Category Archives: training
Theology….Why Bother?
I’ve been having some really good conversations with our Lead Team at the Ridge lately about things that we were taught growing up in church about the character of God, the person and work of Jesus, and things that just plainly were not true. So much of our conversations have went like this….
” I was taught and had always heard that___________. But then as I STUDIED SCRIPTURE I saw that just wasn’t true.”
More and more over the last several years, I have continued to better understand and see the importance of knowing theology as I preach and teach those around me. Many years ago, I would had told you that deep theology was a waste of time. I was a fool. All I needed to know was Jesus and Him crucified. Which, in the grand scheme of things, that matters greatly. But as a teacher, preacher, and church leader, I better know a few more things and have a clear understanding of a few more things. It’s amazing to me now that I look back, my lack of deep, meaningful, study and understanding of theology. I can’t say that I haven’t learned anything over my years of teaching, but what I can say is that I didn’t dive in deep enough. Times are changing.
It’s important to me that our staff, our volunteers and even the attenders of the Ridge Community Church understand scripture, basic the0logy, and how all of scripture tells the story of Jesus and the Gospel. So for starters, I’m having our Lead Team and a few other leaders read Mark Driscoll’s Doctrine book. I highly recommend this book, especially if you want a crash course on some solid theology.
Don’t ever believe that you’ve learned all you can about God. Because then you’ll STOP learning. That’s a dangerous place to be.
Speak to the Rocks
Last week Jeremiah 1:17 (The Message version is a little more harsh!) really spoke to me. In fact, I shared it with our production/worship team this past Sunday morning, to remind them that God wants us to say what He puts in our hearts to say and not hold it in. Just yesterday, my coach Pastor Perry Noble talked about that same verse HERE and had several questions as a leader you need to ask yourself. This post may be an extension of what he’s already said, but I feel like it needs to be said. God put it in me…so…here we go.
As a young pastor, just starting out, I used to preach for the crowd and not for the bringer of the crowd. In my second sermon ever, I was basically told that the crowd I was preaching to would let me know if I should keep preaching, or if I should just go home. I believed them. And that ruined me for a long time.
I spent a lot of time crafting messages that would wow a crowd, make people feel good at the end of it, and I would even hold back saying things that seemed offensive, brash, bold, and strong for fear of making someone feel uncomfortable. I saw other pastors do the same things, so I thought I was doing what would make God feel good. Then I remembered in Numbers 20 where God told Moses and Aaron to gather the people, SPEAK to the rock and tell it to yield forth water. Instead, Moses struck the rock and then God proceeded to tell him in Numbers 20:12…
12 And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.
Do you think Moses liked hearing that he would NOT enter into the promised land? After all that he had been through with them, for them and all the time he had spent leading them, God spoke powerful, painful truth to Moses and told him he would not be the one. I don’t think it made him feel very warm and fuzzy on the inside, but it needed to be said.
As pastors, God has told us to speak and to say the things that He has written on our hearts to the people we are entrusted to….the rocks. (Some of you really do feel like you speak to rocks every week!) Sometimes the Gospel is offensive and sometimes it doesn’t give us warm fuzzies at first. Scripture is sometimes for correction, and reproof, but it’s always profitable.
I don’t ever say things just to be brash or just to be “controversial”. But I do say things now that sometimes the people don’t like to hear, and to be honest, I don’t care if they liked it or not.
When God tells me to say something to the rock, I’ve gotta say it. Do you understand how high the stakes are if you DON”T SAY IT? To borrow from Perry’s last question he says..
God doesn’t play games…and basically tells Jeremiah, “If you aren’t going to be my leader then you aren’t going to be a leader–period!” We are called to honor Him…and in doing so we MUST understand that times will get tough (Jeremiah was thrown into a cistern!)
BUT…the reason He called you is because He trusts you to do HIS will. When He speaks we must understand that He isn’t doing so for our convenience…but rather for our obedience. What we do in the church MATTERS…the stakes are high…and ONLY through complete surrender to HIM can we really make a difference!
Pastor…teacher…leader….SPEAK TO THE ROCKS AND SAY WHAT HE TELLS YOU TO SAY!
Lion Chaser Manifesto
I recently bought In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day by Mark Batterson and have been diving in. I also downloaded his teaching called Chasing the Lion from iTunes to listen to on my drive in to work. If you haven’t got this book yet….why are still sitting there…go get it! Here’s the manifesto on Mark’s blog recently….read it. Looking forward to teaching this soon to students…
Post it. Print it. Live it.
Quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death. Set God-sized goals. Pursue God-ordained passions. Go after a dream that is destined to fail without divine intervention. Keep asking questions. Keep making mistakes. Keep seeking God. Stop pointing out problems and become part of the solution. Stop repeating the past and start creating the future. Stop playing it safe and start taking risks. Expand your horizons. Accumulate experiences. Enjoy the journey. Find every excuse you can to celebrate everything you can. Live like today is the first day and last day of your life. Don’t let what’s wrong with you keep you from worshiping what’s right with God. Burn sinful bridges. Blaze new trails. Criticize by creating. Worry less about what people think and more about what God thinks. Don’t try to be who you’re not. Be yourself. Laugh at yourself. Quit holding out. Quit holding back. Quit running away.
Chase the lion.
Praying for Volunteers
In student ministry, or any ministry, volunteers make the world go round. Without our volunteers, we’d be DOA…in fact we’d probably not even arrive! I’m always trying to think of ways to help volunteers, reward them, and make them feel like they are appreciated and loved. One thing that I can say is the easiest thing any of us can do is PRAY for them. Check out Ephesians 1: 16-18….
“I couldn’t stop thanking God for you – every time I prayed, I’d think of you and give thanks.But I do more than thank. I ask – ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory – to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally,your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for Christians,….”
Isn’t this a perfect example of how we should pray for our volunteers? To take it one step further, be sure to let your volunteers know that you are praying for them by name. That will go so much further and be way more helpful than The Footprints in picture frame.
So to all my volunteers, Denira, Lauren, Natalie, Jarrett, Allie, Kay, Leora, Greg, Stephen, Jacob, Brandy, Jaime, Matt, Deena, Bobby, Teresa, Rusty, Jeremy, Matt H, Crazy Tim, Susan, Susan, and T-Rav…I love you all, I’m thankful, and I’m praying for YOU.
Guest Post on Adammclane.com
Head over to adammclane.com to read my post on his November series, The Dip. It’s based on Seth Godin‘s book, The Dip. Read my post on his site HERE
If you are in ministry, are married to ministry, or around ministry, you will go through The Dip.
No more hints…go…go read now
