Louie spoke about how we often, as leaders, try to work our way up towards Jesus yet the model of Jesus was him working himself downward towards those he loves. The point is that gospel is not news that makes you better, rather it is news that makes you alive! I could go on and on, but I need to get why I began this post in the first place, the three words I heard at Catalyst.

At the end of Louie’s talk, he asked a critical question: “What is the Holy Spirit saying to you?”

Here was the conversation I had with the Holy Spirit that night:

ME: “Well, what do you want for me to hear?”
SPIRIT: “I have this.”
ME: “What does that mean?”
SPIRIT: “I have this.”
ME: “But I don’t understand what that means?”
SPIRIT: “I have this.”
ME:” So you have this? I don’t have to try? I don’t have to grow this church? It’s not up to me?”
SPIRIT: “I have this.”
ME: “okay. You have this.”

This is my understanding – By God’s grace, my success won’t be based upon my effort, or the growth of my church, rather, God’s work in me. He has this. He grows his church. He runs his church. He is the ruler of this ship. It’s actually quite freeing, really. Does that mean I do not work hard? Of course not! I work hard! But, now I can work hard leaving the results to him. I can’t control them anyway. Besides, he has this.

5.13.2013

[my blog] CATALYST DALLAS – DAY 2 – @CRAIGGROESCHEL SUMMARY FROM #CATALYST – here

VERY GUILTY of these mistakes in preaching from @JulianLFreemanhttp://bit.ly/18EaEko

Over 1,000 people have died in Bangladesh from the collapsed building, but this woman survived 16 days in the rubble http://nbcnews.to/12nptnR

More evidence why @drmoore is the right person to head the @erlcsbc | SBC concern of religious liberty & US Military | http://bit.ly/17WvAli

5.14.2013

OUCH. –> Prayerlessness Is Selfishness from @challies | http://bit.ly/10EFG5a

“Don’t be so stupid 2 make a name 4 yourself, make a difference in history by making much of Jesus.” @CraigGroeschelhttp://bit.ly/17mrx42

[my blog] MAN CATCHES A BIRD WITH HIS BARE HAND (CC:@_MATT_CARTER) – here

5.15.2013

[my blog] ANYTHING THAT MAKES NO CHANGE IN YOU, WILL MAKE NO DIFFERENCE TO GOD… #QUOTE – here

Wow. Guilty of a couple of these. Ouch. | Eight Signs of Fearful Leadership from @ThomRainer | http://bit.ly/YI7pUN

Why the short cut isn’t always the best from @sethgodin |  http://bit.ly/YI7tEc

Watch my cousin @RebekahReports interview @_Matt_Carter after his video goes viral. Praying the book does too. | http://bit.ly/13xDuR7 (over 200 of you clicked this link! Proud of my cousin!)

Powerful confession & massively encouraging from @jaredcwilson | John Piper & Mark Driscoll talked me off the bridge http://bit.ly/182EhdG

Hope you enjoyed these links. There are some really good reads.

5.6.2013

[my blog post] Catalyst Day 2 – Andy Stanley Summary - http://bit.ly/10gh7zR

Why what you do matters as a Pastor in every moment & also as a Christian from @challies |http://bit.ly/13TW58s

How to change the culture of your church from @STimmis | http://bit.ly/16DPd3p

Find your voice & practice. | @LouieGiglio, @PastorMark & @EdStetzer Encourage Pastors in Preaching http://bit.ly/115ix1G

5.7.2013

[my blog post] Catalyst Day 2 – Jon Acuff Summary - http://bit.ly/15xTaqN

Concise articulation of a Deep & Wide church from @jdgreear | http://bit.ly/ZBOXe7

Have a hard time listening to God? @joshreeves shares 5 Practical Ideas to Listen |http://bit.ly/128I0Eo

Excited for our friends @jrandchels & @chelsandjr on the news of another baby! | Surprise!http://bit.ly/11cvzdR

5.8.2013

[my blog post] HAVE YOU INHERITED A LIFELESS SHADOW OF HISTORIC CHRISTIANITY? #QUOTE - http://bit.ly/15FIPJt

This blog post from @matthewkruse on turning 40 is GOLD | http://bit.ly/13vACTN

Good advice // 4 Sermon Types to Avoid | http://bit.ly/ZFUoZr

5.9.2013

Helpful post from @RevKevDeYoung| What We Mean When We Say Amen http://bit.ly/ZQL4W3

A secret to longevity in ministry from @PastorMark | http://bit.ly/12hzhyq

On Friday, we left for a wedding and simply had too much going on to post! So, while this is a little late, I hope you enjoy!

“Plain horse sense ought to tell us that anything that makes no change in the man who professes it makes no difference to God either, and it is an easily observable fact that for countless numbers of persons the change from no-faith to faith makes no actual difference in the life.”

(A. W. Tozer, The Best of A. W. Tozer, Volume 1 (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1978), 168).

1. Spirit’s Prompting (compelled by the Spirit)

There is a moment in life that God will compelled you to do something for Him and it will drive you to take a risk. He made the statement, “Step away from your security to step into your destiny.” Whoa. This is how I felt when it came to becoming a Pastor. I left what was secure, what I knew how to do and what I was successful at, and took on an opportunity that was part of God’s unfolding plan for my life.

So, we’re to pay attention to the ways God is moving, and to look around and see what we’re not okay with and that very well may be why God is compelling you to do.

2. Certain Uncertainty (22b)

Many of us know what we want to do, but we don’t have the clue as to what that means. Craig encouraged the group by saying that was okay. It’s okay to have a level of certain uncertainty. Many times in fact, God won’t give us all the details because we couldn’t handle all of them anyway. You are just to be faithful to him.

God often puts something on your heart. If you knew how something was going to get done, then he wouldn’t get the glory. If you’re not afraid, then you aren’t being led by the Spirit.

3. Predictable resistance (23)

One of the things many leaders forget is that any time you lead, tough times are coming. Leading will not be easy. How easily I forget this!! This was a massive statement that seared in my heart:

If your not ready to face opposition to be used by God, then you’re not ready to be used by God.

This was powerful. Any time there is something new and effective, it will always be met with resistance. God often uses resistance to move you so that he can use you. “Don’t worry when you face resistance. Worry when you don’t.”

4. Uncommon Clarity (24)

This is that urge in a person when they know why they are where they are and what God has called them to do. When that clarity comes, you then are to finish the race and complete the task God has given you. Why? So that you could testify of the gospel of the grace of God.

THEN – Craig laid into what I think was the best part of his talk. He talked about three levels of effectiveness and it was like a hammer in the throat. Here they are:

1. Make a name for themselves – “better believe I am good, and everyone is bad” (this is a lie). There are those who set out to be famous and they orient their entire life around making a name for themselves. It’s the worst position of leadership.

2. Make a difference – “we know that I’m not good enough (but pretty good) to do this alone, and those in a similar field are a threat (other pastors).” The problem is that we believe the lie that we’re good at what we do. This is a lie. It comes out by taking shots at others. So we set our entire ministry around the point that we are better than others and we see ourselves as better than everyone else. This is a negative view of what making a difference actually is. You end up hurting others in the process and not really being as effective as you could be in ministry.

3. Make history – “Know that God is good and we only have one enemy and that is satan.” When we understand that God is good, that’s when you’ll make a difference in our church and city. It’s not about us, it’s about Him.

This was a HUGE reminder and challenge. I spent some time reflecting on this session, and was convicted that often times I dwell in the “make a difference” category rather than the “make history” line. I pray that I attempt to make history…

One last quote to end:

Don’t be so stupid to make a name for yourself, but make a difference in history by making much of Jesus.

one of the significant forms of disconnection that plagues this generation of students: the separation of faith from their “real lives.” The faith too many of them have inherited is a lifeless shadow of historic Christianity, which insists that following Jesus is a way of life, not a laundry list of vague beliefs that have little meaning for how we spend our lives. I think the next generation’s disconnection stems ultimately from the failure of the church to impart Christianity as a comprehensive way of understanding reality and living fully in today’s culture. To many young people who grew up in Christian churches, Christianity seems boring, irrelevant, sidelined from the real issues people face. It seems shallow.

From You Lost Me: Why Young Christians Are Leaving Church…and Rethinking Faith by David Kinnaman (loc 1838

This second day, there was a TON of content, so I think I’ll need to break it down from the morning sessions individually, and I might combine a few sessions depending on my notes. Unfortunately, weren’t able to stay on Friday, so there won’t be any updates from that. Yesterday I covered Andy Stanley, you can read that here.

+Jon Acuff: He shared how quickly life runs. For many of us, we will look at our lives and soon realize that there were things that we wanted to do but never got around to it. He summarized life into five “stages”:

1. Learning (20s)
2. Editing (30s)
3. Master (40s)
4. Harvest (50s)
5. Guiding (60s)

But these are not based on age alone, but on the choices you decide to make and when you decide to make them. He put it this way:

It’s no longer about when you born, but when you decided to live.

To Jon, the tools to change the world are at our hands, we just have to start using them. For instance, you ask a teenager/college student to make a difference and they’ll have a domain name, website, twitter handle, Facebook group, and started a kickstarter campaign raising all the necessary funds to achieve their goal. So what is stopping you from doing what God has put in you to do?

See, many of us want to have everything in line before we begin, but that never really is a reality. You will never have enough resources, or capital, or time, or knowledge. In fact, the word “enough” is a toxic word that keeps us from that thing burning in our hearts to accomplish. You are not able to control the finish line, but we can control the start.

Here are some of my favorite quotes:

You don’t have to be ready because we have a ready God.
We want to be good right out of the gate. The definition of narcissism is believing you’ll be good right out of the gate.
God will never be handcuffed by your failures or unleashed by your successes.
You don’t steer a boat from the shore.

This was highly motivational and Jon offered great wisdom. In many ways it felt like a pep-rally to doing starting what God has burdened you with. There won’t be more time tomorrow – do today what you need to do to begin that thing. After the session, we received a free copy of his new book Start, as it is now a New York Times Best seller.

This second day, there was a TON of content, so I think I’ll need to break it down from the morning sessions individually, and I might combine a few sessions depending on my notes. Unfortunately, weren’t able to stay on Friday, so there won’t be any updates from that.

+Andy Stanley: He gave a great little talk and revealed some history of how his church started and the impact of many difficult circumstances that define your life. When you look back on your life, it’s not going to be what conferences you go to, it will be a defining moment and someone said something and it intersected with your current life – and then you changed. The information intersects with the insight. When you tell your story, you will tell your story, it will involve three things:

Unexpected opportunity
Unavoidable adversity
Unquestionable calling

Your response to difficult circumstances are what make you a leader. And these things will be part of your story. Whoa. Andy went on to explain that your current response to opportunity, adversity, and calling is making you currently. There are things that you’re looking at right now and it is creating in you as a leader. No matter how old you are, you are currently in a place where God is making you.

Here was my favorite quotes:

“Burdens become vision.”
“God has a plan for your life and you don’t want to miss it.”
“Actions don’t merely speak louder than words, sometimes they echo into the next generation.”
“It is better to make a difference than to make a point.”
“Leaders are made one response at a time.”

Andy emphasized that we have no idea what hangs in the balance in regards to how we respond to these three different phases in life. At the end of all our days, and our story of our lives is over, all of us would wise to respond differently if we fail to do what God has told us to do. So, we should embrace the opportunities that God puts before us.

This was a powerful message and I’m thankful for the opportunity to be challenged in my leadership. For me, it confirmed so much as to why were are in Bellville and all that God is doing in me. Hope you enjoyed this!

4.29.2013

[my blog post ] Living on mission takes time http://bit.ly/16bLbPA 

Powerful post from @JWCrowder - Pastor at FBC West | Out of Ur: This is Bad, but God is Bigger http://bit.ly/ZXMNV0

It’s Monday. If you’re a Pastor, you may need to read this from @Helopoulos | Why Pastors Quit http://bit.ly/11vzqxA

4.30.2013

My friend @andrew_werley gives some great history of Jehovah’s Witnesses’ & what verse to share when they knock | http://bit.ly/10mkorB

Good thoughts from @edstetzer / Love Your Neighbor– Even the Muslim Ones http://bit.ly/ZSDPw5

5.1.2013

[my blog post] The New Idol http://bit.ly/18oIebc

My Mom has invested in countless. @jenhatmaker never fails to hit home runs // Dear Teachers Everywhere… http://bit.ly/18n2ZE1

Good reflection from @clawlessjr // 10 Things I’d Like to Say to My Pastor http://bit.ly/12ktLcY

These are so true // 30 Reasons Why It Is a Great Thing to Be a Pastor from @johnpiper -http://bit.ly/16lptZu

Whoa. Glad this has been passed around by several. | Bashir: Christ wasn’t a tax cutter, Mr. O’€™Reilly - http://nbcnews.to/ZFuf0l

So why did I choose to come back? Well, since coming to FBC Bellville, I was determined to expose our team to some of the ideas Catalyst presents on leadership, worship, cultural engagement and mission. I knew Catalyst would be helpful for our team to be exposed to a variety of ideas and perspectives… always a good thing.

Another reason is that I began following Brad Lomenick’s blog. Brad is the chief leader of the conference and his insights to leadership have fueled me in my time as a Senior Pastor. I know that may seem strange that a blog would have that kind of impact, but it did. Thus, I’m giving them another shot. And I’ll do another review at the end of day one and two. Unfortunately, our team has to jet after the first session on Friday due to some community events in Bellville we need to attend.

Here were some of the highlights of the LAB’s (which is like pre-conference bonus material):

+Bob Goff: He gave, as always, a sporadic, story infused talk about loving our enemies. He talked about loving our enemies and how difficult that is – btw, his enemies are witch doctors who are into child sacrifice. He described how difficult it is to love them, but he’s doing it as best as he can.

Here was my favorite quote:

How can I point people to Jesus? The smallest act of love answers the questions that Jesus is real. We get scared that we’re going to get it wrong but we never actually do anything. So, do something for your enemies.

+Jon Acuff spoke about how not to wreck your life as a young leader. I felt this session was highly practical for me, and am thankful that I went to it. This was helpful in regards to preventive maintenance for my heart. He shared four major flaws to be aware of:

Pride and Ego
Impatience
Expectations
Fear

Here was my favorite quote:

Celebrity is the worst drug in Christianity.

+Jo Saxon: I’ve heard Jo speak before and have always found the way she communicates fascinating. Maybe it’s because she’s from South Africa, but I really appreciate her perspective on missional living/community. She gave some marks of a missional life, they were:

Passionate spirituality
Radical community
Missional frontier (expansion)

Here was my favorite quote:

You can’t teach missional living if you aren’t living on mission.

+Matt Carter: This was by far my favorite session, as I was able to hear, and be reminded of some foundations and I was able to be affirmed in much of our direction as well. He shared three guiding principles to leading a church from Revelation 2:1-7:

Lead people to love their Savior more than they love their mission.
Lead people to understand the urgency of the mission.
Lead people to be agents of change in their context.

He asked some very good questions like: If our church packed its doors, would the city grieve. Would the city notice? If your youth group stopped, would the city grieve? Would the high school notice? You could have heard a pin drop. Questions I’ve heard before, but they rattled me more today for some reason.

Here was my favorite quotes:

When was the last time the gospel has moved you to tears?
Often as a Pastor, you need to remember that you’re a Christian too.
God wants to do more through you than just passing out bulletins.

By far, this has been the LAB that had the most impact on me. Loved it.

+Lysa TerKeurst: During this session, I laughed, cried, laughed some more, smiled, and cried again. Her story is riveting and all the guys felt the same way. We felt every emotion was brought about. Amazing. Very compelling story.

Here was my favorite quote:

If you serve The Lord right, there will be a wall of impossibility. Show up each day, and follow hard after God, and God will meet you at your impossibility.

 “The primary philosophical and spiritual problem in the West is the lie of individualism. Individualism makes church almost impossible. It makes community almost impossible.  It makes compassion almost impossible. We’ve overdone this notion of the private self; it has become the only game in town when it’s not the game at all. I need to recognize that I’m in a river that is bigger than I am. The foundation and the flow of that river is love. Life is not about me; it is about God, and God is about love. When we don’t know love, when we don’t experience love, when we experience only the insecurity and fragility of the small self, we become restless.” - Richard Rohr

From The Call of Jesus by Derek L. Worthington (loc. 443)

I think some of us believe in “missions” or the act of being on mission, but many of us are complete failures at it. Mostly, I believe, because we fail to give mission time to mature. We are too busy to be on mission for Jesus because we are on mission for ourselves. We live in a society that is impatient, and selfish, unwilling to invest in a place or city. We are more concerned about what is next that we miss the value of the NOW.

See, living on mission takes time. Maybe I could say it differently, living on mission is according to the Holy Spirit’s timetable, not your own. You never know when it’s going to occur. One of the errors the local church has experienced in recent generations is to confuse mission with an event you tack onto your already busy life. Mission should be the way we live, not something we add onto life.

Look at two places the Bible speaks about this:

As you go, make disciples. . . (Mt. 28:19)
Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. 3 At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison—4 that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. 6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. (Colossians 4:2-6)

One of my favorite books from last year was from James Hunter who says we should be “faithful present” in our city, or wherever we are. I LOVE that! Often, the key to living on mission is being present where God has planted you! As an aside, this may also be in your family. Just being in the same room is not the same as being present. Being present involves engagement wherever you are. (Putting phone away, exiting off social media, turning the TV off, etc.)

So, in coming to Bellville, we set out to explore how we could serve and be present in this city. One of the ways was to make myself a “regular” at a local bakery/coffee shop where people in the city gather. It’s one of the easiest strategies to being on mission: Be a Regular.  Being a regular is simply me trying to have a “Cheer’s Moment.” You know what I’m talking about? It’s walking in and people know you by name. It’s happened at the local meat market, but you don’t just go there and hang out – that’s weird. They know me by name because I like red meat, and spend money.

Well, the other day, I had my Cheer’s Moment at the bakery by way of a gift.

 This mug is from Newman’s Bakery. Not many people have a mug like this wth their name on it. Few in fact. But the other day, the owner of the shop pulled me aside and with tears in his eyes said, “Welcome to the group.”  I’m living on mission. People are welcoming me into this city… and I’m grateful. Being a regular is opening doors for me to share the gospel. The gospel matters very much to me, and it should to you too - but we cannot give the gospel until others see that we care enough to know them. And because we know them, we are given the opportunity to share the gospel.

Where can you be a regular today? Living on mission takes time, so go, be a regular.

4.22.2013

[my blog post] When God is most at work in us http://bit.ly/15zkvI6  #blog

Great reminder on a Monday for Pastors // Dead leaders make dead people http://bit.ly/17GrrQl

Being *famous* may only cost $68 http://on.mash.to/17u1TpG (HT: @tedvid)

I do this when there is extended silence in a meeting / from @tonymorganlive The Magic Question: “What do you think?” http://bit.ly/14HTOSh

4.24.2013

[my blog post] John Piper on life after Pastoral ministry http://bit.ly/1430b21  #blog

Really interesting list // Seven Distinguishing Characteristics of Unified Churches http://bit.ly/15IiuJL

I would do this if I had any skillz // Dad draws fun pictures on his kids’ sandwich bags every day [11 pictures] http://bit.ly/15FpXcV

What’s in a Nickname? The Origins of All 30 MLB Team Names | Mental Floss http://bit.ly/17VP36q

4.25.2013

Really excited for my friends @SicEmElliot & @HarperAnnLee and their move from Texas to Kentucky | http://bit.ly/15HxJCY

My friend @chedspellman describes what happens when a “revision” takes place in the PhD program - http://bit.ly/11HuxC0

4.26.2013

This. Is. Crazy. // Carjack victim recounts his harrowing night – Metro – The Boston Globe http://b.globe.com/17mqxu1

My favorite quote:

The sorrows of the Pastor make the Preacher.

Piper on Regrets and Retirement from The Gospel Coalition on Vimeo.

STORY 1

A couple of Sunday’s ago, I was preparing for our Sunday evening Bible study (yes, we still meet on Sunday nights), and was suddenly informed that a man from our church had passed away. He was an older man whom I had visited a couple of times in the nursing home and had been a significant part of our churches’ history.

The interesting thing was that he didn’t have to be in the nursing home – he was there with his wife, who had been struggling with dementia for many years. He simply did not want to leave her side. It was declared pretty early that I would be serving the family by officiating the funeral, and I knew this would be a long week.

STORY 2

Tuesday morning hits and I come to find out that another elderly lady from our church had passed away. She only recently had moved into town and was in process of joining our church. I talked with the family and set up a time to visit with them the following day as they were quite tired and needed rest. I needed rest at this point too, but this is the beauty of Pastoral ministry – I was already spent, but God would give the strength needed.

She was so sweet to me, but also ready to ‘go home.’

STORY 3

On Wednesday, I received a phone call in regard to the father of one of our church members, and they were asked for prayers. He was a member of a large church in Houston, and had plenty of pastoral care, but they wanted me to know and pray. Thursday morning hits, I was preparing for the funeral of the gentleman who passed on Sunday, and I receive the message that the condition of this man had become worse. It was a grave message simply asking me to come to Houston to visit the family as soon as I could, and to pray with the man before he met Jesus. I wrapped up the funeral, adjusted my schedule and hopped in the car with my cliff bar, and made my way to Houston.

Being unavailable now to visit the gentleman who just lost his mother, I asked our Deacons to fill in the gap to visit in my absence, and they did not hesitate. Arriving at the hospital, the reality of the situation was pretty serious. This beloved leader of his church and family was about to die and I was given an opportunity to hold his hand, pray with the family, and talk. He took great interest in me, my studies, our church, and my children. It was a bright moment in my day, but his as well. He shared that his “dash” between the time he was born and the time to die was just about up – and he was thankful for God for all that he had, and all that he was able to accomplish. He passed away a few hours after I left the hospital.

My eyes sweat as it had been a hard week. And it wasn’t over.

As a family, we traveled to Waco to take care of some business. I had the chance to meet with two individuals and see some friends we had not seen in some time. It was sweet… and bitter. I had some harsh news given to me of several families from our previous church whose marriages were ending in divorce, and one that had even ended in suicide. Despite being a “connected” generation via social networks like Facebook, we had somehow missed the news. We were sick. Angry. Put out. Frustrated. I wanted to cry and confessed that to Abby who told me to go to the car… but like most men, I felt there really wasn’t a moment.

Coming home to Bellville, I sat on the couch for some time and vented to the Father. I was frustrated. Not really at anyone, more spent, and realizing that pastoral ministry is a weird vantage point in life. You meet with people who are at some of their most desperate moments and you walk with them, holding their hands. I’m not the type of Pastor who can just “turn off” when I see hurt and pain in persons eyes. They tear up, I tear up. They hurt, I hurt. And I’m okay with that.

During my quite moment, the Father took his gentle hand and talked to me. And I learned three things:

1. God shows mercy to us when we seek refuge under his wings.

Ps. 57:1 says “Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by.”

This is just how the Christian life works – we seek refuge under his wings and we receive strength and comfort from Him. With that strength, we serve others and thus, he is glorified. That’s at least how I see 1 Peter 4:11 working. And this would be true for our church. Our pain and our sorrow does not simply just end at the pain and sorrow – it is to fuel us towards the care of one another for the sake of His glory and our good. God shows mercy to us when we seek refuge under his wings.

2. God seems to work most when the times are worst.

I’m not inviting suffering or asking for the worst of times, but I would say that in the darkest moments for me this week, I’ve seen God working the most in my heart and church. I’ve seen men and women step up in the care of those who are mourning. I’ve seen Deacons call me just to check on me and encourage me in the impossible task of Pastoral ministry. I’ve seen my wife and I reconnect in ways spiritually and emotionally that we’ve neglected in quite some time. God seems to work most when the times are worst.

3. Those dark clouds above our heads are full of mercy.

It seems that everywhere I turned, I was hearing disappointing news. I’ve already listed that above, but it seemed like dark clouds were everywhere. I came across a hymn from William Cowper that calibrated my mind and heart:

You fearful saints, fresh courage take:
The clouds you so much dread
Are big with mercy and will break
In blessings on your head.

Those dark clouds, they will break – it will be glorious and wonderful. I just need to trust Him. And that’s what I’m learning these days.

Albeit, at the end of the week, I’ll take all of those links and post them here for a “Weekly Link Recap” so that if you happened to miss one of the links, you can find them all at one place. This is something I believe I’d like to keep up, until someone tells me to be quiet!

Here is everything so far! Enjoy!

4.15.2013

Great video of Brennan Manning http://bit.ly/17xB4Uk

Happy Jackie Robinson day! Here are 42 Facts About Jackie Robinson from @Mental_Flosshttp://bit.ly/10Zjo0a#baseball

This is GRAPHIC & TRAGIC. I wept throughout. #Gosnell // 3801 Lancaster http://bit.ly/113YgWI

4.16.2013

Is redemption possible in this terrible trial? / Kermit Gosnell and the Gospel by @drmoorehttp://bit.ly/15bxBLL

Good interview from @CrowderMusic //  Why Old Gospel Music Works in a Club | Christianity Today http://bit.ly/17xfGhW

A sweet post from @chelsandjr on their visit to Bellville // A Much-Needed Visithttp://bit.ly/107F9hy

4.17.2013

Great questions to ask yourself // Are You Ready to be a Leader? | Ron Edmondson http://bit.ly/16XcOK1

A suggestion, & history of how you should read the Chronicles of Narnia from @TrevinWax | http://bit.ly/YtiXbi

Great advice for ministerial staff when you want to give up #ministry // Just Believe http://bit.ly/15cc5GE

4.18.2013

Going to Pastor an Established Church? — @DashHouse shares some good reminders | http://bit.ly/10dmZeD

I share some of these lessons learned | 7 things I’ve learned from @JohnPiper by @PastorMark | http://bit.ly/17GiucP

Powerful article // Why “Insiders” Are Killing Your Church by James Emery White -http://bit.ly/11j4DCR

4.19.2013

SPOT ON –> Mother Jones’ shameful attack on the Christian adoption movement | by @jonathanmerritt  http://bit.ly/11jttFl

The difficult task of translating the word “woman” from Dr. Mounce | http://bit.ly/15q6dcY

See problems with your volunteers? Look in the mirror // Setting the Example for Your Team from @coltonharker http://bit.ly/17tZ9Zb

“When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.”

-Mark Twain

HT: MH

Today marks the 66th anniversary of Jackie Robinson’s entrance into Major League Baseball. His entrance marked the first African American to play in what is considered America’s pastime. If you click HERE, you can read 42 facts about his life.

Now look – I’m a white, middle-class Protestant male who loves the game of baseball and is trying to be a faithful pastor to my small, middle-class rural church. In no way can I relate, or even dare to compare my life to the life Mr. Robinson had or endured, nor am I any expert on race relations and the church. Far from it.

But – I do think whatever local church you’re serving in or attending should always be thinking and praying about race-relations and the church.

Pastor, does your church match your city?
Church member, does your church match your city?
If not, why not? What are you doing about that?

Ideally, a local church should reflect the demographics surrounding it, both generationally and ethnically. I believe a church should do all that it can to reach each person for Jesus – especially those who reflect one’s demographics.

I’m not suggesting what those things are, but each local church should at the very least explore practices they can embrace in order to empower those in the local community to sense belonging and ultimately, people of all races come to faith in your city. One suggestion may be to put people on stage that you want reflected in your pews. If people see people like themselves in the choir, leading worship, giving testimony, or even preaching – they will more than likely find themselves investing into that church.

One task I’ve seen in Bellville is that every Sunday morning, a hundred or so Hispanics gather to play soccer across the street from where our church meets. While language is a barrier, I’ve been dreaming up of maybe a soccer camp, or a tournament, or taking a cup of cold water to this group with the hopes to build relationships to share the gospel. I’m not real sure yet – but I see it, and I want to do something about it.

So what practices and postures do you take to serve those in your city so that your church reflects your surroundings?

Albeit, at the end of the week, I’ll take all of those links and post them here for a “Weekly Link Recap” so that if you happened to miss one of the links, you can find them all at one place. This is something I believe I’d like to keep up, until someone tells me to be quiet!

Here is everything so far! Enjoy!

4.8.2013

Good reminder on a Monday from @stephenaltrogge // A Step-By-Step Guide For Killing Your Church http://bit.ly/12sB0S5

MUST READ for Pastors from @TrevinWax // How Andy Stanley and Tim Keller Preach with Non-Believers in Mind http://bit.ly/17ihY4m

Agreed // Seven Things Pastors’ Wives Wish They Had Been Told Before They Became Pastors’ Wives from @ThomRainerhttp://bit.ly/12tWj5E

4.9.2013

Are you a practicing universalist? // 8 questions to assess your evangelism from @DrMattQueenhttp://bit.ly/150xx1g

My friend @wesfaulk shares what God did on Easter Sunday, something beyond his expectations / http://bit.ly/16IhB1T

Second song is out for my friends @fwcm - glad they’re doing this! // Free Music from FWCM Music | Ephesians EP http://bit.ly/16FZrxF

4.10.2013

Born a Jew, then Born Again – cool story from @DavePasch @KINGMovementhttp://bit.ly/16KLXAM

This makes complete sense // If You Want to Communicate Better, Read This. – @Forbeshttp://onforb.es/WKKF6V

Interesting resource for High School students on how to study the Bible / http://bit.ly/152QWyN

4.11.2013

Every aspiring minister needs to read this from @chrisnye / The New Televangelists http://bit.ly/17lSBij

POWERFUL –> “The Warrens will come forth like gold. The enemy will not win.” From @BethMooreLPM Sadness & Madness - http://bit.ly/YJNPYJ

GUILTY –> @clawlessjr on Seven Mistakes in Public Speaking http://bit.ly/ZCUwP2

4.12.2013

This from @TrevinWax is SPOT ON / 8 Reasons for the Media Blackout on Kermit Gosnell http://bit.ly/ZkElzz #Gosnell

The death of a son is no time to hate / Rick Warren, critics, and the hope of God’s Son from @PastorMark http://bit.ly/17s3lf0

Why @_PPatterson_ & @EdStetzer are not traitors for listening/quoting other denominational voices / http://bit.ly/17s4e7m