 8). He then lists many companies who have grasped this concept.

• Google - Have you noticed who simple their search page is at http://www.google.com/.


• Apple - The have the entire iMac computer in one unit with the monitor. They started the whole 'plug and play' mantra.


• Southwest Airlines - Simple flights with no hubs (you don't have to fly to Atlanta to get from Dallas to LA!)


• Papa John's Pizza - They chose to just focus on pizza which allowed them to get better ingredients at better prices. They chose one thing and became experts at it.


• Designers - Simple is in. For example, check out http://www.realsimple.com/.

We all have a desire to have our life simplified. Why do we in church sometimes make that difficult with all we offer and expect.

As I have been looking at how to best help our leadership team at our Camden County campus, I have learned that simple is the answer. We want a simple process (this means it moves people along a journey of intentional growth) that allows individuals to connect to Christ, grow in Christ and serve Christ.

The Sunday morning service is our time to connect. Small Groups are how we grow in Christ while building relationships with others. Understand how God SHAPED and volunteering is how we serve him and our community.

Belief without Practice...

I have been reading a book I was given a long time ago called Next Door and Down The Freeway, edited by Neil Wiseman.

In one of the chapters, written by Bill Sullivan, is a quote by George Gallup. He says "Belief without practice is producing an indifferent population." That is a phrase that should challenge each of us.

Think about this.

When I did financial counseling I would use the phrase "Putting principles into practice for a purpose." If you know the principles you want to live by and you know what your purpose is, that defines your practices. If you choose not to act in a way that is in align with those principles and your purpose, then you are lying to yourself.

When you have 3 variables in a formula, you can only choose what 2 of those are. Once those are chosen, the third variable will automatically be calculated. If you choose the principles (God is love) and the purpose (My purpose is to be like God) then the practice is determined for you (I must be love). If I am not love then I either don't really have that purpose or that principle.

I guess what I'm trying to get at is the hypocritical notion that one can say they believe in God and say their purpose is to be like Him, yet they do not put that into action.

Consider these verses from Jame 2.

So you see, it isn't enough just to have faith. Faith that doesn't show itself by good deeds is no faith at all - it is dead and useless.

...Do you still think it's enough just to believe that there is one God? Well, even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror! Fool! When will you ever learn that faith that does not result in good deeds is useless?

...So you see, we are made right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.

...Just as the body is dead without a spirit, so also faith is dead without good deeds.

Leaving A Legacy

The death of JD Hall, Mandarin High School football coach, friend and member of our church, has caused me to do a lot of thinking today.

For one thing, he was 35 and died suddenly of a massive heart attack. I am 33 and could be in much better shape and live a healthier life than I do now.

What I have thought about most, however, is Coach Hall's legacy.

A co-worker came in my office today and we started talking about how we answer the tough questions people are asking. You know..ones like "Why would God take the life of someone who is doing so much good?"

Perhaps God wants to use the life and legacy of Coach Hall to inspire and challenge the rest of us who knew him.

The one thing I have heard the most is how much he cared for the players on his team. His philosophy was to develop the character of the players first and to develop the skills of the player secondly.

Have you ever thought about what your legacy will be? Are you purposefully living a life so that you leave the legacy God wants of you?

I call this blog "Purpose In Every Step" because that is how I want to live my life.

Busy Times

OK.....I will warn you upfront. This post is more personal information. I talk about what I have going on in life right now. It is just an update on what's happening.

These have been some busy times for me around our sports department.

Flag football wrapped up this weekend. We had a great day...but a long day. I got to the church around 6:30am to get stuff together for the cookout we did on the field. I finally got back to the church to drop stuff off about 5:15pm.

Thanks to all of the volunteers who helped make this a great season. From coaches to referees, we could not do it without your support! It was so much fun to watch the 1-3rd graders play this season. This was the first season we had kids that young playing.

Besides flag football, our adult coed volleyball just wrapped up. Our leagues were on Monday and Tuesday nights and were probably some of the best leagues we have had here. Mike Boyer and Paul McCracken are my volunteer ministry leaders for the two leagues and they did a great job. I wasn't able to make it to the finals of either league, but knew these guys could handle what ever might come up.

I couldn't make the finals to our Monday night league because our summer golf tour is just getting started. Our second event was on Monday night and we had a great time! Tim Conlan is my volunteer ministry leader and he, and his team (Debbie Deinstadt, Scott Miller, Dave Butler, Annie White, and Danny Molter), have all planned out some great events. Tim has different formats for us to play at each event. Monday night we played Bingo, Bango, Bongo...I had never heard of it, but it was a lot of fun!

Now I am getting ready to go to camp the first two weeks of June to be the recreations guy. That is going to be a blast...especially the second week because Carrie gets to go with me as a counselor. I get to be as messy and creative as I would like. (If you have any fun ideas for large group games send me an email at DavidL@CContheWeb.com)

The third week of June I get a vacation! Carrie and I are going to Detroit to visit my brother and his family.

In the midst of all this, I am getting ready to start two brand new programs at our church this summer. We have youth indoor soccer starting July 14 for those in K-9th grade. This is going to be a lot of fun.

We are also starting "Just For Kicks" which is an indoor soccer program for kids with disabilities. I am very anxious about this one because I don't have any experience in this area. Luckily Carrie does...seeing how she teaches this population for a living.

My role here at church is changing slightly and I am extremely excited about it. Instead of doing some youth sports and some adult sports, from now on I am focusing all my efforts just with youth sports. This will give me a chance to get to know the kids and their parents better. It is hard giving up some of the adult sports, but this is certainly a great and strategic move for our sports department. Cameron LeSage is going to do a great job with all of the adult sports.

I am also in the process of writing to booklets that will be sent out to be printed in early July. One focuses on coaching youth sports to make it "more than just a game" and the other is geared towards parents and how they, from the stands, can make the youth sports experience "more than just a game." The coach's book will be a part of our Certified Coach Training program and the parent's booklet will be given to every parent in our sports.

I feel like God has given me a book to write that would be a bit more substantial than what I am currently working on. I would love to have a working manuscript of it by the end of this year. I will post more info on that later as I get going in this process.

While these are busy times, it is exciting to look at what all is going on and know that I am incredibly happy and know that I am in God's will. What a place to be!! If you don't know what that experience is like, let me know. I would love to talk to you (in person or email) about it.

Our Camden County Campus

This weekend I had the privilege of preaching at our Camden County campus. It was a great experience. I love the people there. They are passionate about what they are doing and have totally invested themselves into their ministry. I look forward to being with them several more times throughout the summer.

In my preparation for the sermon on discipleship (they are going through the 40 Days of Purpose series), I ran across a great little story.

Several years back during a Monday Night Football Game between the Chicago Bears and the New York Giants, one of the announcers said that Walter Payton had rushed the ball for over 9 miles in his career. The other announcer replied, "That is a huge distance...especially considering he has been knocked down every 4.6 yards of that 9 miles!"

That reminds me of our lives as Christians. We are here growing and learning to be more like Christ, but the devil is doing everything he can to knock us down at every opportunity. While it sounds so simplistic, the key is getting back up each time.

By getting back up every time he was knocked down, Walter Payton went on to be one of the best running backs ever in the NFL. What will they say about you?

All I know is I want to here, "Well done my good and faithfull servant." That comes from getting back up when the devil knocks you down.

FCA Golf Breakfast

The Players Championship in in town this week. This is a PGA tour event that brings the world's best golfers to Jacksonville. It is one of the premier golf events on the tour.

This morning I went to the FCA golf breakfast with some of the leaders in our golf ministry and some staff.

The incredible thing about this event is that it was full of local high school and college golf teams. The received a one day pass to see the practice rounds today if they attended the breakfast. Our church sponsored our local high school golf team to attend.

Tom Lehman was the keynote speaker and the event was attended by many pro golfers who will be competing this week.

The theme to Lehman's talk was "It doesn't matter where you start. It matters where you end." He shared his story while giving key points of never giving up...in golf or life. It takes passion and commitment to acheive the goals you have. They will keep you going through tough times when you feel like quiting.

He wrapped up his time by clearly laying out the plan of salvation. I was amazaed at the opportunity God provided to share His love with all of those local teenage golfers who were there just to watch the practice rounds later in the day.

More Than Just A Game, Part 2

The Discipline of an Athlete
1 Corinthians 9:25 - 27

Work comes before play. Work comes before play. Work comes before play. Work comes...... and so it went, writing these 4 words over and over 500 times!

My dad had told me and the siblings to cut the grass and clean up the yard. We were on spring break and as soon as he left, we decided the pool looked much more exciting than yard work. Wouldn't you know it. This turned out to be the one day dad forgot something at home and had to turn around to get it.

I will never forget the look he gave as he slid the glass door to the backyard open. We knew we had been busted. The penalty for our sins...write 500 times "work comes before play."

Discipline is something you hear a lot about in the sports world. Athletes....from the pee wee leagues to the major leagues....spend time in training to get the muscles and the mind to do what they should.

In Paul's day the athlete did the same thing.

"All athletes practice strict self-control." 1 Corinthians 9:25
"I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should." 1 Corinthians 9:27

When our sports ministry says our sports are "more than just a game," we mean our games should be marked by discipline and our players should be challenged to grow in spirit, mind, and body.

Any given day you can read the sports page or watch ESPN and see the lack of discipline in sports. You can watch the local news and see the stories of parents and coaches literally fighting before or after a game.

At Christ's Church, and in any church as far as that goes, the discipline with which the game is played should be noticeably different. There should be an attitude that reflects the love of Christ evident as we play the games.

This is very counter-culture and, therefore, is not easy. Discipline never is.

"No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening--it is painful! But afterward there will be a quiet harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way." Hebrews 12:11 (NLT)

What makes discipline painful?

• It is a physical correction. Learning to do something different or new causes pain in the muscles until they are trained. From a punishment standpoint, I grew up being spanked when I disobeyed. That physical correction was painful...but it was effective in the way it was done. It was never abusive.
• It is mental correction. Who enjoys being corrected? That means we were wrong and no one likes being wrong. A person who lives a disciplined life has learned to overcome the mental struggles themselves. Others, until they learn to discipline themselves, need an outside agent to do the correcting. This is the most difficult challenge we face in our sports. We have many individuals who have not learned to discipline themselves mentally and it spews out of their mouth.
• It is a spiritual correction. "As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Whoever heard of a child who was never disciplined? If God doesn't discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children after all." Hebrews 12:7-8 (NLT)

To say our games should be marked with more discipline is to say...

• the physical nature of the game is different (competitive yet with great sportsmanship),
• the mental nature of the game is different (played with great character as well as skills),
• the spiritual aspect of our games are different (we grow as Christians who are athletes).

As you play...is it more than just a game?

It's Never Too Early

My brother, Jimmy, and I grew up playing basketball. Of course, I was always better than he was (he may argue that point).

He now has the blessing of a daughter, Olivia. He is starting her off in the right direction with this nerf basketball goal. Since she made the basket, I can tell she got her skills from her mother.

Sarah played basketball growing up as well. She is probably better than both me and Jimmy!

More Wisdom, Please

James 1:5 says "If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given to you."

I have read that many, many times.

I have prayed for wisdom many, many times. At least I thought I prayed for wisdom....

Instead, I have realized that I was praying for information and not wisdom. I came to that conclusion by studying more of the book of James.

Read James 3:17, "But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy."

Wait! How does that type of wisdom help me get the answers I want from God?

In the "information age" of today we want cold, hard facts. And we expect them now!

This definition of wisdom, however, is not about facts, but about living. It carries on with the theme James starts in chapter 1 about the importance of "doing." It describes how we as Christians should live everyday.

As I attempt to grasp and live out this new understanding of wisdom in my life, I pray that you will stop to think about it also. If it sounds too difficult to live out, then go back to chapter one and remember "ask God, who gives to all generously...and it (wisdom) will be given to you."

Begin with the end in mind

And so it begins. My life as a blogger.

One of my favorite books is Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. One of his principles is to begin with the end in mind.

It is with that principle that I like to view 1 Thessalonians 1. This is the chapter from which I derive my "philosophy of life."

The end of the chapter is my goal in life. Verses 7-8 say:

And so you (the church in Thessalonica) became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. The Lord's message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere.

That is the end I want in life...it is my goal. To live a life that others could model and find faith in God. To set an example to all of the believers of what is means to live out faith. I do this not for the sake of self or pride, but for the sake of knowing I am fulfilling the Great Commission.

How is that done? For that I turn to the beginning of this short chapter. Verse 3 says:

We (Paul, Silas, & Timothy) continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Do you see the three keys listed there?

• Work produced by faith
• Labor prompted by love
• Endurance inspired by hope

Many books today will show you ways to work harder, labor more, and endure everything that comes your way. I have realized that is a misguided philosophy. According to this scripture, the focus should be faith...which will produce work, love...which will prompt labor, and hope...which will inspire endurance.

So there it is. The goal is clear. "So I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step."