...Upon Popular Request

Here is our Trailer for Sunday morning services (180 Creative Worship Team style;)

After a Long Hiatus....

So God shows grace in funny ways sometimes. I was reading Psalm 69 out loud yesterday with my wife and we were shaking our heads at some of the irony in the words of this Scripture. First of all it is to be sung to the tune of “Lilies”, which is not a tune we may know but definitely brings to mind some sort of slow, lilting string music with flowery words. Which is why the first words “Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck” may seem a little out of place. But the part that was most interesting to us was as we got to all these curses that David was calling down on his enemies (vs. 22-28).

Let their eyes be darkened.

Let your burning anger overtake them.

Let them be blotted out of the book of the living.

I mean can you really say these things about people. And to think this was a song to be sung in church! Can you imagine if one of the people he wrote this Psalm about came to that service and heard that song? I can’t imagine that bringing much harmony.

But then I started looking over the notes in the ESV Study Bible (check out a review of this really neat Bible from my buddy Nathan here), and it began to paint a different picture. First of all, it points out that the writer of this Psalm is not claiming to be perfect. In verse 5 he says, “O God, you know how foolish I am; my sins cannot be hidden from you.” (NLT) It goes on to point out how many times this Psalm is used in reference to Jesus:
“Those who hate me without cause” (Ps 69:4 & John 15:25); “For zeal for your house has consumed me” (Ps 69:9 & John 2:17); “for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink” (Ps 69:21 & John 19:28-29).

Now, if these words are used according to Jesus, does that mean that He also wants to bring these curses down on sinners, of which I am one? The notes go on to show how the apostle Paul used many verses from this Psalm as well, by which he shows how many of his fellow Israelites have rejected Christ and had their hearts hardened (Romans 11:9-10). But then Paul says this most interesting thing. In Romans 11:25, he says: “Lest you be wise in your own sight, I want you to understand this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.”

And suddenly it all came rushing to me. We are those with hard hearts. We are the sinners. I was immediately convicted of ways that I had been disobedient to God this week – through ways I had spent money foolishly that God had blessed me with after praying for Him to help with my finances; through having a whiny, selfish attitude rather than recognizing how God is working; through being critical of others rather than being obedient to who God is calling me to be. So I prayed and repented and found God’s mercy and refreshing through a better understanding of these curses in Psalm 69.

I was reminded of words of one of the speakers at our CIY conference a couple weeks ago. He said that when we read the Bible we usually associate ourselves with the voice of God’s chosen, but he said if we are not being obedient to God then we are the other side – the oppressors, the hard of heart, the evildoers. The writers of the ESV Study Bible notes summed it up for me this way: “These words could prove to be a mercy to the evildoers, should any of them be present at worship when the congregation sings them, and they heed the warning.” So, let us continue to sing of God’s mercy, even if it comes in the form of curses.

Creative Worship Roadshow: HXC Edition

Highlights from our recent trip to see Venia at the Warehouse in Camdenton, MO (along with some shameless announcements thrown in for good measure!)

Mission Trip Memories

Here is the highlights video we showed Sunday night from our Troy Mission Trip.

"HOW DO YOU GROW A YOUTH MINISTRY?"

I sat across the table from a quiet, thoughtful servant from Stonebridge FWB Church on the last day of our recent mission trip. We had spent the week working alongside the men, women & youth of his church - working on invalid’s homes, cleaning up the grounds of their newly completed facility, and holding a Vacation Bible School.


We had watched the enthusiasm and faith of this small mission church as they reached out to their community and loved their neighbor as themself. I had watched their anticipation of God doing great things with humbling awe. And as this quiet, faithful man asked me this question, I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of answer he was looking for.

Was it big youth facilities and a full time youth guy that would draw the kids they are hoping for?

Is it a kickin’ band and stage lights and smoke machines and lots of LOUD music?

Is it trendy promotions and hip t-shirts?

As I considered how to answer this earnest question, I thought about our youth ministry. I realized how easy it is when God has blessed your ministry to become prideful

or complacent

or something worse.

It is also tempting to think that it is all the “stuff” that we have or do that reaches young people. But I have found that to be so far from the truth. Recently I asked a group of our young people what caused them to connect to our ministry. They all (100%) said it was a significant adult making them feel welcome and special.

Wow! Who would have thought?

So I shared some of those thoughts with this humble servant from this neat church. That they already have everything they need to let God use them to reach young people, if they will just be available for those opportunities. But I want to hear your thoughts. What connects you to the ministry you're involved in? Or what has caused you not to connect? I can't wait to hear your thoughts!

It is so good to be back from our trip and with a renewed passion to be available for God to use us to reach people. Let's anticipate together that God will do great things in our ministry, the the ministry of Stonebridge FWB church and whatever other ministries you may be involved in! God bless...

Creative Worship Roadshow: Jasmine's Edition

Here is our latest Creative Worship Team excursion!

Are You Religious?

I am excited about what God is doing in this generation.

Last weekend I spent 30 hours fasting with a group of approximately forty teenagers as we learned about the needs around the world, served in our community, and gave financially to World Vision (as well as played some crazy games!). It was a blessing.

I continue to be surprised by the desire for young people to get involved in needs and significant ministries. At the end of the Famine, as we took some time to reflect on the weekend, I was particularly struck by the words of Chad, our visiting missionary. He said that he was really impressed by the continued interest of our young people to care for the needy, and then he referenced James 1:27 - "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world."

Those are powerful words coming from Chad. Chad is not one to just throw compliments around.

And the most interesting thing about that statement is there were many young people at our event that had never been to church before - no church background. Yet, according to James, they were exhibiting true religion.

These punk kids were being more religious than some people who have sat in a pew every Sunday their whole life.

So I guess my big struggle in all this is how do we bring these two worlds together? How do we continue to invite these unchurched, passion-filled young people and life-time church attenders and everyone inbetween to become true followers of Christ - desiring to know and learn about Him and then playing that out by caring for the needs of others?

It is a wonderful, challenging, overwhelming job. Thank you to all who are joining in it with me. Share with me your thoughts, struggles, successes, failures, and joys in this issue.