Tuesday, June 28, 2011

No Blog For The Broken

Last week, while on our (me and my boys) yearly camping adventure, I shared a note on facebook simply because I did not have access to my blog via my phone...so now I transfer this post to The Musing Loft....Let it challenge you.......


This week has been incredible for me and my boys. Our yearly camping adventure has provided great memories and lots of fun. One of my favorite things about the trip has been my time with God in the still of the morning.

I have always found that sleeping in is not an option for me during a camping trip. Maybe it is because of the rocks I sleep on while my children have the comfort of an air mattress, I don't know, but rising at 3 AM does have it's advantages. While the sun has still yet to rise, the peace of the fire and the gentle roar of the lantern always provides intimate time with God.

This morning I was reading the first part of Lamentations and a thought came to my mind that I desperately wanted to share in a blog. That's tough to do without having downloaded a blogging app to my phone. Thank goodness for Facebook notes.

Lamentations 2:11, "I have cried until the tears no longer come; my heart is broken. My spirit is poured out in agony as I see the desperate plight of my people. Little children and tiny babies are fainting and dying in the streets."

Brokenness. I asked myself the question, "How broken am I?". Have I cried so much that the tears have stopped flowing? Have I poured my spirit out in agony because of the desperate plight of our people? Do I even really see those who are dying spiritually in the streets?

The answer to that question is a resounding yes...and no. For those of you who know me well, know of my passion to reach those without Christ. I well see the people around us who are dying inside without the love of Christ. The problem is my agony.

While I pray continuously for the ability to reach these people I can honestly look at my life and say that my agony for them has not been as great as what is described in this verse. You must realize that this verse is not about people dying without Christ, rather the Lamentations over the nation of Israel. Regardless, God broke my heart this morning with this verse.

How desperately I want to pour out my spirit for the broken! How desperately I want to see them rescued by the love of Christ through our church and any other God fearing, truth teaching body of believers.

I find myself thankful for the brokenness I feel this morning. It has been a reawakening of a fire that has always burned inside of my heart.

There is a world beneath our very feet that is withering away from the absence of Christ. Are you broken for it? Have you poured out your heart for it? Or are your prayers of petition simply for those who are sick with a cold? It is time that we allow our hearts to once again be broken deeply for them! It is time that His passion for them becomes our passion for them!

Lamentations 2:18-19, "Cry aloud before the Lord, O walls of beautiful Jerusalem! Let your tears flow like a river day and night. Give yourselves no rest; give your eyes no relief. Rise during the night and cry out. Pour out your hearts like water to the Lord. Lift up your hands to him in prayer, pleading for your children, for in every street they are faint and hungry."

They really are faint and hungry. Give yourself no rest for their souls. Give your eyes no relief for their need of Christ. In your community, let your brokenness fuel EVERYTHING you do for the glory of God and the blood of Christ.

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Community Kindness Makes A Difference

Some people are down on "Servant Evangelism". Some say, it is "buying" people to church. Some say it is too superficial to be called "evangelism". I say it is sharing God's love in a simple way.

The truth is that community kindness projects will not bring people to a church in droves. It does plant seeds that can overtime germinate into someone coming after they have been reached over and over again through other acts of kindness or mass marketing, but one single project will not bring a lot of people to your church, though you may see a few trickle in from time to time.

What it does do is put a smile on people's faces. This afternoon, a few of us from the Skyline family went out to share a little love in the Father's Day Cookie Blitz. We simply had about 500 bags of cookies complete with a Skyline card that some volunteers put together and we handed them out to men in our community with a simple, "Happy Father's Day!". No pushy invitation to church, no Roman road experience...just a simple gift and a "Happy Father's Day". Will it bring a bunch of new families to Skyline in the morning? I hope so, but maybe not. Let me share with you what it did do as evidence by this email we received just a little while ago.

"Don't know who it was, maybe you, maybe someone else but today while at Lowes in the parking lot someone came up to me with a couple of nicely wrapped cookies, gave them to me and said, "Have a good Fathers day".

I was having a bad day and that random act of kindness was greatly appreciate.
Sometimes the smallest deeds have the greatest impact.

Just wanted to say thank you."

I don't care what anyone says about "servant evangelism"...it makes a difference. Whatever the investment, it puts a smile on someone's face in the name of Jesus. In this case it made a big difference in this guy's life. GO GOD!!!!!!!

Monday, June 13, 2011

5 Things I Want Every Skyliner To Know This Summer

Summertime is upon us. Last week it was in full force (even though it is not officially here for another week) with blistering 90-100 degree weather. Today it is pleasantly cool in the morning hours...one last taste of spring I suppose before things get toasty.

I wanted to take this opportunity to offer you 5 challenges for the Summer. These are 5 things I want to challenge everyone in the Skyline family to invest in during the hot summer days.

1.) Invest In Your Family:

Summer is probably my favorite time of the year. There are lots of things to be done in lots of areas of life. I look forward to the pool, playing ball with my boys, camping, fishing, church...summer is for fun and family.

If your family is like mine, you have tons planned from weekend getaways to vacations...bbq's to picnics. I want to encourage you to invest this time in your family because summer is a time where lots of memories can be made for your kids and your marriage.

2.) Invest In Your Faith:

As busy as summer gets, one of the things that can get left behind in the hustle and bustle is your faith. Summer is a great time to invest in your faith. Consider those times when laying around the pool, catching a few rays, enjoying a quiet evening on the porch...these are all great times to invest in your faith. Grab your Bible and spend time with God when in your sun chair. Buy a great book about spiritual growth or ministry. Enjoy the cool of the early morning with prayer and a nice cup of coffee. Listen to a sermon on your ipod while you take a nice jog. Summertime offers tons of opportunities to feed your soul.

3.) Invest In Your Church Family:

Spend time with your church family outside of the Sunday morning context. Invite people over for a bbq to hang out and have some much needed fellowship. Head to the park with other families with children from the church. JOIN A CONNECTION GROUP.

Typically the summer semester of Connection Groups is down in attendance. Mainly because we are bombarded with other activities like vacations and trips, but the summer semester is one of the best times to be part of a group. We have another week or two of sign-ups available to you for the semester. Don't miss out on your opportunity to be part of one this semester.

Summer is also a down time in church attendance. Granted there are family vacations that are planned, which are important and necessary, but there are also times when people simply neglect their worship on the weekends. Keep your attendance a top priority. Be present at church. Serve the church. Invest in the church.

4.) Invest In Your Community:

Opportunities to serve your community during the summer abound. The church will be offering outreach opportunities throughout the summer for you to be part of which offers you the chance to reach out to others in our area and to serve along side of your church family. Keep an eye out for other opportunities as well... Opportunities like kid camps, community service projects, and the occasional neighbor who needs a hand mowing their lawn while away or help fixing the deck in the back yard.

If you recall from the beginning of the year, we have been preparing our soil for growth in the first part of the year and now is the time to plant seeds. Each opportunity that you take advantage of to invest in your community is an opportunity to plant seeds of love in the hearts of those you serve. Theses opportunities plant the name of Skyline in the minds of our community and they plant the heart of God into the people of our area.

5.) Invest In Prayer:

As we have prepared the soil for growth, as we have started planting the seeds for growth...we have been preparing for a harvest. We have already seen this harvest becoming reality. Our average attendance in the month of January was 132....In May our average attendance was 166. So far this year we have seen 23 people come to Christ. We have witnessed 11 people follow Christ in Baptism (with more to come this summer)...God is already moving at Skyline Church in a BIG way and I firmly believe that we have only seen the beginning.

This fall, we will begin seeing that harvest become greater and greater. My challenge is for all of us to utilize this summer in two ways. As I mentioned earlier, we are to continue investing by planting seeds...even more importantly we are challenged to invest in prayer for the harvest which is to come.

I continue to dream God sized dreams for Skyline. Do you? There are soooooo many awesome things around the corner for our church. As we invest in prayer for our friends, our neighbors, our community, our leadership, and our church family, that harvest will become more and more abundant.

My challenge is for you to pray for the seeds we have already planted. Pray for the seeds that we will continue to plant. Pray that the soil will be fertile. Pray that the leadership of Skyline Church will continue to seek God for His direction. Pray that our ministers (everyone who serves in ministry at Skyline) will serve with excellence. And pray that our God sized dreams become God sized miracles.


I can't tell you how pumped I am to be in the middle of God's move. We have only seen a glimpse of what He can do through the people of Skyline. As the song goes, "Greater things are yet to come and greater things are still to be done in this city." These greater things will be done through Skyline Church by the power of His Holy Spirit.

IT CONTINUES THIS SUMMER!!!!

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Why Am I In Ministry?

This morning I was chewing on some leadership nuggets that I was reminded of last week in Branson as John Ed Mathison shared his heart at the General Baptist Minister's Conference. One of his challenges was to never forget WHY I am in ministry.

Why am I in ministry? As time goes on the answer to that question can become cloudy. I think in the beginning the answer is crystal clear most of the time, but over time we may lose our way. We may get distracted from our true purpose. We may lose the power of our original motivation. We may grow weary in the rigors of the ministry trenches.

For some, the answer to this question has become, "I need to provide for my family." For some it is, "I want to climb the presbyterial ladder." For others it is, "I want more notoriety." For some, there is no clear answer.

During those times when our answer changes, the answer can become deceivingly virtuous to some and downright greedy for others. I believe the answer to that question is the single most important litmus test for anyone who serves the church. Whether it is your vocation or your volunteer ministry, the answer to that question determines the success of your ministry, the longevity of your ministry, and the eternal significance of your ministry. Of these three determinations only one is of true importance....eternal significance!

You can have a "successful" ministry. You can grow a large church. You can create a thriving youth group. You can mastermind a great club for people to be a part of. You can make lots of money. You can have huge buildings or huge budgets, but is the ministry eternally significant.

You can serve the church for decades. You can serve in multiple capacities. But is the ministry eternally significant? Is the ministry making a difference?

Why am I in ministry? Eternal significance should be the answer to that question. Any other answer to that question should lead you to believe that your heart is in need of an overhaul. As Dr. Mathison said...we exist to do three things: Reach, Teach, and Send.

We make an eternal significance when we reach the unreached...not when we recruit from the already recruited. Eternal significance happens when we win the unbelieving soul to Christ, when we turn the unrepentant heart to Christ, when we give purpose to those who lack their purpose.

We make an eternal significance when we teach the reached. Eternal significance happens when babes in the faith become students of the teacher, when the child takes on the characteristics of the father, when the consumer becomes a contributer.

We make an eternal significance when we teach the reached and send them out to reach the unreached. Eternal significance happens when the reached begin to teach, when the unloved are loved, when the broken are healed, when the lost are found....all through a vicious cycle....Reach, Teach, Send....Reach, Teach, Send.

Is this cycle happening in your ministry? If not, why? Could it be the answer to that question, "Why am I in ministry?" Do you really want to make an eternal significance or is it something else? The answer lies only within your heart. Search it.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Slaying The Giants

This week I am hanging out in Branson, Missouri at the General Baptist Ministers Conference. It's a great time for me to sort of unwind from the rigors of ministry. I have the opportunity to spend some time with my father-in-law and many other friends from the ranks of ministry that I rarely get to see. I will even have the opportunity to enjoy a round of golf or two.

With all of the fun I will be having with my brothers in arms, there is also much to be learned and challenged with. John Ed Mathison is the keynote speaker for the event. If you have never heard him speak, I suggest you snag the opportunity if at all possible. He is a great man of God who is filled with love and wisdom.

Last night he spoke to us about slaying the giants in our life. These giants come in many forms. They are problems in our church, in our homes, and in our personal life. They may come in the form of a situation, a power hungry parishioner, or a sin struggle. But in any case, they are giants that we face and we struggle at times to find the victory.

He shared the story of David and Goliath, a favorite story from the ranks of Sunday School and bedtime. How we often overlook the depth of theology found in these "children's" stories. In the story David had the right ATTITUDE, affirming what God had already done in his life and anticipating what God was going to do in the battle. He had the proper ASSESSMENT using what he knew how to use and facing the giant the way God had equipped him. He had ASSURANCE because he came into battle in the name of the Lord understanding it was not his ability that would give him victory, but God's. And he took ACTION charging the giant head on.

As I listened, I was reminded of the giants in our lives. Some big, some small, but we all have them. God has given us victory over many of them, but there are some that we continue to battle in life. Some giants (the 9 ft. tall ones) we constantly battle. For years and decades we fight the Goliaths of our life. Certainly, we have some victories over these giants in battle, but it seems that after these victories the giant attacks again. We may find ourself once again facing defeat.

We grow weary. We grow weary of the war. If you are like me, you grow tired of the constant battles with Goliath and if you are like me you don't want the small victories in battle. You want the outright win...you want the war to be over.

If that is you today...let me offer you a prayer to pray.

"Father, I am tired of Goliath. I am tired of fighting these battles. Through the victories and defeats in battle, I grow weary. Grant me the ultimate victory. Not victory in the battle...let it be finished. TODAY, I want victory in the war...unconditional surrender. I want to take the sword of the giant and chop off his head so that he never has the opportunity to attack again. With my slingshot in hand, show me the stones that will take him down so that victory will be mine by your might and not of my own. Victory WILL BE MINE this day and forever more. AMEN"