Lead Well

Over the past couple of weeks, I've had to deal with some pretty tough questions and attempt to be the spiritual guide in confusing and devastating times.  The first, my senior pastor died of brain cancer two weeks ago, and the second, a three year old girl was diagnosed with incurable brain cancer. About 16 months ago my senior pastor was diagnosed with brain cancer and during a biopsy had a stroke which left him paralyzed on his left side for the rest of his life.  As a pastor on staff, I had to stand strong for the congregation and present a united front with the rest of the staff.  For over a year we desperately prayed for God to do a miracle, but unfortunately, God chose to heal him in the next life in heaven. Three days after his funeral, I received a text message that one of our church member's three year old granddaughter has brain cancer that cannot be taken out with surgery and most likely will not be able to receive radiation treatments because it could tur...

Recently I read an article in Relevant Magazine titled " Why Doesn't Anybody Talk about Sin Anymore? "  I was intrigued, and unexpectedly found a deep gaping whole in my Christian walk.  In Leviticus, God commands us to "Be holy because He is holy."  I know this verse; I memorized it years ago, but I forgot what it means for my life.  The article talks about how my generation is so wrapped up in God's grace that sometimes we fall into the trap of believing we can get away with anything because His grace is sufficient.  However there is so much more to following Christ than just leaning on his grace.  When we become saved, we receive and begin what is called sanctification, which is a fancy word for becoming more like Christ.  I say we receive and begin because sanctification has two facets.  The first is instantaneous sanctification or justification and the other is just sanctification.  Justification is a legal term stating that we are n...

Tonight I spent a wonderful night with the guys from the extreme tour at a friend's house.  They are playing a concert at my church tomorrow from 7-9 pm and my friend is hosting them. My wife and I decided to spend the evening with them. I was utterly surprised by what they planned to do.  When I originally agreed and got the backing for them to come I just thought a couple of bands were coming out to play, but what I got was so much more.  The leaders  spent the afternoon driving through our church community and praying about their effect.  These guys consider themselves musicianaires, musicians and missionaries, and more than just playing music tomorrow night, they are here to win souls to Christ.  I planned for our Summer Kick-Off tomorrow to just be a way for families to get together and build relationships, but now I think there is a real chance for lives to be changed forever by Jesus. I am so excited to see what God is going to do in our commu...

The #trust30 prompt today calls for me to write about what I am scared to write.  While that's a good one I will be doing it in my own private journal, not here for the world to see.  It's not that I'm scared to let you read it.  It's just that it's personal.  So I will write about it in my own personal journal.  See you tomorrow!

Today's #trust30 post asks what I would say to myself 5 years ago and what I would like to say to my future self 5 years from now. To myself 5 years ago I would say it gets better.  I was burnt out and worn out from a long grueling year, one of the hardest of my life.  I would also tell myself to continue to focus on learning and relationships because you never know when the next season of your life begins.  It could all change with a phone call.  Lastly I would say go for it.  Don't hold back and take the opportunities in front of you.  You never know what God has in store. To myself 5 years from now I would say to keep your priorities straight and in the right order.  There will be much more going on in my life in 5 years and a lot more opportunities.  Remember to spend time with everyone you love because you never know when they will be gone.  Also love your wife and do something nice for her.  She deserves it. It's weird to tal...

Today's #trust30 post is about going after a goal and overcoming the obstacles. It has always been my goal to pursue higher learning.  Even though I just earned my bachelor's degree last year, It has never been my intention to stop there.  So why have I stopped after a year and half?  Several obstacles are in my way: I work 2 jobs so I almost have no free time to pursue a degree My wife is in school pursuing her bachelor's degree so there is a already a financial burden I'm not sure of the cost or the financial aid that is available for advanced degrees I haven't decided which path to take, math, education, ministry? There are too many options  So here is my plan:  First I need to get a job that can support my family so that I can have prioritize my time effectively.  Second, I am going to wait for my wife to get her degree so that we don't have to pay double for books.  While she is in school I will continue to do some soul searching and decid...

  #Trust30 post for the day. Here goes: If you had one week left to live, would you still be doing what you’re doing now? In what areas of your life are you preparing to live? Take them off your To Do list and add them to a To Stop list. Resolve to only do what makes you come alive. If I only had one week to live I would stop working at Sam's club.  As much as I enjoy working there and helping people, I love working in ministry so much more.  I am only doing it to continue to support my family.  I would also leave for the mission field as I said in yesterday's post and go to Russia.  There is so much adventure out there and I feel as though I am stuck here because of obligations I and others have put on me.  I am preparing to make a change.  It takes wisdom to do the right thing at the right time, and that is precisely what I aim to do.  I want to solve problems in the world and discover all the incredible facets of different cultures an...