A Tribute to My Second Son (and to the community that surrounds him).

Yesterday we celebrated my son Noah's first birthday. I put together some pics and video from the first year of his life outside the womb. Although we couldn't fit pictures in of everyone who has played a part in his life thus far, Sarah and I are so grateful for the community that surrounds him, loves him, and models Christ-like faith to him even at a young age. Indeed, as it takes a village to raise a child, so it takes a Church to make a Christian. As you watch this, would you join us in prayer asking Jesus to impart a divine and supernatural light into his soul? That Noah would love Jesus more than life!?

Thankful to all of you!

Time and Regret

One of the elders of our church gave me an updated copy of "Spiritual Leadership" by Oswald Sanders. It's a classic on leadership, and although I read it many years ago, I had forgotten how good of a book it is. I've been reading random chapters here and there as part of my midday reflections (something I'm trying to do more of). Last week, I was reading the chapter on 'The Leader and Time'. This phrase stood out to me, "The habit of putting off is fatal to spiritual leadership." I don't know why that phrase impacted me, but I see God's hand in teaching me a lesson.

These past two weeks, I have had the honor of walking alongside a mother at our church who has been battling cancer for the last several years. She was taken home to be with the Lord last night. I feel ashamed to say this, but I had two chances to visit with her, but put it off. Just before Christmas, I was going to stop by, but my schedule got the best of me, and I postponed until after the New Year's. I got to visit with her a week and a half ago, and it was a sweet visit. I kicked myself for not having gotten over there sooner. I had every intention of stopping in last week to just be with her and play some music, but I put it off. I got caught up in conversations and meetings. I told myself I would visit her this week, and she went home last night. I feel such a sense of loss and failure. I didn't get to say my goodbyes. I wasn't able to sing with her her favorite song, "Blessed Be Your Name." I put it off.

Much like my previous resolution to not hold back what needs to be said, I am learning a new lesson - this time through regret and grief. Don't put visiting people off. Respond to the Lord as he dictates as soon as you can, not when your schedule allows. Sanders is right. Make that a habit and your spiritual leadership will be discredited, insincere, and shallow.

Colin Hansen on the Top 10 Most-Searched Bible Verses: What's Missing?

A very insightful commentary on how sometimes even our own searching for God comes on our terms.

Top 10 Most-Searched Bible Verses: What’s Missing?

Fadical? I hope not...

After recently reading "Radical," by David Platt and "Crazy Love," by Francis Chan a little bit ago, I'm coining a new phrase that I hope never finds expression in the church nor in the generation of Christians coming. I'm calling it "Fadicalism."

Although I very much appreciate the voice that God has given to brothers like Chan and Platt, calling the U.S. church to radical, American-dream-rejecting, surrendered, abandoned, and very biblical faith, I am concerned about how such messages will be received by a generation that is already looking for adventure and on the bandwagon that is social justice right now. Don't get me wrong - I love that the Church is coming back to center in putting feet to the gospel, but it is all too easy to jump onto the next movement be it  church growth, seeker-sensitivity, or whatever you want to name it. We've seen countless people take a biblical idea, put a slogan to it, have a conference about it, then sign up thousands of people to go after it. Church history has been full of these kinds of movements (albeit without the conferences), and God has indeed used these movements to advance the kingdom.

However, here's what I find lacking in the latest message for the Church - a call to suffering. Yes, we should live radically, forsaking the American dream, praying for the nations, stewarding our money and resources for the global mission God is advancing. Yes, we should forsake lukewarmness and compromise, and genuinely ask of God what he desires (and obey it!). The stories that are used are so motivating. They make me long for God to show up in real and powerful ways like the testimonies given, but what about the suffering? What about the cost involved? This kind of lifestyle is not a cakewalk, yet it is demanded of every Christ follower. I think of Bonhoeffer's line in "Cost of Discipleship" - "When Jesus bids a man come, he bids him come and die."

To forsake these things and pick up the cross of this kind of Radicalism while sexy in hindsight is to choose a life of suffering because Jesus is everything. He is the joy that is before us, the pearl of greatest price, the treasure in a field. He's the motivation for forsaking all the trinkets and Siren songs that are pitched our way. Sometimes I felt these books were trying to sell me on all the great sights I'll see along the way to the destination when it seems that the biblical motivation is the destination, namely Jesus himself (Phil 3:12-18). It's as if a cruise director invited you to come on a trip leaving behind your sinful, boring lifestyle at home for adventure on the high seas. "It'll be tough, for sure, but here are some examples of the cool things people before you saw on the way. Don't you want to experience that too? See, it is a trip worth taking." Rather, wouldn't the right call to action be simply to say, "It's going to be hard as hell. Storms will come. You will wonder what on earth you just did. You will have less than your peers. You will not get respect. People will think you're a fool. You may accomplish nothing that you can quantify in this life, but the destination? Oh, it's Jesus!!! He's so worth it!"

I don't for a second doubt the sincerity of Platt or Chan. I wish I had an ounce of their faith and obedience. I do, however, issue this word of caution to the generation of students hearing their message (and the individuals who will market to them). Please don't turn radical, Gospel-driven living, into a fad. Please don't market FADICALISM.

Oh and by the way, before you reject these books, do yourself a favor and read them. They are simple, clear, and convicting to say the least.

God help us from becoming Fadicals!

The Church's Next Stand

I had the opportunity to watch a video put out by a friend, Matt Soerens. Matt and Jenny Hwang work for World Relief and have written a book called, "Welcoming the Stranger". It's a great introduction to the immigration issue, and the church's possible role in it.

In the next week, I'll be posting a couple of thoughts and resources on the issue of immigration and more specifically, the church's role in all this. For now, check out the video.


A NEW DREAM from UnDocumented.tv on Vimeo.