A Friend Like Dan

It was my freshman year in college. I had gone to a few of the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship meetings on my campus. But frankly I thought the group was filled with people who were below my own social status. I was too cool to jump into the group and call it “my group.” I toyed around with one of the guys Bible studies led by a guy named Dan. Dan was a nice guy but in my mind he typified the social status of the group. He was the type of guy you’d turn to for chemistry help, not the guy you’d hangout with on Friday Night.

But Dan did not seem to be intimidated by my “coolness” and he treated me with genuine kindness. Every so often he would stop by freshman dorm room to see how I was doing or to bring by some cookies. One time I returned to my freshman hall and all the guys were laughing at me because of Dan. I thought to myself, “Oh great, what did he do this time.”

They drug me to the answering machine and played a message which Dan had left. The message said something to the effect of “Hey Clay, wanted to see if you were interested in hanging out on Friday, we could play some games or bake a cake or something….” BAKE A CAKE, I thought….who says stuff like that. But that was just Dan. I didn’t consider Dan a close friend, until one day later in the semester.

It was during freshman rush. I was making what I believed to be one of the biggest decisions in my life…which fraternity should I join. I was really conflicted by the event and felt great pressure from a couple of fraternities to join their brotherhood. In the heat of the moment I joined one of the fraternities, and I immediately felt like I had made the wrong decision. I lost sleep…I couldn’t eat…I was extremely anxious. Part of my concern was based upon what little Christian values I actually had at the time.

I needed someone to talk to, but I didn’t know where to turn. The guys on my hall were part of the pressure to join the fraternal system and I didn’t know what to do. So in my desperation for release from the pressure that was building within me… I turned to Dan. I stopped by his dorm room and asked if I could talk. He dropped everything and just listened to me. I poured out my anxiety and some tears as I explained the weight of the pressure which I had been feeling. He did a little talking, but mostly listened and supported. I left his room with a strategy to correct the situation and a peace about the process and what I had to do to correct my situation.

I learned something about friendship that day. And I learned something about myself that day as well. I knew that I needed some people who shared my worldview who could speak wisdom into my life when I needed it. I also had my conception of “social status” crushed that day. I realized that what I shared with Dan, as a fellow servant of Christ, was much stronger than any external pretension of coolness or social status.

Proverbs says, “The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense (Prov. 27:9).” Dan proved to be a true friend to me. His comfort and counsel were gifts that I came to cherish as I continued my journey in life. Not because my social status improved when I was around him, but because I needed a friend who could offer wise counsel. Everyone needs a friend like Dan.

Have Church Your Way

Do you have what it takes to be the pastor of the next Mega Church? Find out at the comfort of your own PC thanks to "Mega Church" the game. Check this out.

Pieces of a Puzzle

Last night I passed out some simple puzzles that I gathered from the 2-3 year old nursery. Everyone had a piece of the puzzle and when I said go, we raced to see which group could put their puzzle together the fastest.

It was a simple exercise with a profound message. A puzzle is made of different pieces. If even one piece is missing, the picture is not complete. If the pieces are not in the right place...if they're not playing the role they were made to the play...then the picture doesn't work. The puzzle was made to display a pretty picture or a beautiful landscape, but it only works if every piece is in the right place.

That may help us to think about the local church. God, the master designer, is painting a beautiful picture, but the picture is only complete when every person is involved and is functioning in the way that He has designed them. The church is not just a social club "formed solely by human intentions and efforts, individual or collective, but instead by God's empowering presence (Darrell Guder)."

The church is the work of the Holy Spirit. The same Holy Spirit which brings about regeneration in the work of salvation, when one is born again (John 3:5-8) is the agent which knits together the church by baptizing each born again person into the body of Christ which is the Church (1 Corinthians 12:12-14). The Church is not an option for Christians; it is the result of their salvation. God does not redeem individuals and then leave them hanging isolated and alone, He has a beautiful picture to which they are an indispensable piece.

But why then does church seem so unfulfilling and so optional for many Christians. It is easy to show up once in a while on Sundays to fill a pew and then to go back to regular life. It can be difficult to find people that we click with, can't it? It can be scary to consider making a "bigger" commitment to church, right? I agree and have personally thought all these thoughts and more.

So whose fault is this situation? I think some of the blame lies with church leadership. Pastors can be so busy running their own agendas that they miss the important task of identifying, training, connecting and launching people to their God designed role in fulfilling the church's mission. Isn't that the main role of pastors & teachers anyway? Consider Ephesians 4 :12-13,

"It was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. "

At the same time part of the blame lies with the individual. Many choose the path of least resistance and so they never give their time to serving in the local church or they choose to never attend a bible study so they never get to know anyone. They cling to Christ for their salvation, but they seem to have missed the idea that they are an essential part of the body of Christ. That in fact if they are not connected and functioning as they have been designed that the church is deficient in some capacity.

My 2 1/2 year old son loves doing puzzles. He often will grab a piece and after a few attempts at placing it, comes to me and says "Where does this go daddy?" He can't always figure out where all the pieces go, but he does one thing really well. He can quickly figure out if any piece is missing...and it drives him crazy. He is okay if the pieces are upside down or if they are spread across the table as long, as they are all there.

God is painting a glorious picture by bringing together many pieces. Each local church is a small part of the painting and each is made up of many parts. Not only do you need the church, but the church needs you. So...which piece are you? What role do you play in the picture of your local church?

Loneliness 6: Building a House of Understanding

By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established;
through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures. Proverbs 24:3-4

Some might say by this point in the week, "Ok I get it, I see that other fears in my life have kept me from developing true companionship, what do I do now?" That is a good place to be. Some might say, hey I'm single and that is why I feel lonely. I agree that a marital relationship offers the possibility of deeply intimate companionship, but I would encourage singles to practice their companionship making skills on the other relationships in their lives. If companionship is a house, then mutual understanding is the foundation. So here's a process for developing true companionship through mutual understanding:

1. Confess your real self to the Lord. Put your fears and personal struggles into words, audibly and speak them before the Lord. God already KNOWS you, but by being audibly honest with God it helps us to be honest with ourselves and others.

2. Have confidence that God knows you and accepts you. The old hymn, "Just as I am" comes to mind. God knows our selfishness, our loneliness, our fears, our lust, our hatred...and he still loves us completely. To those who trust in Him, He completely accepts and forgives us.

3. Proceed with caution. We must not go around dumping the truckload of our inner struggles on everyone we meet. And even our families or spouses do not need to know every detail of our issues. So pick your people and your issues wisely. If you are unsure seek the guidance of a spiritual mentor.

4. Commit to communicate. Two-way active communication is the foundation upon which true companionship is built. Listen well so as to understand the other person and share honestly so as to be clearly understood. Without communication there is no understanding and without understanding there is no companionship.

Is God stirring within your heart discomfort about some of your relationships? Slowly and cautiously be obedient to the Holy Spirit by beginning the companionship-making process.

Loneliness 5: Connecting

From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. Ephesians 4:16

Noted Christian Psychologist and author Larry Crabb dropped a bomb on the Christian Counseling profession with the release of his book Connecting. In it he explains that the underlying reason that more Americans are going to professionals to fix damaged psyches is what he refers to as disconnected souls. That sounds a lot like the concept of loneliness. The shocking thing is that Crabb suggests that professional soulcare is NOT the answer, but he prescribes a soul “nourishment” that “only a community of connected people can offer.” I’ll let Dr. Crabb explain…

“I have strong reason to suspect that Christians sitting dutifully in church congregations, for whom “going to church” means doing a variety of spiritual activities, have been given resources that if released could powerfully heal broken hearts, overcome the damage done by abusive backgrounds, encourage the depressed to courageously move forwards, stimulate the lonely to reach out, revitalize discouraged teens and children with new and holy energy, and introduce hope into the lives of the countless people who feel rejected, alone, and useless. Maybe “going to church,” more than anything else, means relating to several people in your life differently. Maybe the center of Christian community is connecting with a few.” (Crabb, Larry. Connecting. 1997. The W Publishing Group, Nashville, xiii.)

It is most likely that every Sunday you are surrounded by lonely people, or as Crabb says disconnected souls. They come to church to find healing, or acceptance, or forgiveness or true companionship. The apostle Paul says the church should function so in sync with the needs of its members that is functions like a human body. A healthy body works together in everything that it does... there should be no disconnection.

Is your soul being nourished by a few others that you really connect with? Pray that God would guide you to enter into a connected community. Or if you are in such a connected community now, consider inviting other disconnected souls into yours.

Loneliness 4: What are we so afraid of?

For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." Romans 8:15

If we believe that we were designed in the image of God and therefore made for relationships, does that mean that having relationships is the end of all loneliness? If it were only that easy. I remember the appearance of a nagging feeling of loneliness at times, even after I was married. You see I did not understand that a relationship or even a marriage relationship does not necessarily equate with true companionship.

True companionship is more than just the existence of a relationship, but is something much deeper. It is an environment where someone seeks to know you, all of you and you feel safe sharing that sensitive soft-core that is deep within you. It is quite possible to have a pleasant, stable relationship yet to never develop the deeper knowledge of one another that can be described as companionship. This is where fear comes in. We maintain our relationships at a pleasant level because we fear other things will happen if we expose our real selves to these people. The most common fear that leads to loneliness is fear of rejection. We fear that we won’t be accepted if we unveil our true selves. So for fears-sake we conceal this soft-sensitive part of our being out of self-protection and as a result no one truly knows us.

When we make these decisions we are actually driving a wedge of separation between us and others andtrue companionshipp is never possible. We are so afraid to admit that we have low self-esteem...or don’t feel loved... or struggle with pornography... or don’t feel attractive... or embarrass easily... or that we struggle with communicating our feelings that we don’t let others truly know us. So marriages exist without true self-disclosure. Parent-child relationships exist without mutual understanding. Friendships exist without deep levels of communication. Don’t let fear keep you from enjoying true companionship.

Take stock of the relationships in your life as to the degree to which you know one another. Your spouse. Your parents/children. Your friends. Ask God for the courage to share your heart with those that you can trust.

from Linda

Linda lost her mom to cancer about a week ago. She has been on our hearts and in our prayers. A number of people have spent time with Linda and her family offering support. The family was showered with flowers, so after the funeral service Linda brough over flowers and this kind note.

Loneliness 3: I don’t deserve this

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19

Loneliness is common, let's get that straight. It is not a special problem for the pitiful few, it shows no partiality or favors when it considers whom to haunt. But does anyone really deserve to be lonely? Dan Haseltine the lead singer for Jars of Clay offered an interesting view in a recent article on relationships. He wrote:

What we deserve is to be lonely, what we deserve is to be isolated from the one who loves us better thatn anyone else. What we deserve is to never be pushed forward, to never deepen in our wisdom and experience of love and community. What we deserve is to die a dark and disconnected fate. And if we are going to apply the rules of culture today, the only one to blame for not getting what we deserve is Jesus. (Relevant Magazine, July_August 2005, Longevity, Dan Haseltine, p. 50.)

Did you get that? If not read it again. Let's be honest, we are naturally like Adam. And for that rebellion we deserve loneliness, relating to God and others. And God's judgment was separation from Him, at Eden, and from one another, at Babel. Yet despite our deserved separation, God through Christ has extended his hand towards us. By sacrificing his Son, He has paved the way across the chasm of separation. God's act of redemption, restores us from our lonely state caused by our sinfulness, so that we can live in true companionship with our creator and with others. That is reconciliation. God through Jesus, reconciling us to himself and then empowering us to reconcile with each other. Loneliness at its root is a spiritual problem brought on by our sin.

Do you feel entitled to certain things (friends, a spouse, respect from others) because you think you are good? Reconsider what you truly deserve and how Jesus has given you the opposite.

Loneliness 2: Is it just me?

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-- yet was without sin. Hebrew 4:14

When I was a kid I got hit in the face with a baseball bat and lost my top left tooth and chipped a few others. I happened to be in the wrong place when a little league teammate of mine was in the "on deck" circle getting ready for his at bat. It was obviously an impressionable experience for me. When I returned from thhospitalol my dad gave me something to tell me how proud he was of me. It was a button with a picture of "hero" sandwich on it and the letters HERO across the top. I felt special and unique in a really good way, thanks to my dad's encouragement. But sometimes I feel that same sort of special and unique in bad ways. I feel like I uniquely deal with certain moral, spiritual or relational struggles in ways that others wouldn't or couldn't identify.

It can be that way with loneliness can't it? We feel all alone in our loneliness. Some wives say, no one could ever understand how emotionally separated my husband and I are. Others say I'm so socially awkward that I will never have a true friendship. Some kids say, my relationship with my parents is so distant that no one wounderstandndertsand. And these pent-up feelings lead to emotional turmoil in the simplest form and depression or suicide in more extreme cases. Some feel that no one could be as isolated or separated or alone as they are. They feel alone in their loneliness.

But thanks to Christ, I know that such thoughts are not true. Christ himself in his humanity experienced loneliness, forsakenness, betrayal and worse. And Scripture tells us that, “no temptation has seized [us] except what is common to man (1 Cor 10:13)." So others feel the same way. Loneliness, separation, and isolation bring deep feelings of pain, but we aren't alone in dealing with these feelings.

Do you struggle with loneliness? Find comfort in sharing your feelings with Christ, who understands. Pray that God would allow you to connect with othempathize empathisize with you.

Loneliness 1: The Soul of the Matter

We recently did a freedom from Fear Series at our Church. I wrote these devotionals for the Fear of Loneliness. They seem to fit with our current study of Community, so I will republish all six.
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So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27

I'm not sure that we fear loneliness, as in being afraid of this beast calls loneliness but I think we feel lonely. The difference may be small but I think there is a difference. I guess I don't think loneliness strikes fear in people, especially in America where we value our independence. But I do think that everyone feels the nagging pain of loneliness.... some more than others.

Before dealing with the concept of loneliness we must define what we are talking about. Ed Young, Jr. in his book "Know Fear" suggests it is "being without true companionship." It is not a feeling based upon what we have but its focus is upon what we do not have. The struggle with loneliness is a feeling of isolation or separation. It is the sense that something is absent. It is like the hole in the centerfavorite favority donut, you can stick your finger through it because it is not there. It is the feeling that comes when one pines for a spouse or is grieving their loss. Or it is the feeling when one longs for a true friend or moves 1000 miles away from their best one.

Just this week, I spoke with two girls who sense this loss. One moved into town 5 months ago, and is still struggling to find a church. She shared that one of the biggest things missing in her life is friends. Another girl lost her mother to cancer just this past week. She was very close to her mom and the pain of losing her hurts.

Why does this lack of "true companionship" in our lives bother us so much? Because at the core of our being we were designed for intimate companionship. We were designed in the image of God (Gen. 1:26). God himself is one being in three persons. So God in his oneness is also threeness, we call this the doctrine of the trinity. The Godhead is self-sufficient apart from relationship with mankind because he exists in an intra-trinitarian loving relationship. So as image-bearers of God all mankind is designed for relationship or should we say "true companionship." So when we lack that, the ache is in the depth of our being. We know that something is not well with our soul.

This week we will consider what part loneliness plays in your life and relationships. Ask God to open your eyes to the ways in which feelings of loneliness are present in your life.

Koinonia

Last night we started a 4-week Bible Study on Growing in Community. I suggested that one of the key components of the early church was the concept of koinonia. Acts 2:42 describes how the earliest Christians spent their time. "They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship (koinonia), to the breaking of bread and to prayer."

Darrell Guder suggests in the book Missional Church says this about koinonia.

"It is the communal reality of holy living, mutual support, and sacrificial service. Challenging the old competitive order of independence, self-interest, and private privilege. Christian community indicates a new collaborative order of interdependence, shared responsibility, mutual instruction and commonality (koinos)."

We as the church should be a new community of people not formed solely by human intentions or efforts but knit together by the Holy Spirit. If we are truly to embody koinonia we must not "conform any long to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of (our) mind(s)" (Rom 12:2). We must remember that "the old has passed away, the new has come" (1 Cor 5:17).

Such a community of people will not be the result of purely natural effort, because we will get sick of one another. It is only possible through the supernatural work of God in Christ through His Spirit.

Are you sitting or standing?

The 17th has come and gone, but I hope that the ripples of standFIRM are stirring into waves. How encouraging was it see nearly 70 young adults gather for a time of teaching, praise and discussion. The room seemed to grow in its level of intimacy as the night wore on.

Dr. David Hoffeditz, Bible & Greek Teacher at Cedarville University and author of "They were Single Too", delivered a stirring challenge to those in attendance. He was pretty honest when he identified that we all face obstacles to standing firm in the Lord. And this led to his concern that the challenges of life lead can lead us to bitterness or blurred vision about life.

So he suggested three simple ways to overcoming the obstacles which can keep us from standing firm in the Lord: (1) Rest in the Lord - Find comfort and peace in Him in the midst of life's trails. (2) Seek to Serve - When we serve Him by serving others we don't have as much time to worry about our own circumstances. (3) Praise the Lord - Even when everything in life says we shouldn't.

Thanks David, those are good words. Keep an eye on the site, the pictures are coming soon.

Are you PASSION-ate?

The last month has been a bit of a whirl of experiences: the holidays, family, ministry, travel. So I'm finally getting back to the blog after a hiatus. One of the most stirring experiences was traveling with my wife and merry bunch of college students (Gabe, Matt, Tim, Ray plus Allie) to the Passion Conference in Nashville, TN. Here they are











































We joined 18,000 college students and ministry leaders from around the country for 3 days of teaching, worship, praying and discussion. The music was loud, inspiring and just plain fun. We were led in worship by David Crowder, Chris Tomlin, Charlie Hall and Matt Redman. I'm not much of a concert guy, so I really enjoyed the engaging production. Could this be church? I'm not sure I'm ready for light shows and smoke machines, but a stadium full of people singing at the top of their lunch, hands raised singing songs of devotion to Christ. The word that I have found myself using to describe the worship is FREE. It may sound a bit charismatic, but the environment invited response and with the use of silence I sensed that I had time to allow the Spirit to work through the areas of my life that needed repentance or confession. I was not just singing songs or showing off, I had been invited to respond to God, whether singing or silent. And in the end I felt a spiritual rejuvenation. Like a small dry sponge that just been washed over by a bucket of fresh water and now was drippingly saturated.














There was a lot of excitement and knee-slapping, but to balance that out the conference hosted a top-notch line of speakers. Louie Giglio, Beth Moore and John Piper. The teaching has had my mind spinning. I've regained an appetite for the Scriptures, for memorization and to wrestle with the goodness of the Gospel.

The sessions from John Piper have gripped my attention.

In his first session his theme was: the glory of the Grace of God was maximally displayed in the suffering of the Son. Before the foundations of the world, God determined that his Son would be humiliated and slaughtered so that those who far-off could be brought near and become His children. That is Grace. According to Piper this Grace, the giving of what was not deserved (righteousness) to those who do not deserve it (wicked man), is most abundant in the undeserved yet willing suffering of the Son (the innocent one). Wow!

Then in session two Piper turned the conference on its head by inviting us into join in making God great. He said: Since the glory of the Grace of God is maximally displayed by the suffering of the Son, will you join the Son in maximally glorifying the Grace of God by willingly suffering on behalf of this gospel of grace. The invitation was to walk away from valuing prestige, position, comfort even coolness to be poured out even to the point of suffering for the glorification of the grace of God through Christ.

"but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation." 1 Peter 4:13

"Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions." Colossians 1:24

After three busy days, all we had the energy for was....














It was a blast and one h%$? of a way to start off the new year. For more pictures go to the Passion'06 on the PICS tab at www.seven27.org. And consider joining us for Passion'07 in Atlanta, Jan 1-4.

Friends + Laughter = Memories

Bruce & Karen Lane warmed us up after our caroling by inviting us over for some hot soup & chili and some warm cider. THANKS - BRUCE & KAREN. But as I was driving home that night Christine and I were reliving the funny stories from the night. The creative gifts opened during the white elephant exchange. The jockeying for position to get the right gift or get rid of the wrong gift. The antics of Guesstures & Taboo.

There were many stories that we could share and will fondly remember for a long time. I was impressed by how healing it can be when we gather with friends and we laugh together. We were making memories. But memories are not without cost.

It takes some risks to make memories right? Some had long weeks and just showing up was difficult. Some didn't really know that many people, others get embarrassed making a fool of themselves (that is what games are all about, right?). But those who took the risk made some good memories.
Anyonee need a rubber chicken.
Oooh goody, nose hair trimmers
How's that block of wood Robert?
What is it Andy?

Joy to the World

On Saturday we surprised a local neighborhood by showing up on their steps to sing Christ-centered carols. We were received quite well and most people held their doors open to enjoy our song, despite the 20something degree weather. We lost no one to frost-bite, but we almost lost Erin to an aggresively close-talking man clad in shorts & a t-shirt.

May this Advent season stir your hearts to sing a new song to our King, Jesus.

We couldn't pass up the opportunity to pose with Santa.
They sounded like a chorus of angels.
Sing it Steve, Amy, Tiff & John.

Tea Anyone?

Last Thursday a group of 727 gals joined in on the church-wide Christmas Tea festivities when Kristen Stewart hosted a table. In addition to a "night out" of fine dining complete with entertainment, it was a chance for the men of the church to serve the ladies. Steve jumped at the chance to be at the beck & call of this table of pretty yet demanding ladies. It looks like he was providing service with a smile. Merry Christmas!!

Creation & Salvation

Last week I gave props to Ken Myers, suggesting Mars Hill for your Christmas shopping. Well, he's back, I just read his December letter from the Mars Hill Audio Journal, in which he challenges some of our common thinking about creation & salvation. How do you link these two ideas? Do you believe that time & space as created by God will one day be destroyed so that those who are saved will be saved to a timeless-spaceless other-existence called heaven? Consider some excerpts.

"American Christians seem much more willing to fight about the fact of Creation (against Darwinism) or fight with one another about how many hours Creation took than they are to order their lives around the structures that God has placed in Creation. Christians want to insist on the fact of Creation even as they are willing to ignore the meaning and significance of the order of Creation."

Is our interaction with creation simply an objectifiable fact which we arm ourselves to defend our belief in God? Does our interaction with creation also include our living experience with other created things/people as subjects of the king? How does the order established in Genesis 1 & 2 order our lives? How do we interact with living things (plants, animals, places) and people in a way which glorifies our creator?

"There has been since the beginning of the Church a temptation to read the story of God's saving work as an account of human liberation from Creation rather than human redemption in the context of a renewed Creation."

Do you consider the earth and its cultures as things which must be loathed or left behind in order to pursue more spiritual things? How does your salvation include ways in which you live (treat, consider, care for, enjoy) redemptively with other created things? What if heavens looks a lot more like earth than heaven?

"The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies." (Romans 8:19-23)

Should my Church close on Christmas Sunday?

That is the question of the day, because we get to decide this year. CNN even had carried a piece, "Some megachurches closing on Christmas." The debate is raging. Check out what both sides are saying.

Ben Witherington , NT scholar at Asbury Seminary, Kentucky
Scot McKnight, NT scholar at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Chicago

Witherington offers a response to McKnight, in Comment #13. Our church is consolidating its typical 2 Sunday services into one larger one on the heels of 3 Christmas Eve Candlelight services. What are your thoughts?

Are you wasting your life?

That is a question that I've come in contact with lately. Well it's not always that explicit but that is the question that lies just below the surface. Guys and gals, men and women who want their life to count...to not be wasted. They work at nice jobs but at the end of the day wonder if they are making any difference for God. Some even say they are considering quitting work to move overseas to be in "full-time" Christian ministry.

I identify because that was my story. I was a salesman in the computer industry for 7 years before I quit my job, went to seminary and entered into vocational ministry. But now that I am removed from the regular workforce I have noticed the detriments of becoming a "man of the cloth." So I want to encourage my brothers and sisters whom struggle with this question that impact is not described in terms of vocation or geography but in terms of perspective and attitude.

I was recently was flipping through John Piper's handy book, "Don't Waste Your Life", and came across a helpful list of how to bring a ministry-mindset to your job. The list is pulled from chapter 8 "Making Much of Christ from 8 to 5." May his thoughts encourage you in your daily toil.

We can make much of Christ in our secular job...
1. Through the fellowship that we enjoy with Him throughout the day in all our work.
2. By the joyful, trusting, God-exalting design of our creativity and industry.
3. When it confirms and enhances the portrait of Christ's glory that people hear in the spoken Gospel.
4. By earning enough money to keep us from depending on others, while focusing on the helpfulness of our work rather than financial rewards.
5. By earning money with the desire to use our money to make others glad in God.
6. By treating the web of relationships it creates as a gift of God to be loved by sharing the Gospel and by practical deeds of help.

Engaging the Mind

1 Corinthians 9 tells us that it is OK for those who feeds our spirits to derive their living from the support of their sheep. Well I want to share with you one of the shepherds that has been leading me into a more Christianly thoughtful engagement with American culture, Mars Hill Audio.

A few months ago a friend of mine gave me a great gift by turning my onto this bi- monthly audio journal, produced by Ken Myers. I was smart enough to listen and for $36 got my years subscription. These audio journals have been a devotional for me and have challenged me to walk out into the deep waters of Christian cultural engagement.

Remember when Jesus said, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength (Mk 12:30; Lk 10:27)." Very few Christians I know actually show me how to love my Lord with my mind. So I try to find really smart, godly men who aren't afraid to go to the movies or turn on the TV, because they will undoubtedly show me how to critically engage my culture with a transformed mind.

I just received my third MHA Journal in the mail and look forward to the exercise my Christian mind will receive. Do yourself a favor this Christmas and give yourself a gift that will disciple you in transforming your mind. Check out the Mars Hill Audio Journal.

A favorite freebie of mine is an extended interview with Eugene Peterson on his latest book, "Christ Plays in 10,000 Places."