More Than Enough

So excited about what's happening at Crossroads.  So many of you have called, and written, and posted messages about how excited you are, too - excited about Crossroads building plans that we rolled out on Sunday morning!  Your comments are SO ENCOURAGING!

You know, there is a time to dream, and a time to plan, and a time to prepare, and a time to take action.  While we've had this dream for many years, and - as God has given clarity to His vision and purpose for our church - we have planned and prepared.  But now is the time to take action.

This Sunday, in addition to kicking off our exciting new series 'Deadliest Catch', our PHASE ONE PLEDGE DRIVE to raise $300 thousand by the first week of May 2011 will also kick off, with a brief announcement of my personal pledge - exactly how much me and my family are planning to give to this important work.  I'm not doing it to showboat, or draw attention to myself.  I'm doing it because, as the lead pastor of Crossroads, it's right that I should go first.  Hey, if I'm not willing to pour God-given time, talent and treasure into this project, then why should anyone else?  It's important for all of us that I demonstrate that I am willing to go first.  I have never asked you to do anything I am unwilling to do, and I'm not starting now.  I want you to know the level of my personal comittment to this project.  Because, as I shared on Sunday, in the weeks, months and years to come, I am going to ask all of us to SEE more, to DO more and to GIVE more than many may have ever seen, done or given in their lives.  

That's next week.  Then the week after, we will announce the total amount pledged by our Elders and our paid staff.  The week after that, the total amount pledged by our Volunteer Leaders.  Before you are asked to pledge, you will know exactly the level of support that has been pledged by every person that leads in any capacity at Crossroads.  After that, everyone else will have three weeks to turn in their pledge cards, and on August 8th, during our second anniversary service at the cinema, we will announce the total amount of pledges for the whole church!  What a day that will be!

"Their contributions were more than enough to complete the whole project."

(Exodus 36:7, NLT)      

WEEKEND UPDATE (062710)

Probably the most exciting day at Crossroads since we launched at the College Cinema on August 10th, 2008!  Incredible, amazing, fantastic day!  Here's just a few of the many things I noticed on Sunday:

• GREAT crowd.  Many folks back from vaca.  The Crossroads Summer Surge is officially underway!
• We wrapped up 'I Love My Church' and kicked off a brand new reason to get out of bed every morning.
• If you were not there, you must, must, must listen to the PODCAST of Sunday's service.  In fact, if you missed the entire series, you really need to go back and listen to all five weeks.  It'll be easy.  35 minutes a day for five days.  Then when you come next week...you'll be all caught up.  And you'll also be all CAUGHT UP in God's amazing vision for our church and our community!
• There's nothing like the local church when the local church is working right.
• I'm so glad to be part of a local church "working right"!
• Working right means seeing beyond the obvious.
• Working right means a better life for everyone.
• Working right means working together for God's purpose.
• Working right means continuing with our ORIGINAL PURPOSE: To create a church that people who don't like to go to church would like to attend.
• For us, working right mean creating a PERMANENT PLATFORM for ministry in our community!
• I was BLOWN AWAY by the video fly-through of our new building!
• Getting to actually SEE what our church will look like made a LOT of people cry yesterday...including me.
• My favorite quote: "In the months and years to come, I am going to ask you to SEE more, DO more and GIVE more than you've ever seen, done, or given before".
• God is TOTALLY directing our steps, every step of the way.  NO ONE has done in our community what God is allowing us to do!  This is different!  And I am HUMBLED beyond description.
• We officially kicked off our 'I LOVE MY CHURCH BUILDING CAMPAIGN' yesterday and it felt so GOOD and so RIGHT to finally be at this place.
• PHASE ONE WILL HAPPEN, and right on time!  (Their contributions were MORE than enough to complete the whole project.  Exodus 36:7)
• In the second service, I actually referred to three years ago as 1997!  Yes, I have become "that guy".
• I LOVE what the new lobby/atrium looks like in PHASE FIVE!
• I think I like the 'Aviator's Garden' about as much as anything we will construct!  This is going to be special.

Guys, I could go on with this for HOURS, so I'm going to stop.  Comment here or on facebook about your favorite part of the vision we revealed in Sunday's service.  Remember, next week I'll be sharing my personal pledge with the church.  In the next couple of weeks remember to pray.  Not IF God wants you to be involved.  If Crossroads is your home church, the God WANTS you to be involved.  But pray HOW God wants to use you.  Pray what God wants you to do in your life to be a part of the "more than enough" we will recieve to complete this project.  Pray about your PLEDGE.  Don't forget about FREEDOM FEST on Saturday.  Bring WATER to the Annex all week.  And meet up with all of us on Saturday morning at Fort Rucker to help get set up.  or serve throughout the day at Crossroads booth.  Be there to meet our community.  Stay and help tear down and pack up.  Then BE THERE on Sunday for our Brand New Series DEADLIEST CATCH.  It's a fresh and relevant look for our lives at the Book of Jonah!  God bless you and keep you and give you GREAT PEACE!

THINK BIG

Some of the things I'm thinking about as we head into the weekend:

More visibility.

Bigger footprint.

Greater presence in the community.

Everything under one roof.

A permanent platform for ministry.

Central distribution point for benevolence.

Access 24/7.

Events on our own terms.

Multiple services.

Live streaming.

Cool things at night.

Concerts.

Fellowship.

Unlimited growth potential.

All of it for one reason: To Make Jesus Famous.

Jesus said, "I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark".  This Sunday, come and see what "letting it shine" looks like at Crossroads.  Sunglasses optional.  Think BIG.

BIG

This Sunday at Crossroads we have an announcement to make.  A BIG announcement.  It's the BIGGEST announcement we've ever made before, about something so BIG that only God can pull it off.  Everything about it is BIG.  In fact, it's so BIG it's scary.  Fortunately, God is BIGGER!  Way BIGGER!

You are not going to believe what our creative team has come up with to demonstrate what BIG looks like at Crossroads.  Come see it on Sunday. 

WEEKEND UPDATE (Father's Day 2010)

Hey everybody! Great weekend at Crossroads and great Father's Day celebration for all (and a great day for me personally, I'll tell you that right now!)  God is SO GOOD!  I can't believe I get to be a part of the AWESOME stuff He is doing in our community and that I get to serve at Crossroads!  Here's a few of the things I noticed on Sunday:

• So many churches are FULL of women (and that's great), but one of the many things I LOVE about my church is that it is FULL of men, and FULL of dads who are walking in the fear of the Lord!
• Great to share from Psalm 128.  When you see a man who's walking in the fear of the Lord, you see a man who's FULL of great joy!  He's prosperous, fruitful and blessed!  That's a promise from God's word!
• Father's day can be a rough time (like Mother's Day), for those who have had difficult relationships with their fathers, for those whose father's have passed on, for those who were abandoned by their father, for those who were abused by their fathers.  There's no more complicated relationship than that between father and child.
• Even though those relationships can conspire to take us down emotionally, God's design for our lives is to live a His own children.  God wants us to fear him.  Not in the way we may have feared a verbally, emotionally, or physically abusive father, but in reverential awe as Creator and LOVING heavenly Father, who gave ALL He had to give just for us!  
• So much fun sharing about baseball with the boys and my about my relationship with my daughter!  Yes, she has me completely wrapped around her finger (but I have a 'promise ring' wrapped around hers)!
• I love to LAUGH!  Especially in church!
• Leslie made me eggs benedict for breakfast, then she prepared a roast for a late lunch!  Thank you God for blessing me with such a loving and nurturing wife!  
• Later, we went and saw The A-TEAM at the College Cinema with the whole fam including Will & Nat.  Guys, I'm just gonna tell you, my family reminds me of THIS.  I am certain that I am the most fortunate and blessed man in the world. Thank you God!
• It's weird going to movies at the College Cinema on Sunday night.  Just saying.  (Would be a GREAT place to start a church!)
• Guys, remember to EMBRACE DISCIPLINE.
• Decide in advance how you're going to respond to the things that happen in your life.  Decide in advance what manner of life you are going to live.  When you do that, you already know how you're going to act when challenges, troubles, or temptations come your way.
• Guys, men, dads remember to INVITE CORRECTION.
• You must, must, must have someone (or several someone's) that you have personally authorized to speak into your life.  To tell you the truth about yourself, your life, and your work.  There's nothing like input form those who have gone before us.  There's nothing like THIS either.  Sometimes the truth hurts.  But if you respond to it in the right way, it'll make you a better man.  

Love, grace and peace to all.  Have a FANTASTIC week!  And remember, this Sunday is bar none, the most important service we have ever had at Crossroads so make sure that you and the whole family are there as we celebrate why WE LOVE OUR CHURCH, and we roll out our very first Capital Campaign.  Be praying this week about how God wants to work in your life to serve your community!  Watch for posts here all week long on God's view of our contribution to His work in our world.  See you Sunday! 

Finally Friday

Wow, this week was intense.  Still is in fact.  Finished Hot Blues & BBQ last Sunday, Fathers Day this Sunday, Capital Campaign Roll-Out next Sunday (you are not going to BELIEVE how cool our building is gonna look), right into Freedom Fest on July 3rd and kicking off a brand new series on the 4th called "Deadliest Catch".  So much going on at Crossroads and on the tent-making front for me as well.  Tons of work to do, projects to manage and deadlines to meet, and just found out a couple of days ago that my company is sending me to Haiti for a week in July!  Can't wait!!

So, as we round the corner into the weekend, don't let it slip that Sunday is indeed Fathers Day.  Maybe that applies to you in some way and maybe it doesn't.  But if it does, don't forget the card, or forget to make the call.  As a father of a multitude, trust me, it means a lot.  One guy wrote: "Let's face it guys, Fathers Day is the Rodney Dangerfield of holidays, the 'get-no-respect' little brother of Mother's Day".  That's just the way it is.  Interestingly (and says a lot more than we have time to talk about here), one survey of incarcerated felons showed that given the opportunity, 86% of inmates would send their mother a Mothers Day card, while only 34% would send their father a Father's Day card.  I know there's a lot behind that statistic, but moms definitely get the majority of the life kudos.  As one little boy said to his mom: 

"So let me get this straight. You say the stork brings babies?"

"Yes", answered his mother.

"And the Lord gives us daily our daily bread?"

"Yes, dear".

"And Santa Claus brings the presents at Christmas?"

"Yes...!"

"Well, then", the little boy frowned, "what do we need Daddy for?"

We're gonna dig into that one this Sunday.  Be sure to bring dad.  (He's the one sitting on the couch wondering why he can't get any respect.)  Peace.

   

WEEKEND UPDATE (061310)

HOT.  That's what the weather was, and that also totally describes the awesome weekend we just had at Crossroads!  From two great services Sunday morning at the Cinema to our 2nd Annual Hot Blues & BBQ at the park on Sunday night, this weekend was SMOKIN'!  Here's just a few of the things I noticed:

• Again, GREAT response from lobby volunteers!  Way to go Lobby Team!  You're taking hospitality to a whole new level!
• LOVE the changes that have been made in the Children's Center!  Such great and faithful people working back there, too!  I love visiting out Children's Center each Sunday morning to hang out for a while and hear about the awesome kids that come to Crossroads.  People need to know how much these faithful adult and teen volunteers LOVE your children!
• Band was GREAT!  
• The 'Skinny on Worship' video segment was hysterical!
• LOVE sharing about music and praise and worship in the church.  We are SO FORTUNATE that God has seen fit to bring so many talented and faithful artists, musicians, singers, writers, leaders to Crossroads!
• I was a little herky-jerky in the message delivery, especially 2nd service, but we had a great time, lots of laughs, and good stuff from God's word on living the 'Worship-Driven Life'!
• Country music began in Genesis 4 with Jubal (Twang!)
• And if all that wasn't enough...
• Then we went to Johnny Henderson Family Park for Hot Blues & BBQ II!
• Thanks to Davey Guiller and Premier Audio Entertainment for setting up in the blazing sun and doing a fantastic job with sound!
• Thank you everyone who brought such absolutely KILLER BBQ to the party!
• Thank you Kim Klaudt from bringing the pork-fat, greasy BLUES to the stage!
• Thank you Will and Rusty and Jeff for bringing your talent to the Roadie Blues Band as we backed up Kim Klaudt!
• Thank you Rachel and Leslie and EVERYONE who worked so hard setting up the food!
• Thanks to our judges for figuring out who won the BBQ Contest.  That HAD to be a tough job!
• Congrats to Dave Clark for winning the Grand Prize!
• Quick Facts on HB&BBQ2: Over 200 people attended! You raised $800 for Kim Klaudt Ministries work for Native American Missions (not including whatever you purchased at his CD table)! You blessed Premier Audio with $200 for all their hard work in the hot sun!  You raised over $500 for our music department which will go towards new speaker stands and a drum shield! You brought and ate some of the best BBQ I have ever tasted!  What a GREAT day!!!

LAST POST ABOUT ARTISTS (Whew! Finally!)

ARTISTS ARE...SELFISH? (Say it ain't so)

I am pretty sure that all of us could write our own book about this one.  Artists tend seek their own rather than the desires of others.  Artists generally have gaping character flaws.  Ouch!  Am I stepping on your toes?  Take solace in the fact that I am stepping all over my own, too...and everyone else’s for that matter.  Hey, there's safety in numbers.  Here's reality: Artists are actually no different than anyone else on the planet.  No one I've ever met walks in the spirit 100% of the time, and that means that all of us at times conduct our lives in a way we wish we didn’t.  It’s not what we want, but it happens.  The only difference between “normal” people and artists is that “normal” people don’t generally write songs, poems, or books about what’s wrong with them, or paint pictures or create sculpture depicting the depravity of the human condition.  

That said, selfishness is a big deal.  It doesn’t matter if you’ve never taken a drink or a drug at any time in your life, I don’t know of a better word written about the subject than this line from page 60 of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, it’s application is universal: “Whatever our protestations, are not most of us concerned with ourselves, our resentments, or our self-pity?  Selfishness – self-centeredness!  That, we think, is the root of our troubles.”  The Message Bible in Galatians 5:16 bears this translation, “Live freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit.  Then you won’t feed the compulsions of selfishness.  For there is a root of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit, just as the free spirit is incompatible with selfishness.” 

Checking our motives – as artists – too often means confessing to anyone willing to listen that we “don’t really want to have a gold record for our own benefit, it’s just that it’s our responsibility to get our product into as many hands as possible so they can be blessed by it.”  Does that sound familiar?  I’ve said it before.  You?  Check it out: Before it’s going to be God’s idea for us to sell a half-million of anything, we need to come clean with ourselves about our own personal desire for recognition, and put our flakiness, our competitive nature, our compulsive behavior and our moody attitude to work for the Creator.  We need to ask God to go ahead and try our works now, so we can move forward free to create, by the Spirit of God, something that won’t just stand the test of time, but will stand the trying by fire that will accompany the end of our life’s work.   Then it truly will be a blessing to Gods people, and we’ll take another step forward in our journey of not just a purpose-driven life, but a “worship-driven” one.  Peace.

About Artists 5 (Artists are MOODY!)

Artists are: MOODY!

Most artists I know are like thermometers, you know mercurial, changing moods like the mercury in a thermometer goes up and down.  Like a roller coaster many artists are either at the pinnacle of emotional giddiness or at the absolute bottom of a swirling sucking vortex of doom.  Artists seem to have a difficult time with the straightaway.  As artist, we tend to wear our heart on our sleeves.  You don’t have to guess our mood.

But I believe there is a great gift hidden in all of that.  In John 4:23, Jesus instructs the Samaritan woman that the time is here, now, when true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth.  I believe that artists have some sort of spiritual hook-up that we don’t really understand.  It’s not just an emotional thing emotion either, though it has deep emotional ties.  Artists are, by and large, very sensitive to emotion, mood, vibe whatever you want to call it, because, I believe, we have a built within us a kind of a spiritual superhighway if you will – a direct link to things of the Spirit, that allow us to navigate deep spiritual waters, to have a lasting impact on the environment around us.  When David played, it soothed Saul’s anxious mind and heart.  What a privilege that is!  I know it may seem difficult at times.  Artists can be very temperamental and subject to wide ranging moods, but that’s just a worldly by-product of what the real ultimate output from this gift is supposed to be.  

Artists are fashioned by God to understand mood/vibe/thing/whatever as a tool for preparing praise and worship, to be able to write and play the many textures and hues that minister to the heart of God.  As artists we feel the temperament of the congregation.  We can locate them emotionally and spiritually, which gives us insight into how to direct worship and praise so they may better enter in and worship the Father.

In all of this though, it’s strange to see worshippers, singers, Christian artists, players, whatever, get all bummed out and stay that way for long periods of time.  Have you ever noticed that?  Have you been there yourself?  The things is that as worshippers, we should know else that one of the reasons the Spirit of the Lord was upon Jesus (Isaiah 61) was to give us “the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness”.  I understand that clinical depression can be a very real and very serious mental and emotional illness and my comments are not meant to diminish such a condition.  But there’s a big difference between that, and just being “bummed out”.  Artists can get in the doldrums so quickly.  But I have seen that that is the exact moment we need to put on the garment of praise!  Lift your voice and sing to God!!  Pick up your instrument and begin to worship him!!!  When you feel the funk coming and trying to get on you, chase away the “bad juju” with the high praises of the Most High!!!!  Live it yourself.  Then you’ll be able to teach others how to do it.

About Artists 4 (Artists are COMPULSIVE!)

Artists are: COMPULSIVE!

In its best definition passion, not compulsion or obsession, is that gift from God, that trait bestowed upon artists, so they may become skilled at what they are doing.  We are encouraged throughout the Psalms, to ply our craft as musicians and artists with excellence, to play skillfully.  God’s purpose in our passion for excellence is that He may be glorified all the more.  Many of us turn inward in pursuit of excellence and become compulsive or obsessive with our musical skills and abilities.  Perhaps even shutting ourselves off from the world, simply to become better at what we do. I’m not saying forsake practice.  We have to practice to get where we are going.  

Everyone knows the old story about violinist Jascha Heifitz being hailed by a tourist on a New York street.  The tourist asks Heifitz, “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?” To which Heifitz replies, without breaking stride, “Practice, practice, practice.”  We have to practice.  Practice is important, in fact it is obviously critical, as Heifitz knew and further noted, “If I don’t practice one day, I know it.  If I don’t practice two days, my critics know it.  If I don’t practice for three days, everyone knows it.”

But there is a time and a place for practice and for concentrated study.  We should be dedicated and disciplined, but God’s desire for excellence doesn’t have to become an all-consuming quest for perfection.  It is not God’s best for us to shut ourselves off from humanity as a lifestyle because we are consumed with “our” art.  Some of the worst “best players” I know are barely functional in routine social settings.  I have struggled with that myself.  It is a struggle worth fighting and overcoming.  Getting alone to work on your stuff is important.  Jesus certainly went away at times by Himself, but he always came back, and He wasn’t all worked up about it either, you know like, “I can’t fool with those five thousand people right now, tell them to call Falafel Hut, I’m busy in the studio”.  Jesus knew when it was time to get alone.  He got alone and got down to business, and He came back refreshed, recharged and ready to minister to the needs of people.  We need to remind ourselves regularly that people are what ministry is all about.  It’s because of God’s love for others that He placed gifts, talents and abilities within each of us, that He might be glorified and lifted up, that all men might be drawn to Him.  We do well to remember: He gave us gifts because He loved someone else. 

About Artists 3 (Artists are COMPETITIVE!)

Artists are: COMPETITIVE!

I believe this is another great example of a God-given, God-designed character trait that is meant to serve those who serve God, rather than be served by His servants for self-serving aspirations.  Being competitive when it comes to the things of God is a natural asset for the servant that seeks to be aggressive in defending the faith and leading the army into battle against the enemy.  There is no competition between God and the devil.  God won, it’s over.  However, there still exists a competition in the world for the hearts of men between the power that would deliver men into bondage, and the anointing that breaks every yoke of bondage.  Jude 1:3 speaks of that competition, when we are encouraged to “contend for the faith”, because there is an enemy to the Word of God in this world.

But competing with one another is not the idea.  The notion of Christian artists competing against each other is absurd.  It’s like watching players on the same team in any sporting event competing against each other, instead of the other team.  It’s a bizarre, ridiculous and totally self-defeating concept.  Yet it happens all the time.

Be aggressive.  Be competitive.  Compete against complacency in the church.  Compete for the attention of the lost against the very best the world has to offer them.  Gone are the days when a chorus of ‘A Mighty Fortress is Our God’ can minister to the heart of a 14-year old whose been raised on MTV9, ipods and myspace, or a 35 year-old who’s been exposed to the best production values that Nashville can export.  It’s time to wake up and smell the tombstones.  People are dying and going to hell every day and musicians and singers still think that it’s okay to stand by the old adage “It’s good enough for gospel”, or “It’s just church”.  It’s NOT good enough, not in 2010, and we have to get aggressive and start competing for the right things.  Media corporations have Christian artists competing for airplay and shelf space, taking them out of the church and fostering an environment where artists have to be competitive because if we’re not, someone else might get the recognition and draw bigger crowds and sell more t-shirts.  Let’s remember what recognition is for, and let’s decide to use our unique talent to contend for the faith.

About Artists 2 (Artists are FLAKEY!)

Some people think that artists are just inherently flakey.  That’s because many artists are flakey.  Like totally flakey, absolute flake-jobs, man.  Wing nuts.  Goof balls.  Whack-O’s.  Dingbats.  But God has not chosen for us to be flakey, He has chosen for us to be COLORFUL! 

Being colorful is an important part of our design.  Flags, banners and standards are also colorful.  They are designed that way for a purpose.  When the army is large and spread out the soldiers cannot always instantly recognize the leader.  Because he may well be far away, they look for and follow the flag, the standard, the banner.  Isaiah 11:12 says, “He will raise a banner for the nations”.  Though the reference speaks of Jesus being the banner that will stand for the people - the banner the nations will rally around.  But we too are banners, who’s colors unfurled capture the attention of the people of God and direct their gaze heavenward.  We are like a glorious standard whipped with the wind of the Holy Spirit pointing the lost to a sure hope.  Yes, artists are colorful, and for a God-ordained purpose, to be seen even from a distance, a pennant emblazoned with the colors, the insignia, the emblem of majesty.  We’re supposed to “stand out”, as we stand up on the platform so that others may see how glorious God is.  And not merely “stick out”, noticed by others for our peculiar, offbeat or weird behavior, or attitudes that tend to put others off.   

Artists are by nature creative people, visionary and inventive. Creative is good, and creativity, vision, and imagination God-given.  But some folks take creativity, imagination, and vision into a fantastically selfish area. Here’s a good rule-of-thumb (use it, or don’t):  If what you are and how you act as an artist pulls you away from people, separates you, tends toward isolation because “people just don’t get me, man”, or simply causes others not to want to be around you, it’s a good bet that you’ve drifted from the center of your God-given gift.  God gave you the gift you have, so you can lead OTHERS to Christ.  Nothing more.  But absolutely nothing less.

ABOUT ARTISTS 1 (Artists Want: RECOGNITION!)

I'm an artist, and I know as well as anyone that artists are...different.  They can even  seem, um...weird.  Just the way it is.  But here's the good news: God made artists, and He made them the way they are for a reason.  An important step for Christian artists (and I'm talking about songwriters, singers and musicians) is to know and understand what really motivates us.  Though artists possess many traits that distinguish them from those who are not artists, I'm going to focus on six.  (Pastors: this might be provide some new insight on familiar artist behaviors.  Artists: this might help us understand some of our "unique" traits and reconcile what drives them with God's purpose in providing them in the first place).  Here we go.

Artists Want: RECOGNITION!

Yes, artists want recognition.  It’s okay to admit that.  It’s a part of the way we were created.  But not for the purpose of seeking recognition.  For the purpose of being recognizable to people, because people require confident leadership in order to praise, worship, exalt, magnify, and minister to the Lord. 

If you were terrified to stand before people, to open your mouth and sing, or to play an instrument, God would have a very difficult time using you as a worship leader.  If you didn’t stand out in a crowd of people, how would they recognize that you were the leader?  Artists are made to be recognizable, not made to seek recognition.  If we are serving God the way He wants us to, we don’t need to seek recognition, He will ensure that people recognize us by equipping us to be recognizable.  Not necessarily in complicated ways either but, you know, with a great voice, a new song, a cool horn lick, an awesome guitar solo.  These are small things put in each of us that allow us to be recognizable as leaders, so that we may point people to Jesus. 

Artists have a need to be recognizable: God’s people are born with a need for solid leadership and direction.  Being recognizable carries with it an intense responsibility to lead and direct in the right way.  People are drawn to artists because they are drawn to the anointing of the Holy Spirit.  The anointing isn’t spooky or weird, and it isn't some special “star quality” that artists possess because they're so cool.  It’s the Holy Spirit in us, magnifying and enlarging the gift that God gave us, to lead people back to Him.  Not simply to draw attention to ourselves.  The craft without the Creator is worthless, and if we simply seek our own “fulfillment” as artists, then we do all those that recognize us a terrible disservice.  People are going to follow someone.  Let it be someone that knows where they are going, and why they are going there. 

It’s good to be recognized as a servant of God.  It’s good to be recognized as a worshipper.  It’s good to be recognized as an artist possessing special or unique talent.  When is it good?  When the servant, the worshipper, the artist uses that special and unique talent to lead others to Jesus.  We don’t need to strive for recognition; we need to strive to live lives worthy of our call.  It’s important to remember that people won’t just see us and recognize us on the platform.  They’ll see us and recognize us on the street, at the movies, at Wal-Mart, and it will happen at the time we are most vulnerable – when we’re not “on”.  I am convinced that it is not enough for us to simply practice the presence of God; we have to live in the presence of God 24/7.  Recognize that God gave you talent to make you recognizable to others as a servant of God, and a follower of Jesus Christ.  No more.  Definitely nothing less.

Twelve Things for Worship Leaders

I've been getting ready for next Sunday for a while now and part of what I'm sharing this weekend about music ministry and praise & worship comes not only from 16 (looooong) years as a worship leader, but also from a frighteningly on-target (and totally unpublished) book I wrote a few years ago on the subject.  Here's a dozen quick take-away's (culled from a very long list) that I wrote down (and looked at OFTEN) to remind myself what to do as a worship leader.  Useful in every application.

1. Godly priorities—God doesn’t want you to grow your music ministry at the expense of your relationship with Him, your family, or your job.  First things first.  Make God's priorities your priorities.
2. Submission and Authority—Praise & worship isn't about you.  Get over yourself, and get under the authority of God and the spiritual leadership He has placed over you.   
3. Personal preparation—Pray and Study BEFORE you Play and Sing.  Have something to BRING to the platform, not just something to SING on the platform.  You gotta go somewhere in worship yourself before you can lead your congregation there.  Know the roads and the destination and you won't get lost, or lose anyone else along the way.
4. Stay in your gift—know what God has put in you, do it with all your might, perfect your skills.  Don’t try to be something you’re not.
5. I Saw You at WalMart:  Live a life worthy of your calling.  People WILL see you when you least expect it.
6. Make Skinny sound Fat—You can ALWAYS get a big fat sound, even with very few instruments if you put some stinky on it.  Stinky is fat.  Make it stinky.
7. The Next Big Thing—The opportunity God has given you IS the next big thing you’ll do for Him.
8. The Right Stuff—Build a team of people that won’t make you sorry you picked them.  Divas need not apply.
9. Ministry time—Learn to play while they pray.  This is the most important music you will deliver on the platform.  Make it B-R-E-A-T-H-E.
10. Hearing from Heaven about song selection—God wants to lead you where He is going in the service.  If you don't know what your pastor is teaching/preaching about, you're just guessing, and guessing isn't leading.
11. Moron’s Four-Step guide to music ministry ---1. Fat girls shouldn't wear gold stretchy pants on the platform.  2. Fat guys should always have a towel nearby.  3. Don’t EVER do praise and worship with your singers standing behind a puppet stage because VBS starts on Monday.  4. Don't EVER have a Blood Drive going on in the lobby while you're doing a worship service in the sanctuary.  (Been there.  Done ALL that.  You don't want to know.  Trust me.)
12. Ministering to the Ministers---Grow a spiritually healthy worship team.  Know those who serve with you.  Know their lives, not just their skill.  Pray for them.  Lead them, not just in worship, but in their lives.  As a worship leader, never forget that you share pastoral responsibility for those who serve in the music ministry.

WEEKEND UPDATE (060610)

Hey guys, another great weekend at Crossroads!  Big, big crowd on Sunday for Part Two of "I LOVE MY CHURCH"!  Here's just a few of the things I noticed on Sunday morning:

• Walked in the lobby door at 8AM to see a BIG team of volunteers getting it done in our Hospitality Ministry!  So exciting to see that 17 new people signed up after last week to get involved in the lobby!  All hands were on deck making light work of the lobby set-up.  Way to go!!!
• LOVED the new "Welcome to Crossroads" video!!
• Blacklight Puppets from Children's Ministry were AWESOME!!!
• BIG thanks to Pastor Matt and Hollie and everyone from our Children's Ministry who made yesterdays service so special!
• First service yesterday was a little herky-jerky with all the different elements we crammed into the service, but the transitions smoothed out for the second service and it totally ROCKED!
• I forgot to put on my microphone until 15 seconds before the first service (adding to the herky-jerkiness).  Oops.
• MANY people took inspiration from yesterdays services and either signed up to serve in children's ministry or "checked that box" on their communication cards!
• Having a three year-old orange monkey up on the stage during the service was funny, interesting and, um...challenging.  W.C. Fields ( of ,"Get away from me kid, you bother me" fame), said, of working with children and animals on stage...to not to.  Personally, I'm in favor of children and animals on stage, and I look forward to the opportunity to work with JoJo the monkey again soon.  Like a couple of years from now.  (kidding)
• One of the highlights of yesterday was hearing the crowd sing "Jesus Loves the Little Children".  That's not something that happens at Crossroads regularly.  But it was AMAZING that so many people knew that song.  How POWERFUL is Jesus influence in our culture?  Undeniably!
• I believe that Crossroads is a GREAT example of a "local church working right"!!
• "Beauty indescribable", is a fitting desciption of God's presence at Crossroads!
• "Power breathtaking", evidenced in the life-change that SO MANY have experienced!
• "Potential unlimited", don't get me started!  In two years as a church we have barely scratched the surface of what God can accomplish IN us and THROUGH us.  There is SO MUCH upside at Crossroads it is STUNNING!   
• I LOVE inviting people to church! 

Guys, have a FANTASTIC week!  The signup rosters for Lobby and Children's Ministry will be at the Information Table in the lobby each week.  It's so easy.  All you have to do is SIGN up and SHOW up! Remember, next week we're talking about something very near and dear to me and so important for all of us: MUSIC MINISTRY and what praise and worship is all about.  Then it's off to Johnny Henderson Family Partk, from 6 to 8PM for HOT BLUES AND BBQ!  Bring enough for you and several others, pay the five bucks (it's a fundraiser for the music department), and settle in for an evening of AWESOME, rockin' blues music from Kim Klaudt and the Roadie Blues Band!!  I can't wait!!!  

     

RESISTING DIVISION IN YOUR HOME (Part 2)

Picking up on yesterday’s posts, here’s a hot one: Division over how to RAISE THE KIDS.

Guys, this one can be so tough.  I know.  Married 29 years.  Raising four children together.  At times feeling like an absolute failure.  Raising kids is not for the faint of heart.  As hard as it is, allowing division over how to do it is a killer.  Disagreement on parenting can cause relationships to fail.  It starts early.  One parent may want to park the playpen in front of the television, while the other wants the direct involvement of reading or an outside activity.   One parent may believe that kids should run free in a highly unstructured environment, while the other favors a rigid schedule and strict discipline.  Still one parent may feel that there’s nothing wrong with dating at 16, while the other finds the idea unacceptable.  There are SO MANY things that we can disagree on as parents when it comes to raising children.  Whether your children are toddlers or teenagers, unresolved differences in our individual approaches to parenting can be nails in the coffin of our marriages.

What do we do?  We have to seek resolution.  We have to come into agreement on acceptable parameters.  What if one parent won’t budge on an issue?  We have to learn to pick our battles.  Pursue peace.  Assess how critical our position is in light of the harmony of our family.  Over the years, Leslie and I both have given A LOT OF GROUND to each other, to maintain peace.  And I’ll tell you this, at no time has coming into agreement been more important in our married life than it is right now.  Obviously, we love our children.  But 18, 17 and 15 under the same roof will TEST your resolve. I can honestly say that nothing in my life has been more emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually challenging than parenting multiple teens in the home.  But I believe with all my heart that PEACE in our home is an achievable goal, and that it is achievable through compromise.  Compromise isn’t failure.  It’s the key to peace.  Recorded in Amos 3:3, the Lord asks this question:  “Can two walk together unless they are agreed?”

Now, there may be some things you just can’t compromise on.  “Husband’s a drug addict, spends all the money, can’t keep a job, and beats me”.  If you’re in an abusive relationship you don’t need compromise.  You need to get out, get safe, and re-assess what’s best for you and the kids.  The baseline for determining when compromise may work to achieve peace is this: Are both parties capable of having a rational, productive discussion?  Drug or alcohol abuse may render one or both of the parties incapable of rational behavior.  You have to deal with that first, before you can agree on responsibilities in the home, or how you raise your kids.  But assuming for the moment that both of you are rationale, competent human beings (and this next part is supremely important) with Christ as the center of your own personal lives, then it’s time to let the PEACE TALKS begin!  It’s time to negotiate, not to “win”, but to achieve peace.  This is not about compromising your core beliefs.  This is about living in Christ.  With Christ as the center of your lives, “winning” an argument, or holding your ground are no longer important. 

Raising kids is the most difficult and challenging thing you and I will ever do.  I marvel at those who find the strength to do it alone as the head of single-parent families.  Truly they are heroic!  Here’s a scripture I turn to when it gets tough.  It encourages me to keep my focus on God’s wisdom and not my own, to seek peace and maintain it, and to trust God to bind up the places in me that hurt when I’ve failed my kids, or when they’ve failed me.

Come, my children, and listen to me, and I will teach you to fear the Lord.  Does anyone want to live a life that is long and prosperous?  Then keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies!  Turn away from evil and do good.  Search for peace, and work to maintain it.  The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right; his ears are open to their cries for help.  But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil; he will erase their memory from the earth.  The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help.  He rescues them from all their troubles.  The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.  (Psalm 34:11-18, NLT) 

PRACTICAL STEPS: Dividing Responsibilities

Tagging on to this morning's post about RESISTING DIVISION IN YOUR HOME, here's some simple, and oh so practical application (especially for young couples).  If you keep tripping over the division of responsibilities, try this:  Sit down and talk through it...calmly.  Write it down on paper if you need to – not so you have a contract - but a basis for discussion:

1. This is what I’m good at. This is what you’re good at
2. This is what’s easy for me to do. This is what’s easy for you to do.
3. This is what I’m willing to do, even though I don’t like it.  This is what you’re willing to do even though you don’t like it.

Then use that information as a baseline for developing realistic expectations about each person’s contribution in the home.  It may be an easy and even pleasurable thing for you to handle the yard work.  For your partner it may be massive brain damage to crank a mower.  It’s not a male/female thing.  It’s a gifts, talents, and abilities thing.

As we begin to divide up tasks based on what we can each handle effectively – not based on an EQUAL DISTRIBUTION – then we find that our homes begin to operate more smoothly.  We become more effective in the routine tasks, allowing more time together for the important stuff.  We can pull together in unity, rather than being divided by disagreement.  This may sound like really simple stuff.  But relationships crumble every day over simple stuff.  Let’s not ignore the obvious, just because it’s obvious.  Try it.

RESISTING DIVISION IN YOUR HOME

Abraham Lincoln once said in a famous speech before the Civil War, “A house divided against itself cannot stand”.  When he said it he was quoting Jesus.  Jesus was talking about division.  And he made it clear that as the head of the house goes – so goes the house.  Jesus knew that no house could stand up to division from within.  One translation quotes Jesus saying, “A family splintered by feuding will fall apart”.

 

Feuding fosters division, and division separates.  Usually that separation is the result of a difference of opinion, which leads to disagreement and ultimately dissension.  While feuding is often loud and boisterous, the division that follows generally isn’t.  Division doesn’t usually attack suddenly.  It’s much more subtle than that.  Division sneaks in and quietly eats away at the fabric of our unity. It destroys from the inside out, a little bit at a time. It may start small, but if left unchecked it can destroy everything.   

There are many stages of division.  You may be newlyweds arguing over how the furniture should be laid out.  Guys, that’s an easy one to solve.  Do it the way your wife wants it, and move on to more important things.  Some stages of division are more difficult.  You may have been married for a while, but you are facing serious difficulties because you can’t seem to get together on the big stuff.  Or perhaps your home is already divided, by separation or divorce.  Whatever your particular case, there are similarities in the things that typically divide homes.  Like everything else, it usually comes down to priorities - what’s important to you, what your willing to compromise on.  In this series of Blog posts, we’ll look at some common ones, starting with:

Division over RESPONSIBILITIES.

Equal responsibility does not mean equal distribution of tasks.  I love it when I hear young couples – either engaged to be married, or newlyweds – talk like this: “We’re going to split the responsibilities right down the middle.  I’ll do half the cooking, half the cleaning, half the maintenance, half the bill paying, half the homemaking, and he’ll do the other half”.  Maybe that actually works in some homes, but I’ve never seen it myself.

People are good at different things.  Leslie cleans up 100% of the cart barf in our house.  I do 100% of the power-washing and grass-cutting.  For 21 of our 29 years of marriage, Leslie has done 100% of the homemaking, while I’ve done 100% of the money making.  I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve washed the dishes in the last year.  That’s just the way it is. I don’t remember the last time Leslie repaired a flat tire.  It was probably about the same time I put scented candles and potpourri in the bathrooms.  I watch 96% of the boxing viewed in our home and 4% of the chick flicks.  Leslie writes 100% of the ‘Thank You’ cards, and does 3% of the construction tasks.  I’m good at certain things.  Leslie’s good at certain things.  We work together not by equally sharing tasks, but by maximizing our areas of strength and managing our areas of weakness.  I manage my area of weakness concerning cat barf by not looking at it.  Leslie manages her area of weakness concerning grass cutting by reminding me how long it’s getting.  (Truth be told, I love cutting the grass…she probably doesn’t feel the same way about the cat barf.  I have a great deal.)

Division over responsibilities usually occurs for one of two reasons:

1. Unrealistic expectations of each person’s contribution (don’t worry, those expectation become a lot more realistic after a few years.  Stick together.  You’ll “learn” each other); and
2. Misunderstandings about each other’s strengths and weaknesses (we’re just not that good at everything, and that’s okay.  God made us different so we could cover a lot of ground.  If we had the same strengths and weakness, some things would NEVER get done, and some things would simply be OVER-DONE).      

Here’s a great exercise to ward off the insidious power of division: Celebrate the diversity of gifts in your home!  We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.  Romans 12:6